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

15744

Vol. 60, No. 58

Monday, March 27, 1995

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[TM–94–00–4]

Procedure To Submit Names of

Substances for Evaluation for

Inclusion in the National List To Be

Included in the National Organic

Program

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The Organic Foods

Production Act of 1990, as amended

(Act) (7 U.S.C. 6501 et. seq.), requires

the establishment of a national organic

production program for producers and

handlers of agricultural products that

have been produced using organic

methods. The Act requires the Secretary

of Agriculture (Secretary) to establish a

National List of approved synthetic and

prohibited natural substances that shall

be included in the standards for organic

production and handling. The National

Organic Standards Board (NOSB),

established by the Secretary, is seeking

applications (petitions) for substances to

be considered for inclusion on the

National List. Petitions for substances

for the National List should be

submitted by the date set forth below.

DATES: Petitions should be received by

close of business, May 26, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Petitions should be sent to

Michael Hankin, Senior Marketing

Specialist, USDA, Agricultural

Marketing Service (AMS),

Transportation and Marketing Division

(TMD), National Organic Program

(NOP), Room 2510 South Building, P.O.

Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090–

6456.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted

Rogers, Marketing Specialist, USDA,

AMS, TMD, NOP, Room 2510 South

Building, P.O. Box 96456, Washington,

DC 20090–6456. Phone 202/205–7804.

Fax 202/205–7808.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Organic

production and handling involves more

than just the application or addition of

certain acceptable substances. The Act

in section 2114 (7 U.S.C. 6513) requires

producers and handlers seeking

certification under the Act to submit an

organic plan to the certifying agent and

the State organic certification program

(if applicable). An organic plan is a plan

of management of an organic farming or

handling operation that has been agreed

to by the producer or handler and the

certifying agent that addresses all

aspects of agricultural production or

handling described in the Act, including

crop rotation and other practices

required under the Act.

The Act in section 2112 (7 U.S.C.

6511) also requires producers and

handlers of certified organic operations

to maintain records concerning the

production or handling of agricultural

products sold or labeled as organically

produced under the Act. These records

are to include detailed histories of

substances applied to fields or

agricultural products, the names and

addresses of persons who applied the

substances, and the date, rate and

method of application of such

substances. Livestock records shall

include, but not be limited to, the

amount and source of medications

administered and all feeds and feed

supplements bought and fed (section

2110 of the Act (7 U.S.C. 6509)).

Further, the Act requires the Secretary

to establish a National List of approved

synthetic and prohibited natural

substances that shall be included in the

standards established for the organic

production and handling of agricultural

products to be sold or labeled as

organically produced. The Act in

section 2103(21) (7 U.S.C. 6502(21))

defines synthetic as a substance that is

formulated or manufactured by a

chemical process or by a process that

chemically changes a substance

extracted from naturally occurring

plant, animal, or mineral sources,

except that such term shall not apply to

substances created by naturally

occurring biological processes.

The Secretary in accordance with

section 6518 of the Act (7 U.S.C. 6518)

established a NOSB. The purpose of the

NOSB is to assist in the development of

standards for substances to be used in

organic production and to advise the

Secretary on any other aspects of

implementing the Act.

The NOSB has initiated an evaluation

of certain substances for inclusion on

the National List. The NOSB’s list of

substances was generated from existing

lists of established organic certification

agencies and from input received from

various people and organizations,

including organic food processors and

livestock producers. The substances

currently being considered have been

referred, in accordance with the Act, to

technical advisors, selected by the

NOSB, who will provide the NOSB with

relevant scientific information. Also, in

accordance with the Act, the NOSB will

review information from the

Environmental Protection Agency, the

National Institute of Environmental

Health Studies and other sources, as

appropriate, in regards to the potential

adverse human and environmental

effects of a substance under

consideration.

Specifically, the NOSB will be

considering:

(1) The potential of such substances

for detrimental chemical interactions

with other materials used in organic

farming systems;

(2) The toxicity and mode of action of

the substance and of its breakdown

products or any contaminants, and their

persistence and areas of concentration

in the environment;

(3) The probability of environmental

contamination during manufacture, use,

misuse or disposal of such substance;

(4) The effect of the substance on

human health;

(5) The effects of the substance on

biological and chemical interactions in

the agroecosystem, including the

physiological effects of the substance on

soil organisms (including the salt index

and solubility of the soil), crops and

livestock;

(6) The alternatives to using the

substance in terms of practices or other

available materials; and

(7) Its compatibility with a system of

sustainable agriculture.

The results of the evaluations by the

technical advisors will be utilized by

the NOSB in formulating its own

evaluation reports. Both the NOSB

evaluations and those of the technical

advisors will be submitted to the

Secretary along with the NOSB’s

recommended list of substances. The
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 58 / Monday, March 27, 1995 / Notices 15745

Secretary will consider the

recommendations of the NOSB. The

Secretary will then determine what

substances should be proposed to be

included in the National List and will

publish the proposed list for public

comment prior to establishing the

National List.

