DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[TMD93002]

Hearings for Organic Livestock and Livestock Products

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public hearings

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 AMS
announces four public hearings on the production and processing of livestock
and livestock products to be sold or labeled as organically produced under the
Act. The hearings will provide an opportunity for public dialogue on issues
relating to the organic production and processing of livestock and livestock
products to be labeled as organic.

DATES:

January 2728, 1994

February 10, 1994

February 24, 1994

March 22, 1994

ADDRESSES: The first hearings will be held in the Jefferson Auditorium of the
South Building, USDA, located at 12th and Independence Avenues, SW,
Washington, DC, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 27, and Friday,
January 28, 1994. Subsequent hearings will be held at the following locations:

February 10, 1994, Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont,
Illinois 60018, 7086961234

February 24, 1994, Hampton Inn, 4685 Quebec Street, Denver, Colorado 80216,
3033888100

March 22, 1994, Holiday Inn, 5321 Date Avenue, Sacramento, California 95841,
9163385800

All subsequent hearings will be conducted during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m. in the respective locations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Harold S. Ricker, Staff Director,
National Organic Program, room 4006 South Building, USDA, AMS, Transportation
and Marketing Division (TMD), P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC, 200906456.
Telephone (202) 7202704.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of these hearings is to provide
additional information to USDA as it develops regulations to guide the
implementation of standards for the production and processing of livestock and
livestock products that will be sold or labeled as organically produced under
the Act.

Background

The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 as amended (7 U.S.C. 65016522)
requires the Secretary of Agriculture to develop regulations to guide the
implementation of standards for the production and processing of livestock
products to be sold or labeled as organically produced. The Secretary also is
authorized to hold public hearings on developing additional livestock
standards. The Secretary will now hold public hearings to assist in developing
the regulations to guide the implementation of standards for livestock and
livestock products.

For livestock products to be considered for sale or labeling as organically
produced, the animals from which they are derived must be produced according
to organic production standards for livestock. Section 6510 provides
additional guidance for handlers and processors.

Under the Act, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has been
established to advise the Secretary on any aspect of implementing the Act's
program. The NOSB has been working to develop recommendations and has
identified certain issues needing additional input for the development of
recommendations for implementation of livestock standards within the Act's
program.

Some of the issues for which USDA seeks public comment are:

1. Section 6506 (b) of the Act (7 U.S.C. 6506(b)) indicates that an organic
certification program established under this Act may provide for the
certification of an entire farm or handling operation or specific fields of a
farm or parts of a handling operation if, among other things, appropriate
physical facilities, machinery, and management practices are established to
prevent the possibility of a mixing of organic and nonorganic products or a
penetration of prohibited chemicals or other substances on the certified area.
Public comment is requested on how this should this be applied to organic
livestock production, and the processing and handling of livestock products
that are to be sold or labeled as organically produced under the Act.

      2. Section 6509(d)(1) of the Act (7 U.S.C. 6509(d)(1)) requires that for
a farm to be certified under the Act as an organic farm with respect to
livestock production on the farm, producers on an organic farm shall not:

(A) Use subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics;

(B) Use synthetic internal parasiticides on a routine basis; or

(C) Administer medication, other than vaccinations, in the absence of illness.
The Act also says that the NOSB shall recommend to the Secretary standards in
addition to those in paragraph (d)(1) for the care of livestock to ensure that
such livestock is organically produced (7 U.S.C. 6509(d)(2)). USDA seeks
public comment on what criteria need to be established to ensure that
subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics and routine applications of synthetic
internal parasiticides are not applied to livestock that are to be labeled as
organically produced under the Act. Public comment is also sought on what
constitutes routine use.

3. The Act addresses the acquisition of breeder stock in section 6509(b) (7
U.S.C. 6509(b)), but is silent on the purchase of slaughter stock which could
be intended for sale as organic livestock meat products. How should the USDA
address this issue?

4. Section 6509(c) (7 U.S.C. 6509(c)) indicates that the livestock organic
feeding management system is to utilize certified organically grown feed. USDA
seeks public comment on what reasonable exceptions for feed may be made under
the Act and its provisions, including the provision that allows reasonable
exemptions from the Act's requirements, except those in section 6511 (7 U.S.C.
6511) for Federal and State emergency pest or disease treatment programs that
may effect livestock.

