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

10873

Vol. 66, No. 34

Tuesday, February 20, 2001

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[TM–01–01]

Notice of Meeting of the National

Organic Standards Board

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service,

USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as

amended, the Agricultural Marketing

Service (AMS) announces a forthcoming

meeting of the National Organic

Standards Board (NOSB).

DATES: March 6, 2001, from 8 a.m. to

5:30 p.m. and March 7, 2001, from 8:30

a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Pacific Time each

day).

PLACE: Embassy Suites Hotel, Buena

Park, 7762 Beach Boulevard, Buena

Park, CA 90620. Telephone: (714) 739–

5600.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Keith Jones, Program Manager, National

Organic Program, USDA–AMS–TMP–

NOP, Room 2945–So., Ag Stop 0268,

P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC 20090–

6456, Telephone: (202) 720–3252.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

2119 (7 U.S.C. 6518) of the Organic

Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA),

as amended (7 U.S.C. Section 6501 et

seq.) requires the establishment of the

NOSB. The purpose of the NOSB is to

make recommendations about whether a

substance should be allowed or

prohibited in organic production or

handling, 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 the

implementation of OFPA. The NOSB

met for the first time in Washington, DC,

in March 1992 and currently has five

committees working on various aspects

of the program. The committees are:

Accreditation, Crops, Livestock,

Materials, and Processing.

In August of 1994, the NOSB

provided its initial recommendations for

the National Organic Program (NOP) to

the Secretary of Agriculture. Since that

time the NOSB has submitted 30

addenda to its recommendations and

reviewed more than 185 substances for

inclusion on the National List of

Allowed and Prohibited Substances.

The last meeting of the NOSB was held

on November 15–17, 2000, in

Washington, DC.

The Department of Agriculture

(USDA) published its final National

Organic Program regulation in the

Federal Register on December 21, 2000

(65 FR 80548). The rule becomes

effective February 20, 2001.

Purpose and Agenda

The principal purposes of this

meeting are to provide an opportunity

for the NOSB to: receive committee

reports, receive an update from the

Aquatic Task Force Working Group;

receive an update from the USDA/NOP;

review materials for possible inclusion

on the National List of Approved and

Prohibited Substances; and receive a

presentation from the EPA on organic

product labeling List 3 inerts. The

Livestock Committee will report on the

development of guidelines for ‘‘access to

pasture.’’ The Processing Committee

will present a proposal on ‘‘commercial

availability’’ (with Crops Committee

input). As noted in the final National

Organic Program regulation, AMS is

soliciting additional comment

concerning the development of criteria

for determining the commercial

availability of organically produced

agricultural commodities used in

processed products labeled as organic.

The specific issues on which AMS is

soliciting comment are presented in the

final regulation (65 FR 80562–80563).

The Processing Committee will also

present a proposal for restructuring the

National List. The Materials Committee

will review the materials decision

matrix, review materials, and develop a

policy for updating the National List.

Materials to be reviewed at the meeting

are for Livestock production:

Hydroxyquinoline Sulfate, and

Poloxalene; and for Processing:

L-cysteine, Calcium Sulfate,

Ammonium Hydroxide,

Cyclohexlamine, Diethylaminoethanol,

Morpholine, and Octadecylamine. For

further information see http://

www.ams.usda.gov/nop. Copies of the

NOSB meeting agenda can be requested

from Mrs. Toni Strother, USDA–AMS–

TMP–NOP, Room 2510–So., Ag Stop

0268, P.O. Box 96456, Washington, DC

20090–6456; by telephone at (202) 720–

3252; or by accessing the NOP website

at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop on or

after February 16, 2001.

Type of Meeting

This meeting is open to the public.

The NOSB has scheduled time for

public input on Tuesday, March 6,

2001, from 8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., and

on Wednesday, March 7, 2001, from 4

p.m. until 5:30 p.m. at the Embassy

Suites Hotel, Buena Park, 7762 Beach

Boulevard, Buena Park, CA 90620.

Telephone: (714) 739–5600. Individuals

and organizations wishing to make an

oral presentation at the meeting should

forward their request to Mrs. Toni

Strother at USDA–AMS–TMP–NOP,

Room 2510–So., Ag Stop 0268, P.O. Box

96456, Washington, DC 20090–6456, or

by FAX to (202) 205–7808, or by e-mail

at toni.strother2@usda.gov, by close of

business March 1, 2001. While persons

wishing to make a presentation may

sign up at the door, advance registration

will ensure a person has the opportunity

to speak during the allotted time period

and will help the NOSB to better

manage the meeting and to accomplish

its agenda. Individuals or organizations

will be given approximately 5 minutes

to present their views. All persons

making an oral presentation are

requested to provide their comments in

writing. Written submissions may

contain information other than that

presented at the oral presentation.

Written comments may be submitted to

the NOSB at the meeting or to Mrs.

Strother after the meeting at the above

address.

Dated: February 15, 2001.

Kenneth C. Clayton,

Acting Administrator, Agricultural Marketing

Service.

[FR Doc. 01–4250 Filed 2–15–01; 1:34 pm]

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