### 36508 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 117 / Tuesday, June 18, 2013 / Notices

1 The Treatment Manual is available on the

Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ import

_export/plants/manuals/index.shtml or by contacting the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Manuals Unit, 92 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 200, Frederick, MD 21702. Quarantine (PPQ) Treatment Manual. 1 Section 305.3 sets out a process for adding, revising, or removing treatment schedules in the PPQ Treatment Manual. In that section, paragraph (b) sets out the process for adding, revising, or removing treatment schedules when
there is an immediate need to make a change. The circumstances in which an
immediate need exists are described in § 305.3(b)(1). They are:

• PPQ has determined that an approved treatment schedule is ineffective at neutralizing the targeted plant pest(s).

• PPQ has determined that, in order to neutralize the targeted plant pest(s),
the treatment schedule must be administered using a different process than was previously used.

• PPQ has determined that a new treatment schedule is effective, based on efficacy data, and that ongoing trade in a commodity or commodities may be adversely impacted unless the new treatment schedule is approved for use.

• The use of a treatment schedule is no longer authorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or by any other Federal entity.

A treatment schedule currently listed in the PPQ Treatment Manual (T101–i– 1–1) requires blueberries to be treated with methyl bromide at 70 ° F or above using 2 lbs gas/1,000 ft 3 for 3.5 hours at normal atmospheric pressure whether in chambers or under tarpaulin to mitigate risk from two fruit fly species, Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly, or Medfly) and Anastrepha fraterculus (South American fruit fly). Because the

70 ° F-or-above requirement has presented an undue economic hardship for the exporters, in 2009 Argentina requested and subsequently provided the supporting efficacy data for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to approve a new methyl bromide treatment to be applied in chambers at a lower temperature (59 °F or above) for control of Medfly and South American fruit fly. After reviewing the data provided, APHIS found the results to be acceptable with a slight modification of temperature.

In accordance with § 305.3(a)(1), we are providing notice that we have determined that it is necessary to add treatment schedule T101-i-1–2, which provides for a methyl bromide treatment
schedule for blueberries at a temperature of 60 °F at a dosage rate of 2 lbs gas/1,000 ft 3 for an exposure period of 3.5 hours in a chamber. In order to have minimum adverse impact on the on-going trade of blueberries and using the immediate process as provided in § 305.3(b), this change is effective immediately upon publication

of this notice. This treatment schedule will be listed in a separate section of the PPQ Treatment Manual, which will

indicate that T101-i-1–2 was added through the immediate process described in paragraph (b) of § 305.3 and that it is subject to change or removal based on public comment.

The reasons for the addition of this

treatment schedule are described in

detail in a treatment evaluation document we have prepared to support

this action. The treatment evaluation document may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site or in our reading room (see **ADDRESSES** above for instructions for accessing Regulations.gov and information on the location and hours of the reading room). You may request paper copies of the treatment evaluation document by calling or writing to the person listed

under **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION**

**CONTACT**

**.** Please refer to the subject of

the treatment evaluation document when requesting copies.

After reviewing the comments we receive, we will announce our decision regarding the new treatment schedule

that is described in the treatment evaluation document in a subsequent notice, in accordance with paragraph (b)(3) of § 305.3. If we do not receive any comments, or the comments we receive do not change our determination that the treatment is effective, we will affirm

the treatment schedule’s addition to the PPQ Treatment Manual and make available a new version of the PPQ

Treatment Manual in which T101-i-1–2 is listed in the main body of the PPQ

Treatment Manual. If we receive

comments that cause us to determine that T101-i-1–2 needs to be changed or removed, we will make available a new version of the PPQ Treatment Manual that reflects changes to or the removal

of T101-i-1–2.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 7701–7772 and 7781–
7786; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 7 CFR 2.22,
2.80, and 371.3.

Done in Washington, DC, this 12th day of
June 2013.