5. What management and audit trail records should necessarily be available to
ensure that the integrity of the retail organic livestock product package is
properly established at the farm and maintained through the
slaughter/processing process?

6. Other issues relating to the implementation of the standards under the Act
for the production and processing of organic livestock and livestock products
that require specific attention during the development of the standards for
the production and processing of livestock and livestock products that will be
sold or labeled as organically produced under the Act.

Purpose and Conduct of the Hearings

USDA is requesting that representatives of the public offer comments and
suggestions to guide the implementation of standards for the production and
processing of organic livestock and livestock products. Interested individuals
are encouraged to address areas of concern, including issues that may not be
covered in the above background section.

Persons who plan to offer oral testimony at any hearing should notify USDA of
their preferred hearing date and the subject(s) to be addressed as soon as
possible, but no later than seven (7) days preceding the specific hearing date
to be scheduled. Oral testimony should not exceed five (5) minutes. Persons
who are not able to notify USDA in advance of their intent to testify at a
hearing may register at the hearing location and will be accommodated as time
permits.

The hearings will be conducted by an administrative law judge, and testimony
will be taken by a stenographic reporter. An examiner panel consisting of one
representative each from AMS, the Food Safety Inspection Service, the Animal
Plant Health Inspection Service, and the NOSB may be present to ask
clarification questions of those providing testimony. Approximately ten (10)
additional minutes may be allocated for clarification questions and responses,
if needed.

Persons providing evidence at the hearing should make the written testimony
available at the hearing. Those persons who are unable to attend the hearing,
and those persons who are unable to provide written testimony at the hearing,
may submit testimony any time up to fifteen (15) days following the hearings.

Notification and comments should be submitted to Dr. Harold S. Ricker, Staff
Director, National Organic Program, room 4006 South Building, USDA, AMS, TMD,
P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC, 200906456. Telephone (202) 7202704.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 65016522.

Dated: December 27, 1993.

Lon Hatamiya,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 9331911 Filed 122993; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 341002P

Federal Grain Inspection Service Designation of the Kankakee (IL) Agency, and
the States of California and Washington

AGENCY: Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: FGIS announces the designation of Kankakee Grain Inspection, Inc.
(Kankakee), California Department of Food and Agriculture (California), and
Washington Department of Agriculture (Washington) to provide official
inspection services under the United States Grain Standards Act, as amended
(Act).

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 1, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Neil E. Porter, Director, Compliance Division, FGIS, USDA, room
1647 South Building, P.O. Box 96454, Washington, DC 200906454.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neil E. Porter, telephone 2027208262.

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 15121; therefore, the Executive Order and Departmental Regulation
do not apply to this action.

In the July 30, 1993, Federal Register (58 FR 40787), FGIS announced that the
designations of Kankakee, California, and Washington end on January 31, 1994,
and asked persons interested in providing official services within the
specified geographic areas to submit an application for designation.
Applications were due by September 1, 1993. Kankakee, California, and
Washington, the only applicants, each applied for designation in the entire
area currently assigned to them.

FGIS requested comments on the applicants in the September 30, 1993, Federal
Register (58 FR 51046). Comments were due by October 29, 1993. FGIS received
no comments by the deadline. FGIS evaluated all available information
regarding the designation criteria in section 7(f)(1)(A) of the Act; and
according to section 7(f)(1)(B), determined that Kankakee, California, and
Washington are able to provide official services in the geographic areas for
which they applied.

Effective February 1, 1994, and ending January 31, 1997, Kankakee, California,
and Washington are designated to provide official inspection services in the
geographic areas specified in the July 30, 1993, Federal Register.

Interested persons may obtain official services by contacting Kankakee at
8159322851, California at 9166540743, and Washington at 2067535066.

Authority: Pub. L. 94582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.)

Dated: December 16, 1993.

Neil E. Porter,

Director, Compliance Division.

[FR Doc. 9331357 Filed 122993; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410ENF


