[Federal Register: April 12, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 70)]
[Notices]
[Page 18714-18715]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12ap06-38]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
[06-GL-S]
Designation for the State of Texas Area
AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
(GIPSA) announces the designation of Intercontinental Grain
Inspections, Inc. (Intercontinental), to provide official inspection
services under the United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act).
DATES: Effective Date: April 10, 2006.
ADDRESSES: USDA, GIPSA, John R. Sharpe, Division Director, Compliance
Division, STOP 3604, Room 1647-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250-3604.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John R. Sharpe at 202-720-8262, e-mail
John.R.Sharpe@usda.gov.
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.
In the February 1, 2006, Federal Register (71 FR 5232), GIPSA
announced that Global Grain Inspection Services, Inc. (Global), asked
GIPSA to voluntarily cancel their designation to provide domestic grain
inspection services in the area for which they were designated in the
State of Texas effective April 9, 2006. Accordingly, Global's
designation will cease effective April 9, 2006, and GIPSA asked persons
or organizations interested in providing official grain inspection
services in the State of Texas to submit an application for designation
by March 3, 2006.
There were three applicants for the Texas geographic area: A
company proposing to do business as Gulf Country Inspection Service,
Inc (Gulf); a company proposing to do business as Intercontinental
Grain Inspections, Inc. (Intercontinental), a subsidiary of Socit
Gnrale de Surveillance North America, Inc. (SGS); and South Texas Grain
Inspection LLC (South Texas), a proposed organization being formed by
the Corpus Christi Grain Exchange, Inc. (CCGE), to function under a
trust. Gulf and Intercontinental indicated they would be willing to
accept more or less geographic area previously designated to Global in
order to provide needed service to all requestors. South Texas applied
only for the Texas Counties named in the February 1, 2006, Federal
Register. GIPSA asked for comments on Gulf, Intercontinental, and South
Texas, in the March 14, 2006, Federal Register.
Comments were due by March 29, 2006. GIPSA received a total of 17
comments by the closing date. GIPSA received 1 comment from a grain
association supporting Gulf for designation. We received 7 comments
supporting Intercontinental for designation; 4 of which were from grain
elevators in the area, 2 from prospective employees, and 1 from a
border bridge owner. GIPSA received 8 comments supporting South Texas
for designation; 7 of which were from grain industry in the area and
one from a congressional office. The final commenter, a grain company
official, supported both Intercontinental and South Texas.
GIPSA evaluated all available information regarding the designation
criteria in Section 7(f)(l)(A) of the Act and, according to Section
7(f)(l)(B), determined that Intercontinental is better able to provide
official services in the geographic area specified in the February 1,
2006, Federal Register, for which it applied. Intercontinental is
designated for 18 months only, effective April 10, 2006, and
terminating
[[Page 18715]]
September 30, 2007. Intercontinental will be headquartered in Fort
Worth, Texas.
Given Global's cancellation date of April 9, 2006, there was not
sufficient time to solicit and designate a replacement agency and have
a new agency begin. For these reasons, interested persons that want to
obtain official services in the Texas area North of Interstate 10
should call the FGIS Wichita Field Office at 316-722-6370 and South of
Interstate 10 should call the FGIS League City Field Office at 281-338-
2787 to obtain interim service until Intercontinental begins service.
Authority: Pub. L. 94-582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C.
71 et seq.).
David R. Shipman,
Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards
Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-5400 Filed 4-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-P