Departmental Management; Public Meeting on BioPreferredSM, 12492-12493 [2010-5681]

Download as PDF 12492 Notices Federal Register Vol. 75, No. 50 Tuesday, March 16, 2010 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. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Departmental Management; Public Meeting on BioPreferredSM Intermediate Material and Feedstock Product Designation sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES AGENCY: Departmental Management, Office of Procurement and Property Management. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a public meeting on April 1, 2010, for interested stakeholders to discuss the issue of intermediate material and feedstock (IMF) products that contain biobased materials. Intermediate materials and feedstocks represent those products frequently sold business to business, where the receiving business will use the product in some subsequent production or finishing cycle of a finished product. An example of an IMF product is a biobased plastic resin that can be used to produce fibers for fabrics, films for packaging and disposable cutlery. This issue pertains to the designation by USDA of biobased products for a Federal Procurement preference, as mandated by the 2008 Farm Bill. Speakers will include representatives from General Services Agency (GSA), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and a former government procurement official. DATES: April 1, 2010, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (CST). MEETING LOCATION: Iowa State University—Scheman Building at the intersection of University Boulevard and Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50011. Pre-registration for the public meeting on April 1, 2010, is not required but would be helpful, particularly if you wish to make a presentation. If you wish to register to attend the public meeting, please do so at this Web site: https:// www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/biopreferred/ sessionregister.html and state whether VerDate Nov<24>2008 16:33 Mar 15, 2010 Jkt 220001 or not you wish to be recognized to make a formal presentation. The meeting is free of charge. Directions to the Iowa State Center may be found at https:// www.center.iastate.edu/newsite/guests/ maps.asp and a map of the Iowa State University campus is accessible at https://www.fpm.iastate.edu/maps . The Scheman building is located just west of the Hilton Coliseum and north of the Jack Trice Stadium on the Campus Map. Parking for the event will be in Lots B1 and C1 just north of the building. The parking is free. Those unable to attend the public meeting in person may listen to the meeting by calling 866–433–4616. The pass code is ‘‘635195’’. Participants using the audio bridge may submit questions or comments during the meeting to USDABioInfo@iastate.edu or through the webinar itself, the exact link of which will be sent to participants via email after registering. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Buckhalt, BioPreferred Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Procurement and Property Management, 361 Reporters Building, 300 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024, (202) 205– 4008. RonB.Buckhalt@DA.USDA.GOV. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107– 171) established a program for the procurement of USDA designated biobased products by Federal agencies and a voluntary program for the labeling of USDA certified biobased products. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) (Pub. L. 110– 246) continued these programs and made certain changes to the Federal procurement preference program. USDA refers to the procurement preference program and the voluntary labeling program together as the BioPreferredSM Program. Due to the changes mandated by the 2008 Farm Bill, and the passage of five years since USDA first published the Guidelines for Designated Biobased Products for Federal Procurement (Guidelines) (7 CFR 2902), USDA intends to revise the Guidelines in 2010. USDA is holding three public meetings to gather input from interested stakeholders on what should be considered when revising the Guidelines. The first meeting, which occurred in January in Washington, DC, PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 addressed evaluation of environmental impacts associated with the manufacture, use, and disposal of biobased products. The second meeting, held in February in Riverside, CA addressed the designation of complex assembly products under the BioPreferred program. The purpose of the April 1, 2010, meeting, which is the third of the three meetings, will be to stimulate discussion and gather input from stakeholders on how USDA can effectively implement the designation of intermediate material and feedstock products for Federal preferred procurement status under the BioPreferred program as required by the 2008 Farm Bill. Under the current Guidelines, USDA designates ‘‘finished’’ products by collecting information on available biobased products, manufacturers, and distributors to determine potential product categories and tests products for biobased content using ASTM International Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis, D–6866. USDA also evaluates environmental and human health benefits and lifecycle costs of categories using the Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) model developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. To set the stage before opening the forum for public comment, USDA has invited to the public meeting speakers from USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and individuals from academia and industry who are well-versed in biobased materials, manufacturing and products. USDA is seeking answers to a series of questions about intermediate material and feedstock products and their role in designating biobased products for Federal procurement. These questions include: • How should intermediate products be defined? • The proposed rule for the Voluntary Labeling Program states that intermediate products and feedstocks do not include raw agricultural and forestry materials. How should ‘‘raw agricultural materials’’ be defined? • What types of intermediate products should be included, and how should they be categorized? E:\FR\FM\16MRN1.SGM 16MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 50 / Tuesday, March 16, 2010 / Notices sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES • What entities are best positioned to help define the possible categories? • How should the designation of intermediate ingredients and feedstocks be organized? • What categories of intermediate ingredients/feedstocks currently have the greatest potential to expand product eligibility for the BioPreferred program, and what high-impact categories might be expected to emerge over the next five years? • What should be the minimum allowable biobased content for intermediate products and feed stocks? • What information should be provided to assist purchasing decision makers? • Will federal procurement agencies ever purchase intermediate ingredients, or will they be purchasing only end-use products? • What are the potential obstacles to designating intermediate products and ingredients for preferred procurement status? recommendations on public and private sector actions that can be taken to solve the problem. DATES: To be assured of consideration, written comments must be submitted or postmarked on or before March 26, 2010. ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Comments may also be submitted by fax or by mail to: Director, Office of Executive Secretariat, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 116–A Whitten Building, Washington, DC 20250 (FAX: 202–720–7166); however, respondents are strongly encouraged to submit comments through https:// www.regulations.gov, as it will simplify the review of their input and help to ensure that it receives full consideration. All comments submitted in response to this notice will be Dated: March 10, 2010. included in the record and will be made Pearlie S. Reed, available to the public. Please be advised that the substance of the Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture. comments and the identity of the individuals or entities submitting the [FR Doc. 2010–5681 Filed 3–15–10; 8:45 am] comments will be subject to public BILLING CODE P disclosure. All comments will be made available publicly on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND Alexia Green, Office of the Executive HUMAN SERVICES Secretariat, United States Department of Agriculture, 202–720–1570. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Nearly one-third of children in America are Task Force on Childhood Obesity: overweight or obese—a rate that has Request for Information tripled in adolescents and more than AGENCY: U.S. Department of Agriculture, doubled in younger children since 1980. One-third of all individuals born in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Education. year 2000 or later will eventually suffer from diabetes over the course of their ACTION: Joint request for comments. lifetime, while too many others will face SUMMARY: Across the country, childhood chronic obesity-related health problems obesity has reached epidemic rates. On such as heart disease, high blood February 9, 2010, President Obama pressure, cancer, and asthma. Without signed a Presidential Memo establishing effective intervention, many more a Task Force on Childhood Obesity that children will endure serious illnesses directs Federal agencies to create a that will put a strain on our health-care comprehensive interagency national system and reduce their quality of life. President Obama has set a goal to action plan to solve the challenge of solve the problem of childhood obesity childhood obesity within a generation. The Presidential Memo directs the Task within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a Force to focus on four pillars: Ensuring healthy weight. To reach that goal, access to healthy, affordable food; President Obama signed a Presidential increasing physical activity in schools Memorandum on February 9, 2010, and communities; providing healthier establishing a Task Force on Childhood food in schools; and empowering Obesity that directs Federal agencies to parents with information and tools to create a comprehensive interagency make good choices for themselves and national action plan to solve the their families. This notice announces a challenge of childhood obesity within a request for public comments to assist generation. The Task Force is chaired by the Task Force in making VerDate Nov<24>2008 16:33 Mar 15, 2010 Jkt 220001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 12493 the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and composed of senior Federal officials representing the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Departments of Interior, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Education, as well as senior officials of other executive departments, agencies, or offices designated by the chair. The Presidential Memorandum directs the Task Force to make recommendations that include, but are not limited to, meeting four objectives: (1) Ensuring access to healthy, affordable food; (2) increasing physical activity in schools and communities; (3) providing healthier food in schools; and (4) empowering parents with information and tools to make good choices for themselves and their families. The specific responsibilities of the Task Force are to: 1. Detail a coordinated strategy by executive departments and agencies to meet the objectives of the Task Force and identify areas for reform to ensure complementary efforts and avoid duplication, both across the Federal Government and between other public or nongovernmental actors; 2. Include comprehensive, multisectoral strategies from each member executive department, agency, or office and describe the status and scope of its efforts to achieve this goal; 3. Identify key benchmarks and provide for regular measurement, assessment, and reporting of executive branch efforts to combat childhood obesity; 4. Describe a coordinated action plan for identifying relevant evidence gaps and conducting or facilitating needed research to fill those gaps; 5. Assist in the assessment and development of legislative, budgetary, and policy proposals that can improve the health and well-being of children, their families, and communities; and 6. Describe potential areas of collaboration with other public or nongovernmental actors, taking into consideration the types of implementation or research objectives the Federal Government, other public actors, or nongovernmental actors may be particularly well-situated to accomplish. In addition, the Presidential Memo directs the Task Force to conduct outreach with representatives of private and nonprofit organizations, State, tribal, and local authorities, and other interested persons who can assist with the Task Force’s development of a detailed set of recommendations to solve the problem of childhood obesity. E:\FR\FM\16MRN1.SGM 16MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 50 (Tuesday, March 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12492-12493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-5681]


