[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 215 (Tuesday, November 7, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56138-56139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-27500]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
Designation of Quanta for the South Texas Area
AGENCY: Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration
(GIPSA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: GIPSA announces the designation of Quanta Lab (Quanta), main
office located in Selma, Texas, to provide official inspection services
under the United States Grain Standards Act, as amended (Act), for 1
year. Initially, Quanta will be providing aflatoxin testing services.
Quanta will phase in other official services as soon as they are ready.
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Janet M. Hart, Chief, Review Branch, Compliance Division,
GIPSA, USDA, Room 1647 South Building, P.O. Box 96454, Washington, DC
20090-6454.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janet M. Hart, telephone 202- 720-
8525.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
This action has been reviewed and determined not to be a rule or
regulation as defined in Executive Order 12866 and Departmental
Regulation 1512-1; therefore, the Executive Order and Departmental
Regulation do not apply to this action.
In the March 3, 1995, Federal Register (60 FR 11952), GIPSA asked
persons interested in providing official services in South Texas under
a pilot program allowing more than one official agency to provide
service in a single geographic area to submit an application for
designation. There were two applicants: Quanta, main office located in
Selma, Texas; and Saybolt-South Texas Inspection Service, Inc.
(Saybolt), main office located in Galena Park, Texas. Quanta applied
for the Texas Counties of: Atascosa, Bexar, Dimmit, Duval, Frio,
Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Uvalde, Val Verda, Webb,
and Zavala. Quanta subsequently amended their application to include
all the counties announced in the March 3, 1995, Federal Register.
Saybolt applied for all Counties announced in the March 3, 1995,
Federal Register.
GIPSA, in the March 3, 1995, Federal Register, also asked for
comments on the need for official services in the South Texas region.
Comments were due by March 21, 1995. GIPSA received 10 comments by the
deadline. All but one of the comments indicated that there is no need
for an official inspection service in South Texas because of the
service provided by the Corpus Christi Grain Exchange. The Corpus
Christi Grain Exchange is an unofficial agency not designated by GIPSA
under authority of the Act. The other comment was of the view that the
proposal was unworkable due to competitive factors, the level of demand
for official services in the pilot area, and the size of the pilot
area.
GIPSA requested comments on the applicants in the June 1, 1995,
Federal Register (60 FR 28572). Comments were due by July 15, 1995.
GIPSA received no comments by the deadline.
GIPSA visited both applicants and attended a trade association
meeting in South Texas. Based on information from these and other
sources, GIPSA believes there is sufficient need for official service.
GIPSA evaluated all available information regarding the designation
criteria in Section 7(f)(l)(A) of the Act, and determined that Saybolt
is not qualified due to its providing unofficial inspection services
resulting in a conflict of interest. GIPSA also evaluated all available
information regarding the designation criteria in Section 7(f)(l)(A) of
the Act; and according to Section 7(f)(l)(B), determined that Quanta is
able to provide official services in the South Texas area. Since there
is only one qualified applicant, GIPSA can not run a pilot program in
South Texas. Since Quanta is able, GIPSA is designating Quanta to
provide official services in South Texas effective January 1, 1996.
[[Page 56139]]
Effective January 1, 1996, and ending December 31, 1996, Quanta is
designated to provide official inspection services in the Texas
Counties of: Atascosa, Bexar, Brooks, Cameron, Dimmit, Duval, Frio,
Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Live
Oak, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Nueces, San Patricio, Starr, Uvalde,
Val Verda, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, and Zavala, excluding those export
port locations served by GIPSA. Initially, Quanta will be providing
official aflatoxin services. Quanta will phase in other official
services as soon as they have the required equipment and expertise.
Interested persons may obtain official aflatoxin testing services
by contacting Quanta at 210-651-5799.
Authority: Pub. L. 94-582, 90 Stat. 2867, as amended (7 U.S.C.
71et seq.)
Dated: October 30, 1995
Neil E. Porter,
Director, Compliance Division.
[FR Doc. 95-27500 Filed 11-6-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-EN-F