Proposed Foreign-Trade Zone: Merced, Madera, and Fresno Counties, California; Application and Public Hearing

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

(Docket 55-97)

Proposed Foreign-Trade Zone: Merced, Madera, and Fresno Counties,

California; Application and Public Hearing

An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board

(the Board) by the Board of Supervisors of the County of Merced,

California, to establish a general-purpose foreign-trade zone at sites

in Merced, Madera and Fresno Counties, California, adjacent to the

Fresno Customs port of entry. The application was submitted pursuant to

the provisions of the Foreign-Trade Zones Act, as amended (19 U.S.C.

81a-81u), and the regulations of the Board (15 CFR Part 400). It was

formally filed on June 25, 1997. The applicant is authorized to make

the proposal under Section 6302 of the California Code.

The proposed foreign-trade zone would consist of 13 sites (2,560

acres) in 3 counties (Merced, Madera and Fresno) in California's

Central Valley: Site 1 (820 acres)--Castle Airport (former Castle Air

Force Base)/Morimoto Industrial Park, 3450 C Street, Atwater (Merced

County); Site 2 (18 acres)--City of Dos Palos Industrial Park, 1818

Lexington Avenue, Dos Palos (Merced County); Site 3 (196 acres)--Mid

Cal Business Park, Highway 33, Gustine (Merced County); Site 4 (253

acres)--Applegate Business Park, Air Park Road, Atwater (Merced

County); Site 5 (118 acres)--South Merced Airport Industrial Park,

Albatross Avenue, Merced (Merced County); Site 6 (101 acres)--City of

Madera Airport Industrial Park/State Center Commerce Park (within State

enterprise zone), Falcon Drive, Madera (Madera County); Site 7 (10

acres)--City of Madera Industrial Park (within State enterprise zone),

2500 West Industrial Avenue, Madera (Madera County); Site 8 (102

acres)--Airways East Business Park, East Shields Avenue, Fresno (Fresno

County); Site 9 (225 acres)--Central Valley Business Park, East North

Avenue, Fresno (Fresno County); Site 10 (511 acres)--Fresno Airport

Industrial Park/City of Clovis Industrial Park, Aircorp Way, Fresno,

and West Dakota Avenue & West Pontiac Way, Clovis (Fresno County); Site

11 (37 acres)--Reedley Industrial Park II, 1301 South Buttonwillow

Avenue, Reedley (Fresno County); Site 12 (157 acres)--City of Selma

Industrial Park, East Nebraska, Selma (Fresno County); and, Site 13 (12

acres)--Tollhouse Industrial Park, 1651 Tollhouse Road, Clovis (Fresno

County).

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The project is designed to serve a seven-county Central Valley region,

also including Kings, Mariposa, Stanislaus and Tulare Counties.

The application contains evidence of the need for foreign-trade

zone services in Merced, Madera and Fresno Counties. Several firms have

indicated an interest in using zone procedures for warehousing/

distribution of such items as modular housing components, water pumps

and agricultural products. Specific manufacturing approvals are not

being sought at this time. Requests would be made to the Board on a

case-by-case basis.

In accordance with the Board's regulations, a member of the FTZ

Staff has been designated examiner to investigate the application and

report to the Board.

As part of the investigation, the Commerce examiner will hold a

public hearing on July 30, 1997, 9:00 a.m., Merced County Board of

Supervisors Chambers, Merced County Administration Building, Third

Floor, 2222 M Street, Merced, CA 95340.

Public comment on the application is invited from interested

parties. Submissions (original and 3 copies) shall be addressed to the

Board's Executive Secretary at the address below. The closing period

for their receipt is September 5, 1997. Rebuttal comments in response

to material submitted during the foregoing period may be submitted

during the subsequent 15-day period (to September 22, 1997.)

A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be

available during this time for public inspection at the following

locations:

Merced County Administrator's Office, Merced County Administration

Building, 2222 M Street, Third Floor, Merced, CA 95340

Office of the Executive Secretary, Foreign-Trade Zones Board, Room

3716, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20230.

Dated: June 27, 1997.

John J. Da Ponte, Jr.,

Executive Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97-17529 Filed 7-3-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-DS-P