USDA, APHIS, Field Servicing Office, Butler Square, Fifth Floor, 100 North Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55403

66 -- INSTRUMENTS AND LABORATORY EQUIPMENT SOL QPL-2 DUE 011996 POC POC: The Contracting Officer is Robert J. Crowther. He can be reached at Area Code (612) 370-2115 The US Grain Standards Act and the Agricultural Marketing Act, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), provides moisture determinations for grains, oilseeds, pulses, rice, and related commodities. This notice announces that GIPSA intends to standardize on new instrumentation to replace the currently approved official moisture meter, the Motomco Model 919. For this standardization decision, only those moisture meter models that have met all requirements and have received a certificate number under the National Conference on Weights and Measures' (NCWM) National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) on or before June 1, 1996, will be considered. To be included in NTEP moisture meter evaluation before June 1, 1996, application for NTEP evaluation must be received by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on or before January 1, 1996. The NTEP laboratory must receive the instruments for evaluation (according to NCWM Handbook 14 procedures) on or before February 1, 1996. Beginning in June 1996, GIPSA will perform additional evaluation of those instruments that meet the basic NTEP specifications and performance requirements. That evaluation will determine which model or models of grain moisture meters most nearly meet the needs of the official inspection system. Section 2, Chapter 5, of NCWM Publication 14, 3rd Edition, August 1995, contains the application form, specifications, tolerances, and specific test procedures for the NTEP evaluation. To receive the application form, submit a written or Faxed request stating name, address, telephone number and solicitation number. FAX requests to 'Contracting Section', at Area Code (612) 370-2083. Telephone requests will not be accepted. For information on how to purchase Publication 14, call Ms. Terry Grimes, NIST, at (301) 975-4027. (0354)

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