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

67168

Vol. 66, No. 249

Friday, December 28, 2001

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of the Secretary

Special Provisions for Canadian Fresh

Fruit and Vegetable Imports Under the

North American Free Trade Agreement

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of determination of

existence of conditions necessary for

imposition of temporary duty on

potatoes from Canada.

SUMMARY: As required by section 301(a)

of the United States-Canada Free-Trade

Agreement Implementation Act of 1988,

as amended by the North American Free

Trade Agreement Implementation Act

(‘‘FTA Implementation Act’’), this is a

notification that the Secretary of

Agriculture has determined that the

necessary conditions exist with respect

to United States acreage and import

price criteria for potatoes classifiable to

subheadings 0701.90 of the Harmonized

Tariff Schedule of the United States

(HTS) imported from Canada to permit

the Secretary to consider recommending

to the President the imposition of a

temporary duty (‘‘snapback duty’’) by

the United States pursuant to section

301(a) of the FTA Implementation Act,

implementing Article 702 of the United

States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement,

Special Provisions for Fresh Fruits and

Vegetables, as incorporated by reference

and made a part of the North American

Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

pursuant to Annex 702.1, paragraph 1 of

NAFTA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Brian Grunenfelder, Horticultural &

Tropical Products Division, Foreign

Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250–

1049 or telephone at (202) 720–3423.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FTA

Implementation Act, in accordance with

the NAFTA, authorizes the imposition

of a temporary duty (snapback) for a

limited group of fresh fruits and

vegetables from Canada when certain

conditions exist. Potatoes, classified

under subheadings 0701.90 of the HTS,

is a good subject to the snapback duty

provision.

Under section 301(a) of the FTA

Implementation Act, two conditions

must exist before imposition by the

United States of a snapback duty can be

considered. First, the import price of a

covered Canadian fruit or vegetable, for

each of five consecutive working days,

must be less than ninety percent of the

corresponding five-year average

monthly import price. This price for a

particular day is the average import

price of a Canadian fresh fruit or

vegetable imported into the United

States from Canada, for the calendar

month in which that day occurs, in each

of the 5 preceding years, excluding the

years with the highest and lowest

monthly averages.

Second, the planted acreage in the

United States for the like fruit or

vegetable must be no higher than the

average planted acreage over the

preceding five years, excluding the

years with the highest and lowest

acreage.

From October 2–8, 2001, the price

conditions with respect to potatoes were

met.

The most recent revision of planted

acreage for potatoes shows that this

year’s planted acreage is below the

planted acreage over the preceding five

years, excluding the years with the

highest and lowest planted acreages.

Issued at Washington, DC the 12th day of

December, 2001.

Ann Veneman,

Secretary of Agriculture.

[FR Doc. 01–31949 Filed 12–27–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–10–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Docket No. ST–01–05]

Microbiological Data Program; Public

Meeting

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is

to notify all interested parties that the

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)

will hold a public meeting to provide a

forum to discuss the Microbiological

Data Program (MDP). Specifically, AMS

will present a detailed data collection

proposal and seek input from all

interested parties on data collection

techniques. This notice also sets forth

the schedule and proposed agenda for

the meeting.

DATES: The public meeting will be held

on Thursday, January 10, 2002, from

8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be

held at the Jamie L. Whitten Federal

Building, Room 107–A, United States

Department of Agriculture, 12th and

Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington DC

20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Robert L. Epstein, Science and

Technology Programs, Agricultural

Marketing Service, United States

Department of Agriculture, 14th and

Independence Avenue, Washington DC,

20250 Telephone number (202) 720–

5231 or fax (202) 720–6496.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the past

several years the number of foodborne

illness associated with domestic and

imported fresh fruits and vegetables has

increased. Some microorganisms once

thought under control may be adapting

to their environments, may be

developing resistance to conventional

food processing operations, and may be

re-emerging with increased

pathogenicity. To respond to these

concerns, Congress authorized an

appropriation of $6.235 million for

fiscal year (FY) 2001 and $6.234 million

for FY 2002, to fund a microbiological

monitoring program for foodborne

pathogens and indicator organisms on

domestic and imported fruits and

vegetables. The program is designed to

collect reliable data and develop

national estimates of bacterial

contamination with regard to selected

produce. The MDP is a voluntary data

gathering program and not a regulatory

or enforcement program. The Federal

Food and Drug Administration, Centers

of Disease Control and Prevention,

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistical

Service, as well as 10 State Departments

of Agriculture, industry and academia

have provided assistance and

information in formulating program

policy and operating procedures. The

program will be conducted under the

authority of the Agricultural Marketing