[Federal Register: April 1, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 14768-14769]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr01ap09-22]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Farm Service Agency
RIN 0560-AH60
Farm Storage Facility Loan Program; Public Meetings
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Farm Service Agency (FSA), on behalf of the Commodity
Credit Corporation (CCC), is holding public meetings to solicit
comments on the Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program. The comments
received at the public meetings will be considered in the development
and preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for
FSFL. The purpose of the PEA is to assist in providing USDA decision-
makers and the public with an analysis of the environmental benefits
and potential impacts associated with implementing various changes to
FSFL consistent with the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the
2008 Farm Bill). CCC administers the FSFL program and is now conducting
a comprehensive review of the current policies, achievements, and
potential future program changes. The meetings provide an opportunity
for the public to voice any concerns they may have about the program
and any ideas for improving it in the future consistent with the 2008
Farm Bill.
DATES: Public meetings: The public meetings will be held on April 14,
2009, Kansas City, KS, and April 15, 2009, Cleveland, OH.
Comments: We will consider comments that we receive by May 13,
2009. We will consider comments submitted after that date, to the
extent possible.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on the Farm Storage
Facility Loan Program and to participate in the public meetings. The
public meeting locations are:
1. Kansas City--Hilton Garden Inn Kansas City (McCarthy Gallery),
520 Minnesota Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66101.
2. Cleveland--Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Downtown (Edison 1 Room),
1100 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland OH 44115.
You may also submit comments by any of the following methods:
[[Page 14769]]
Mail: FSFL PEA, Geo-Marine Incorporated, 2713 Magruder
Blvd., Suite D, Hampton, VA 23666-1572.
Internet: Access http://public.geo-marine.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew T. Ponish, National
Environmental Compliance Manager, USDA, FSA, CEPD, Stop 0513, 1400
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-0513, (202) 720-6853, or
e-mail at: Matthew.Ponish@wdc.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FSFL program provides, through the FSA
county offices, low-interest loans to eligible producers for
constructing on-farm storage facilities for the commodities they
produce. Since the FSFL Program was reestablished in May 2000, FSA has
disbursed $731,453,541.46 in facility loans to over 18,600 producers to
build or upgrade storage and handling facilities for 562,493,806
bushels of on-farm grain storage.
The 2008 Farm Bill (Pub. L. 110-246) includes several changes to
the FSFL program. The 2008 Farm Bill adds hay and renewable biomass as
eligible FSFL commodities; extends the maximum loan term to 12 years;
increases the maximum loan amount to $500,000; and allows for one
partial loan disbursement and the final disbursement. The 2008 Farm
Bill also clarifies the loan security requirements. The 2008 Farm Bill
gives the USDA Secretary discretionary authority to determine other
eligible commodities. CCC is looking into the following questions and
options:
Defining the eligible structures for new commodities,
Handling portions of FSFL structures not used for FSFL
storage,
Defining the purpose of FSFL facilities, and
Further securing loans with no resale collateral value.
Changes to the FSFL program will be implemented through rulemaking.
More detailed information on FSFL is available on FSA's Web site at:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=prsu&topic=flp-fp.
Public Participation
To increase public involvement and provide additional opportunities
to comment, FSA is holding two public scoping meetings to provide
information and opportunities for discussing the issues and the
proposed alternatives to be covered in the PEA. Consistent with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, the PEA
will analyze the environmental benefits and potential impacts
associated with implementing the changes to FSFL as required by the
2008 Farm Bill. The two National meetings will be held on the following
dates and locations:
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Location
Date Time information
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April 14, 2009............. 5-8 p.m................... Hilton Garden
Inn Kansas
City in the
McCarthy
Gallery, 520
Minnesota
Avenue, Kansas
City, Kansas
66101; Phone
913-342-7900;
Free parking.
April 15, 2009............. 5-8 p.m................... Hilton Garden
Inn Cleveland
Downtown, in
Edison 1 Room,
1100 Carnegie
Avenue,
Cleveland, OH
44115; Phone:
216-658-6400.
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Additional information about the public scoping meetings, including
directions and how to provide comments, is available at: http://
public.geo-marine.com.
A Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) will be
available from FSA or Geo-Marine Incorporated using the contact
information included above.
Signed in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2009.
Robert Stephenson,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and Executive Vice
President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. E9-7243 Filed 3-31-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P