Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2001 / Notices 2943

Initiatives Advisory Panel (Creative

Communities Initiative section) to the

National Council on the Arts will be

held from January 29–31, 2001 in Room

716 at the Nancy Hanks Center, 1100

Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC, 20506.

This meeting is for the purpose of

Panel review, discussion, evaluation,

and recommendations on financial

assistance under the National

Foundation on the Arts and the

Humanities Act of 1965, as amended,

including information given in

confidence to the agency. In accordance

with the determination of the Chairman

of May 12, 2000, these sessions will be

closed to the public pursuant to

subsection (c)(4), (6) and (9)(B) of

section 552b of Title 5, United States

Code.

Further information with reference to

this meeting can be obtained from Mr.

Michael McLaughlin, Coordinator,

Millennium & Leadership Initiatives,

National Endowment for the Arts,

Washington, DC, 20506, or call 202/

682–5457.

Dated: January 9, 2001.

Kathy Plowitz-Worden,

Panel Coordinator, Panel Operations,

National Endowment for the Arts.

[FR Doc. 01–1118 Filed 1–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7537–01–U

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Information Collection Activities:

Proposed Collection; Comment

Request

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104–13

(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and as part of

its continuing effort to reduce

paperwork and respondent burden, the

National Science Foundation (NSF) is

inviting the general public and other

Federal agencies to comment on this

proposed information collection.

DATES: NSF should receive comments

within 60 days from the date of this

notice’s publication.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

to Anita Eisenstadt, Assistant General

Counsel, through surface mail (National

Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson

Boulevard, Room 1265, Arlington,

Virginia 22230); e:mail

(aeisenst@nsf.gov) or fax (703–292–

9041).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Call

or write Anita Eisenstadt, Assistant

General Counsel, at the National

Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson

Boulevard, Room 1265, Arlington,

Virginia 22230; call (703) 292–8060, or

send e:mail to aeisenst@nsf.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title of Collection: Antarctic

emergency response plan and

environmental protection information.

Abstract: The NSF, pursuant to the

Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (16

U.S.C. 2401 et seq.) (‘‘ACA’’) regulates

certain non-governmental activities in

Antarctica. The ACA was amended in

1996 by the Antarctic Science, Tourism,

and Conservation Act. On June 4, 1998,

NSF published a proposed rule in the

Federal Register (63 FR 30438) to

implement certain of these statutory

amendments. The proposed rule would

require non-governmental Antarctic

expeditions using non-U.S. flagged

vessels to ensure that the vessel owner

has an emergency response plan. The

proposed rule would also require

persons organizing a non-governmental

expedition to provide expedition

members with information on their

environmental protection obligations

under the Antarctic Conservation Act.

The notice of proposed rule stated that

the rule was not subject to the

Paperwork Reduction Act because of the

small number of U.S. operators subject

to the rule. Based upon comments

received on the proposed rule and the

slight increase in applicable tour

operators, NSF has determined that it

will issue this information collection

notice to satisfy the requirements of the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, prior

to issuing the final rule.

Expected Respondents. Respondents

may include non-profit organizations

and small and large businesses. The

majority of respondents are anticipated

to be U.S. tour operators, currently

estimated to number twelve.

Burden on the Public. The Foundation

estimates that a one-time paperwork and

recordkeeping burden of 40 hours or

less, at a cost of $500 to $1400 per

respondent, will result from the

emergency response plan requirement

contained in the proposed rule.

Presently, all respondents have been

providing expedition members with a

copy of the Guidance for Visitors to the

Antarctic (prepared and adopted at the

Eighteenth Antarctic Treaty

Consultative Meeting as

Recommendation XVIII–1). Because this

Antarctic Treaty System document

satisfies the environmental protection

information requirements of the

proposed rule, no additional burden

shall result from the environmental

information requirements in the

proposed rule.

Dated: January 8, 2001.

Lawrence Rudolph,

General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 01–1072 Filed 1–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7555–01–M

PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY

CORPORATION

Interest Assumption for Determining

Variable-Rate Premium; Interest on

Late Premium Payments; Interest on

Underpayments and Overpayments of

Single-Employer Plan Termination

Liability and Multiemployer Withdrawal

Liability; Interest Assumptions for

Multiemployer Plan Valuations

Following Mass Withdrawal

AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty

Corporation.

