Department of Agriculture April 5, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

USDA Rural Development administers rural utilities programs through the Rural Utilities Service. USDA Rural Development (the Agency) intends to hold public scoping meetings and prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) in connection with potential impacts related to projects proposed by Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC), with headquarters in Tucker, Georgia. The proposal consists of the construction of approximately 55 miles of 500 kilovolt transmission line and approximately 13 miles of 230 kilovolt transmission line, a 500/230 kilovolt substation and a switching station. The 500-kilovolt transmission line project would be located in Putnam, Morgan, Walton and Oconee Counties, Georgia. The 230 kilovolt transmission line projects would be located in Walton County, Georgia. The substation and switching station are also located in Walton County, Georgia. In addition, a 230 kilovolt transmission line in Walton and Oconee Counties and a 230/115 kilovolt substation in Oconee County are included in the proposal as a connected action. GTC is requesting the Agency provide financing for the proposed action.

This document gives notice that we intend to begin consistently and routinely requiring that a permit must accompany all aquatic snails that are imported into the United States or that are moving interstate. We also intend to consistently require that shipments of aquatic snails, as with all other plant pests imported under permit, be subject to inspection and to begin routinely and consistently inspecting shipments of aquatic supplies or plants that may contain aquatic snails. This action is necessary in order to prevent the importation or interstate movement of certain species of aquatic snails which, if released into the environment, can become destructive agricultural pests.

This rule establishes the quantity of spearmint oil produced in the Far West, by class, that handlers may purchase from, or handle for, producers during the 2006-2007 marketing year, which begins on June 1, 2006. This rule establishes salable quantities and allotment percentages for Class 1 (Scotch) spearmint oil of 878,205 pounds and 45 percent, respectively, and for Class 3 (Native) spearmint oil of 1,007,886 pounds and 46 percent, respectively. The Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee), the agency responsible for local administration of the marketing order for spearmint oil produced in the Far West, recommended these limitations for the purpose of avoiding extreme fluctuations in supplies and prices to help maintain stability in the spearmint oil market.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is adopting, as a final rule, with changes, an interim final rule limiting the volume of sizes 48 and 56 red seedless grapefruit entering the fresh market and changing the procedures used for this purpose under the marketing order for oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, and tangelos grown in Florida (order). The order is administered locally by the Citrus Administrative Committee (Committee). This rule continues in effect the action modifying the way a handler's average week is determined if crop conditions limit shipments from any of the three prior seasons. However, this final rule amends the interim final rule by removing the weekly percentages established for the first 22 weeks of the 2005-2006 season which began September 19, 2005, while maintaining the reporting requirement for small-sized red seedless grapefruit. The Committee voted to remove the weekly percentages following the crop losses from Hurricane Wilma. This action should provide more red seedless grapefruit for shipment to the fresh fruit market.