National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2014 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 10/16/2014

USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

National Organic Standards Board Meeting

Galt House Hotel, Grand Ballroom B, Louisville, KY October 28-30, 2014

Agenda

Schedule at a Glance: 

Tuesday

Oct 28

Wednesday

Oct 29

Thursday

Oct 30

MORNING

Call to Order/Introductions/ 

Secretary’s Report 

NOP Report 

USDA Organic Action Plan 

Materials Update 

Public Comments 

Public Comments Livestock 

Subcommittee 

Crops 

Subcommittee 

Deferred Items/Final Votes 

AFTERNOON

Public Comments Continued

Materials Subcommittee 

Handling 

Subcommittee 

Compliance, Accreditation & 

Certification Subcommittee 

NOSB Officer Elections 

Subcommittee Work Plans 

Plaque Presentation 

Other Business/Closing 

Remarks 

Meeting Format

• The Designated Federal Officer (DFO)/NOP Deputy Administrator will call the meeting to order. After the 

meeting is called to order the NOSB Chair will chair/facilitate the meeting.

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

substances, Sunset materials, and Technical Reports in consistent format. 

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

• NOSB members present and discuss Subcommittee proposals and discussion documents; NOSB votes on 

proposals. Final votes may be deferred to Thursday October 30, 2014 if more deliberation is needed. 

• NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn or votes may be postponed at the discretion of the Board.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

Oral Public Comments 

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

Instructions are available at www.ams.usda.gov/NOSBMeetings. Speaking slots for walk-in commenters are not 

guaranteed. Walk-in commenters can sign up in person at the meeting if the schedule allows.

• Each commenter must state his/her name and affiliation for the record at the beginning of their comment.

• 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. 

 i
 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2014 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 10/16/2014

USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

TUESDAY OCTOBER 28, 2014

8:30 AM Call to Order, Agenda Overview

Miles McEvoy, AMS Deputy Administrator

Introductions, NOSB Mission

Dr. Jean Richardson, Chairperson and John Foster, Vice Chairperson

Secretary’s Report, Acceptance of April 2014 Meeting Transcripts and Voting Results as 

Official Record

Mac Stone, Secretary

Welcome from Kentucky local

9:00 AM National Organic Program Report

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

9:45 AM USDA Organic Action Plan

Betsy Rakola, USDA Organic Policy Advisor

10:15 AM BREAK

10:30 AM National Organic Program - Materials Update/Summary of New and Outstanding Petitions

Dr. Lisa M. Brines, NOP National List Manager 

 

10:50 AM Public Comments that address multiple topics or topics not on the agenda + comments that 

address the Materials Subcommittee

12:15 PM LUNCH

1:30 PM Public Comments Continued

3:30 PM BREAK

3:45 PM Public Comments Continued 

4:30 PM Materials Subcommittee (MS)

Dr. C. Reuben (Calvin) Walker, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and discussion documents. Summarize written 

comments

Topics:

 Proposal: Fall 2014 Research Priorities

 Discussion Document: Excluded Methods Terminology

5:00 PM Subcommittee discusses proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

5:30 PM RECESS

 ii
 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2014 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 10/16/2014

USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 2

9, 2014

8:30 AM Public Comments that address the Handling, CACS, Livestock and Crops Subcommittees

10:30 AM BREAK

10:45 AM Public Comments Continued

12:15 PM LUNCH

1:30 PM Handling Subcommittee (HS)

Harold Austin, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and discussion documents. Summarize written 

comments

Topics:

Proposal: Glycerin - petitioned for removal

Proposal: Whole Algal Flour - petitioned

2015 Sunset Reviews/Proposals: 

Gellan Gum 

 Tragacanth Gum

 Marsala 

 Sherry 

2016 Sunset Summaries:

Egg White Lysozyme 

L-Malic Acid

Microorganisms

Activated Charcoal

Peracetic Acid

Cyclohexylamine

Diethylaminoethanol

Octadecylamine

Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate

Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate (TSPP)

3:30 PM BREAK

3:45 PM Subcommittee discusses proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

5:00 PM Compliance, Accreditation and Certification Subcommittee (CACS)

Carmela Beck, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and discussion documents. Summarize written 

comments

Topics: 

 Discussion Document: Assessment of Soil Conservation Practices 

5:30 PM RECESS

 iii
 National Organic Standards Board | Fall 2014 Tentative Meeting Agenda Revised 10/16/2014

USDA-AMS | National Organic Program

THURSDAY OCTOBER 30, 2014

8:30 AM Livestock Subcommittee (LS)

Tracy Favre, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and discussion documents. Summarize written 

comments

Topics:

Proposal: Vaccines from Excluded Methods (GMO Vaccines) 

Verbal Report: Aquaculture Review History

9:00 AM Subcommittee discusses proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

9:15 AM Crops Subcommittee (CS)

Zea Sonnabend, Chairperson

Present Subcommittee proposals and discussion documents. Summarize written 

comments

Topics:

Verbal Update: Inerts 

Discussion Document: Contamination Issues in Farm Inputs Literature Review

2015 Sunset - Reviews/Proposals

 Sulfurous Acid

 Sodium Carbonate Peroxyhydrate

 Aqueous Potassium Silicate

2016 Sunset - Summaries

 Ferric Phosphate 

 Hydrogen Chloride

10:30 AM BREAK

10:45 AM Subcommittee discusses proposals as needed

Board votes if ready

11:30 AM Deferred Proposals/Final Votes

12:30 PM LUNCH

1:15 PM NOSB Officer Elections

2:15 PM Subcommittee Workplans

2:45 PM Presentation of Plaques for Outgoing Members

3:15 PM Other Business and Closing Remarks

3:30 PM ADJOURN

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