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.

Notices Federal Register

31300

Vol. 65, No. 96

Wednesday, May 17, 2000

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Notice of Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative

Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection, comments

requested.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Rural BusinessCooperative Service’s (RBS) intention to

request an extension for a currently

approved information collection in

support of the program for Rural

Cooperative Development Grants.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by July 17, 2000, to be assured

of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James E. Haskell, Assistant Deputy

Administrator, Cooperative Services,

Rural Business-Cooperative Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop

3250, Room 4016, South Agriculture

Building, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20250–3250.

Telephone (202) 720–8460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Rural Cooperative Development

Grants.

OMB Number: 0570–0006.

Expiration Date of Approval:

September 30, 2000.

Type of Request: Intent to extend the

clearance for collection of information

under RD Instruction 4282–F, Rural

Cooperative Development Grants.

Abstract: The primary purpose of the

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

(RBS) is to promote understanding, use,

and development of the cooperative

form of business as a viable option for

enhancing the income of agricultural

producers and other rural residents. The

primary objective of the Rural

Cooperative Development Grant

program is to improve the economic

condition of rural areas through

cooperative development. Grants will be

awarded on a competitive basis to

nonprofit corporations and institutions

of higher education based on specific

selection criteria.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 24 hours per

grant application.

Respondents: Nonprofit corporations

and institutions of higher education.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

50.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 1.

Estimated Number of Responses: 50.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 1,848 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Cheryl Thompson,

Regulations and Paperwork

Management Division, at (202) 692–

0043.

Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of RBS, including

whether the information will have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy RBS

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 those who

are to respond, 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 Cheryl

Thompson, Regulations and Paperwork

Management Division, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, Rural Development, Stop

0742, 1400 Independence Ave. SW.,

Washington, DC 20250. All responses to

this notice will be summarized and

included in the request for OMB

approval. All comments will also

become a matter of public record.

Dated: May 10, 2000.

Dayton J. Watkins,

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative

Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12334 Filed 5–16–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–U

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Corporation; Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an

Environmental Assessment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS),

pursuant to the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C.

4321 et seq.), the Council on

Environmental Quality (CEQ)

Regulations for Implementing NEPA (40

CFR Parts 1500–1508), and RUS

Environmental Policies and Procedures

(7 CFR Part 1794) proposes to prepare

an Environmental Assessment related to

possible financial assistance to Arkansas

Electric Cooperative Corporation for the

construction of a 153 megawatt (MW)

combustion turbine electric generating

plant in southwest Arkansas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob

Quigel, Engineering and Environmental

Staff, Rural Utilities Service, Stop 1571,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–1571, telephone

(202) 720–0468. The E-mail address is

bquigel@rus.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Arkansas

Electric Cooperative Corporation

proposes to construct the plant at a 159

acre site east of Fulton, Arkansas.

Fulton is located in Hempstead County.

The project, as proposed, would

consist of a 153 MW gas-fired, simple

cycle combustion turbine and a watercooled generator. The plant will have a

90-foot exhaust stack, step-up and

auxiliary transformers, motor control

centers, bus ductwork, an electric

substation, and control, maintenance,

and operations buildings. The project

would require 4 miles of 115 kV

transmission line to tie the plant to the

existing transmission grid. (The

transmission line will be built to 161 kV

specifications in anticipation that

additional transmission line capacity

may be needed in the future.)

The facility will be designed to

accommodate conversion of the plant to

combined cycle operation, but will be

initially operated as a simple cycle

plant. The site will also be designed to

accommodate the addition of one or

more simple or combined cycle units.

However, the Environmental