This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

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rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

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examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

12422 

Vol. 80, No. 45 

Monday, March 9, 2015 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

[Document Number AMS–NOP–15–0004; 

NOP–15–03] 

National Organic Program; 

Nominations for Task Force Members 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing 

Service (AMS) is soliciting nominees to 

participate in a task force to examine 

hydroponic and aquaponic practices 

and their alignment with the USDA 

organic regulations and the Organic 

Foods Production Act (OFPA). The 

USDA organic regulations do not 

include specific provisions for organic 

hydroponic or aquaponic production. 

However, these production systems 

have obtained certification under the 

USDA organic regulations by complying 

with the existing requirements for 

organic crop production. The task force 

will inform the National Organic 

Standards Board (NOSB) of their 

findings and advise on what practices 

should be allowed or restricted in 

organic hydroponic and aquaponic 

production. 

DATES: Written nominations, with 

resumes, must be post-marked on or 

before May 8, 2015. Electronic 

submissions must be received on or 

before May 8, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent 

to Rita Meade, USDA–AMS–NOP, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., Room 

2648–So., Ag Stop 0268, Washington, 

DC 20250–0268 or via email to 

Rita.Meade@ams.usda.gov. Electronic 

submittals by email are preferred. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark Bradley, Assistant to the Deputy 

Administrator, National Organic 

Program, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW., Room 2648, STOP 0268; 

Washington, DC 20250–0268; 

Telephone (202) 720–3252; Fax: (202) 

205–7808; email: Mark.Bradley@

ams.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Why is this task force being formed? 

The Organic Foods Production Act of 

1990, as amended (7 U.S.C. 6501–6522) 

provides for the certification of 

agricultural products for human 

consumption. To implement this Act, 

AMS published the USDA organic 

regulations on December 20, 2000. The 

regulations provide for the certification 

of crops and livestock production and 

operations that handle and process 

agricultural products. Hydroponic and 

aquaponic operations are currently 

being certified under the USDA organic 

regulations. 

Hydroponics is a method of growing 

plants using mineral nutrient solutions 

in water without soil. Terrestrial plants 

may be grown with their roots in the 

mineral nutrient solution only or in an 

inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, 

biochar, or coconut husk. Aquaponics 

combines the features of hydroponics 

and aquaculture. In these systems, the 

metabolic waste from fish tanks 

provides a source of nutrients for 

vegetables grown hydroponically. The 

USDA organic regulations do not 

include specific provisions for organic 

hydroponic or aquaponic production. 

However, there are certified organic 

operations observing the crop 

production requirements of the USDA 

organic regulations to produce organic 

crops via hydroponic or aquaponic 

growing methods. These operations, for 

example, must maintain water quality 

and use only approved inputs as 

fertilizers and pest control practices. 

Organic hydroponic production is 

allowed as long as the producer can 

demonstrate compliance with the USDA 

organic regulations. 

In 2010, the NOSB provided 

recommendations to the NOP on 

Production Standards for Terrestrial 

Plants in Containers and Enclosures 

(Greenhouses). The NOSB 

recommended practice standards for 

growing terrestrial plants in containers 

using growing media rather than soil. 

The NOSB recommended not allowing 

organic hydroponic production because 

these systems are not soil based. 

AMS is assembling a task force to 

assess the diversity of these soilless 

production practices and advise on 

what specific practices may or may not 

be supported by the current USDA 

organic regulations. 

What are the hydroponics task force’s 

objectives and time requirements? 

There are two main objectives of the 

task force: (i) To describe current 

hydroponic and aquaponic production 

methods used in organic production, 

and (ii) to assess whether these practices 

align with OFPA and the USDA organic 

regulations. The task force will prepare 

a report advising the NOSB on proposed 

standards or guidelines for hydroponic 

and aquaponic methods in organic 

agriculture. The report may be used to 

inform the NOSB on recommendations 

concerning hydroponic and aquaponic 

systems and for possible guidance or 

rulemaking by the NOP. 

USDA will name the members of the 

task force approximately 120 days after 

the publication of this notice. The 

discussions between task force members 

will be conducted through electronic 

mail and conference calls with no 

requirement for travel. We expect the 

task force to present its completed 

report to the NOSB in the spring of 

2016. 

What are the minimum skills and 

experience requirements to be 

considered for this task force? 

Candidates for the hydroponics and 

aquaponics task force should have 3 

years of demonstrable work experience 

in hydroponic or aeroponic production 

in any of the following roles: Producer; 

researcher or scientist; consumer 

representative; conservationist; systems 

designer; organic inspector; or 

accredited certifying agent. Candidates 

with demonstrable knowledge of 

organic production or certification 

procedures are preferred. 

Successful candidates should be 

familiar with the NOSB 

recommendation on Production 

Standards for Terrestrial Plants in 

Containers and Enclosures 

(Greenhouses). 