Kevin Shea,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 2013–14468 Filed 6–17–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–34–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE** 

**Commodity Credit Corporation**

**Office of the Secretary**

**Notice of Sugar Purchase and Exchange for Re-Export Program**  **Credits; and Notice of Re-Export Program Time Period Extension** 

**AGENCY :**  Commodity Credit Corporation and Office of the Secretary, USDA.

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  This notice concerns two separate actions. First, the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces the intent to purchase sugar to be offered in exchange for Refined Sugar Re-export Program credits. CCC will purchase sugar from domestic sugarcane processors or beet processors under the Cost Reduction Options of the Food Security Act of 1985, and concurrently exchange such sugar for credits under the Refined Sugar Re-export Program. Second, USDA announces a waiver to provide an extension of the time period from 90 days to 270 days in which licensed refiners must export or transfer sugar under the Refined Sugar Re-export Program.

**DATES :**  Effective date: June 18, 2013.

**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  For current market conditions, eligibility,
and criteria for evaluation information contact Daniel Colacicco; telephone (202) 690–0734. For sugar purchase and general exchange information contact Pamela McKenzie; telephone (202) 260– 8906. For Refined Sugar Re-export Program waiver information contact Ron Lord; telephone (202) 720–6939. Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communications (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 
USDA’s Sugar Program and the Domestic Sugar Market Conditions

Under the Sugar Program, domestic sugar beet or sugarcane processors may borrow from CCC, pledging their sugar as collateral, and then satisfy their loans either by repaying the loan on or before loan maturity or by transferring the collateral to CCC immediately following loan maturity, also known as ‘‘forfeiture’’ of collateral (as specified in 7 CFR 1435.105). The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers the Sugar Program for CCC. Under section 156 of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, as amended (Pub. L. 104–127; 7 U.S.C. 7272), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)


### 36509 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 117 / Tuesday, June 18, 2013 / Notices

is required to operate the Sugar Program, to the maximum extent practicable, at no cost to the Federal government by avoiding forfeitures of sugar loan collateral to CCC. Due to current market conditions, if no actions are taken by CCC, the cost to CCC of acquiring sugar by forfeiture later this year is projected to range from $110 million to $320 million.

The Louisiana cane sugar and the U.S. beet sugar crops are setting production records for fiscal year (FY) 2013. The U.S. FY 2013 ending stocks-to-use ratio for sugar was projected at 18.5 percent in the May 2013 USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, well above its historic average. In the past, an ending stocks-to-use ratio at or above 18 percent has been strongly correlated with low U.S. sugar prices, and with forfeiture of sugar loan collateral to CCC. Record FY 2013 sugar production has caused domestic sugar prices to fall below the support level established by USDA’s Sugar Program.

Refined Sugar Re-Export Program

The Refined Sugar Re-export Program (7 CFR part 1530) permits licensed refiners to import low duty or duty-free raw cane sugar outside of World Trade Organization or bilateral trade agreement tariff-rate quota limits and requires the licensee to offset the quantity imported by exporting refined sugar, or transferring refined sugar to licensed sugar-containing product (for export) or polyhydric alcohol manufacturers. A participating refiner
must maintain a license balance within certain limits. Sugar exported or
transferred is subtracted from the license balance, resulting in a license ‘‘credit;’’ sugar imported is added to the balance, resulting in a license ‘‘debit.’’ The maximum amount of permitted net debits—that is, the maximum positive license balance—is 50,000 metric tons (MT) raw value. Refiners are not required to have a negative license balance to offer or to exchange credits for sugar offered by CCC. However, refiners will only be permitted to exchange an amount of credits that
maintains their license balance at the maximum amount of permitted net debits, 50,000 MT raw value.

CCC Sugar Purchase and Exchange

To reduce the cost of the Sugar Program to the Federal government, prior to the maturity of loans to sugar processors, CCC intends to purchase sugar from the U.S. domestic market and conduct voluntary exchanges of the purchased sugar in return for credits from Refined Sugar Re-export Program licensees under the Refined Sugar Reexport Program. These exchanges are expected to remove sugar from the
market at a lower cost to the Federal government than the cost of acquiring sugar through loan collateral forfeiture.

