[Federal Register: October 12, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 197)]
[Notices]
[Page 58046-58047]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12oc07-16]
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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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[[Page 58046]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Marketing Service
[Doc. No. AMS-TM-07-0118; TM-07-09]
Notice of Meeting of the National Organic Standards Board
AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is announcing a
forthcoming meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).
DATES: The meeting dates are Wednesday, November 28, 2007, 8 a.m. to
5:30 p.m.; Thursday, November 29, 2007, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and
Friday, November 30, 2007, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Requests from
individuals and organizations wishing to make oral presentations at the
meeting are due by the close of business on November 12, 2007.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place at The Holiday Inn National
Airport Hotel, 2650 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202.
Requests for copies of the NOSB meeting agenda, may be
sent to Ms. Valerie Frances, Executive Director, NOSB, USDA-AMS-TMP-
NOP, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 4008-So., Ag Stop 0268,
Washington, DC 20250-0268. The NOSB meeting agenda and proposed
recommendations may also be viewed at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
Comments on proposed NOSB recommendations may be submitted
in writing to Ms. Frances at either the postal address above or via the
internet at http://www.regulations.gov only. The comments should
identify Docket No. AMS-TM-07-0118. It is our intention to have all
comments to this notice whether they are submitted by mail or the
internet available for viewing on the http://www.regulations.gov Web
site.
Requests to make an oral presentation at the meeting may
also be sent to Ms. Valerie Frances at the postal address above, by e-
mail at valerie.frances@usda.gov, via facsimile at (202) 205-7808, or
phone at (202) 720-3252.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Valerie Frances, Executive Director,
NOSB, National Organic Program (NOP), (202) 720-3252, or visit the NOP
Web site at: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 2119 (7 U.S.C. 6518) of the Organic
Foods Production Act of 1990 (OFPA), as amended (7 U.S.C. 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 other aspects of the
implementation of the OFPA. The NOSB met for the first time in
Washington, DC, in March 1992, and currently has six subcommittees
working on various aspects of the organic program. The committees are:
Compliance, Accreditation, and Certification; Crops; Handling;
Livestock; Materials; and Policy Development.
In August of 1994, the NOSB provided its initial recommendations
for the NOP to the Secretary of Agriculture. Since that time, the NOSB
has submitted 148 addenda to its recommendations and reviewed more than
324 substances for inclusion on the National List of Allowed and
Prohibited Substances. 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 became effective April
21, 2001.
In addition, the OFPA authorizes the National List of Allowed and
Prohibited Substances and provides that no allowed or prohibited
substance would remain on the National List for a period exceeding 5
years unless the exemption or prohibition is reviewed and recommended
for renewal by the NOSB and adopted by the Secretary of Agriculture.
This expiration is commonly referred to as sunset of the National List.
The National List appears at 7 CFR part 205, subpart G.
The principal purposes of the NOSB meeting are to provide an
opportunity for the NOSB to receive an update from the USDA/NOP and
hear progress reports from NOSB committees regarding work plan items
and proposed action items. The last meeting of the NOSB was held on
March 27-29, 2007, in Washington, DC.
At its last meeting, the Board recommended the addition of 35
materials to the National List 205.606 for use in handling and began
the sunset review process of 11 materials. At this meeting, the Board
will continue the sunset review process of these 11 materials. There
are 7 substances for use in crops and handling which were placed on the
National List on November 3, 2003, and are scheduled to expire on
November 3, 2008. There are 4 substances for use in handling which were
placed on the National List on November 4, 2003, and are scheduled to
expire on November 4, 2008. The sunset review process must be concluded
no later than November 3 and 4, 2008, respectively. If renewal is not
concluded by those dates, the use or prohibition of these 11 materials
will no longer be in compliance with the National Organic Program.
The Policy Development Committee will present recommendations
regarding revisions to the NOSB Policy and Procedures Manual and the
Guide for new NOSB members as well as discuss their on-going
collaboration with the NOP to review the NOP responses to prior NOSB
recommendations. The Policy Development, Crops and Livestock Committees
will jointly present their two recommendations: Guidance on the
Certification of Operations Involved in Crops Research and Guidance on
Temporary Research Variances.
The Materials and Handling Committees will jointly present their
recommendation to clarify the definitions of materials on the National
List in Sec. Sec. 205.605(a), (b) and Sec. 205.606.
The Handling Committee will present their recommendations on
materials petitioned for consideration for inclusion on either Sec.
205.605 or Sec. 205.606 for use in organic products: Gellan Gum and
Grape Seed Extract. The Committee will present their
[[Page 58047]]
recommendations on the continued use or prohibition of the material
exemptions on Sec. 205.605(a) which is Agar-agar and due to expire on
November 3, 2008, and Animal enzymes, Calcium sulfate, and Glucono
delta-lactone, with their respective annotations and limitations, due
to expire on November 4, 2008. The Committee will also present their
recommendations on the continued use or prohibition of the material
exemption on Sec. 205.605(b) which is Cellulose with its respective
annotations and limitations, due to expire on November 4, 2008.
Additionally, the Committee will present their recommendation on the
development of standards for organic pet food.
The Crops Committee will present recommendations on the materials
Potassium Silicate, Sodium Carbonate Peroxyhydrate, and Sodium Ferric
Hydroxy EDTA petitioned for use on Sec. 205.601. The Committee will
present their recommendations on the continued use or prohibition of
Copper sulfate, Ozone gas, Peracetic acid, and Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) List 3--Inerts of unknown toxicity, with their respective
annotations and limitations. These National List material exemptions
are due to expire on November 3, 2008, from Sec. 205.601. The
Committee will also present their recommendation on the continued use
or prohibition of Calcium chloride for use as a brine-sourced foliar
spray. Calcium chloride is otherwise considered a prohibited natural
substance on Sec. 205.602 and is also due to expire on November 3,
2008.
The Livestock Committee will receive the Aquaculture Working Group:
Supplement to Interim Final Report on Bivalve molluscs as well as
discuss the outstanding issues related to fish feed and open net pens
in regards to the aquaculture standards for finfish.
The Compliance, Accreditation, and Certification Committee will
present their recommendation on the standardization of certificates,
and their recommendations offering guidance for accredited certifying
agents regarding annual commercial availability determinations for
ingredients listed on Sec. 205.606 and organic seed sourcing by
farmers under Sec. 205.204, and on the certification of multi-site
operations, including community grower groups.
The Meeting is Open to the Public. The NOSB has scheduled time for
public input for Wednesday, November 28, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
and from 1:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Thursday, November 29, 2007, from 3:30
p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday, November 30, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 10:45
a.m. Individuals and organizations wishing to make oral presentations
at the meeting may forward their requests by mail, facsimile, e-mail,
or phone to Valerie Frances as listed in ADDRESSES above. Individuals
or organizations will be given approximately 5 minutes to present their
views. All persons making oral presentations are requested to provide
their comments in writing. Written submissions may contain information
other than that presented at the oral presentation. Anyone may submit
written comments at the meeting. Persons submitting written comments
are asked to provide 30 copies.
Interested persons may visit the NOSB portion of the NOP Web site
at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop to view available meeting documents prior to the meeting, or visit http://www.regulations.gov to submit and
view comments as provided for in ADDRESSES above. Documents presented
at the meeting will be posted for review on the NOP Web site
approximately 6 weeks following the meeting.
Dated: October 9, 2007.
Lloyd C. Day,
Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 07-5042 Filed 10-11-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P