Revised: 10/18/2017 – subject to change

i

National Organic Standards Board Meeting Tentative Agenda

Omni Jacksonville Hotel Jacksonville, Florida 32202 Florida Salons ABC

October 31 - November 2, 2017

Schedule at a Glance:

Tue/Thu

Oct 24 & 26

Tuesday

Oct 31

Wednesday 

Nov 1

Thursday

Nov 2

MORNING

- Call to Order/Welcome/ 

 Intros/Secretary’s report 

- NOP report 

- ANSI peer review report 

- NOSB report 

- Panel - Imports

- Public comments 

 

- Livestock 

 Subcommittee

 

- Handling 

 Subcommittee 

 

AFTERNOON

-Public 

comment 

webinar(s)

1 – 4pm ET

- Materials update 

- Public comments 

 

- Crops 

 Subcommittee

 

- Compliance, 

 Accreditation, & 

 Certification 

 Subcommittee CACS

- Materials 

 Subcommittee

- Deferred proposals/Final 

 votes 

- Work agendas 

- Recognition of 

 outgoing member 

- Officer elections 

- Other business/Closing 

 remarks 

- NOSB Group photo

Face-to-Face Meeting Format

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

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. 

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 NOTE: Agenda items may be withdrawn or votes postponed at the discretion of the Board.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

and adjournment times may vary based on completion of business. 

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: During

webinar(s) on October 24 and 26, 2017, and during the 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 a 3-minute time slot during either 

the webinar or at the face-to-face meeting. Each commenter must state his/her name and affiliation for the record 

at the beginning of their comment.
 Revised: 10/18/2017 – subject to change

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TUE/THU

OCT 24 & 26

1:00 - 4:00 

PM

Public comment webinar(s)

Please see the NOSB meeting webpage for login information 

TUESDAY OCTOBER 31, 201

7

8:30 AM Call to order, Agenda overview

AMS National Organic Program (NOP)

Introductions

NOSB members and NOP staff

Secretary’s report (acceptance of April 2017 Meeting Summary as official record)

Jesse Buie, Secretary

9:00 AM USDA National Organic Program report

AMS National Organic Program (NOP)

9:45 AM ANSI Peer review update

AMS National Organic Program (NOP)

10:00 AM NOSB report

Tom Chapman, NOSB Chairperson

10:15 AM BREAK

10:30 AM -

12:30 PM 

Panel - Imports

Panelists: Michael Durando (USDA Marketing Orders and Agreements Division); Matt Farmer 

(USDA APHIS/Plant Protection and Quarantine); Daniel Collier (U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection); USDA National Organic Program Representative

12:30 PM LUNCH

2:00 PM National Organic Program - Materials update/Summary of new and outstanding petitions

Dr. Lisa M. Brines, NOP National List Manager 

2:15 PM -

6:15 PM

Public comments

~3:45 PM BREAK

6:15 PM RECESS
 Revised: 10/18/2017 – subject to change

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 

1, 2017

8:30 AM -

12:30 PM

Public comments

~10:30 BREAK

12:30 PM LUNCH 

2:00 PM -

5:00 PM

15 min break

~3:30 PM

Crops Subcommittee

Dr. Francis Thicke, Chairperson

Topics:

2019 Sunset Substances - review

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) 

Vitamin B1, Vitamin C, Vitamin E

Lead salts

Tobacco dust (nicotine sulfate)

Proposal: Fatty Alcohols (octanol/decanol mix) - petitioned

Proposal: Anaerobic digestate - petitioned

Proposal: Strengthening the organic seed guidance (NOP 5029)

Proposal: Hydroponics and Container Growing

Discussion document: Field and greenhouse container production

Verbal update: Newspaper - annotation change

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

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

Scott Rice, Chairperson

Topics:

 Proposal: Eliminating the incentive to convert native ecosystems to organic crop 

production

 Proposal: Excluded operations in the supply chain (uncertified handlers)

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

5:30 PM RECESS
 Revised: 10/18/2017 – subject to change

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2017

8:30 AM Livestock Subcommittee

Ashley Swaffar, Chairperson

Topics:

2019 Sunset Substances - review

Chlorhexidine

 Chlorine materials (calcium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, sodium hypochlorite)

Glucose

Oxytocin

Tolazoline

Copper sulfate

Lidocaine

Procaine

 Proposal: Sulfur - petitioned

 Proposal: Hypochlorous acid - petitioned

 Proposal: Clarifying “emergency” for use of synthetic parasiticides in organic livestock 

production

Subcommittee discusses documents as needed

Board votes if ready

10:00 AM BREAK

10:15 AM Handling Subcommittee (HS) 

Lisa de Lima, Chairperson

Topics:

2019 Sunset Substances - review

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: Potassium acid tartrate reclassification

Discussion document: Marine materials

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

Verbal update: Tocopherols - Additional listing at §205.605(a) of the National List

Verbal update: Ancillary substances used in cellulose

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready
 Revised: 10/18/2017 – subject to change

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12:30 PM LUNCH

2:00 PM Materials Subcommittee

Harriet Behar, Chairperson

 Proposal: 2017 Research Priorities

 Proposal: Excluded Methods Terminology

 Discussion document: Non-GMO organic seed integrity

 

Subcommittee discusses proposals and documents as needed

Board votes if ready

3:15 PM Deferred proposals/Final votes 

3:45 PM Subcommittee work agendas 

4:00 PM Presentation of certificate of appreciation to outgoing member 

4:15 PM Officer Elections 

4:30 PM Other business and closing remarks

4:45 PM ADJOURN

NOSB GROUP PHOTO