Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 103 / Friday, May 26, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 34047

enclosure does not allow the 6 ft. (1.8

m) separation between multiple ground

rods, one rod is to be installed inside

the enclosure and the other outside. The

ground loop has been redrawn to show

a complete loop with a conductor feed

from the loop down to the ground rod.

(52) Drawing UM7–1: There is no

minimum ground clearance shown on

any pole structures. If RUS does not

want to show minimum clearances,

perhaps a note regarding the source for

clearance information would be in

order.

Response: RUS agrees there is

possible confusion here. Clearances

were omitted purposefully because

alternative working methods may be

implemented along with appropriate

alternative working clearances as a

means of providing safety. To allay

concerns of this comment, RUS revised

the drawing by adding a note which

states that clearances must meet NESC

requirements.

(53) Certain existing drawings (UC5)

are a different design from the proposed

drawings. Certain materials used are

different and the specification will also

have different record units.

Response: RUS agrees and has

changed the drawing numbers to the

applicable drawings.

(54) When RUS changes a

construction specification, maybe RUS

should add a suffix to indicate that

change (example: UC5 change to UC5A

or UC5–1, or UC5–98)

Response: RUS agrees and has

changed the drawing numbers to the

applicable drawings.

(55) Drawing UM48–2: The drawing

shows the use of two ground rods in the

elevation view, however, the quantity of

rods is left open in the material list. I

and a number of fellow workers and

clients feel that it would be helpful to

add a note 3 stating that the quantity of

rods is to be determined by the specifier

and that the use of two rods rather than

one at a multi-phase transformer or

enclosure is not a standard or a

requirement by RUS.

Response: RUS agrees. Depending on

the condition and type of soil,

installation of multiple ground rods may

be necessary to attain a desirable ground

resistance. Thus, ground rods need to be

specified separately.

In response to this comment, RUS

added the following note to the

drawing: ‘‘The quantity of rods is to be

determined by the specifier. The use of

two rods rather than one at a multiphase transformer or enclosure is not a

standard or a requirement by RUS.’’

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 1728

Electric power, Incorporation by

reference, Loan programs-energy, Rural

areas.

For reasons set out in the preamble,

RUS is amending 7 CFR part 1728 as

follows:

PART 1728—ELECTRIC STANDARDS

AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR

MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

1. The authority citation for part 1728

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq., 1921 et

seq., 6941 et seq.

2. Section 1728.97 is amended by

revising paragraph (a) and by adding, in

numerical order, the entry for Bulletin

1728F–806 to paragraph (b). The

revision and addition read as follows:

§ 1728.97 Incorporation by reference of

electric standards and specifications.

(a) The following electric bulletins

have been approved for incorporation

by reference by the Director of the Office

of the Federal Register. The bulletins

containing construction standards (50–3

to 50–6 and 1728F–803 to 1728F–811),

may be purchased from the

Superintendent of Documents, U.S.

Government Printing Office,

Washington, DC 20402. The bulletins

containing specifications for materials

and equipment (50–15 to 50–99 and

1728F–700) may be obtained from the

Rural Utilities Service, Program

Development and Regulatory Analysis,

Stop 1522, Room 4028-S, Washington,

DC 20250–1522. The terms ‘‘RUS form’’,

‘‘RUS standard form’’, ‘‘RUS

specification’’, and ‘‘RUS bulletin’’ have

the same meanings as the terms ‘‘REA

form’’, ‘‘REA standard form’’, ‘‘REA

specification’’, and ‘‘REA bulletin’’,

respectively unless otherwise indicated.

The bulletins are available for

inspection at the Office of the Federal

Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW,

Suite 700, Washington, DC. These

materials are incorporated as they exist

on the date of the approval and a notice

of any change in these materials will be

published in the Federal Register.

(b) * * *

Bulletin 1728F–806 (D–806),

Specifications and Drawings for

Underground Electric Distribution, June

2000.

* * * * *

Dated: May 15, 2000.

Jill Long Thompson,

Under Secretary, Rural Development.

[FR Doc. 00–13293 Filed 5–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

12 CFR Part 201

[Regulation A]

Extensions of Credit by Federal

Reserve Banks; Change in Discount

Rate

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the

Federal Reserve System.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Board of Governors has

amended its Regulation A on Extensions

of Credit by Federal Reserve Banks to

reflect its approval of an increase in the

basic discount rate at each Federal

Reserve Bank. The Board acted on

requests submitted by the Boards of

Directors of the twelve Federal Reserve

Banks.

DATES: The amendments to part 201

(Regulation A) were effective May 16,

2000. The rate changes for adjustment

credit were effective on the dates

specified in 12 CFR 201.51.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer J. Johnson, Secretary of the

Board, at (202) 452–3259; for users of

Telecommunications Device for the Deaf

(TDD), contact Janice Simms, at (202)

872–4984, Board of Governors of the

Federal Reserve System, 20th and C

Streets NW, Washington, D.C. 20551.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to the authority of sections 10(b), 13, 14,

19, et al., of the Federal Reserve Act, the

Board has amended its Regulation A (12

CFR part 201) to incorporate changes in

discount rates on Federal Reserve Bank

extensions of credit. The discount rates

are the interest rates charged to

depository institutions when they

borrow from their district Reserve

Banks.

The ‘‘basic discount rate’’ is a fixed

rate charged by Reserve Banks for

adjustment credit and, at the Reserve

Banks’ discretion, for extended credit

for up to 30 days. In increasing the basic

discount rate from 5.5 percent to 6.0

percent, the Board acted on requests

submitted by the Boards of Directors of

the twelve Federal Reserve Banks. The

new rates were effective on the dates

specified below. The 50-basis-point

increase in the discount rate was

associated with a similar increase in the

federal funds rate approved by the

Federal Open Market Committee and

announced at the same time.

