Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 222 / Thursday, November 18, 2004 / Notices 67533

on whether the subject creeping 

bentgrass would present a plant pest 

risk. We solicited comments concerning 

our notice for 60 days, ending March 5, 

2004. 

On September 24, 2004, APHIS 

published in the Federal Register (69 

FR 57257 57260, Docket No. 03–101–2) 

a notice advising the public of our 

decision to prepare an environmental 

impact statement (EIS) as part of our 

consideration of petition 03–104–01p. 

Our decision was based on several 

factors: (1) Data associated with the 

petition, (2) a report prepared by the 

Weed Science Society of America on the 

weed management implications 

associated with the potential 

deregulation and commercialization of 

glyphosate-tolerant and glufosinatetolerant creeping bentgrass varieties, (3) 

our preliminary risk assessment 

(available on the Internet at http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/aphisdocs/

03_10401p.pdf), and (4) public 

comments received in response to our 

January 5, 2004, notice. 

Pursuant to the regulations of the 

Council on Environmental Quality in 40 

CFR 1501.4(d), APHIS has initiated the 

scoping process as mandated by 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.), beginning with the 

January 5, 2004, Federal Register notice. 

The comment period for our September 

24, 2004, notice of intent closed on 

October 24, 2004. We are reopening the 

comment period for an additional 2 

weeks from the date of this notice to 

give interested parties additional time to 

respond. We will also consider all 

comments we received between the 

October 24, 2004, close of the original 

comment period and the date of this 

notice. 

APHIS has also decided to hold a 

public meeting to encourage additional 

public participation in the EIS scoping 

process. The date and location of the 

public meeting will be announced on 

the APHIS Web site (http://

www.aphis.usda.gov/brs/

brs_meetings.html) and in a future 

Federal Register notice. 

Comments that provide information 

relevant to the scope identified in the 

September 24, 2004, Federal Register

notice or that identify other potentially 

significant environmental issues or 

alternatives that should be examined in 

the context of the EIS process would be 

especially helpful. All comments that 

we received in response to the January 

5, 2004, notice will be included as part 

of this scoping process and need not be 

resubmitted. We will fully consider all 

the comments received in response to 

the January 5, 2004, notice; the 

comments received on our September 

24, 2004, notice of intent; and the 

comments received at the future public 

meeting in developing a final scope of 

study and in preparing the draft EIS. 

When the draft EIS is completed, we 

will publish a notice in the Federal 

Register announcing its availability and 

inviting the public to comment on it. 

Following our consideration of the 

comments received, APHIS will prepare 

a final EIS; its availability will also be 

announced in the Federal Register

along with a 30-day public comment 

period, after which the Record of 

Decision will be issued.

Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of 

November 2004. 

Elizabeth E. Gaston, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. E4–3249 Filed 11–17–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service 

Trade Adjustment Assistance for 

Farmers

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, 

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

The Administrator, Foreign 

Agricultural Service (FAS) today 

accepted petitions filed by the Louisiana 

Shrimp Association, P.O. Box 1088, 

Grand Isle, Louisiana 70358, for trade 

adjustment assistance. The association 

represents shrimpers in the state of 

Louisiana. The Administrator will 

determine within 40 days whether or 

not imports of shrimp and prawns 

contributed importantly to a decline in 

domestic producer prices of 20 percent 

or more during the marketing period 

beginning January 2003 and ending 

December 2003. If the determination is 

positive, all shrimpers who land and 

market their shrimp in Louisiana will be 

eligible to apply to the Farm Service 

Agency for technical assistance at no 

cost and for adjustment assistance 

payments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jean-Louis Pajot, Coordinator, Trade 

Adjustment Assistance for Farmers, 

FAS, USDA, (202) 720–2916, e-mail: 

trade.adjustment@fas.usda.gov.

Dated: November 4, 2004. 

A. Ellen Terpstra, 

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.

[FR Doc. 04–25602 Filed 11–17–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–10–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service 

Trade Adjustment Assistance for 

Farmers

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, 

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

The Administrator, Foreign 

Agricultural Service (FAS), re-certified 

the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) 

petition that was filed by the South 

Carolina Shrimpers’ Association and the 

South Carolina Growers Association on 

behalf of shrimpers and shrimp farmers. 

The petition was initially certified on 

November 10, 2003. Shrimpers and 

shrimp farmers who market their catch 

in South Carolina will be eligible to 

apply for fiscal year 2005 benefits 

during a 90-day period beginning on 

November 29, 2004. The application 

period closes on February 28, 2005.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Upon 

investigation, the Administrator 

determined that continued increases in 

imports of like or directly competitive 

products contributed importantly to a 

decline in the average landed price of 

shrimp in South Carolina by 40.9 

percent during the 2003 marketing 

period (January–December 2003), 

compared to the 1997–2001 base period. 

Eligible producers may request 

technical assistance from the Extension 

Service at no cost and receive an 

adjustment assistance payment, if 

certain program criteria are satisfied. 

Producers in fiscal year 2005 who did 

not receive technical assistance under 

the fiscal year 2004 TAA program must 

obtain the technical assistance from the 

Extension Service by May 31, 2005, in 

order to be eligible for financial 

payments. 

Producers of raw agricultural 

commodities wishing to learn more 

about TAA and how they may apply 

should contact the Department of 

Agriculture at the addresses provided 

below for General Information. 

Producers Certified as Eligible for 

TAA, Contact: Farm Service Agency 

service centers. 

For General Information About TAA, 

Contact: Jean-Louis Pajot, Coordinator, 

Trade Adjustment Assistance for 

Farmers, FAS, USDA, (202) 720–2916, 

e-mail: trade.adjustment@fas.usda.gov.

Dated: November 8, 2004. 

A. Ellen Terpstra, 

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.

[FR Doc. 04–25603 Filed 11–17–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–10–P