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.

Notices Federal Register

58179 

Vol. 70, No. 192 

Wednesday, October 5, 2005 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Actions Taken To Ease Bulk Grain and 

Soybean Storage and Transportation 

Issues Exacerbated by Hurricane 

Katrina 

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, 

USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; Request for Proposals. 

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC) is providing 

notification to all interested parties 

regarding additional actions announced 

on September 20, 2005, to reduce stress 

on the grain transportation system 

caused by Hurricane Katrina. The 

industry-focused actions include: (1) 

Assisting with the movement of barges 

of damaged corn from New Orleans; (2) 

providing incentives for alternative 

storage of grain; and (3) encouraging 

alternative shipping patterns to relieve 

pressure on the Mississippi River 

transportation system. CCC is seeking 

proposals from interested parties for: (1) 

barge movements of damaged corn from 

New Orleans; (2) alternative grain 

storage; and (3) offers to move grain 

through locations alternative to the 

Central Gulf. 

DATES: Proposals should be submitted 

October 5, 2005 to be assured 

consideration. 

ADDRESSES: CCC invites interested 

persons to submit proposals on this 

notice. Proposals may be submitted by 

any of the following methods: 

• E-Mail: Send proposals to: 

Richard.Mashek@kcc.usda.gov. 

• FAX: Send proposals to (816) 823– 

1805. 

• Mail: Send proposals to: Contract 

Reconciliation Division, ATTN: Rick 

Mashek, P.O. Box 419205, Stop 8758, 

Kansas City, MO. 64133–4676. 

• Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver 

proposals to the above address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

James Goff, Warehouse and Inventory 

Division, Farm Service Agency, United 

States Department of Agriculture, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., STOP 

0553, Washington, DC 20250–0553, 

telephone (202) 720–5396, FAX (202) 

690–3123, e-mail: 

James.Goff@wdc.usda.gov. Persons with 

disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication for regulatory 

information (Braille, large print, 

audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s 

TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and TDD). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

September 20, 2005, the Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) announced 

additional steps to reduce further stress 

on the grain transportation system 

caused by Hurricane Katrina. The 

industry-focused actions outlined in the 

press release include assisting with the 

movement of barges of damaged corn 

from New Orleans, providing incentives 

for alternative storage of grain, and 

encouraging alternative shipping 

patterns to relieve pressure on the 

Mississippi River transportation system. 

The goals of these actions are to create 

velocity and capacity in the 

transportation system and to take 

advantage of under-utilized handling 

facilities. CCC is seeking proposals from 

interested parties on each of these 

actions. 

The CCC Charter Act provides the 

authority for this action in sections 5(b) 

and (d). Section 5(b) makes available 

CCC materials and facilities required in 

connection with the production and 

marketing of agricultural commodities. 

Section 5(d) allows CCC to remove and 

dispose of, or aid in the removal and 

disposition of, surplus agricultural 

commodities. 

I. Barge Movements of Damaged Corn 

CCC will enter into agreements with 

operators to assist in moving damaged 

corn from the New Orleans area for the 

purpose of freeing up barges. CCC has 

not and will not take title to the corn. 

The barges are to move corn to locations 

up river in order to accelerate barge 

availability to geographical areas under 

harvest pressure. 

CCC will consider proposals for upriver movements of damaged corn from 

New Orleans. Disposition of damaged 

corn must not have negative market 

impacts. This one-time offer of 

transportation assistance is only 

available to relocate barges and facilitate 

barge availability. Proposals must 

include the following information: 

(1) Number of barges that contain 

damaged corn; 

(2) Quantity of damaged corn to be 

moved; 

(3) Market value of the corn as of date 

proposal is submitted: 

(4) Current location; 

(5) Proposed location where barge 

will be discharged; 

(5) Proposed disposition and 

compensation received for the sale of 

the corn; 

(6) Dollar amount per ton of 

assistance requested; and 

(7) Whether the commodity loss or 

damage was covered by an insurance 

policy and, if so, the amount of 

indemnity received. 

Operators entering into agreements 

with CCC will be required to meet 

certain documentation and certification 

requirements. These requirements will 

allow CCC to verify the movement of the 

barges, the quantity of corn, the value of 

the corn and compensation received for 

the delivery of the corn. 

II. Storage of Commodities in 

Alternative Facilities 

CCC will enter into agreements with 

operators to assist with the costs 

associated with storing corn and wheat 

in alternative storage facilities. The use 

of alternative storage is expected to 

facilitate producers’ delivery of newly 

harvested commodities by producers. 

These alternative storage agreements are 

atypical, one-time storage arrangements. 

CCC is focused on providing a one-time 

storage incentive for proposals that 

contribute to easing harvest storage 

congestion and facilitate transportation 

in the Mississippi River transportation 

system. CCC may enter into agreements 

on up to 50 million bushels in aggregate 

of corn or wheat. 

CCC will consider proposals for a onetime incentive payment to store wheat 

or corn in alternative storage facilities. 

The storage proposal must meet the 

following basic criteria: 

(1) Storage facilities must be located 

on a tributary to the Mississippi River 

transportation system or no more than 

100 miles from the river or its navigable 

tributaries; 

(2) The storage proposal must be for 

an alternative storage method not used 

58180 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 192 / Wednesday, October 5, 2005 / Notices 

in that the same manner or quantity as 

in the past 12 months; 

(3) All grain to be stored in such an 

alternative facility must be companyowned; and 

(4) All grain to be stored in such an 

alternative facility must be accounted 

for through inventory records. 

