This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

76884

Vol. 69, No. 246

Thursday, December 23, 2004

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 945 

[Docket No. FV04–945–1] 

Irish Potatoes Grown in Certain 

Designated Counties in Idaho, and 

Malheur County, OR; Continuance 

Referendum

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA.

ACTION: Referendum order.

SUMMARY: This document directs that a 

referendum be conducted among 

eligible growers of Irish potatoes in 

certain designated counties in Idaho, 

and Malheur County, Oregon, to 

determine whether they favor 

continuance of the marketing order 

regulating the handling of Irish potatoes 

grown in the production area.

DATES: The referendum will be 

conducted from January 14 through 

January 31, 2005. To vote in this 

referendum, growers must have 

produced Irish potatoes for the fresh 

market within the designated 

production area in Idaho or Malheur 

County, Oregon, during the period 

August 1, 2003, through July 31, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the marketing 

order may be obtained from the office of 

the referendum agents at 1220 SW. 

Third Avenue, Suite 385, Portland, 

Oregon 97204–2807, or the Office of the 

Docket Clerk, Marketing Order 

Administration Branch, Fruit and 

Vegetable Programs, Agricultural 

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Stop 0237, Washington, 

DC 20250–0237.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Barry Broadbent, Marketing Specialist, 

Northwest Marketing Field Office, 

Marketing Order Administration 

Branch, Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 

AMS, USDA, 1220 SW. Third Avenue, 

Suite 385, Portland, Oregon 97204–

2807; telephone (503) 326–2724; fax 

(503) 326–7440; or Kathy Finn, Acting 

Rulemaking Team Leader, Marketing 

Order Administration Branch, Fruit and 

Vegetable Programs, Agricultural 

Marketing Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, SW., Stop 0237, Washington, 

DC 20250–0237; telephone (202) 720–

2491; fax (202) 720–8938.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to Marketing Order No. 945 (7 CFR part 

945), hereinafter referred to as the 

‘‘order,’’ and the applicable provisions 

of the Agricultural Marketing 

Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 

U.S.C. 601–674), hereinafter referred to 

as the ‘‘Act,’’ it is hereby directed that 

a referendum be conducted to ascertain 

whether continuance of the order is 

favored by the growers. The referendum 

shall be conducted during the period 

January 14 through January 31, 2005, 

among Irish potato growers in the 

production area. Only growers that were 

engaged in the production of Irish 

potatoes for the fresh market in Idaho 

and Malheur County, Oregon, during 

the period of August 1, 2003, through 

July 31, 2004, may participate in the 

continuance referendum. 

USDA has determined that 

continuance referenda are an effective 

means for determining whether growers 

favor continuation of marketing order 

programs. The Department would 

consider termination of the order if less 

than two-thirds of the growers voting in 

the referendum and growers of less than 

two-thirds of the volume of Irish 

potatoes represented in the referendum 

favor continuance. In evaluating the 

merits of continuance versus 

termination, the USDA will not only 

consider the results of the continuance 

referendum. The USDA will also 

consider all other relevant information 

concerning the operation of the order 

and the relative benefits and 

disadvantages to growers, handlers, and 

consumers in order to determine 

whether continued operation of the 

order would tend to effectuate the 

declared policy of the Act. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

Chapter 35), the ballot materials to be 

used in the referendum herein ordered 

have been submitted to and approved by 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) and have been assigned OMB 

No. 0581–0178. It has been estimated 

that it will take an average of 20 minutes 

for each of the approximately 1,135 

growers of Irish potatoes in Idaho and 

Malheur County, Oregon, to cast a 

ballot. Participation is voluntary. Ballots 

postmarked after January 31, 2005, will 

not be included in the vote tabulation. 

Gary D. Olson and Barry Broadbent of 

the Northwest Marketing Field Office, 

Fruit and Vegetable Programs, 

Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA, 

are hereby designated as the referendum 

agents of the Department to conduct 

such referendum. The procedure 

applicable to the referendum shall be 

the ‘‘Procedure for the Conduct of 

Referenda in Connection With 

Marketing Orders for Fruits, Vegetables, 

and Nuts Pursuant to the Agricultural 

Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, as 

Amended’’ (7 CFR part 900.400 et. seq). 

Ballots will be mailed to all growers 

of record and may also be obtained from 

the referendum agents, or from their 

appointees.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 945 

Irish potatoes, Marketing agreements, 

Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 601–674.

Dated: December 17, 2004. 

A.J. Yates, 

Administrator, Agricultural Marketing 

Service.

[FR Doc. 04–28055 Filed 12–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service 

9 CFR Part 417 

[Docket No. 04–017N] 

HACCP Reassessment for 

Slaughterers of Young Calves

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection 

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rule; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) is publishing 

this document to inform slaughterers of 

young calves, including those marketed, 

slaughtered, and labeled as ‘‘veal,’’ of 

the need for such firms to reassess their 

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control 

Point (HACCP) System, including 

prerequisite programs, with respect to