Once established, the National List

may be amended. Proposed additions to

the National List will also be published

for public comment. Substances

included in the National List will be

reviewed by the NOSB and the

Secretary at least every 5 years.

PURPOSE: The NOSB has made an

extensive effort to review existing

organic certification organizations’ lists

of substances approved or prohibited for

organic production and handling.

However, it is possible that one or more

substances currently appearing on these

existing lists have not been included in

the groups of substances being

evaluated at this time by the technical

advisors persons and the NOSB. In

addition, there may be other substances

that should be evaluated for inclusion

on the National List which may be

determined to be compatible with the

organic management system of

agricultural production and processing.

This Notice establishes the procedure

by which interested parties may petition

the NOSB for the purpose of having a

substance evaluated for

recommendation to the Secretary for

inclusion as a permitted synthetic or

prohibited natural substance on the

National List. Only the names of

generic, single, active ingredients

should be submitted; brand name

products and formulations will not be

evaluated or appear on the National

List.

A request that a substance be

evaluated, along with the following

information, is specifically requested.

DETAILED INFORMATION:

Substance name (generic or common

name);

Manufacturer’s name, address, and

phone, if different from the petitioner;

Area of intended use (crops, livestock,

or handling/processing);

Specific use of the substance within the

area of intended use;

Sources from which the substance is

derived;

Description of the manufacturing or

processing procedures; and

Summary of previous reviews by State

or private organic certification

programs.

REGULATORY INFORMATION (AS

APPLICABLE):

EPA registration (include the

registration number);

Food and Drug Administration

registration;

State regulatory authority registration

(include State registration number);

Chemical Abstract Service number or

other product number; and

Labels of products that contain the

petitioned substance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Detailed findings relevant to the

substance’s: detrimental chemical

interactions with other materials used

in organic farming; toxicity and

persistence in the environment;

environmental contamination

resulting from its use and

manufacture; effects on human health;

and effects on soil organisms, crops

and livestock;

Bibliographies;

Material Safety Data Sheet;

Information on the substance obtained

from the National Institute of

Environmental Health Studies; and

Information on whether all or part of

any submission is believed to be

confidential commercial information,

and if so, what parts, and the basis for

the belief it is confidential

commercial information.

JUSTIFICATION: If petitioning for approval

of a synthetic substance, state the

reasons why the synthetic substance is

necessary to the production, processing

or handling of the organic product;

If the substance may be defined as

synthetic, describe natural substances or

alternative cultural methods that could

be utilized in place of the synthetic

substance; and summarize the beneficial

effects to the environment, human

health, or farm ecosystem that might

support the use of the synthetic

substance instead of the natural

substances or alternative cultural

methods.

If petitioning for prohibition of a

natural substance, state the reasons why

the natural substance should not be

permitted in the production, processing

or handling of the organic product.

The information requested for

petitioning for a substance to be

evaluated for inclusion on the National

List should be completed as fully as

possible. Persons submitting petitions

may be requested to supply additional

information.

Persons wishing to submit a petition

should send the request and the

information requested to: Michael

Hankin, Senior Marketing Specialist,

USDA, AMS, TMD, NOP, Room 2510

South Building, PO Box 96456,

Washington, DC 20090–6456.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 6501–6522.

Dated: March 21, 1995.

Lon Hatamiya,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 95–7470 Filed 3–24–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–02–P

Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service

[Docket No. 94–119–4]

Boll Weevil Control Program;

Availability of Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: We are advising the public

that the Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service has confirmed its

finding of no significant impact for a

proposed program to eradicate the boll

weevil in the Lower Rio Grande Valley

of Texas. On January 30, 1995, we

announced that we had prepared an

environmental assessment and

preliminary finding of no significant

impact for the proposed eradication

program. This confirmation of the

finding of no significant impact follows

our review of comments received

regarding the proposed eradication

program and the environmental

assessment.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the final

environmental assessment and finding

of no significant impact are available for

public inspection at USDA, room 1141,

South Building, 14th Street and

Independence Avenue SW.,

Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and

4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except holidays. Persons wishing to

inspect those documents are requested

to call ahead on (202) 690–2817 to

facilitate entry into the reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Vicki Wickheiser, Writer-Editor,

Environmental Analysis and

Documentation, BBEP, APHIS, 4700

River Road Unit 149, Riverdale, MD

20737–1228, (301) 734–8963. Copies of

the final environmental assessment and

finding of no significant impact are

available in both English and Spanish

and may be obtained by contacting Ms.

Wickheiser or by calling Plant

Protection and Quarantine’s Central

Region Office at (210) 504–4154.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS) has

proposed to cooperate in a boll weevil