USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2013 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 09/03/2013 

 i

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

Galt House Hotel, Grand Ballroom C, Louisville, KY October 22-24, 2013

TENTATIVE Agenda

Tuesday

Oct 22

Wednesday

Oct 23

Thursday

Oct 24

AM - Call to Order

- USDA Agricultural Marketing 

 Service (AMS) Administrator 

 Anne L. Alonzo

- NOP Update 

- Broad Discussion 

- Materials Update 

- Open Public

- Materials Subcommittee 

- Handling Subcommittee

- Compliance, Accreditation & 

 Certification Subcommittee 

- Crops Subcommittee 

PM - Policy Development 

 Subcommittee 

- GMO ad hoc Subcommittee 

- Livestock Subcommittee - Deferred Items/Final Votes 

- NOSB Officer Elections 

- Subcommittee Work Plans 

- Other Business/Closing 

 Remarks

Meeting Format

• The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) National List Manager presents an overview of petitioned 

substances and Technical Reports in consistent format. 

• NOSB members present Subcommittee proposals on petitioned substances and discussion documents.

• Public comments are grouped to correspond with each Subcommittee’s presentation.

• Each Subcommittee’s proposals are discussed and may be voted on by the Board before moving to the next 

Subcommittee. Items listed as sunset summaries, discussion documents, or updates will not be voted on.

• If more deliberation is needed, final votes will be deferred to Thursday, October 24.

• NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn or votes may be postponed at the discretion of the Board.

Public Comments: 

• All persons wishing to comment at NOSB meetings during public comment periods must sign up in advance. 

Instructions are available at www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBMeetings. Speaking slots for walk-in commenters may be 

available, but are not guaranteed. Commenters can sign up in person at the meeting if the schedule allows.

• Each commenter must state their name and affiliation for the record at the beginning of his or her public 

comment.
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2013 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 09/03/2013 

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• Each person may sign up for only one speaking slot, followed by time for questions from the Board. The amount 

of time provided for public comments will be determined by the number of commenters and the time available.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

8:00 AM Call to Order

Mac Stone, Chairperson and John Foster, Vice Chairperson

Announcements

Introductions

NOSB Mission

Secretary’s Report

Dr. Calvin Walker, Secretary

Acceptance of April 2013 Meeting Transcripts and Voting Results as Official Record

8:30 AM Address

Anne L. Alonzo, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Administrator 

8:50 AM National Organic Program Update

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

9:20 AM Discussion: Broader organic topics, Organic Community, NOSB Roles, Farm Bill, etc

NOSB

10:20 AM BREAK

10:35 AM National Organic Program - Materials Update

Dr. Lisa M. Brines, NOP National List Manager

10:50 AM Open Public Comment. Public comments not specific to a particular Subcommittee, or that 

address topics not on the agenda 

12:15 PM LUNCH

1:30 PM Open Public Comment Continued 

2:45 PM BREAK

3:00 PM Policy Development Subcommittee

Colehour Bondera, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics:

Proposal: PPM Updates - Administrative Updates 

Proposal: PPM Updates - Miscellaneous Updates 

Proposal: PPM Updates - Conflict of Interest

3:30 PM Public comments related to Policy Development Subcommittee
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2013 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 09/03/2013 

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4:00 PM Subcommittee modifies proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

Tuesday, October 

22

4:30 PM GMO ad hoc Subcommittee

Dr. Jennifer Taylor, Chairperson

Topics: 

Update: GMOs and Seed Purity Update

4:45 PM RECESS
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2013 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 09/03/2013 

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Wednesday, October 2

3

8:00 AM Materials Subcommittee 

Zea Sonnabend, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics:

Proposal: Update of Petition & Technical Review Process 

Proposal: Confidential Business Information in Petitions (CBI) 

Proposal: Research Priorities

8:30 AM Public comments related to Materials Subcommittee 

9:10 AM Subcommittee modifies proposals as needed

Board votes if ready 

9:30 AM Handling Subcommittee

John Foster, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments

Topics:

Proposal: Ammonium Hydroxide (boiler water additive) - petitioned

Proposal: Glycerin - petitioned for removal

Discussion Document: Polyalkylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether (PGME) - petitioned

Update: Ancillary Substances

Sunset 2015 Summary - Gellan Gum 

Sunset 2015 Summary - Tragacanth

Sunset 2015 Summary - Marsala 

Sunset 2015 Summary - Sherry 

10:00 AM BREAK

10:15 AM Present Handling Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments continued

10:45 AM Public comments related to Handling Subcommittee 

12:00 PM LUNCH

1:15 PM Subcommittee modifies proposals as needed

Board votes if ready
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2013 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 09/03/2013 

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1:45 PM Livestock Subcommittee 

Tracy Favre, Chairperson 

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments 

Topics:

Proposal: Methionine in Organic Poultry Feed - petitioned

Proposal: Acidified Sodium Chlorite (ASC) - petitioned

Proposal: Aquaculture - Chlorine - petitioned

Proposal: Aquaculture - Tocopherols - petitioned

Proposal: Aquaculture - Vitamins - petitioned

Proposal: Aquaculture - Trace Minerals - petitioned

3:00 PM BREAK

3:15 PM Public comments related to Livestock Subcommittee 

4:30 PM Subcommittee modifies proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

5:30 PM RECESS
USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2013 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 09/03/2013 

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Thursday, October 24

8:00 AM Compliance, Accreditation and Certification Subcommittee 

Joe Dickson, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments

Topics: 

Discussion Document: Guidance on Retail Certification

Discussion Document: Clarifying Accredited Certifying Agents’ Application 

 of §205.206(e)

Discussion Document: Sound and Sensible

8:30 AM Public comments related to CAC Subcommittee 

9:00 AM Crops Subcommittee 

Jay Feldman, Chairperson 

Present Subcommittee proposals and summarize written comments

Topics:

Proposal: Streptomycin - petitioned

Proposal: Magnesium Oxide - petitioned

Update: Inerts Update

Sunset 2015 Summary: Sulfurous Acid

Sunset 2015 Summary: Sodium Carbonate Peroxyhydrate

Sunset 2015 Summary: Aqueous Potassium Silicate

9:45 AM BREAK

10:00 AM Public comments related to Crops Subcommittee

11:30 AM Subcommittee modifies proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

12:00 PM LUNCH

1:15 PM Deferred Proposals/Final Votes

3:00 PM BREAK

3:15 PM NOSB Officer Elections

3:45 PM Subcommittee Workplans

4:15 PM Other Business and Closing Remarks

4:30 PM ADJOURN