CCC will invite domestic sugarcane and sugar beet processors to offer sugar to CCC, as authorized by the Cost Reduction Options of the Food Security Act of 1985, as amended (7 U.S.C. 1308a(c)), which permits CCC to purchase sugar provided that the price paid is below the comparable regional or State costs of later acquiring the sugar through loan forfeiture under the Sugar Program. The purchase invitation will
describe the information needed from sugar sellers, such as sugar type, amount, storage location, and CCC warehouse code. The purchase invitation will also specify additional details, such as the opening and closing
dates for offers and other terms of CCC’s sugar purchase. CCC will then post a catalog listing the available sugar quantities. The purchase invitation and catalog will be placed on the FSA Commodity Operations Web site at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/ webapp?area=home&subject=coop& topic=landing. In order to allow for timely market pricing, CCC will permit sugarcane and sugar beet processors to provide price offers to the catalog to coincide with the timing of the exchange announcement’s closing bid
date.

Subsequently, approximately 10 calendar days later an exchange
announcement will be made in which CCC will offer available sugar to Refined Sugar Re-export Program licensees in exchange for credits. The exchange announcement will specify a minimum bid ratio of credits per MT of CCC sugar. The exchange announcement is available on the FSA Commodity Operations Web site at http:// www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/ webapp?area=home& subject=coop&topic=landing.

Eligibility

To be eligible to sell sugar to CCC for the exchange, the processor must have sugar under the CCC Sugar Loan Program. The quantity of sugar offered by a processor cannot exceed the sugar processor’s outstanding loan quantity as
of the offer due date.

To be eligible for the exchange, licensed refiners must present an updated license balance to USDA as verification that the proposed sugar exchange would not cause the refiner to have a positive license balance in excess of 50,000 MT. Criteria for Evaluation of Tenders (Offers and Exchange Bids)

CCC will combine the sugar offers and exchange bids that achieve the greatest
cost reduction relative to the costs of later acquiring the sugar through forfeiture. The specific formula that CCC will use to evaluate and accept offer and bid combinations will be specified in the purchase and exchange invitations.

Refined Sugar Re-Export Program Time
Period Extension

In order to allow licensed refiners sufficient time to participate in the credit exchange described above, employing the good cause discretionary waiver authority specified in the Refined Sugar Re-export Program regulation in 7 CFR 1530.113, the time period in which licensed refiners must export or transfer an equivalent amount of refined sugar, after entering a quantity of raw cane sugar under the Refined Sugar Re-export Program, if such entry results in a positive balance to their license, is extended as described below. A positive balance exists when cumulative imports exceed cumulative exports and transfers.

As specified in 7 CFR 1530.105,
licensed refiners under the Refined Sugar Re-export Program normally have 90 days after entering a quantity of rawcane sugar under the Refined Sugar Reexport Program to export or transfer an equivalent amount of refined sugar, if the entry results in a positive balance to their license. For any raw sugar entered into U.S. customs territory on a license
between the effective date of this notice and September 30, 2013, which results in a positive balance to the license, a licensed refiner will now have 270 days to export or transfer an equivalent amount of sugar. For any sugar entered into U.S. customs territory on a license between October 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014, the deadline to export or transfer an equivalent amount of sugar will now be June 29, 2014. Beginning on April 1, 2014, the 90-day limit specified in the regulation in 7 CFR 1530.105 will apply, and licensed refiners will again have 90 days after any entry that results in a positive license balance to export or transfer an equivalent amount of sugar.

This temporary extension of the time period from 90 days to 270 days will facilitate participation in exchanges for CCC sugar by providing licensed refiners whose accumulated imports may exceed accumulated exports with additional time to export or transfer an equivalent amount of sugar and therefore increase participation in the exchange by licensed refiners.


### 36510 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 117 / Tuesday, June 18, 2013 / Notices

Signed on June 12, 2013.

Darci L. Vetter, Acting Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.

Juan M. Garcia, Executive Vice President, Commodity Credit Corporation.

[FR Doc. 2013–14401 Filed 6–17–13; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 3410–05–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE**

**Rural Housing Service**

**Notice of Funds Availability for the Section 533 Housing Preservation** 
**Grants for Fiscal Year 2013**

**SUMMARY :**  The Rural Housing Service (RHS), an Agency within Rural Development, announces that it is soliciting competitive applications under its Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. The HPG program is a grant program which provides qualified public agencies, private non-profit organizations including, but not be limited to, faith-based and community organizations, and other eligibleentities, grant funds to assist very lowand low-income homeowners in repairing and rehabilitating their homes in rural areas. In addition, the HPG program assists rental property owners and cooperative housing complexes in repairing and rehabilitating their units if they agree to make such units available to low- and very low-income persons. This action is taken to comply with RHS regulations found in 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N, which require RHS to announce the opening and closing dates for receipt of pre-applications for HPG funds from eligible applicants. The
intended effect of this Notice is to provide eligible organizations notice of
these dates.

