TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND PARTIES:
Pursuant to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, O.C.G.A. §§ 2-12-80 and 50-13-4, notice is hereby given that the Georgia Department of Agriculture will be accepting written comments regarding the amendment of Chapter 40-31 entitled Soil Amendments. The Department will be accepting written comments from October 2, 2019, to close of business (4:30 p.m. EST) on November 8, 2019.
SYNOPSIS, MAIN FEATURES, AND DIFFERENCES:
The Department is proposing to amend current Chapter 40-31 entitled Soil Amendments by incorporating the following changes:
The Department is proposing to amend current Subject 40-31-1 entitled General Provisions by repealing current Rule 40-31-1-.01 entitled Soil Amendment Sampling and adopting the following:
- Proposed Rule 40-31-1-.01 entitled Definitions which would provide definitions for necessary terminology.
- Proposed Rule 40-31-1-.02 entitled Prohibitions which would set forth specific prohibitions regarding primarily the distribution and application of soil amendments.
- Proposed Rule 40-31-1-.03 entitled Sampling and Analysis which would establish the Commissioner’s authority to sample and analyze soil amendments.
- Proposed Rule 40-31-1-.04 entitled Registration and Renewal which would establish requirements regarding the registration and renewal of soil amendments, including those containing industrial by-products and sewage sludge.
- Proposed Rule 40-31-1-.05 entitled Labeling which would establish the following: minimum information necessary for soil amendment labels; labeling requirements for bulk shipments; and a prohibition of false or misleading information; and
- Proposed Rule 40-31-1-.06 entitled Records which would establish recordkeeping requirements for distribution of soil amendments, including those derived from industrial by-products and sewage sludge.
COMMENT PERIOD AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The Department will be accepting written comments from October 2, 2019, to close of business (4:30 p.m. EST) on November 8, 2019. Comments will be considered beginning November 12, 2019. Please submit written comments to:
Jennifer Wren
Agricultural Inputs Program Director, Plant Industry Division
Georgia Department of Agriculture
19 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, S.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Telephone: (404) 656-4958
Fax Number: (404) 463-6670
Email: Jennifer.Wren@agr.georgia.gov
Interested persons may call or submit a written request to obtain a copy of the proposed rules. A copy of the synopsis and the proposed rules may be downloaded from the Georgia Department of Agriculture website at www.agr.georgia.gov.
This notice is given in compliance with the Georgia Administrative Procedure Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-13-4.