========================================================================
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.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 50 / Tuesday, March 16, 2010 / 
Notices

[[Page 12492]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Departmental Management; Public Meeting on BioPreferred\SM\ 
Intermediate Material and Feedstock Product Designation

AGENCY: Departmental Management, Office of Procurement and Property 
Management.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a public 
meeting on April 1, 2010, for interested stakeholders to discuss the 
issue of intermediate material and feedstock (IMF) products that 
contain biobased materials. Intermediate materials and feedstocks 
represent those products frequently sold business to business, where 
the receiving business will use the product in some subsequent 
production or finishing cycle of a finished product. An example of an 
IMF product is a biobased plastic resin that can be used to produce 
fibers for fabrics, films for packaging and disposable cutlery.
    This issue pertains to the designation by USDA of biobased products 
for a Federal Procurement preference, as mandated by the 2008 Farm 
Bill.
    Speakers will include representatives from General Services Agency 
(GSA), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and a former government 
procurement official.

DATES:  April 1, 2010, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (CST).

MEETING LOCATION: Iowa State University--Scheman Building at the 
intersection of University Boulevard and Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50011.
    Pre-registration for the public meeting on April 1, 2010, is not 
required but would be helpful, particularly if you wish to make a 
presentation. If you wish to register to attend the public meeting, 
please do so at this Web site: https://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/biopreferred/sessionregister.html and state whether or not you wish to 
be recognized to make a formal presentation. The meeting is free of 
charge.
    Directions to the Iowa State Center may be found at https://www.center.iastate.edu/newsite/guests/maps.asp and a map of the Iowa 
State University campus is accessible at https://www.fpm.iastate.edu/maps . The Scheman building is located just west of the Hilton Coliseum 
and north of the Jack Trice Stadium on the Campus Map. Parking for the 
event will be in Lots B1 and C1 just north of the building. The parking 
is free.
    Those unable to attend the public meeting in person may listen to 
the meeting by calling 866-433-4616. The pass code is ``635195''. 
Participants using the audio bridge may submit questions or comments 
during the meeting to USDABioInfo@iastate.edu or through the webinar 
itself, the exact link of which will be sent to participants via email 
after registering.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Buckhalt, BioPreferred Manager, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Procurement and Property 
Management, 361 Reporters Building, 300 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20024, (202) 205-4008. RonB.Buckhalt@DA.USDA.GOV.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171) established a program for the 
procurement of USDA designated biobased products by Federal agencies 
and a voluntary program for the labeling of USDA certified biobased 
products. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm 
Bill) (Pub. L. 110-246) continued these programs and made certain 
changes to the Federal procurement preference program. USDA refers to 
the procurement preference program and the voluntary labeling program 
together as the BioPreferred\SM\ Program.
    Due to the changes mandated by the 2008 Farm Bill, and the passage 
of five years since USDA first published the Guidelines for Designated 
Biobased Products for Federal Procurement (Guidelines) (7 CFR 2902), 
USDA intends to revise the Guidelines in 2010. USDA is holding three 
public meetings to gather input from interested stakeholders on what 
should be considered when revising the Guidelines. The first meeting, 
which occurred in January in Washington, DC, addressed evaluation of 
environmental impacts associated with the manufacture, use, and 
disposal of biobased products. The second meeting, held in February in 
Riverside, CA addressed the designation of complex assembly products 
under the BioPreferred program.
    The purpose of the April 1, 2010, meeting, which is the third of 
the three meetings, will be to stimulate discussion and gather input 
from stakeholders on how USDA can effectively implement the designation 
of intermediate material and feedstock products for Federal preferred 
procurement status under the BioPreferred program as required by the 
2008 Farm Bill.
    Under the current Guidelines, USDA designates ``finished'' products 
by collecting information on available biobased products, 
manufacturers, and distributors to determine potential product 
categories and tests products for biobased content using ASTM 
International Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased 
Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon 
Analysis, D-6866. USDA also evaluates environmental and human health 
benefits and lifecycle costs of categories using the Building for 
Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) model developed by the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology.
    To set the stage before opening the forum for public comment, USDA 
has invited to the public meeting speakers from USDA, the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA), and individuals from academia and industry who 
are well-versed in biobased materials, manufacturing and products. USDA 
is seeking answers to a series of questions about intermediate material 
and feedstock products and their role in designating biobased products 
for Federal procurement.
    These questions include:
     How should intermediate products be defined?
     The proposed rule for the Voluntary Labeling Program 
states that intermediate products and feedstocks do not include raw 
agricultural and forestry materials. How should ``raw agricultural 
materials'' be defined?
     What types of intermediate products should be included, 
and how should they be categorized?

[[Page 12493]]

     What entities are best positioned to help define the 
possible categories?
     How should the designation of intermediate ingredients and 
feedstocks be organized?
     What categories of intermediate ingredients/feedstocks 
currently have the greatest potential to expand product eligibility for 
the BioPreferred program, and what high-impact categories might be 
expected to emerge over the next five years?
     What should be the minimum allowable biobased content for 
intermediate products and feed stocks?
     What information should be provided to assist purchasing 
decision makers?
     Will federal procurement agencies ever purchase 
intermediate ingredients, or will they be purchasing only end-use 
products?
     What are the potential obstacles to designating 
intermediate products and ingredients for preferred procurement status?

    Dated: March 10, 2010.
Pearlie S. Reed,
Assistant Secretary for Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2010-5681 Filed 3-15-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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