Proposals must include the following 

information: 

(1) Location of the storage site; 

(2) Description of alternative storage 

facility; 

(3) Quantity of grain stored in the 

alternative storage facility in the past 12 

months; 

(4) Quantity of corn or wheat to be 

stored in facility; 

(5) Information on the severity of 

storage congestion in the geographical 

area including any other facility within 

10 miles of such site; and 

(6) Dollar amount per bushel of 

incentive payment requested. 

Operators entering into agreements 

with CCC will be required to meet 

certain documentation and certification 

requirements. These requirements will 

allow CCC to verify the quantity of corn 

or wheat stored in the alternative 

storage facility. 

III. Transportation Differential 

CCC is seeking proposals on up to 

200,000 metric tons (MT, 2204.623 

pounds) for a transportation differential 

incentive on the movement of corn, 

wheat or soybeans through regions other 

than the Central Gulf. This is designed 

to reduce transportation demand on the 

Mississippi River system and alleviate 

costs associated with these alternative 

transportation modes and handling 

locations. The movement of corn, wheat 

or soybeans subject to the differential 

must be completed by November 1, 

2005. This incentive is intended to 

encourage new routes and is destination 

neutral. 

Re-direction of existing sales and new 

sales are eligible. There are no 

restrictions on flagging of ocean carriers 

or on the interested parties’ domicile. 

Transshipments are allowed if the 

eligible commodity has been shipped 

from the customs territory of the U.S. 

via Great Lakes coastal range and its 

identity has been preserved until 

shipped from Canada. Proposed 

transshipment routes must be included 

in the proposal. 

Interested parties must demonstrate: 

(1) Financial ability to perform; 

(2) Performance history in the 

movement of bulk grains; 

(3) Access to handling facilities 

through ownership, contractual or putthrough agreement, and 

(4) That they are not currently 

debarred, suspended or proposed for 

debarment from any Federally 

administered program. 

The proposal must include: 

(1) The commodity to be shipped; 

(2) Tonnage of the commodity 

(minimum 10,000 MT); 

(3) Final intended destination 

including transshipment routes if any; 

(4) Transportation mode; 

(5) Proposed rate of incentive per 

metric ton (MT) of the commodity; 

(6) Time-frame for completion; and 

(7) Explanation as to how the 

movement reduces transportation 

demand on the Mississippi River 

system. 

Interested parties may submit 

multiple proposals. 

IV. Proposal Evaluation Criteria and 

Award 

Proposals must be evaluated 

objectively in accordance with the 

regulations on ‘‘Competition in the 

awarding of discretionary grants and 

cooperative agreements’’ found at 7 CFR 

3015.158. The following criteria must be 

used equally in the evaluation: 

(1) Proposal’s cost in relation to 

current market values for both 

commodities and transportation; 

(2) Net positive impact on 

transportation logjams; and 

(3) Overall cost effectiveness of 

proposal. 

CCC will notify interested parties of 

approval of their proposals on October 

17, 2005. 

Signed at Washington, DC September 29, 

2005. 

Michael W. Yost, 

Executive Vice-President, Commodity Credit 

Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 05–19999 Filed 9–30–05; 3:02 pm] 

BILLING CODE 3410–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Census Bureau 

Decennial Short Form Experiment 

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment 

request. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)). 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before December 5, 

2005. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Diana Hynek, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 

14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at DHynek@doc.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument(s) and instructions should 

be directed to Elizabeth Martin, Census 

Bureau, Building 3, Room Number 3715, 

Washington, DC 20333, 301–763–4905 

(elizabeth.ann.martin@census.gov). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

Introduction 

The Census Bureau plans to conduct 

an experimental mailing for the 

Decennial Short Form. The goal of this 

experiment is to improve the quality of 

data collected in the 2010 Census and 

the response to the mailed Short Form. 

The experiment will include 

treatment groups that encompass three 

objectives. The first objective of the test 

is to evaluate the effects of the wording 

of the instruction about whom to list as 

Person 1. The instruction used in 

Census 2000 caused confusion and 

errors by respondents in cognitive 

interviews. Consequently, the 

instruction was revised to try to correct 

the problems identified in cognitive 

testing. The revised version has been 

through two additional rounds of 

cognitive testing, and it seems to 

promote more accurate responses. The 

field test will provide empirical 

evidence that we will use to evaluate 

the success of the revised instruction. 

The second goal of the field test is to 

evaluate an additional question series 

that is designed to alleviate respondent 

confusion about what constitutes a 

completed form. The additional 

question will provide respondents with 

a clear stopping point, which is 

currently lacking. (Respondents in 

previous cognitive interviews spent 

considerable time trying to figure out 

when and where they are supposed to 

stop.) The final question series will 

collect the respondent’s name, phone 

number, and proxy status. (In some 

cases, someone outside the household 

completes the questionnaire—e.g., a 

child of an elderly individual. This type 

of respondent is a ‘‘proxy’’ respondent 

for the household.) This information 

will be used to evaluate the effect of the 

revised instruction on the frequency 

with which respondents erroneously 

leave themselves off the form. An 

experimental version will further ask 

respondents to make sure that the forms