[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 16 (Monday, January 26, 2004)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 3533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-1552]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of Energy Policy and New Uses
7 CFR Part 2902
RIN 0503-AA26
Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal
Procurement
AGENCY: Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, USDA.
ACTION: Notification of public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Energy Policy and New Uses is announcing a
public meeting to discuss the proposed rule entitled ``Guidelines for
Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement'' published in
the Federal Register of December 19, 2003 (68 FR 70730). This meeting
is intended to provide stakeholders and interested parties with a
briefing on the proposed rule and an opportunity to ask questions and
make comments on the proposed rule.
DATES: The public meeting will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2004,
from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.
Registration will occur on site on Thursday, January 29, 2004,
beginning at 8 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Jefferson Auditorium of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250.
A written transcript of the meeting and submitted comments will be
available for viewing at the USDA Office of Energy Policy and New Uses,
Reporters Building, Room 361, 300 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC,
20024, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern Standard Time,
Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marvin Duncan, Office of Energy Policy
and New Uses, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Reporters Building, Room
361, 300 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20024, 202-401-0532, FAX: 202-
401-0533, or e-mail; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Section 9002 o9f the Farm security and Rural Investment Act (FSRIA)
of 2002, 7 U.S.C. 8102, authorizes a program of preferred procurement
of biobased products by Federal agencies. The proposed rule published
in the Federal Register of December 19, 2003 (68 FR 70730) sets out the
structure for implementing the program of preferred procurement of
biobased products by Federal agencies.
The public meeting will provide an opportunity to brief
stakeholders and interested parties on the proposed rule and allow them
to ask questions about the proposed rule. The meeting also will provide
an opportunity for stakeholders and others to offer public comments on
the proposed rule.
The meeting will be video streamed in real time to enable
stakeholders and other interested parties not attending the meeting in
person to observe the discussion that takes place at the meeting. The
video web streaming can be accessed by a hot link at the Current Issues
Box on the Home Page of the Web site http://www.biobased.oce.usda.gov.
The video web streaming can also be accessed on the USDA Home Page at
http://www.usda.gov. During the meeting, members of the public can fax
questions or public comments on the proposed rule to fax number (202)
720-9553. Alternatively, questions or public comments can also be e-
mailed to the meeting at [email protected]. A transcript of the
meeting, for the hearing impaired, will be prepared soon after the
meeting is completed and posted on the Web site
www.biobased.oce.usda.gov.
Agenda: The daylong meeting will have two sessions: The morning
session will include a presentation on the major provisions of the
proposed rule and a panel of government officials will respond to
questions for clarification of the proposed rule.
In the afternoon session, public comments on the rule will be
received. All public comments must include a printed text of the
comment, identify the commenter, and provide contact information.
Public comments may be faxed to the meeting site during the meeting
using the fax number 202-720-9553. Alternatively, public comments can
be e-mailed to the meeting at [email protected].
To provide public comments on the proposed rule outside of the
announced stakeholder meeting, please follow the instructions in the
Addresses section of the proposed rule (68 FR 70730, December 19,
20030.
There is no registration fee for this meeting. Because the meeting
will be held in a Federal building, you should bring a photo ID and
plan for adequate time to pass through security screening systems.
II. Electronic Access
You can access the proposed rule, as published in the Federal
Register, on the Web site http://www.biobased.oce.usda.gov.
III. Transcripts
The video web streaming of the meeting will be available to be
viewed on the Web site www.biobased.oce.usda.gov for approximately 40
days after the date of the stakeholder meeting. The transcript of the
meeting and submitted comments will be available for public examination
at the USDA Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, Reporters Building,
Room 361, 300 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC, 20024, between the hours
of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. eastern standard time, Monday through Friday.
Dated: January 20, 2004.
Keith Collins,
Chief Economist, USDA.
[FR Doc. 04-1552 Filed 1-23-04; 8:45 am]
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