43696 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 158 / Friday, August 15, 1997 / Notices

Lentils. The class Lentils is defined as

‘‘All lentils of the Chilean type, with not

more than 2.0 percent of Persian

lentils.’’ Persian lentils are defined as

‘‘All lentils of the Persian type, with not

more than 2.0 percent of Chilean

lentils.’’ Mixed lentils are ‘‘Any mixture

of lentils consisting predominately of

Chilean lentils or of Persian lentils,

which contains more than 2.0 percent of

lentils other than those of the

predominating class.’’

All lentils grown and marketed in the

United States, regardless of their size,

shape, or color, are considered to be of

the Chilean type and classed as

‘‘Lentils.’’ Furthermore, the class names

‘‘Persian lentils’’ and ‘‘Mixed lentils’’

are neither domestically nor

internationally recognized terms. With

the recent introduction of small-seeded

Chilean types, there is an increased risk

that such lentils may be misclassified as

Persian lentils. This could confuse lentil

importers and needlessly disrupt the

market. To provide greater uniformity

within the U.S. lentil standards, GIPSA

is proposing to eliminate the classes

Persian and Mixed lentils.

Inconspicuous Admixture

Lentils—like most other crops—are

susceptible to field contamination by

volunteer crops and weeds. Most such

weeds can be controlled with herbicide

solutions. However, even if reasonable

measures are taken, some weed seeds,

volunteer grain, and other undesirable

plant material are usually harvested

with the lentils. Small and large seeded

weeds/grain can be easily removed from

the thresher-run lentils (i.e., dockage)

and seeds that are the same size as

lentils can also be removed with relative

ease (i.e., foreign material). But, seeds

that are the same size, shape, and color

as lentils are very difficult to virtually

impossible to remove. Fortunately,

packers, exporters, and end-users do not

view seeds that closely mimic the

appearance of lentils, such as Vicia

sativa (commonly known as vetch,

mimics, or rogue lentils ), as being as

detrimental to quality as dockage or

foreign material. Hence, the U.S. lentil

industry feels that such seeds should

not be considered as foreign material,

but as a separate factor.

The U.S. lentil industry is committed

to quality and has encouraged producers

to take all appropriate action to control

the spread of lentil-mimics. To facilitate

this process and to ensure that lentil

quality is determined accurately, GIPSA

is proposing to establish a new factor,

Inconspicuous Admixture. This factor

will be defined as ‘‘Any seed which is

difficult to distinguish from a lentil,

including, but not limited to Vicia

sativa.’’

U.S. Standards for Whole Dry Peas

The present U.S. Standards for Peas

provide for five classes of peas: Smooth

Green Dry peas, Smooth Yellow Dry

peas, Wrinkled Dry peas, Winter Dry

peas, and Mixed Dry peas. In recent

years, several new types of peas have

been developed or introduced that do

not readily fit within any of the current

classes. To better facilitate the

marketing of these peas, GIPSA is

proposing to revise the U.S. Standards

for Whole Dry Peas to establish a new

class, Miscellaneous peas. Accordingly,

peas that are not otherwise classified in

the standards would be classified and

designated according to the commonly

accepted commercial name for the pea,

e.g., Marrowfat peas. These proposed

standard changes were recommended to

us and reviewed by the affected trade.

Therefore, GIPSA is publishing these

proposed standard changes with a 30-

day comment period which will provide

a sufficient amount of time for

interested persons to comment on

changes to the standards.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.

Dated: August 8, 1997.

James R. Baker,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–21570 Filed 8–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–EN–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Plains Electric Generation and

Transmission Cooperative, Inc.; Intent

To Hold Public Workshops and

Prepare an Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to conduct

public scoping workshops and prepare

an Environmental Assessment.

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service

(RUS) intends to hold public scoping

workshops and prepare an

Environmental Assessment (EA) in

connection with possible RUS financing

assistance relating to a project proposed

by Plains Electric Generation and

Transmission Cooperative, Inc. (Plains),

of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The

project consists of the construction,

operation and maintenance of a 230 kV

transmission line from a proposed

substation near Gladstone in Colifax

County, New Mexico, to the Walsenburg

Substation in Huerfano County,

Colorado.

DATES: RUS will conduct five public

scoping workshops as follows:

September 17, 1997

4:00–8:00 p.m.—Walsenburg City Hall,

525 S. Albert Street, Walsenburg,

Colorado 81089.

September 18, 1997

4:00–8:00 p.m.—Trinidad Community

Center, 1309 Beashoar Drive,

Trinidad, Colorado 81082.

September 22, 1997

4:00–8:00 p.m.— Holiday Inn, 473

Clayton Road, Raton, New Mexico

87740.

September 23, 1997

4:00–8:00 p.m.— Springer Electric

Cooperative, 420 Maxwell Avenue,

Springer, New Mexico 87747.

September 24, 1997

4:00–8:00 p.m.—Clayton Air Park

Convention Center, Cedar Road,

Clayton, New Mexico 88415.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dennis E. Rankin, Engineering and

Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities

Service, 1400 Independence Avenue,

S.W., Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250,

telephone (202) 720–1784, or Rick

Precek, Plains Electric Generation and

Transmission Cooperative, Inc., P.O.

Box 6551, Albuquerque, New Mexico

87197, telephone (505) 889–7207.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Plains is

proposing to construct approximately

115 miles of 230 kV transmission line

from a new substation near Gladstone in

Colifax County, New Mexico, to the

Walsenburg Substation in Huerfano

County, Colorado.

Alternatives to be considered by RUS

include no action, local generation,

system alternatives, transmission

alternatives and alternative routes.

