Revised: 4/6/2017 – subject to change

i

National Organic Standards Board Meeting Tentative Agenda

Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, Denver, CO Majestic Ballroom

April 19 - 21, 2017

 Schedule at a Glance:

Thursday

Apr 13

Wednesday 

Apr 19

Thursday

Apr 20

Friday

Apr 21

MORNING

- Call to Order/Welcome/ 

 Intros/Secretary’s report 

- NOP report 

- NOSB report

- Materials update 

- Public comments

- Public comments 

 continued

- Crops 

 Subcommittee

- Policy Dev 

 Subcommittee

- Materials 

 Subcommittee

AFTERNOON

- Public 

comment 

webinar

1 – 4pm ET

- Public comments 

 continued

- Handling 

 Subcommittee

- Livestock 

 Subcommittee

- CACS

- Deferred proposals/Final 

 votes 

- Work agendas 

- Certificates of 

 appointment - new 

 members 

- Other business/Closing 

 remarks 

Face-to-Face Meeting Format

• The Designated Federal Officer calls the meeting to order and adjourns the meeting. The NOSB Chair chairs the 

meeting. 

• The USDA and National Organic Program (NOP) provide the NOSB with updates, and an overview of petitioned 

substances, sunset materials, and technical reports. 

• The Board hears public comments, which are grouped by topic when possible, to facilitate review. 

• NOSB members present Subcommittee proposals, reports and discussion documents, and discuss public comment, 

prior to voting on proposals. Final votes may be deferred to the last day of the meeting if more deliberation is 

needed. NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn or votes postponed at the discretion of the Board.

• There will be two 15-minute breaks (mid-morning & mid-afternoon) and a 75-minute lunch break mid-day.

Public Comments (Written and Oral) 

• All persons are encouraged to provide written comments via Regulations.gov.

• All persons wishing to provide oral comments are asked to sign up in advance. Instructions are available at 

www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBMeetings. There are two (2) opportunities to provide oral comments to the Board: One

webinar and one face-to-face meeting. Walk-in comment slots may become available on a first come-first served 

basis at the meeting, if the schedule allows.

• Each person may sign up for only one speaking slot. Commenters will be allowed either a 3-minute time slot during 

the webinar, or a 3-minute time slot at the face-to-face meeting. Each commenter must state his/her name and 

affiliation for the record at the beginning of their comment.

*Note: With the exception of biodegradable biobased mulch film (Crops), the materials included in the 

 sunset review list are undergoing early sunset review based on the November 18, 2016 NOSB recommendation 

 on efficient workload re-organization.
 Revised: 4/6/2017 – subject to change

ii

THURSDAY

APR 131:00 - 4:00 

PM

Public comment webinar

Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for login information and instructions 

WEDNESDAY APRIL 19, 201

7

9:00 AM Call to order, Agenda overview

Miles McEvoy, AMS Deputy Administrator

Introductions

NOSB members and NOP staff

Secretary’s report, acceptance of Nov 2016 Meeting Summary as official record

Jesse Buie, Secretary

9:30 AM USDA National Organic Program report

Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator, AMS National Organic Program (NOP)

10:30 AM NOSB report 

Tom Chapman, NOSB Chairperson

10:45 AM National Organic Program - Materials update/Summary of new and outstanding petitions

Dr. Lisa M. Brines, NOP National List Manager 

11:00 AM BREAK

11:15 AM -

6:00 PM

Public comments

12:45 PM LUNCH (1h15m)

~4:00 PM BREAK (15 min)

6:00 PM RECESS
 Revised: 4/6/2017 – subject to change

iii

THURSDAY APRIL 20, 201

7

8:30 AM -

12:00 PM

Public comments

10:30 AM BREAK (15 min)

12:00 PM LUNCH

1:15 PM Handling Subcommittee (HS) 

Lisa de Lima, Chairperson

Topics:

*2019 Sunset Substances - first posting for discussion:

Attapulgite

Bentonite

Diatomaceous earth

Nitrogen 

Sodium carbonate

Acidified sodium chlorite

Carbon dioxide

Chlorine Materials (Calcium hypochlorite, Chlorine dioxide, Sodium hypochlorite)

Magnesium chloride

Potassium acid tartrate

Sodium phosphates

Casings

Konjac flour

Pectin (non-amidated forms only)

Proposal: L-methionine - petitioned

Proposal: Short DNA tracers - petitioned 

Proposal: Tocopherols - Annotation change at §205.605(b) of the National List 

Proposal: Marine algae listings on the National List

Proposal: Ancillary substances permitted in cellulose

Discussion document: Bisphenol A (BPA) in packaging

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

3:45 PM BREAK
 Revised: 4/6/2017 – subject to change

iv

THURSDAY APRIL 20, 201

7

4:00 PM Livestock Subcommittee

Ashley Swaffar, Chairperson

Topics:

*2019 Sunset Substances - first posting for discussion:

Chlorine Materials (Calcium hypochlorite, Chlorine dioxide, Sodium hypochlorite)

Chlorhexidine

Glucose

Oxytocin

Tolazoline

Copper sulfate

Lidocaine

Procaine

 Discussion document: Clarifying “emergency” for use of synthetic parasiticides in 

 organic livestock production

Subcommittee discusses documents as needed

5:15 PM Compliance, Accreditation, & Certification Subcommittee (CACS)

Scott Rice, Chairperson

Topics:

 Proposal: Personnel performance evaluations of inspectors (NOP 2027) 

 Discussion document: Eliminating the incentive to convert native ecosystems into 

 organic crop production

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

6:00 PM RECESS
 Revised: 4/6/2017 – subject to change

v

FRIDAY APRIL 21, 2017

8:30 AM

15 min break 

~10:30 AM

Crops Subcommittee 

Francis Thicke, Chairperson

Topics:

*2019 Sunset Substances - first posting for discussion:

Chlorine Materials (Calcium hypochlorite, Chlorine dioxide, Sodium hypochlorite)

Herbicides, soap-based

Biodegradable biobased mulch film

Boric acid

Sticky traps/barriers

Copper sulfate

Coppers, fixed

Humic acids

Micronutrients (Soluble boron products)

Micronutrients (Sulfates, carbonates, oxides, or silicates of zinc, copper, iron, 

 manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt) 

Vitamins B1, Vitamin C, Vitamin E

Lead salts

Tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate)

Proposal: Strengthening the organic seed guidance (NOP 5029)

Proposal: Marine algae listings on the National List

Discussion document: Aeroponics/Hydroponics/Aquaponics

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

12:00 PM Policy Development Subcommittee 

Dan Seitz, Chairperson

 Verbal update/Status report 

12:05 PM Materials Subcommittee

Harriet Behar, Chairperson

 Verbal update/Status report

12:15 PM LUNCH

1:30 PM Deferred proposals/Final votes 

2:15 PM Subcommittee work agendas 

2:30 PM Presentation of certificates of appointment to new members 

3:00 PM Other business and closing remarks

3:15 PM ADJOURN

NOSB GROUP PHOTO