[Federal Register: April 6, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 66)]
[Notices]
[Page 18036-18037]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06ap04-57]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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[[Page 18036]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[No. TM-04-03]
Notice of Meeting of the National Organic Standards Board
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing a
forthcoming meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).
DATES: The meeting dates are: Wednesday, April 28, 2004, 8 a.m. to 5
p.m., Thursday, April 29, 2004, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, April 30,
2004, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Requests from individuals and organizations
wishing to make an oral presentation at the meeting are due by the
close of business on April 12, 2004.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at the Best Western Inn of
Chicago, The Buckingham Room, 162 East Ohio Street, Chicago, Illinois.
Requests for copies of the NOSB meeting agenda, requests to make an
oral presentation at the meeting, or written comments may be sent to
Ms. Katherine Benham, Advisory Board Specialist at USDA-AMS-TMD-NOP,
1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 4008-So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington,
DC 20250-0200. Requests to make an oral presentation at the meeting may
also be sent via facsimile to Ms. Katherine Benham at (202) 205-7808 or
electronically to Ms. Katherine Benham at katherine.benham@usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Mathews, Program Manager,
National Organic Program, (202) 720-3252.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 2119 (7 U.S.C. 6518) of the Organic
Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.)
requires the establishment of the NOSB. The purpose of the NOSB is to
make recommendations about whether a substance should be allowed or
prohibited in organic production or handling, to assist in the
development of standards for substances to be used in organic
production and to advise the Secretary on other aspects of the
implementation of the OFPA.
The NOSB met for the first time in Washington, DC, in March 1992,
and currently has six committees working on various aspects of the
organic program. The committees are: Compliance, Accreditation, and
Certification; Crops; Livestock; Materials; Handling; and Policy
Development.
In August of 1994, the NOSB provided its initial recommendations
for the National Organic Program (NOP) to the Secretary of Agriculture.
Since that time, the NOSB has submitted 50 addenda to its
recommendations and reviewed more than 256 substances for inclusion on
the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. The last
meeting of the NOSB was held on October 22-24, 2003, in Washington, DC.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its final National
Organic Program regulation in the Federal Register on December 21, 2000
(65 FR 80548). The rule became effective April 21, 2001.
The principal purposes of the meeting are to provide an opportunity
for the NOSB to receive an update from the USDA/NOP and to hear a
presentation on the ECert Program, receive various committee reports,
receive reports from the 606 Task Force and Compost Tea Task Force, and
review materials to determine if they should be included on the
National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances.
The Materials Committee will explain the materials review process
and provide an update on the sunset review of materials. OFPA provides
that materials on the National List will sunset unless their exemption
or prohibition is reviewed and renewed within 5 years. All but those
materials added during 2003 are scheduled to sunset on October 21,
2007. The Materials Committee will also present for NOSB consideration
eight materials for possible inclusion on the National List of Allowed
and Prohibited Substances. The Accreditation, Certification and
Compliance Committee will present for NOSB consideration its
recommendations regarding compliance procedures. Specifically, the
committee will recommend definitions for ``minor noncompliance,''
``noncompliance,'' and ``organic integrity'' along with noncompliance
notification procedures and examples of noncompliance as guidance to
Accredited Certifying Agents. The Handling Committee will provide an
update on their work on the issue of food contact substances. Finally,
the Policy Development Committee will present for NOSB consideration
revisions to the NOSB policy manual and its recommendation on the
factors and constraints to be used in determining a substance's
compatibility with a system of sustainable agriculture and its
consistency with organic farming and handling.
Materials to be review at the meeting by the NOSB are as follows:
for Crop Production: Soy Protein Isolate, 6 Benzyladenine, Urea, and
Hydrogen Chloride; for Handling: Nitrous Oxide, and Tetrasodium
Pyrophosphate (TSPP); and for Livestock Production: Moxidectin and
Proteinated Chelates.
For further information, see http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop. Copies of
the NOSB meeting agenda can be requested from Ms. Katherine Benham by
telephone at (202) 205-7806; or by accessing the NOP Web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop
.
The meeting is open to the public. The NOSB has scheduled time for
public input on Wednesday, April 28, 2004, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; and
Friday, April 30, 2004, 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Individuals and
organizations wishing to make an oral presentation at the meeting may
forward their request by mail, facsimile, or e-mail to Ms. Katherine
Benham at addresses listed in ADDRESSES above. While persons wishing to
make a presentation may sign up at the door, advance registration will
ensure that a person has the opportunity to speak during the allotted
time period and will help the NOSB to better manage the meeting and to
accomplish its agenda. Individuals or organizations will be given
approximately 5 minutes to present
[[Page 18037]]
their views. All persons making an oral presentation are requested to
provide their comments in writing. Written submissions may contain
information other than that presented at the oral presentation.
Written comments may also be submitted at the meeting. Persons
submitting written comments at the meeting are asked to provide 30
copies.
Interested persons may visit the NOSB portion of the NOP Web site
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop to view available documents prior to the
meeting. Approximately 6 weeks following the meeting interested persons
will be able to visit the NOSB portion of the NOP Web site to view
documents from the meeting.
Dated: March 31, 2004.
A. J. Yates,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 04-7679 Filed 4-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P