ACTION: Notice of interest rates and

assumptions.

SUMMARY: This notice informs the public

of the interest rates and assumptions to

be used under certain Pension Benefit

Guaranty Corporation regulations. These

rates and assumptions are published

elsewhere (or are derivable from rates

published elsewhere), but are collected

and published in this notice for the

convenience of the public. Interest rates

are also published on the PBGC’s web

site (http://www.pbgc.gov).

DATES: The interest rate for determining

the variable-rate premium under part

4006 applies to premium payment years

beginning in January 2001. The interest

assumptions for performing

multiemployer plan valuations

following mass withdrawal under part

4281 apply to valuation dates occurring

in February 2001. The interest rates for

late premium payments under part 4007

and for underpayments and

overpayments of single-employer plan

termination liability under part 4062

and multiemployer withdrawal liability

under part 4219 apply to interest

accruing during the first quarter

(January through March) of 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Harold J. Ashner, Assistant General

Counsel, Office of the General Counsel,

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation,

1200 K Street, NW., Washington, DC

20005, 202–326–4024. (For TTY/TDD

users, call the Federal relay service tollfree at 1–800–877–8339 and ask to be

connected to 202–326–4024.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Variable-Rate Premiums

Section 4006(a)(3)(E)(iii)(II) of the

Employee Retirement Income Security

Act of 1974 (ERISA) and § 4006.4(b)(1)

2944 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2001 / Notices

of the PBGC’s regulation on Premium

Rates (29 CFR part 4006) prescribe use

of an assumed interest rate in

determining a single-employer plan’s

variable-rate premium. The rate is the

‘‘applicable percentage’’ (currently 85

percent) of the annual yield on 30-year

Treasury securities for the month

preceding the beginning of the plan year

for which premiums are being paid (the

‘‘premium payment year’’). The yield

figure is reported in Federal Reserve

Statistical Releases G.13 and H.15.

The assumed interest rate to be used

in determining variable-rate premiums

for premium payment years beginning

in January 2001 is 4.67 percent (i.e., 85

percent of the 5.49 percent yield figure

for December 2000).

The following table lists the assumed

interest rates to be used in determining

variable-rate premiums for premium

payment years beginning between

February 2000 and January 2001.

For premium payment years

beginning in:

The assumed

interest rate is:

February 2000 ...................... 5.64

March 2000 ........................... 5.30

IApril 2000 ............................ 5.14

May 2000 .............................. 4.97

June 2000 ............................. 5.23

July 2000 .............................. 5.04

August 2000 ......................... 4.97

September 2000 ................... 4.86

October 2000 ........................ 4.96

November 2000 .................... 4.93

December 2000 .................... 4.91

January 2001 ........................ 4.67

Late Premium Payments;

Underpayments and Overpayments of

Single-Employer Plan Termination

Liability

Section 4007(b) of ERISA and

§ 4007.7(a) of the PBGC’s regulation on

Payment of Premiums (29 CFR part

4007) require the payment of interest on

late premium payments at the rate

established under section 6601 of the

Internal Revenue Code. Similarly,

§ 4062.7 of the PBGC’s regulation on

Liability for Termination of Singleemployer Plans (29 CFR part 4062)

requires that interest be charged or

credited at the section 6601 rate on

underpayments and overpayments of

employer liability under section 4062 of

ERISA. The section 6601 rate is

established periodically (currently

quarterly) by the Internal Revenue

Service. The rate applicable to the first

quarter (January through March) of

2001, as announced by the IRS, is 9

percent.