Persons interested in serving on this 

task force should submit their 

qualifications in a resume or curriculum 

vitae format. In addition to this 

information, candidates should submit, 

if applicable, a ‘‘declaration of interests’’ 

list. This list should state all direct 

commercial, financial, consulting, 

family, or personal relationships that 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 45 / Monday, March 9, 2015 / Notices 12423 

currently exist or have existed with 

business entities that may be regulated 

through any future rulemaking on these 

issues. The declaration of interests lists 

should cover activities undertaken by 

the candidate during the past 12 

months. 

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6501–6522. 

Dated: March 4, 2015. 

Rex A. Barnes, 

Associate Administrator, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–05403 Filed 3–6–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

March 4, 2015. 

The Department of Agriculture will 

submit the following information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13 on or after the date 

of publication of this notice. Comments 

regarding (a) whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology should be addressed to: Desk 

Officer for Agriculture, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), New Executive Office Building, 

Washington, DC; New Executive Office 

Building, 725 17th Street NW., 

Washington, DC, 20503. Commenters 

are encouraged to submit their 

comments to OMB via email to: OIRA_

Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax (202) 

395–5806 and to Departmental 

Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail 

Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 

7602. 

Comments regarding these 

information collections are best assured 

of having their full effect if received by 

April 8, 2015. Copies of the 

submission(s) may be obtained by 

calling (202) 720–8681. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number and the agency informs 

potential persons who are to respond to 

the collection of information that such 

persons are not required to respond to 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

Title: Regulations for the Inspection of 

Eggs. 

OMB Control Number: 0581–0113. 

Summary of Collection: Congress 

enacted the Egg Products Inspection Act 

(21 U.S.C. 1031–1056) (EPIA) to provide 

a mandatory inspection program to 

assure egg products are processed under 

sanitary conditions, are wholesome, 

unadulterated, and properly labeled; to 

control the disposition of dirty and 

checked shell eggs; to control 

unwholesome, adulterated, and inedible 

egg products and shell eggs that are 

unfit for human consumption; and to 

control the movement and disposition 

of imported shell eggs and egg products 

that are unwholesome and inedible. 

Regulations developed under 7 CFR part 

57 provide the requirements and 

guidelines for the Department and 

industry needed to obtain compliance. 

The Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS) will collect information using 

several forms. Forms used to collect 

information provide method for 

measuring workload, record of 

compliance and non compliance and a 

basis to monitor the utilization of funds. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

AMS will use the information to assure 

compliance with the Act and 

regulations, to take administrative and 

regulatory action and to develop and 

revise cooperative agreements with the 

States, which conduct surveillance 

inspections of shell egg handlers and 

processors. If the information is not 

collected, AMS would not be able to 

control the processing, movement, and 

disposition of restricted shell eggs and 

egg products and take regulatory action 

in case of noncompliance. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit; Federal Government; 

State, Local or Tribal Government. 

Number of Respondents: 818. 

Frequency of Responses: 

Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 

Quarterly. 

Total Burden Hours: 1,909. 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

Title: Dairy Products Mandatory Sales 

Reporting. 

OMB Control Number: 0581–0274. 

Summary of Collection: The 

Mandatory Price Reporting Act of 2010 

amended § 273(d) of the Agricultural 

Marketing Act of 1946, requiring the 

Secretary of Agriculture to establish an 

electronic reporting system for certain 

manufacturers of dairy products to 

report sales information under 7 CFR 

part 1170, the mandatory Dairy Product 

Mandatory Reporting Program. Data 

collection for cheddar cheese, butter, 

dry whey, or nonfat dry milk sales is 

limited to manufacturing plants 

producing annually 1 million pounds or 

more of one of the surveyed 

commodities specified in the program. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

Persons engaged in manufacturing dairy 

products are required to provide the 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

certain information, including the price, 

quantity, and moisture content, where 

applicable, of dairy products sold by the 

manufacturer. Various manufacturer 

reports are filed electronically on a 

weekly basis. Additional paper forms 

are filed by manufacturers on an annual 

basis to validate participation in the 

mandatory reporting program. 

Manufacturers and other persons storing 

dairy products must also report 

information on the quantity of dairy 

products stored. USDA publishes 

composites of the information obtained 

to help industry members make 

informed marketing decisions regarding 

dairy products. The information is also 

used to establish minimum prices for 

Class III and Class IV milk under 

Federal milk marketing orders. Without 

this information USDA would not be 

able to verify compliance with 

applicable regulations. 

Description of Respondents: 

Businesses—Cheddar Cheese, 40 lb. 

Blocks. 

Number of Respondents: 181. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

On occasion; Weekly; Annually. 

Total Burden Hours: 2,331. 

Charlene Parker, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2015–05397 Filed 3–6–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Request for Information: Summer Meal 

Programs Data Reporting 

Requirements 

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; request for information. 

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