Comments regarding the proposed

project may be submitted orally or in

writing at the public scoping workshops

or in writing no later than October 24,

1997, to RUS or Plains at the addresses

provided in this notice.

Plains and its consultant have

prepared an Alternative Evaluation and

Macro-Corridor Study for the project.

The Alternative Evaluation and MacroCorridor Study is available for public

review at RUS or Plains at the addresses

provided in this notice. The documents

can also be reviewed at Springer Electric

Cooperative, Inc., Springer, New Mexico

87747; Southwestern Electric

Cooperative, Inc., Clayton, New Mexico

88145; and in the libraries in the towns

of Walsenburg and Trinidad, Colorado,

and Raton, Clayton and Springer, New

Mexico.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 158 / Friday, August 15, 1997 / Notices 43697

An Environmental Assessment will be

prepared for the proposed project. Based

on a review of the Environmental

Assessment and other relevant

information, RUS will determine if the

preparation of an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) is warranted. Should

RUS determine that the preparation of

an EIS is not warranted, it will prepare

a Finding of No Significant Impact.

Any final action by RUS related to the

proposed project will be subject to, and

contingent upon, compliance with all

relevant Federal environmental laws

and regulations and completion of

environmental review procedures as

prescribed by the Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations and

RUS Environmental Policies and

Procedures.

Dated: August 12, 1997.

Wally Beyer,

Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97–21655 Filed 8–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Distance Learning and Telemedicine

Loan and Grant Program

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; deadline for submission

of grant and loan applications for FY

1997 funding.

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service

(RUS) is announcing that, in light of the

current situation regarding the

overburdened national delivery system,

RUS will accept Distance Learning and

Telemedicine loan and grant

applications received after the August

12, 1997, deadline if the application is

postmarked (or bears the equivalent) on

or before August 11, 1997.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This notice is effective

August 15, 1997.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June

13, 1997, RUS amended 7 CFR Part 1703

by publishing revised subpart D,

Distance Learning and Telemedicine

Loan and Grant Program, in the Federal

Register. In accordance with § 1703.113,

applications requesting grant funding

must be submitted to RUS to arrive no

later than August 12, 1997, to be

considered for fiscal year 1997 grant

funding. Because of delays experienced

in shipping parcels, RUS is concerned

with the ability of applicants to secure

the resources necessary to ensure that

applications are received by RUS by the

close of business, August 12, 1997.

Therefore, RUS will accept Distance

Learning and Telemedicine loan and

grant applications received after the

August 12, 1997, deadline if the

application is postmarked (or bears the

equivalent) on or before August 11,

1997.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq. and 950aaa

et seq., Pub. L. 103–354, 108 Stat 3178 (7

U.S.C. 6941 et seq.).

Dated: August 8, 1997.

Wally Beyer,

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.

[FR Doc. 97–21668 Filed 8–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–M

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR

SEVERELY DISABLED

Procurement List; Additions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled.

ACTION: Additions to the Procurement

List.

SUMMARY: This action adds to the

Procurement List commodities and

services to be furnished by nonprofit

agencies employing persons who are

blind or have other severe disabilities.

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase

From People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled, Crystal Square 3, Suite 403,

1735 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, Virginia 22202–3461.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Beverly Milkman (703) 603–7740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March

7 and June 27, 1997, the Committee for

Purchase From People Who Are Blind

or Severely Disabled published notices

(62 F.R. 10519 and 34686) of proposed

additions to the Procurement List.

After consideration of the material

presented to it concerning capability of

qualified nonprofit agencies to provide

the commodities and services and

impact of the additions on the current

or most recent contractors, the

Committee has determined that the

commodities and services listed below

are suitable for procurement by the

Federal Government under 41 U.S.C.

46–48c and 41 CFR 51–2.4.

I certify that the following action will

not have a significant impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The major factors considered for this

certification were:

1. The action will not result in any

additional reporting, recordkeeping or

other compliance requirements for small

entities other than the small

organizations that will furnish the

commodities and services to the

Government.

2. The action will not have a severe

economic impact on current contractors

for the commodities and services.

3. The action will result in

authorizing small entities to furnish the

commodities and services to the

Government.

4. There are no known regulatory

alternatives which would accomplish

the objectives of the Javits-WagnerO’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46–48c) in

connection with the commodities and

services proposed for addition to the

Procurement List.

Accordingly, the following

commodities and services are hereby

added to the Procurement List:

Commodities

Office and Miscellaneous Supplies

(Requirements for the Naval Training

Center, Great Lakes, Illinois)

Services

Administrative Services

General Services Administration

(FSS), 300 Ala Moana, Honolulu,

Hawaii

Janitorial/Custodial

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,

Arizona

Janitorial/Custodial

Lake Mead National Recreation Area,

Boulder City, Nevada

Laundry Service

Department of the Navy, Amphibious

Group Three, San Diego, California

Mail and Messenger Service

U.S. Army Garrison-Fitzsimons,

Aurora, Colorado

Operation of GSA Access Store

Philip Burton Federal Building and

U.S. Courthouse, 450 Golden Gate

Avenue, San Francisco, California

Operation of Postal Service Center

Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base,

North Carolina

Switchboard Operation

Department of Veterans Affairs

Medical Center, 400 Veterans

Boulevard, Biloxi, Mississippi

This action does not affect current

contracts awarded prior to the effective

date of this addition or options that may

be exercised under those contracts.

G. John Heyer,

General Counsel.

[FR Doc. 97–21643 Filed 8–14–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6353–01–P