**DATES :**  If submitting a paper preapplication, the closing deadline for receipt of all applications in response to this Notice is 5:00 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State Office on August 2, 2013. The application should be submitted to the Rural Development State Office where the project will belocated. If submitting the preapplication in electronic format, the deadline for receipt is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on August 2, 2013. The pre-application closing deadline is firm
as to the date and hour. RHS will not consider any pre-application that is received after the closing deadline.Applicants intending to mail preapplications must provide sufficient time to permit delivery on or before the closing deadline date and time. Acceptance by the United States Postal Service or private mailer does not constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) and postage due applications will not be accepted.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :** 
Paperwork Reduction Act

The reporting requirements contained in this Notice have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget
under Control Number 0575–0115.

Overview

Funding Opportunity Title: Notice of Funds Availability for the Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants for Fiscal

Year 2013.

Announcement Type: Initial Notice inviting pre-applications from qualified applicants for Fiscal Year 2013.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Numbers (CFDA): 10.433.

Dates: If submitting a paper preapplication, the closing deadline for receipt of all applications in response to this Notice is 5:00 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State Office on August 2, 2013. The applications should be sent to the Rural Development State Office where the project will be located. If submitting the pre-application in electronic format, the deadline for receipt is 5:00 p.m. Eastern DaylightTime on August 2, 2013. The preapplication closing deadline is firm as
to the date and hour. RHS will not consider any pre-application that is received after the closing deadline.Applicants intending to mail preapplications must provide sufficient time to permit delivery on or before the closing deadline date and time. Acceptance by the United States Postal Service or private mailer does not constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) and postage due applications will not be accepted.

I. Funding Opportunities Description

The funding instrument for the HPG Program will be a grant agreement. The term of the grant can vary from one to two years, depending on available funds
and demand. No maximum or minimum grant levels have been established at the
National level. You should contact the Rural Development State Office where the project will be located to determine
the state allocation.

II. Award Information

For Fiscal Year 2013, $4,248,836.25 is available for the HPG Program. Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones and
other funds will be distributed under a formula allocation to states pursuant to 7 CFR part 1940, subpart L, ‘‘Methodology and Formulas for Allocation of Loan and Grant Program Funds.’’ Decisions on funding will be based on pre-application scores. Anyone interested in submitting an application for funding under this program is encouraged to consult the Rural Development Web site periodically for updated information regarding the status of funding authorized for this

program.
III. Eligibility Information

7 CFR part 1944, subpart N provides
details on what information must be contained in the pre-application package. Entities wishing to apply for
assistance should contact the Rural Development State Office where the project will be located to receive further information, the State allocation of funds, and copies of the pre-application package. Eligible entities for these competitively awarded grants include state and local governments, non-profit corporations including, but not be limited to faith-based and community organizations, Federally recognized Indian tribes, and consortia of eligible

entities.

Federally recognized Indian tribes, pursuant to 7 CFR 1944.674, are exempt from the requirement to consult with local leaders including announcing the availability of its statement of activities for review in a newspaper.

As part of the application, all applicants must also provide a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and maintain registration in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database in accordance with 2 CFR part 25. As required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), all grant applicants must provide a DUNS number when applying for Federal grants, on or after October 1, 2003. Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at (866) 705–5711 or by accessing http:
//www.dnb.com/us/. Additional information concerning this requirement is provided in a policy directive issued by OMB and published
in the Federal Register on June 27, 2003 (68 FR 38402–38405). Similarly, applicants may register for the CCR at https://www.uscontractor registration.com/ or by calling (877)

252–2700.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is participating as a partner in the Government-wide Grants.gov site. Electronic applications must be submitted through the Grants.gov Web

site at: http://www.grants.gov, following
the instructions found on the Web site. Please be mindful that the application