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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 6 (Friday, January 10, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1937-1938]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00266]

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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 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
appearing in this section.

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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 6 / Friday, January 10, 2025 / 
Notices

[[Page 1937]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-FGIS-24-0066]

Opportunity for United States Grain Standards Act Designation in 
the Evansville, Indiana Area and Amendment to Notice of Opportunity for 
the Fargo, North Dakota Area

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments and applications; Amendment to 
prior opportunity for designation for Fargo, North Dakota area.

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SUMMARY: The United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) designations for 
two official agencies, Ohio Valley Grain Inspection, Inc. (Ohio Valley 
Grain Inspection) and North Dakota Grain Inspection Service, Inc. 
(North Dakota Grain Inspection Service), will end on the dates listed 
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. The Agricultural 
Marketing Service (AMS) is requesting designation applications from 
private entities or state governmental agencies that would like to 
provide official inspection and weighing services for the areas 
presently served by these two agencies. In addition to this request for 
applications, AMS seeks comments on the quality of services provided by 
Ohio Valley Grain Inspection and North Dakota Grain Inspection Service. 
AMS is also amending the description of the Fargo, North Dakota area 
that was offered for designation in the July 18, 2024 edition of the 
Federal Register.

DATES: Applications and comments for the areas of designation 
terminating on July 31, 2025, currently serviced by Ohio Valley Grain 
Inspection, must be received between March 1, 2025, and March 31, 2025.
    Applications and comments for the areas of designation terminating 
on December 31, 2025, currently serviced by North Dakota Grain 
Inspection Service, must be received between August 1, 2025, and August 
31, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Submit applications and comments concerning this Notice 
using the following methods:
    To apply for USGSA designation: New applicants (not currently 
designated) seeking designation or currently designated applicants 
seeking to apply for designation in a new geographic area can find 
detailed instructions at https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/FGISApplyingforDesignation_NewApplicants.pdf. Currently 
designated applicants intending to re-apply for their existing 
designated geographic area, can find re-application instructions at 
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/FGISApplyingforDesignationPreviousApplicants.pdf. Applicants must have 
a Login.gov account, a MyFGIS number, and access to FGISonline 
Delegations/Designations and Export Registrations (DDR) prior to 
applying. Applicants are encouraged to begin the application process 
early to allow time for system authentication.
    To submit comments regarding currently designated official 
agencies: Go to regulations.gov (https://www.regulations.gov). 
Instructions for submitting and reading comments are detailed on the 
website. All comments must be submitted through the Federal e-
rulemaking portal at https://www.regulations.gov and reference the 
document number and the date and page number of this issue of the 
Federal Register. All comments submitted in response to this notice 
will be included in the record and will be made available to the 
public. Please be advised that the identity of the individuals or 
entities submitting comments will be made public on the internet at the 
address provided above.
    Read applications and comments: To view the applications submitted, 
please contact [email protected]. All comments will be available for 
public viewing online at https://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Weiland, Grain Marketing 
Specialist, Telephone 202-989-5995; email: [email protected] 
or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  Section 7(f) of the USGSA authorizes the 
Secretary of Agriculture to designate a qualified state or local 
governmental agency, or person, to provide official services in a 
specified area after determining the applicant meets specified criteria 
and is better able than any other applicant to provide such official 
services (7 U.S.C. 79(f)). A designated agency works under the 
supervision of AMS's Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) and is 
authorized to provide official inspection services and/or Class X or 
Class Y weighing services at locations other than export port 
locations. Under section 7(g) of the USGSA, designations of official 
agencies may be awarded for no longer than five years but may be 
renewed according to the criteria and procedures prescribed in section 
7(f) of the USGSA (7 U.S.C. 79(f)-(g)). For more information about 
designation procedures, please see 7 CFR 800.196.
    AMS encourages application submissions from traditionally 
underrepresented individuals, organizations, and businesses to reflect 
the diversity of the grain industry. The Agency welcomes submissions 
from qualified applicants, regardless of race, color, age, sex, sexual 
orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability 
status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected 
by law.

Designation Application Locations

    Below are the currently operating designated official agencies and 
the specific areas of operation for designation applications. These are 
listed in order of anticipated designation termination date.
    Ohio Valley Grain Inspection: In Indiana: Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, 
Knox (except the area west of US-41 and north of US-50), Pike, Posey, 
Vanderburgh, and Warrick Counties. In Kentucky: Caldwell, Christian, 
Crittenden, Henderson, Hopkins (west of KY-109 south of the Wendell H 
Ford Western Kentucky Parkway), Logan, Todd, Union, and Webster (west 
of US-41A and CR 814) Counties. In Tennessee: Cheatham, Davidson, and 
Robertson Counties.
    North Dakota Grain Inspection Service: In Illinois: Bond, Calhoun, 
Clay, Clinton, Crawford (south of IL-33), Cumberland, Edwards, 
Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton,

