Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2010 / Notices 1585 

serving nutritious, well-balanced meals 

to eligible children at the food service 

sites. Information is gathered from State 

agencies and other organizations 

wishing to participate in the program to 

determine eligibility. FNS uses a variety 

of forms to collect information. 

Need and Use of the Information: FNS 

uses the information collected to 

determine an organization’s eligibility 

and to monitor program performance for 

compliance and reimbursement 

purposes. 

Description of Respondents: 

Individuals or household; Business or 

other for-profit; Not-for-profit 

institutions; State, Local, or Tribal 

Government. 

Number of Respondents: 105,249. 

Frequency of Responses: 

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 

Weekly; Quarterly; Monthly. 

Total Burden Hours: 182,683. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2010–343 Filed 1–11–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–30–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Notice of Request for Collection of 

Public Information With the Use of a 

Survey 

AGENCY: Rural Development, USDA. 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments 

requested. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Rural 

Development’s intention to request 

clearance for continuation of 

information collection to measure the 

quality of loan servicing provided by the 

Rural Development, Centralized 

Servicing Center (CSC) in St. Louis, MO. 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by March 15, 2010 to be 

assured of consideration. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Terrie Barton, Customer Service Branch 

Chief, Centralized Servicing Center, 

4300 Goodfellow Blvd., Mail Code FC 

25, St. Louis, Missouri 63120–1703, 

phone: (314) 457–5133, e-mail: 

Terrie.barton@stl.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Rural Development—Customer 

Satisfaction Survey. 

Type of Request: Continuation of 

information collection. 

Abstract: USDA, Rural Development 

provides insured loans to low- and 

moderate-income applicants located in 

rural geographic areas to assist them in 

obtaining decent, sanitary and safe 

dwellings. Rural Development currently 

processes loan originations through 

approximately 700 Field Offices. The 

Rural Development, Centralized 

Servicing Center (CSC), located in St. 

Louis, Missouri, provides support to the 

Field Offices and is responsible for loan 

servicing functions for Single Family 

housing direct program borrowers. The 

CSC was established to achieve a high 

level of customer service and operating 

efficiency. The CSC has established a 

fully integrated call center and is able to 

provide borrowers with convenient 

access to their loan account information. 

To facilitate CSC’s mission and in an 

effort to continuously improve its 

services, a survey has been developed 

that will measure the change in quality 

of service that borrower’s receive when 

they contact the CSC. Three previous 

surveys have been completed under 

prior authorization. Respondents will 

only need to report information on a 

one-time basis. 

The results of the survey will provide 

a general satisfaction level among 

borrowers throughout the nation. The 

data analysis will provide comparisons 

to prior surveys and reveal areas of 

increased satisfaction as well as areas in 

need of improvement. CSC’s goal is to 

continuously improve program delivery, 

accessibility and overall customer 

service satisfaction. A follow up survey 

will be conducted in 18–24 months, but 

may or may not be sent to the same 

initial respondents. Additionally, in 

accordance with Government 

Performance and Results Act (GPRA), 

the survey will enable CSC to measure 

the results and overall effectiveness of 

customer services provided as well as 

implement action plans and measure 

improvements. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 16 minutes per 

response. 

Respondents: Rural Development, 

SFH Program Borrowers. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

6,000. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

6,000. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 960. 

Copies of this information collection 

can be obtained from Linda Watts 

Thomas, Regulations and Paperwork 

Management Branch, Support Services 

Division at (202) 692–0226. 

Comments 

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments may be sent to Linda Watts 

Thomas, Regulations and Paperwork 

Management Branch, Support Services 

Division, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Rural Development, STOP 

0742, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0742. All 

responses to this notice will be 

summarized and included in the request 

for OMB approval. All comments will 

also become a matter of public record. 

Dated: December 29, 2009. 

Sylvia Bolivar, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–31336 Filed 1–11–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044] 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement; 

Determination of Regulated Status of 

Alfalfa Genetically Engineered for 

Tolerance to the Herbicide Glyphosate 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft 

environmental impact statement and 

public meetings. 

SUMMARY: We are advising the public 

that the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service has prepared a draft 

environmental impact statement in 

connection with making a 

determination on the status of the 

Monsanto Company and Forage 

Genetics International alfalfa lines 

designated as events J101 and J163 as 

regulated articles. This notice also 

provides notice of public meetings. 

DATES: We will consider all comments 

that we receive on or before February 

WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES

1586 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2010 / Notices 

16, 2010. We will also consider 

comments made at public meetings to 

be held on January 19, 2010, and on 

February 3, 4, and 9, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be 

held in Las Vegas, NV, Kearney, NE, 

Lincoln, NE, and Riverdale, MD (see the 

Supplementary Information section of 

this notice for the address of each 

hearing site). You may submit written 

comments on the draft environmental 

impact statement by either of the 

following methods: 

∑ Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

(http://www.regulations.gov/ 

fdmspublic/component/ 

main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS2007-0044) to view the draft 

environmental impact statement, or to 

submit or view public comments. 

∑ Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send two copies of your comment 

to Docket No. APHIS-2007-0044, 

Regulatory Analysis and Development, 

PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 

River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 

20737-1238. Please state that your 

comment refers to Docket No. APHIS2007-0044. 

