0572-0131 60-day FR Notice

26487

Notices

Federal Register
Vol. 77, No. 87
Friday, May 4, 2012

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Information Collection Activity;
Comment Request
Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
Notice and request for
comments.

AGENCY:
ACTION:

In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the
United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Rural Development administers
rural utilities programs through the
Rural Utilities Service (RUS). The USDA
Rural Development invites comments
on the following information collections
for which the Agency intends to request
approval from the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB).
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by July 3, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michele Brooks, Director, Program
Development and Regulatory Analysis,
USDA Rural Development, 1400
Independence Ave. SW., STOP 1522,
Room 5162, South Building,
Washington, DC 20250–1522.
Telephone: (202) 690–1078. Fax: (202)
720–8435.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office
of Management and Budget’s (OMB)
regulation (5 CFR 1320) implementing
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13) requires
that interested members of the public
and affected agencies have an
opportunity to comment on information
collection and recordkeeping activities
[see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)]. This notice
identifies information collections that
RUS is submitting to OMB for
extension.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
this collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of
the functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have

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practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
Comments may be sent to: Michele
Brooks, Director, Program Development
and Regulatory Analysis, USDA Rural
Development, STOP 1522, 1400
Independence Ave. SW., Washington,
DC 20250–1522. Fax: (202) 720–8435.
Title: Review Rating Summary, RUS
Form 300, 7 CFR part 1730.
OMB Control Number: 0572–0025.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: RUS manages loan programs
in accordance with the RE Act of 1936,
as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.). An
important part of safeguarding loan
security is to see that RUS financed
facilities are being responsibly used,
adequately operated, and adequately
maintained. Future needs must be
anticipated to ensure that facilities will
continue to produce revenue and loans
will be repaid as required by the RUS
mortgage. A periodic operations and
maintenance (O&M) review, using the
RUS Form 300, in accordance with 7
CFR part 1730, is an effective means for
RUS to determine whether the
Borrowers’ systems are being properly
operated and maintained, thereby
protecting the loan collateral. The O&M
review is also used to rate facilities and
can be used for appraisals of collateral
as prescribed by OMB Circular A–129,
Policies for Federal Credit Programs and
Non-Tax Receivables.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
for this collection of information is
estimated to average 4 hours per
response.
Respondents: Not-for-profit
institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
217.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 868 hours.
Title: Deferment of Rural
Development Utilities Programs Loan

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Payments for Rural Development
Projects.
OMB Control Number: 0572–0097.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: The Deferment of Rural
Development Utilities Programs Loan
Payments for Rural Development
Projects allows RUS electric and
telecommunications borrowers to defer
the payment of principal and interest on
any insured or direct loan made under
the Rural Electrification Act (RE Act) of
1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 912). The
purpose of the Deferment program is to
encourage borrowers to invest in and
promote rural development and rural
job creation projects that are based on
sound economic and financial analyses.
This program is administered through 7
CFR 1703, subpart H. The burden
required by this collection consists of
information that will allow the Agency
to determine eligibility for deferment;
specific purposes of the deferment; the
term of the deferment; cost of the project
and degree of participation from other
sources; and compliance with Agency
regulations and other regulations and
legal requirements.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
for this collection of information is
estimated to average 1.23 hours per
response.
Respondents: Business or other for
Profit and Not-for profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 9.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 11 hours.
Title: State Telecommunications
Modernization Plan.
OMB Control Number: 0572–0104.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: This information collection
requirement stems from passage of the
Rural Electrification Loan Restructuring
Act (RELRA, Pub. L. 103–129) on
November 1, 1993, which amended the
Rural Electrification Act of 1936, 7
U.S.C. 901 et seq. (the RE Act). RELRA
requires that a State
Telecommunications Modernization
Plan (Modernization Plan), covering at a
minimum the Rural Utilities Service
(RUS) borrowers in the state, be
established in a state or RUS cannot
make hardship or concurrent cost-ofmoney and Rural Telephone Bank (RTB)

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 87 / Friday, May 4, 2012 / Notices

loans for construction in that state. It is
the policy of RUS that every State has
a Modernization Plan which provides
for the improvement of the State’s
telecommunications network. A
proposed Modernization plan must be
submitted to RUS for approval. RUS
will approve a proposed Modernization
Plan if it conforms to the provisions of
7 CFR part 1751, subpart B.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average 350 hours per
response.
Respondents: Business or other forprofit; not-for-profit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 350.
Title: Mergers and Consolidations of
Electric Borrowers, 7 CFR 1717, subpart
D.
OMB Control Number: 0572–0114.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: The Rural Electrification Act
of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.), as
amended (RE Act) authorizes and
empowers the Administrator of RUS to
make and guarantee loans to furnish and
improve electric service in rural areas.
Due to deregulation and restructuring
activities in the electric industry, RUS
borrowers find it advantageous to merge
or consolidate to meet the challenges of
industry change. This information
collection addresses the requirements of
RUS policies and procedures for
mergers and consolidations of electric
program borrowers.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
burden for this collection of information
is estimated to average 1.32 hours per
response.
Respondents: Businesses or other for
profits; not-for-profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
12.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 10.8.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 170.
Title: Use of Consultants Funded by
Borrowers, 7 CFR part 1789.
OMB Control Number: 0572–0115.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: Section 18(c) of the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936 (RE Act), as
amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.)
authorizes RUS to utilize consultants
voluntarily funded by Borrowers for
financial, legal, engineering and other
technical services. Consultants may be
utilized to facilitate timely action on
loan applications submitted to RUS by

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Borrowers for financial assistance and
for approvals required by RUS, pursuant
to the terms of outstanding loans, or
otherwise. RUS may not require
Borrowers to fund consultants and the
provision of section 18(c) may be
utilized only at the Borrower’s request.
The collection of information from the
Borrower allows RUS to evaluate the
request and to implement RUS policies
and procedures for the use of
consultants funded by RUS Borrowers.
The collection of information is
required only when a Borrower submits
a request for the services of a consultant
and consists of a summary, project
description and information concerning
the project or proposal for which the
Borrower is requesting consultant
services.
Estimate of Burden: The public
reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 2
hours per response.
Respondents: Not-for-profit
institutions; business or other for-profit
entities.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 2 hours.
Title: Extensions of Payments of
Principal and Interest.
OMB Control Number: 0572–0123.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: This collection of
information describes information
procedures which borrowers must
follow in order to request extensions of
principal and interest. Authority for
these is contained in section 12 of the
Rural Electrification Act of 1936
(REAct), as amended and in section 236
of the ‘‘Disaster Relief Act of 1970’’
(Pub. L. 91–606), as amended by the
Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L.
103–354). Eligible purposes include
financial hardship, energy resource
conservation (ERC) loans, renewable
energy projects, distributed generation
projects, and contribution-in-aid of
construction. These procedures are
codified at 7 CFR part 1721, subpart B.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting
for this collection of information is
estimated to average 4.71 hours per
response.
Respondents: Not-for-profit
institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
45.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 2.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 424 hours.

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Title: 7 CFR 1728, Electric Standards
and Specifications for Materials and
Construction.
OMB Control Number: 0572–0131.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Abstract: RUS provides loans and
loan guarantees in accordance with the
Rural Electrification Act of 1936, 7
U.S.C. 901 et seq., as amended, (RE Act).
Section 4 of the RE Act requires that the
Agency make or guarantee a loan only
if there is reasonable assurance that the
loan, together with all outstanding loans
and obligations of the Borrower, will be
repaid in full within the time agreed. In
order to facilitate the programmatic
interests of the RE Act and, in order to
assure that loans made or guaranteed by
the Agency are adequately secure, RUS,
as a secured lender, has established
certain standards and specifications for
materials, equipment, and the
construction of electric systems. The use
of standards and specifications for
materials, equipment and construction
units helps assure the Agency that: (1)
Appropriate standards and
specifications are maintained; (2) RUS
loan security is not adversely affected,
and; (3) Loan and loan guarantee funds
are used effectively and for the intended
purposes. 7 CFR part 1728 establishes
Agency policy that materials and
equipment purchased by RUS Electric
Borrowers or accepted as contractorfurnished material must conform to
Agency standards and specifications
where established and, if included in
RUS Publication IP 202–1, ‘‘List of
Materials Acceptable for Use on
Systems of Agency Electrification
Borrowers’’ (List of Materials), must be
selected from that list or must have
received technical acceptance from
RUS.
Estimate of Burden: This collection of
information is estimated to average 20
hours per response.
Respondents: Businesses or other for
profits.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
38.
Estimated Number of Responses per
Respondent: 2.63.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 2,000 hours.
Dated: April 26, 2012
Jonathan Adelstein,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–10747 Filed 5–3–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

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