Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for AMS Local Meat Capacity Grant Program, 2198 [2024-00520]

Download as PDF 2198 Notices Federal Register Vol. 89, No. 9 Friday, January 12, 2024 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 Agricultural Marketing Service [Doc. No. AMS–TM–23–0066] Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for AMS Local Meat Capacity Grant Program Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the AMS Local Meat Capacity Grant Program. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Rakola, Associate Deputy Administrator, Transportation and Marketing Program; Telephone: (202) 690–1300; Email: LocalMCap@usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Background The Final PEA and FONSI analyze and disclose the potential environmental impacts associated with the establishment of the Local Meat Capacity Grant Program (Local MCap). The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) AMS has proposed to fund grants to support independently owned meat and poultry processing businesses. These grants will help them provide additional and more efficient processing options for local livestock producers by modernizing, increasing, diversifying, and decentralizing meat and poultry processing capacity, including support for rendering. This program will expand processing capacity for small and midsized meat and poultry processors, which are particularly vulnerable to disruption. It will also increase capacity and promote VerDate Sep<11>2014 00:38 Jan 12, 2024 Jkt 262001 competition in the meat and poultry processing sector. Based on public input, USDA identified an urgent need to expand and diversify meat and poultry processing capacity. The Local MCap Program is authorized by section 1001 (b)(4) of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (Pub. L. 117–2), which funds ‘‘loans and grants and other assistance to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency.’’ Recipients of funding from this proposed program would be allowed 36 months to complete work funded by the grant awards. The environmental impacts of funding projects to enhance existing meat and poultry processing facilities have been considered in a manner consistent with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, Public Law 91–190, 42 U.S.C. 4321–4347, as amended. A Final PEA and FONSI have been prepared, and based on this analysis, AMS has determined there will not be a significant impact to the human environment. As a result, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has not been initiated (40 CFR 1501.6). AMS intends for this PEA to create efficiencies by establishing a framework that can be used for ‘‘tiering,’’ where appropriate, to project-specific actions that require additional analysis. As decisions on specific applications are made, to the extent additional NEPA analysis is required, environmental review will be conducted to supplement the analysis set forth in this PEA. The Final PEA and FONSI are available for review online at the program website: https://www.ams. usda.gov/services/grants/localmcap. Comments AMS published a Draft PEA for public comment on October 31, 2023. The public comment period ended on November 30, 2023. One nonsubstantive comment was received and is therefore excluded from consideration in the Final PEA and FONSI. Consistent with 40 CFR 1503.4(b), all substantive comments would have received a response. AMS is not required to respond to non-substantive comments. Comments are carefully considered and reviewed; non-substantive comments do not receive a detailed response. A nonsubstantive comment is categorized as one of the following: PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 • General comment, opinion, or position statement • Concern is outside the scope or irrelevant to the proposed action and decision • Means of addressing the concern are already decided by law, regulation, or policy • Concern can be better addressed through another decision process (e.g., project level analysis) • Concern requests action that has already been considered in an alternative Melissa Bailey, Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service. [FR Doc. 2024–00520 Filed 1–11–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–02–P COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS Notice of Public Meeting of the Delaware Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Commission on Civil Rights. Announcement of public meeting. AGENCY: ACTION: Notice is hereby given, pursuant to the provisions of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Commission) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act that the Delaware Advisory Committee (Committee) to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will convene a business meeting on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The purpose of the meeting is for the committee to discuss the progress of their report on the COVID–19 impact on people of color in Delaware. DATES: Wednesday, January 24, 2024; 1:00 p.m. (ET) ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held via Zoom. Registration Link (Audio/Visual): https://tinyurl.com/bdeax2vv; passcode: USCCR–DE Join by Phone (Audio Only): 1–833– 435–1820 USA Toll-Free; Meeting ID: 160 070 5129# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ivy Davis, Designated Federal Official at idavis@usccr.gov or 202–381–8915. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This committee meeting is available to the public through the link above. Any SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM 12JAN1

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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 2198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00520]


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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.

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


Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / 
Notices

[[Page 2198]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-TM-23-0066]


Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for AMS Local Meat 
Capacity Grant Program

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announces the 
availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) 
and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the AMS Local Meat 
Capacity Grant Program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Rakola, Associate Deputy 
Administrator, Transportation and Marketing Program; Telephone: (202) 
690-1300; Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Final PEA and FONSI analyze and disclose the potential 
environmental impacts associated with the establishment of the Local 
Meat Capacity Grant Program (Local MCap). The United States Department 
of Agriculture (USDA) AMS has proposed to fund grants to support 
independently owned meat and poultry processing businesses. These 
grants will help them provide additional and more efficient processing 
options for local livestock producers by modernizing, increasing, 
diversifying, and decentralizing meat and poultry processing capacity, 
including support for rendering.
    This program will expand processing capacity for small and midsized 
meat and poultry processors, which are particularly vulnerable to 
disruption. It will also increase capacity and promote competition in 
the meat and poultry processing sector. Based on public input, USDA 
identified an urgent need to expand and diversify meat and poultry 
processing capacity.
    The Local MCap Program is authorized by section 1001 (b)(4) of the 
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (Pub. L. 117-2), which funds ``loans 
and grants and other assistance to maintain and improve food and 
agricultural supply chain resiliency.'' Recipients of funding from this 
proposed program would be allowed 36 months to complete work funded by 
the grant awards.
    The environmental impacts of funding projects to enhance existing 
meat and poultry processing facilities have been considered in a manner 
consistent with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, Public Law 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, as amended.
    A Final PEA and FONSI have been prepared, and based on this 
analysis, AMS has determined there will not be a significant impact to 
the human environment. As a result, an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) has not been initiated (40 CFR 1501.6). AMS intends for this PEA 
to create efficiencies by establishing a framework that can be used for 
``tiering,'' where appropriate, to project-specific actions that 
require additional analysis. As decisions on specific applications are 
made, to the extent additional NEPA analysis is required, environmental 
review will be conducted to supplement the analysis set forth in this 
PEA.
    The Final PEA and FONSI are available for review online at the 
program website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/localmcap.

Comments

    AMS published a Draft PEA for public comment on October 31, 2023. 
The public comment period ended on November 30, 2023. One non-
substantive comment was received and is therefore excluded from 
consideration in the Final PEA and FONSI. Consistent with 40 CFR 
1503.4(b), all substantive comments would have received a response. AMS 
is not required to respond to non-substantive comments. Comments are 
carefully considered and reviewed; non-substantive comments do not 
receive a detailed response. A non-substantive comment is categorized 
as one of the following:

 General comment, opinion, or position statement
 Concern is outside the scope or irrelevant to the proposed 
action and decision
 Means of addressing the concern are already decided by law, 
regulation, or policy
 Concern can be better addressed through another decision 
process (e.g., project level analysis)
 Concern requests action that has already been considered in an 
alternative

Melissa Bailey,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-00520 Filed 1-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P

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