Reading Room: You may read any 

comments that we receive on this 

docket in our reading room. The reading 

room is located in room 1141 of the 

USDA South Building, 14th Street and 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC. Normal reading room 

hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except holidays. To be 

sure someone is there to help you, 

please call (202) 690-2817 before 

coming. 

Other Information: Additional 

information about APHIS and its 

programs is available on the Internet at 

(http://www.aphis.usda.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Andrea Huberty, Branch Chief, 

Regulatory and Environmental Analysis 

Branch, BRS, APHIS, 4700 River Road 

Unit 146, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 

734-0485. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

regulations in 7 CFR part 340, 

‘‘Introduction of Organisms and 

Products Altered or Produced Through 

Genetic Engineering Which Are Plant 

Pests or Which There Is Reason to 

Believe Are Plant Pests,’’ regulate, 

among other things, the introduction 

(importation, interstate movement, or 

release into the environment) of 

organisms and products altered or 

produced through genetic engineering 

that are plant pests or that there is 

reason to believe are plant pests. Such 

genetically engineered organisms and 

products are considered ‘‘regulated 

articles.’’ 

The regulations in § 340.6(a) provide 

that any person may submit a petition 

to the Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service (APHIS) seeking a 

determination that an article should not 

be regulated under 7 CFR part 340. 

Paragraphs (b) and (c) of § 340.6 

describe the form that a petition for a 

determination of nonregulated status 

must take and the information that must 

be included in the petition. 

In a notice published in the Federal 

Register on June 27, 2005 (70 FR 36917- 

36919, Docket No. 04-085-3), APHIS 

advised the public of its determination, 

effective June 14, 2005, that the 

Monsanto/Forage Genetics International 

(FGI) alfalfa events J101 and J163 were 

no longer considered regulated articles 

under the regulations governing the 

introduction of certain genetically 

engineered organisms. That 

determination was subsequently 

challenged in the United States District 

Court for the Northern District of 

California by the Center for Food Safety, 

other associations, and several organic 

alfalfa growers. The lawsuit alleged that 

APHIS’ decision to deregulate the 

genetically engineered glyphosatetolerant alfalfa events J101 and J163 

violated the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered 

Species Act, and the Plant Protection 

Act. 

On February 13, 2007, the court in 

that case issued its memorandum and 

order in which it determined that 

APHIS had violated NEPA by not 

preparing an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) in connection with its 

deregulation determination. The court 

ruled that the environmental assessment 

prepared by APHIS for its deregulation 

determination failed to adequately 

consider certain environmental impacts 

in violation of NEPA. The deregulation 

determination was vacated and APHIS 

was directed by the court to prepare an 

EIS in connection with its new 

determination on the regulated status of 

the events. 

APHIS has prepared a draft EIS, titled 

‘‘Glyphosate-Tolerant Alfalfa Events 

J101 and J163: Request for Nonregulated 

Status’’ (November 2009), regarding this 

determination of regulated status. The 

EIS is available on Regulations.gov for 

review and comment, and may be 

accessed via the Internet address 

provided above under the heading 

ADDRESSES. 

A notice of availability regarding the 

draft EIS was also published by the 

Environmental Protection Agency in the 

Federal Register on December 18, 2009 

(74 FR 67206-67207, Docket No. ERFRL-8986-6). 

Public Meetings 

We are advising the public that we are 

hosting four public meetings. The 

public meetings will be held as follows: 

∑ Tuesday, January 19, 2010, in the 

Golden Nugget Hotel, 129 Fremont 

Street, Las Vegas, NV, from 11 a.m. to 

2 p.m., local time. 

∑ Wednesday, February 3, 2010, in the 

Buffalo County Fairgrounds Exhibit 

Center, 3807 Avenue N, Kearney, NE, 

from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., local time. 

∑ Thursday, February 4, 2010, in the 

Holiday Inn Haymarket, 141 North 9th 

Street, Lincoln, NE, from 4 p.m. to 7 

p.m., local time. 

∑ Tuesday, February 9, 2010, in the 

USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River 

Road, Riverdale, MD, from 4 p.m. to 7 

p.m., local time. 

A representative of APHIS will 

preside at the public meetings. Any 

interested person may appear and be 

heard in person, by attorney, or by other 

representative. Written statements may 

be submitted and will be made part of 

the meeting record. 

Registration will take place 30 

minutes prior to the scheduled start of 

the meeting. Persons who wish to speak 

at a meeting will be asked to sign in 

with their name and organization to 

establish a record for the meeting. We 

ask that anyone who reads a statement 

provide two copies to the presiding 

officer at the meeting. 

The presiding officer may limit the 

time for each presentation, so that all 

interested persons appearing at each 

meeting have an opportunity to 

participate. Each meeting may be 

terminated at any time if all persons 

desiring to speak have been heard. 

Parking and Security Procedures 

Please note that a fee of $4 in exact 

change is required to enter the parking 

lot at the USDA Center at Riverside. The 

machine accepts $1 bills or quarters. 

Upon entering the building, visitors 

should inform security personnel that 

they are attending the public meeting 

regarding the regulated status of alfalfa 

genetically engineered for tolerance to 

the herbicide glyphosate. State issued 

photo identification is required and all 

bags will be screened. Security 

personnel will direct people to the 

registration tables. Registration upon 

arrival is required for all participants. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 6th day 

of January 2010. 

Kevin Shea 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–345 Filed 1–11–10: 11:49 am] 

BILLING CODE: 3410–34–S 

WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES