Notice2024-00520
Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for AMS Local Meat Capacity Grant Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 12, 2024
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAgricultural Marketing Service
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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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 [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00520]
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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.
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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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4905262a2825040a2839093c3a2d28672e263f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f9b5969a9895b4ba9889b98c8a9d98d79e968f">[email protected]</span></a>.
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: <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/localmcap">https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/localmcap</a>.
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:
<bullet> General comment, opinion, or position statement
<bullet> Concern is outside the scope or irrelevant to the proposed
action and decision
<bullet> Means of addressing the concern are already decided by law,
regulation, or policy
<bullet> Concern can be better addressed through another decision
process (e.g., project level analysis)
<bullet> 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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