Department of Agriculture June 29, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This rule invites comments on a proposed partial exemption to the minimum grade requirements under the tomato import regulation. The import regulation is authorized under section 8e of the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 (Act). Section 8e requires imported tomatoes to meet the same or comparable grade and size requirements as those in effect under Federal Marketing Order No. 966 (order). The order regulates the handling of tomatoes grown in Florida. A separate proposed rule to amend the rules and regulations under the order to exempt UglyRipe (UglyRipe) tomatoes from the shape requirements associated with the U.S. No. 2 grade is being issued by Department of Agriculture (USDA). This rule would provide the same partial exemption under the import regulation so it would conform to the regulations for Florida tomatoes under the order.

The Rural Utilities Service, an agency which administers the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Programs (USDA Rural Development) intends to hold public scoping meetings and prepare an environmental assessment (EA) related to possible financial assistance to East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc. (EKPC) of Kentucky for the proposed construction of approximately 35 miles of 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Clark, Madison, and Garrard counties, KY. The proposed 345 kV transmission line project would be constructed within one of several corridors under consideration. The transmission line corridors originate at the J.K. Smith Power Station near the community of Trapp in Clark County, KY and terminate at the proposed location of a new 345 kV switching station. EKPC is requesting USDA Rural Development to provide financial assistance for the proposed project.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is issuing a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Highwood Generating Station (HGS). The Draft EIS was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231 et seq.) in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and RUS regulations (7 CFR part 1794). This document has been prepared jointly with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), which has its own statutory mandates to analyze potential environmental impacts under the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) (75-1-101 et seq., MCA and ARM 17.4.601 et seq.) and to issue permits under the Montana Clean Air Act, Montana Clean Water Act, and Montana Solid Waste Management Act. The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of and alternatives to the Southern Montana Electric Transmission & Generation Cooperative, Inc. (SME) application for a RUS loan guarantee to construct a 250 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant near Great Falls, Montana. SME is proposing to use a coal combustion technology known as circulating fluidized bed (CFB), along with other proposed pollution controls collectively known as Best Available Control Technology (BACT). SME also proposes to construct and operate four, 1.5-MW wind turbines to generate supplemental electrical power at the preferred project location eight miles east of Great Falls.

The Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service provides, among other things, certain technical services to businesses and individuals to help them successfully export live plants or plant products. This notice provides information concerning trade-related international agreements and organizations and details PPQ's role in facilitating the export of plants and plant products from the United States.