[[Page 1938]]

Jackson (north of IL-3, IL-149, IL-13 and east of US-51)), Jasper, 
Jefferson, Jersey, Lawrence (west of IL-33 south to US-50), Madison, 
Marion, Monroe, Montgomery (south of IL-16, west and south of CR 6 to 
CR 7, east of CR 7, and south of CR 15), Perry, Randolph (north of IL-
150 and northeast of IL-3), Richland, Saline, St. Clair, Wabash, 
Washington, Wayne, White, and Williamson Counties.
    In Indiana: Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Blackford, Boone, Brown, 
Carroll, Cass, Clinton, DeKalb, Delaware, Fayette, Fountain (east of 
U.S. Route 41), Fulton, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, 
Howard, Huntington, Jay, Johnson, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Madison, Marion, 
Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Noble, Randolph, Rush (north of 
State Route 244), Shelby, Stueben, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Union, Wabash, 
Wayne, Wells, and Whitley Counties.
    In Michigan: Clinton (east of US-127), Genesee, Huron (east of MI-
53), Ingham (east of US-127), Jackson (east of US-127), Lapeer, 
Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Sanilac (east of MI-53 
and south of MI-46), Shiawassee (south of MI-21 and east of MI-52), St. 
Clair, Tuscola (south of MI-46, east of Sheridan Road, south of Barnes 
Road, and east of MI-15), Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties.
    In Minnesota: Aitkin, Becker, Carlton, Cass, Clay, Cook, Crow Wing, 
Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Mahnomen, Norman, Otter Tail, St. 
Louis, Wadena, and Wilkin Counties.
    In North Dakota: Barnes (east of ND-1 north and south of I-94), 
Cass, Dickey (east of ND-1), Griggs (south and east of ND-45, east of 
ND-1 and south of ND-200), LaMoure (east of ND-1), Ransom, Richland, 
Sargent, Steele, and Traill Counties.
    In Ohio: Adams (northeast of OH-73), Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, 
Belmont, Carroll, Champaign (east of Valley Pike Road, east of OH-560 
and north of US-36), Clark (east of US-68), Clinton (east of OH-73, 
north of US-22, east of US-68), Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, 
Cuyahoga, Darke, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, 
Geauga, Greene (east of US-68), Guernsey, Hancock, Hardin (east of US-
68), Harrison, Highland (east of OH-73), Hocking, Holmes, Huron, 
Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Logan (south of OH-
47, east of US-68), Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, 
Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Perry, 
Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, 
Shelby (east of I-75, southeast of OH-47, includes all of Sidney, OH), 
Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Union, Vinton, Washington, Wayne, 
Wood, and Wyandot Counties.

Amendment to the Geographic Description of the Fargo, North Dakota Area

    The foregoing description of the Fargo, North Dakota area, 
currently assigned to North Dakota Grain Inspection Service, reflects 
an amended description of the area as it was offered for designation in 
the July 18, 2024 edition of the Federal Register (89 FR 58327). On 
August 1, 2024, North Dakota Grain Inspection Service purchased Detroit 
Grain Inspection Service, Inc. With that purchase, North Dakota Grain 
Inspection Service requested and AMS authorized the assignment of the 
geographic area previously serviced by Detroit Grain Inspection Service 
to be included in the geographic description of the Fargo, North Dakota 
area.

Deadlines for Comments and Applications

    The table below lists the dates the USGSA designations for Ohio 
Valley Grain Inspection and North Dakota Grain Inspection Service will 
end. The table also lists the open periods for submitting applications 
to provide official services in the designated areas or comments about 
the agencies.

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                                         Headquarters location and    Designation    Applications/comments open
            Official agency                      telephone                end                  period
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Ohio Valley Grain Inspection, Inc......  Evansville, Indiana, 812-      07/31/2025         03/01/2025-03/31/2025
                                          423-9010.
North Dakota Grain Inspection Service,   Fargo, North Dakota, 701-      12/31/2025         08/01/2025-08/31/2025
 Inc.                                     293-7420.
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Designation Timelines

    Interested private entities or state governmental agencies may 
apply for designation to provide official services in the geographic 
areas noted above under the provisions of section 7(f) of the USGSA (7 
U.S.C. 79(f)) and 7 CFR 800.196. Designations in the specified 
geographic area of Evansville, Indiana will occur no sooner than August 
1, 2025. Designations in the specified geographic area of Fargo, North 
Dakota will occur no sooner than January 1, 2026. To request assistance 
with the designation application process or more information on the 
geographic areas serviced by these official agencies, please contact 
[email protected].

Melissa Bailey,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-00266 Filed 1-8-25; 8:45 am]
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