Increases in demand have remained

in excess of even the rapid pace of

productivity-driven gains in potential

supply, exerting continued pressure on

resources. The Board and the Reserve

Banks are concerned that this disparity

34048 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 103 / Friday, May 26, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

in the growth of demand and potential

supply will continue, which could

foster inflationary imbalances that

would undermine the economy’s

outstanding performance. Against the

background of the long-term goals of

price stability and sustainable economic

growth and of the information currently

available, the Board and the Reserve

Banks believe the risks are weighted

mainly toward conditions that may

generate heightened inflation pressures

in the foreseeable future.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

Pursuant to section 605(b) of the

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C.

605(b)), the Board certifies that the

change in the basic discount rate will

not have a significant adverse economic

impact on a substantial number of small

entities. The rule does not impose any

additional requirements on entities

affected by the regulation.

Administrative Procedure Act

The provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(b)

relating to notice and public

participation were not followed in

connection with the adoption of the

amendment because the Board for good

cause finds that delaying the change in

the basic discount rate in order to allow

notice and public comment on the

change is impracticable, unnecessary,

and contrary to the public interest in

fostering price stability and sustainable

economic growth.

The provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553(d) that

prescribe 30 days prior notice of the

effective date of a rule have not been

followed because section 553(d)

provides that such prior notice is not

necessary whenever there is good cause

for finding that such notice is contrary

to the public interest. As previously

stated, the Board determined that

delaying the changes in the basic

discount rate is contrary to the public

interest.

List of Subjects in 12 CFR Part 201

Banks, banking, Credit, Federal

Reserve System.

For the reasons set out in the

preamble, 12 CFR part 201 is amended

as set forth below:

PART 201—EXTENSIONS OF CREDIT

BY FEDERAL RESERVE BANKS

(REGULATION A)

1. The authority citation for 12 CFR

part 201 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 12 U.S.C. 343 et seq., 347a,

347b, 347c, 347d, 348 et seq., 357, 374, 374a

and 461.

2. Section 201.51 is revised to read as

follows:

§ 201.51 Adjustment credit for depository

institutions.

The rates for adjustment credit

provided to depository institutions

under § 201.3(a) are:

Federal Reserve

Bank Rate Effective

Boston ................... 6.0 May 16, 2000.

New York ............... 6.0 May 19, 2000.

Philadelphia ........... 6.0 May 18, 2000.

Cleveland ............... 6.0 May 16, 2000.

Richmond .............. 6.0 May 16, 2000.

Atlanta ................... 6.0 May 17, 2000.

Chicago ................. 6.0 May 17, 2000.

St. Louis ................ 6.0 May 18, 2000.

Minneapolis ........... 6.0 May 18, 2000.

Kansas City ........... 6.0 May 17, 2000.

Dallas ..................... 6.0 May 17, 2000.

San Francisco ....... 6.0 May 16, 2000.

By order of the Board of Governors of the

Federal Reserve System, May 23, 2000.

Jennifer J. Johnson,

Secretary of the Board.

[FR Doc. 00–13309 Filed 5–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6210–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 99–NM–65–AD; Amendment

39–11741; AD 2000–10–17]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; Boeing

Model 747 Series Airplanes Equipped

With Pratt & Whitney JT9D–70 Series

Engines

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a

new airworthiness directive (AD),

applicable to certain Boeing Model 747

series airplanes, that requires

inspections, tests, and certain

modifications of the thrust reverser

control and indication system and

wiring on each engine, and corrective

action, if necessary. This amendment

also requires installation of a

terminating modification, and repetitive

functional tests of that installation to

detect discrepancies, and repair, if

necessary. This amendment is prompted

by the results of a safety review, which

revealed that in-flight deployment of a

thrust reverser could result in

significant reduction in airplane

controllability. The actions specified by

this AD are intended to ensure the

integrity of the fail-safe features of the

thrust reverser system by preventing

possible failure modes, which could

result in inadvertent deployment of a

thrust reverser during flight, and

consequent reduced controllability of

the airplane.

DATES: Effective June 30, 2000.

The incorporation by reference of

certain publications listed in the

regulations is approved by the Director

of the Federal Register as of June 30,

2000.

ADDRESSES: The service information

referenced in this AD may be obtained

from Boeing Commercial Airplane

Group, P.O. Box 3707, Seattle,

Washington 98124–2207. This

information may be examined at the

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),

Transport Airplane Directorate, Rules

Docket, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW.,

Renton, Washington; or at the Office of

the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol

Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Larry Reising, Aerospace Engineer,

Propulsion Branch, ANM–140S, FAA,

Transport Airplane Directorate, Seattle

Aircraft Certification Office, 1601 Lind

Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington

98055–4056; telephone (425) 227–2683;

fax (425) 227–1181.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to

include an airworthiness directive (AD)

that is applicable to certain Boeing

Model 747 series airplanes was

published in the Federal Register on

February 4, 2000 (65 FR 5459). That

action proposed to require inspections,

tests, and certain modifications of the

thrust reverser control and indication

system and wiring on each engine, and

corrective action, if necessary. That

action also proposed to require

installation of a terminating

modification, and repetitive functional

tests of that installation to detect

discrepancies, and repair, if necessary.

Comments

Interested persons have been afforded

an opportunity to participate in the

making of this amendment. No

comments were submitted in response

to the proposal or the FAA’s

determination of the cost to the public.

Conclusion

The FAA has determined that air

safety and the public interest require the

adoption of the rule as proposed.

Cost Impact

There are approximately 7 Model 747

series airplanes of the affected design in

the worldwide fleet. The FAA estimates