The following table lists the late

payment interest rates for premiums and

employer liability for the specified time

periods:

From Through Interest rate

(percent)

10/1/94 .............. 3/31/95 9

4/1/95 ................ 6/30/95 10

7/1/95 ................ 3/31/96 9

4/1/96 ................ 6/30/96 8

7/1/96 ................ 3/31/98 9

4/1/98 ................ 12/31/98 8

1/1/99 ................ 3/31/99 7

4/1/99 ................ 3/31/00 8

4/1/00 ................ 3/31/01 9

Underpayments and Overpayments of

Multiemployer Withdrawal Liability

Section 4219.32(b) of the PBGC’s

regulation on Notice, Collection, and

Redetermination of Withdrawal

Liability (29 CFR part 4219) specifies

the rate at which a multiemployer plan

is to charge or credit interest on

underpayments and overpayments of

withdrawal liability under section 4219

of ERISA unless an applicable plan

provision provides otherwise. For

interest accruing during any calendar

quarter, the specified rate is the average

quoted prime rate on short-term

commercial loans for the fifteenth day

(or the next business day if the fifteenth

day is not a business day) of the month

preceding the beginning of the quarter,

as reported by the Board of Governors

of the Federal Reserve System in

Statistical Release H.15 (‘‘Selected

Interest Rates’’). The rate for the first

quarter (January through March) of 2001

(i.e., the rate reported for December 15,

2000) is 9.50 percent.

The following table lists the

withdrawal liability underpayment and

overpayment interest rates for the

specified time periods:

From Through Interest rate

(percent)

1/1/95 ................ 3/31/95 8.50

4/1/95 ................ 9/30/95 9.00

10/1/95 .............. 3/31/96 8.75

4/1/96 ................ 6/30/97 8.25

7/1/97 ................ 12/31/98 8.50

1/1/99 ................ 9/30/99 7.75

10/1/99 .............. 12/31/99 8.25

1/1/00 ................ 3/31/00 8.50

4/1/00 ................ 6/30/00 8.75

7/1/00 ................ 3/31/01 9.50

Multiemployer Plan Valuations

Following Mass Withdrawal

The PBGC’s regulation on Duties of

Plan Sponsor Following Mass

Withdrawal (29 CFR part 4281)

prescribes the use of interest

assumptions under the PBGC’s

regulation on Allocation of Assets in

Single-employer Plans (29 CFR part

4044). The interest assumptions

applicable to valuation dates in

February 2001 under part 4044 are

contained in an amendment to part 4044

published elsewhere in today’s Federal

Register. Tables showing the

assumptions applicable to prior periods

are codified in appendix B to 29 CFR

part 4044.

Issued in Washington, DC, on this 5th day

of January 2001.

David M. Strauss

Executive Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty

Corporation.

[FR Doc. 01–1024 Filed 1–11–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7708–01–P

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE

COMMISSION

[Release No. 35–27335]

Filings Under the Public Utility Holding

Company Act of 1935, as Amended

(‘‘Act’’)

January 5, 2001.

Notice is hereby given that the

following filing(s) has/have been made

with the Commission pursuant to

provisions of the Act and rules

promulgated under the Act. All

interested persons are referred to the

application(s) and/or declaration(s) for

complete statements of the proposed

transaction(s) summarized below. The

application(s) and/or declaration(s) and

any amendment(s) is/are available for

public inspection through the

Commission’s Branch of Public

Reference.

Interested persons wishing to

comment or request a hearing on the

application(s) and/or declaration(s)

should submit their views in writing by

January 30, 2001, to the Secretary,

Securities and Exchange Commission,

Washington, DC 20549–0609, and serve

a copy on the relevant applicant(s) and/

or declarant(s) at the address(es)

specified below. Proof of service (by

affidavit or, in the case of an attorney at

law, by certificate) should be filed with

the request. Any request for hearing

should identify specifically the issues of

facts or law that are disputed. A person

who so requests will be notified of any

hearing, if ordered, and will receive a

copy of any notice or order issued in the

matter. After January 30, 2001, the

application(s) and/or declaration(s), as

filed or as amended, may be granted

and/or permitted to become effective.

Alliant Energy Corporation, et al. (70–

9455)

Alliant Energy Corporation (‘‘Alliant

Energy’’), a registered holding company,

its wholly owned nonutility subsidiary,

Alliant Energy Resources, Inc. (‘‘AER’’),

both of 222 West Washington Avenue,