Opportunity for Designation in the Fremont (NE) and Titus (IN) Areas and Request for Comments on the Fremont and Titus Agencies

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

Opportunity for Designation in the Fremont (NE) and Titus (IN)

Areas and Request for Comments on the Fremont and Titus Agencies

AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration

(GIPSA), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act),

provides that official agency designations will end not later than

triennially and may be renewed. The designation of Fremont Grain

Inspection Department, Inc. (Fremont), and Titus Grain Inspection, Inc.

(Titus), will end August 31, 1998, according to the Act. GIPSA is

asking persons interested in providing official services in the Fremont

and Titus areas to submit an application for designation. GIPSA is also

asking for comments on the services provided by Fremont and Titus.

DATES: Applications must be postmarked or sent by telecopier (FAX) on

or before March 31, 1998. Comments are due by May 31, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Applications and comments must be submitted to USDA, GIPSA,

Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division, STOP 3604,

Room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3604.

Applications and comments may be submitted by FAX on 202-690-2755. If

an application is submitted by FAX, GIPSA reserves the right to request

an original application. All applications and comments will be made

available for public inspection at this address located at 1400

Independence Avenue, SW., during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet M. Hart, at 202-720-8525.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Action has been reviewed and determined

not to be a rule or regulation as defined in Executive Order 12866 and

Departmental Regulation 1512-1; therefore, the Executive Order and

Departmental Regulation do not apply to this Action.

Section 7(f)(1) of the Act authorizes GIPSA's Administrator to

designate a qualified applicant to provide official services in a

specified area after determining that the applicant is better able than

any other applicant to provide such official services. GIPSA designated

Fremont, main office located in Fremont, Nebraska, and Titus, main

office located in West Lafayette, Indiana, to provide official

inspection services under the Act on September 1, 1995.

Section 7(g)(1) of the Act provides that designations of official

agencies shall end not later than triennially and may be renewed

according to the criteria and procedures prescribed in Section 7(f) of

the Act. The designations of Fremont and Titus end on August 31, 1998,

according to the Act.

Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic

area, in the States of Iowa and Nebraska, is assigned to Fremont.

Carroll (west of U.S. Route 71); Clay (west of U.S. Route 71);

Crawford; Dickinson (west of U. S. Route 71); Harrison (east of State

Route 183); O'Brien (north of B24 and east of U.S. Route 59); Osceola

(east of U.S. Route 59); and Shelby Counties, Iowa.

In Nebraska:

Bounded on the North by U.S. Route 20 east to the Pierce County

line; the eastern Pierce County line; the northern Wayne, Cuming, and

Burt County lines east to the Missouri River;

Bounded on the East by the Missouri River south-southeast to State

Route 91; State Route 91 west to the Dodge County line; the eastern and

southern Dodge County lines west to U.S. Route 77; U.S. Route 77 south

to the Saunders County line;

Bounded on the South by the southern Saunders, Butler, and Polk

County lines; and

Bounded on the West by the western Polk County line north to the

Platte River; the Platte River northeast to the western Platte County

line; the western and northern Platte County lines east to U.S. Route

81; U.S. Route 81 north to U.S. Route 20.

The following grain elevators, located outside of the above

contiguous geographic area, are part of this geographic area

assignment: Farmers Cooperative, and Krumel Grain and Storage, both in

Wahoo, Saunders County, Nebraska (located inside Omaha Grain Inspection

Service, Inc.'s, area).

Fremont's assigned geographic area does not include the following

grain elevators inside Fremont's area which have been and will continue

to be serviced by the following official agencies:

1. Hastings Grain Inspection, Inc.: Farmers Cooperative Grain

Company, Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska; and

2. Omaha Grain Inspection Service, Inc.: Farmers Coop Business

Association, Rising City, Butler County, Nebraska; and Farmers Coop

Business Association (2 elevators), Shelby, Polk County, Nebraska.

Pursuant to Section 7(f)(2) of the Act, the following geographic

area, in the State of Indiana, is assigned to Titus.

Bounded on the North by the northern Pulaski County line;

Bounded on the East by the eastern and southern Pulaski County

lines; the eastern White County line; the eastern Carroll County line

south to State Route 25; State Route 25 southwest to Tippecanoe County;

the eastern Tippecanoe County line;

Bounded on the South by the southern Tippecanoe County line; the

eastern and southern Fountain County lines west to U.S. Route 41; and

Bounded on the West by U.S. Route 41 north to the northern Benton

County line; the northern Benton County line east to State Route 55;

State Route 55 north to U.S. Route 24; U.S. Route 24 east to the White

County line; the western White and Pulaski County lines.

The following grain elevators, located outside of the above

contiguous geographic area, are part of this geographic area

assignment: Kentland Elevator & Supply, Inc., Boswell, Benton County;

Dunn Grain, Dunn, Benton County; Kentland Elevator & Supply, Inc., Earl

Park, Benton County; Demeter, Inc., Raub, Benton County (located inside

Champaign-Danville Grain Inspection Departments, Inc.'s, area); and The

Andersons, Delphi, Carroll County; Frick Services, Inc., Leiters Ford,

Fulton County; and Cargill, Inc., Linden, Montgomery County (located

inside Frankfort Grain Inspection, Inc.'s, area).

Titus' assigned geographic area does not include the following

grain elevators inside Titus' area which have been and will continue to

be serviced by the following official agency: Schneider Inspection

Service, Inc.: Frick Services, Inc., and Farmers Grain, both in

Winamac, Pulaski County.

Interested persons, including Fremont and Titus, are hereby given

the opportunity to apply for designation to provide official services

in the geographic areas specified above under the provisions of Section

7(f) of the Act and Sec. 800.196(d) of the regulations issued

thereunder. Designation in the Fremont and Titus areas is for the

period beginning September 1, 1998, and ending August 31, 2001. Persons

wishing to apply for designation should contact the Compliance Division

at the address listed above for forms and information.

GIPSA also is publishing this notice to provide interested persons

the opportunity to present comments on the Fremont and Titus official

agencies. Commentors are encouraged to submit

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pertinent data concerning the Fremont and Titus official agencies

including information concerning the timeliness, cost, quality and

scope of services provided. All comments must be submitted to the

Compliance Division at the above address.

Applications, comments, and other available information will be

considered in determining which applicant will be designated.

Authority: Pub. L. 94-582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C.

71 et seq.).

Dated: February 23, 1998.

Neil E. Porter,

Director, Compliance Division.

[FR Doc. 98-5082 Filed 2-27-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-EN-P