[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 2198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00520]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / 
Notices

[[Page 2198]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-TM-23-0066]


Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for AMS Local Meat 
Capacity Grant Program

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the 
availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) 
and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the AMS Local Meat 
Capacity Grant Program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Rakola, Associate Deputy 
Administrator, Transportation and Marketing Program; Telephone: (202) 
690-1300; Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4905262a2825040a2839093c3a2d28672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f9b5969a9895b4ba9889b98c8a9d98d79e968f">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Final PEA and FONSI analyze and disclose the potential 
environmental impacts associated with the establishment of the Local 
Meat Capacity Grant Program (Local MCap). The United States Department 
of Agriculture (USDA) AMS has proposed to fund grants to support 
independently owned meat and poultry processing businesses. These 
grants will help them provide additional and more efficient processing 
options for local livestock producers by modernizing, increasing, 
diversifying, and decentralizing meat and poultry processing capacity, 
including support for rendering.
    This program will expand processing capacity for small and midsized 
meat and poultry processors, which are particularly vulnerable to 
disruption. It will also increase capacity and promote competition in 
the meat and poultry processing sector. Based on public input, USDA 
identified an urgent need to expand and diversify meat and poultry 
processing capacity.
    The Local MCap Program is authorized by section 1001 (b)(4) of the 
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (Pub. L. 117-2), which funds ``loans 
and grants and other assistance to maintain and improve food and 
agricultural supply chain resiliency.'' Recipients of funding from this 
proposed program would be allowed 36 months to complete work funded by 
the grant awards.
    The environmental impacts of funding projects to enhance existing 
meat and poultry processing facilities have been considered in a manner 
consistent with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, Public Law 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, as amended.
    A Final PEA and FONSI have been prepared, and based on this 
analysis, AMS has determined there will not be a significant impact to 
the human environment. As a result, an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) has not been initiated (40 CFR 1501.6). AMS intends for this PEA 
to create efficiencies by establishing a framework that can be used for 
``tiering,'' where appropriate, to project-specific actions that 
require additional analysis. As decisions on specific applications are 
made, to the extent additional NEPA analysis is required, environmental 
review will be conducted to supplement the analysis set forth in this 
PEA.
    The Final PEA and FONSI are available for review online at the 
program website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/localmcap.

Comments

    AMS published a Draft PEA for public comment on October 31, 2023. 
The public comment period ended on November 30, 2023. One non-
substantive comment was received and is therefore excluded from 
consideration in the Final PEA and FONSI. Consistent with 40 CFR 
1503.4(b), all substantive comments would have received a response. AMS 
is not required to respond to non-substantive comments. Comments are 
carefully considered and reviewed; non-substantive comments do not 
receive a detailed response. A non-substantive comment is categorized 
as one of the following:

<bullet> General comment, opinion, or position statement
<bullet> Concern is outside the scope or irrelevant to the proposed 
action and decision
<bullet> Means of addressing the concern are already decided by law, 
regulation, or policy
<bullet> Concern can be better addressed through another decision 
process (e.g., project level analysis)
<bullet> Concern requests action that has already been considered in an 
alternative

Melissa Bailey,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-00520 Filed 1-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P


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