[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 9]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR1007.7]

[Page 112-114]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER X--AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Marketing Agreements and 
                 Orders; Milk) DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 1007_MILK IN THE SOUTHEAST MARKETING AREA--Table of Contents
 
                    Subpart_Order Regulating Handling
 
Sec. 1007.7  Pool plant.

    Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of 
this section, or a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this 
section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (g) of this 
section. The pooling standards described in paragraphs (c) and (d) of 
this section are subject to modification pursuant to paragraph (f) of 
this section:

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    (a) A distributing plant, other than a plant qualified as a pool 
plant pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section or Sec. --------.7(b) 
of any other Federal milk order, from which during the month 50 percent 
or more of the fluid milk products physically received at such plant 
(excluding concentrated milk received from another plant by agreement 
for other than Class I use) are disposed of as route disposition or are 
transferred in the form of packaged fluid milk products to other 
distributing plants. At least 25 percent of such route disposition and 
transfers must be to outlets in the marketing area.
    (b) Any distributing plant located in the marketing area which 
during the month processed at least 50 percent of the total quantity of 
fluid milk products physically received at the plant (excluding 
concentrated milk received from another plant by agreement for other 
than Class I use) into ultra-pasteurized or aseptically-processed fluid 
milk products.
    (c) A supply plant from which 50 percent or more of the total 
quantity of milk that is physically received during the month from dairy 
farmers and handlers described in Sec. 1000.9(c), including milk that 
is diverted from the plant, is transferred to pool distributing plants. 
Concentrated milk transferred from the supply plant to a distributing 
plant for an agreed-upon use other than Class I shall be excluded from 
the supply plant's shipments in computing the plant's shipping 
percentage.
    (d) A plant located within the marketing area that is operated by a 
cooperative association if pool plant status under this paragraph is 
requested for such plant by the cooperative association and during the 
month at least 60 percent of the producer milk of members of such 
cooperative association is delivered directly from farms to pool 
distributing plants or is transferred to such plants as a fluid milk 
product (excluding concentrated milk transferred to a distributing plant 
for an agreed-upon use other than Class I) from the cooperative's plant.
    (e) Two or more plants operated by the same handler and located 
within the marketing area may qualify for pool status as a unit by 
meeting the total and in-area route disposition requirements specified 
in paragraph (a) of this section and the following additional 
requirements:
    (1) At least one of the plants in the unit must qualify as a pool 
plant pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section;
    (2) Other plants in the unit must process only Class I or Class II 
products and must be located in a pricing zone providing the same or a 
lower Class I price than the price applicable at the distributing plant 
included in the unit pursuant to paragraph (e)(1) of this section; and
    (3) A written request to form a unit, or to add or remove plants 
from a unit, must be filed with the market administrator prior to the 
first day of the month for which it is to be effective.
    (f) The applicable shipping percentages of paragraphs (c) and (d) of 
this section may be increased or decreased by the market administrator 
if the market administrator finds that such adjustment is necessary to 
encourage needed shipments or to prevent uneconomic shipments. Before 
making such a finding, the market administrator shall investigate the 
need for adjustment either on the market administrator's own initiative 
or at the request of interested parties if the request is made in 
writing at least 15 days prior to the date for which the requested 
revision is desired effective. If the investigation shows that an 
adjustment of the shipping percentages might be appropriate, the market 
administrator shall issue a notice stating that an adjustment is being 
considered and invite data, views and arguments. Any decision to revise 
an applicable shipping percentage must be issued in writing at least one 
day before the effective date.
    (g) The term pool plant shall not apply to the following plants:
    (1) A producer-handler plant;
    (2) An exempt plant as defined in Sec. 1000.8(e);
    (3) A plant qualified pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section 
which is not located within any Federal order marketing area, meets the 
pooling requirements of another Federal order, and has had greater route 
disposition in such other Federal order marketing area for 3 consecutive 
months;
    (4) A plant qualified pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section 
which is

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located in another Federal order marketing area, meets the pooling 
standards of the other Federal order, and has not had a majority of its 
route disposition in this marketing area for 3 consecutive months or is 
locked into pool status under such other Federal order without regard to 
its route disposition in any other Federal order marketing area; and
    (5) A plant qualified pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section 
which also meets the pooling requirements of another Federal order and 
from which greater qualifying shipments are made to plants regulated 
under such other order than are made to plants regulated under the order 
in this part, or such plant has automatic pooling status under such 
other order.