Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (h) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (g) of this section. The pooling standards described in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section are subject to modification pursuant to paragraph (f) of this section:

(a) A distributing plant, other than a plant qualified as a pool plant pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section or §____.7(b) of any other Federal milk order, from which during the month 25 percent or more of the total quantity of fluid milk products physically received at the plant (excluding concentrated milk received from another plant by agreement for other than Class I use) are disposed of as route disposition or are transferred in the form of packaged fluid milk products to other distributing plants. At least 25 percent of such route disposition and transfers must be to outlets in the marketing area.

(b) Any distributing plant located in the marketing area which during the month processed at least 25 percent of the total quantity of fluid milk products physically received at the plant (excluding concentrated milk received from another plant by agreement for other than Class I use) into ultra-pasteurized or aseptically-processed fluid milk products.

(c) A supply plant from which 50 percent or more of the total quantity of milk that is physically received during the month from dairy farmers and handlers described in §1000.9(c), including milk that is diverted as producer milk to other plants, is transferred to pool distributing plants. Concentrated milk transferred from the supply plant to a distributing plant for an agreed-upon use other than Class I shall be excluded from the supply plant's shipments in computing the plant's shipping percentage.

(d) A plant located within the marketing area that is operated by a cooperative association if pool plant status under this paragraph is requested for such plant by the cooperative association and during the month at least 30 percent of the producer milk of members of such cooperative association is delivered directly from farms to pool distributing plants or is transferred to such plants as a fluid milk product (excluding concentrated milk transferred to a distributing plant for an agreed-upon use other than Class I) from the cooperative's plant.

(e) Two or more plants operated by the same handler and located within the marketing area may qualify for pool status as a unit by meeting the total and in-area route disposition requirements specified in paragraph (a) of this section and the following additional requirements:

(1) At least one of the plants in the unit must qualify as a pool plant pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section;

(2) Other plants in the unit must process only Class I or Class II products and must be located in a pricing zone providing the same or a lower Class I price than the price applicable at the distributing plant included in the unit pursuant to paragraph (e)(1) of this section; and

(3) A written request to form a unit, or to add or remove plants from a unit, must be filed with the market administrator prior to the first day of the month for which it is to be effective.

(f) The applicable shipping percentages of paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section may be increased or decreased by the market administrator if the market administrator finds that such adjustment is necessary to encourage needed shipments or to prevent uneconomic shipments. Before making such a finding, the market administrator shall investigate the need for adjustment either on the market administrator's own initiative or at the request of interested parties if the request is made in writing at least 15 days prior to the month for which the requested revision is desired effective. If the investigation shows that an adjustment of the shipping percentages might be appropriate, the market administrator shall issue a notice stating that an adjustment is being considered and invite data, views and arguments. Any decision to revise an applicable shipping percentage must be issued in writing at least one day before the effective date.

(g) The term pool plant shall not apply to the following plants:

(1) A producer-handler plant;

(2) An exempt plant as defined in §1000.8(e);

(3) A plant qualified pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section that is located within the marketing area if the plant also meets the pooling requirements of another Federal order, and more than 50 percent of its route distribution has been in such other Federal order marketing area for 3 consecutive months;

(4) A plant qualified pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section which is not located within any Federal order marketing area that meets the pooling requirements of another Federal order and has had greater route disposition in such other Federal order's marketing area for 3 consecutive months;

(5) A plant qualified pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section that is located in another Federal order marketing area if the plant meets the pooling requirements of such other Federal order and does not have a majority of its route distribution in this marketing area for 3 consecutive months or if the plant is required to be regulated under such other Federal order without regard to its route disposition in any other Federal order marketing area;

(6) A plant qualified pursuant to paragraph (c) or (d) of this section which also meets the pooling requirements of another Federal order and from which greater qualifying shipments are made to plants regulated under the other Federal order than are made to plants regulated under the order in this part, or the plant has automatic pooling status under the other Federal order; and

(7) That portion of a pool plant designated as a nonpool plant that is physically separate and operated separately from the pool portion of such plant. The designation of a portion of a regulated plant as a nonpool plant must be requested in writing by the handler and must be approved by the market administrator.

(h) Any distributing plant, located within the marketing area as described on May 1, 2006, in §1126.2;

(1) From which there is route disposition and/or transfers of packaged fluid milk products in any non-federally regulated marketing area(s) located within one or more States that require handlers to pay minimum prices for raw milk provided that 25 percent or more of the total quantity of fluid milk products physically received at such plant (excluding concentrated milk received from another plant by agreement for other than Class I use) is disposed of as route disposition and/or is transferred in the form of packaged fluid milk products to other plants. At least 25 percent of such route disposition and/or transfers, in aggregate, are in any non-federally regulated marketing area(s) located within one or more States that require handlers to pay minimum prices for raw milk. Subject to the following exclusions:

(i) The plant is described in §1126.7(a), (b), or (e);

(ii) The plant is subject to the pricing provisions of a State-operated milk pricing plan which provides for the payment of minimum class prices for raw milk;

(iii) The plant is described in §1000.8(a) or (e); or

(iv) A producer-handler described in §1126.10 with less than three million pounds during the month of route disposition and/or transfers of packaged fluid milk products to other plants.

(2) [Reserved]

[64 FR 48004, Sept. 1, 1999, as amended at 71 FR 25501, May 1, 2006; 71 FR 28249, May 16, 2006]