The National Organic Program has released the agenda for the spring National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) Meeting, which will be held April 29 through May 1, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The deadline to register for oral comment and to submit written comment is 11:59 p.m. Eastern on April 3, 2024. More information on registering and submitting comments is below. See the USDA website for information on attending the meeting in person.
The NOSB is a federal advisory board that makes recommendations on organic standards and materials to the USDA secretary. During the spring meeting, materials on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances that are slated for sunset review are discussed and public comment accepted. The final vote on materials will be taken at the fall meeting. All materials on the National List are reviewed for continued listing every five years on a staggered basis.
For a quick summary of materials and issues that will be considered at this meeting, consult the meeting agenda. Thirteen livestock materials are under consideration for sunset, including parasiticides and DL-methionine. For crops, ferric phosphate, pheromones, and horticultural oils are just a few of the 10 materials up for review. In the handling realm, 30 materials are up for sunset review, including celery powder, nutrient vitamins and minerals, and yeast. Detailed background on all sunset materials can be found in the Proposals and Discussion Documents.
To Comment
Public comment will be accepted via online webinars that will be held Tuesday, April 23 and Thursday, April 25, 11:00–5:00 p.m. Eastern. Public comment will also be heard in person at the meeting in Milwaukee on Monday, April 29; however, these speaking slots are already filled.
Written comments will also be accepted. You can register to give oral comments on the USDA website. Submit written comments at Regulations.gov by clicking on the “Comment” button. Again, note that the deadline to register for oral comment and to submit written comment is 11:59 p.m. Eastern on April 3, 2024.
You may mail written comments to Ms. Michelle Arsenault, Advisory Committee Specialist, National Organic Standards Board, USDA–AMS–NOP, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 2642–S, STOP 0268, Washington, D.C. 20250–0268. Comments postmarked after April 3, 2024, will be added to the public comment docket, but board members may not have adequate time to consider those comments prior to making recommendations.
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