This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

45176

Vol. 62, No. 165

Tuesday, August 26, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

7 CFR Part 1728

Electric Overhead Distribution Lines;

Specifications and Drawings for 24.9/

14.4 kV Line Construction

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service

(RUS) proposes to revise its bulletin of

specifications and drawings for 24.9/

14.4 kV overhead distribution line

construction. RUS proposes to separate

the bulletin into 19 sections. Each

section would contain an index,

construction specifications and a group

of similar drawings of construction

assemblies which perform a common

function. RUS proposes to change the

drawing number on each drawing to

conform to a new, functional format.

RUS also proposes certain additional

technical changes to the 154 drawings

so that construction assemblies would

conform to current RUS construction

requirements and specifications which

would make the drawings more

readable. Where applicable, the

drawings would show allowable loading

limits and reference to new tables which

would show maximum line angles.

Existing specifications, such as pole

setting depths, would not be modified,

however, they would be moved to the

section that contains wood poles. RUS

proposes to renumber and reformat this

bulletin in accordance with its new

publications and directives system.

DATES: Written comments must be

received by RUS by October 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments

to Mr. George J. Bagnall, Director,

Electric Staff Division, Rural Utilities

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., STOP

1569, Washington, DC 20250–1569. RUS

requires a signed original and three

copies of all comments (7 CFR

1700.30(e)). Comments will be available

for public inspection during regular

business hours (7 CFR 1.27(b)).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

James L. Bohlk, Electrical Engineer,

Distribution Branch, Electric Staff

Division, Rural Utilities Service, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW., STOP

1569, Washington, DC 20250–1569.

Telephone: (202) 720–1967. Fax: (202)

720–7491.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12866

This rule was waived from Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) review.

Executive Order 12372

This proposed rule is excluded from

the scope of Executive Order 12372,

Intergovernmental Consultation, which

may require consultation with State and

local officials. A Notice of Final Rule

entitled Department Programs and

Activities Excluded from Executive

Order 12372 (50 FR 47034) exempts

RUS loans and loan guarantees from

coverage under this order.

Executive Order 12988

This proposed rule has been reviewed

under Executive Order 12988, Civil

Justice Reform. RUS has determined

that this proposed rule meets the

applicable standards provided in Sec. 3.

of the Executive Order.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

The Administrator of RUS has

determined that a rule relating to the

RUS electric loan program is not a rule

as defined in the Regulatory Flexibility

Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), and therefore,

the Regulatory Flexibility Act does not

apply to this proposed rule.

Information Collection and

Recordkeeping Requirements

This proposed rule contains no

reporting or recordkeeping provisions

requiring Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) approval under the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended).

National Environmental Policy Act

Certification

The Administrator of RUS has

determined that this rule will not

significantly affect the quality of the

human environment as defined by the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Therefore,

this action does not require an

environmental impact statement or

assessment.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

This program described by this

proposed rule is listed in the Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance Programs

under No. 10.850, Rural Electrification

Loans and Loan Guarantees. This

catalog is available on a subscription

basis from the Superintendent of

Documents, U.S. Government Printing

Office, Washington, DC 20402–9325.

Background

Pursuant to the Rural Electrification

Act of 1936 as amended (7 U.S.C. 901

et seq.), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS)

proposes to amend 7 CFR Chapter XVII,

Part 1728, Electric Standards and

Specification for Materials and

Construction, by revising RUS Bulletin

50–5 (D–803), Specification and

Drawings for 14.4/24.9 kV Line

Construction, and renumbering it as

RUS Bulletin 1728F–803. RUS

maintains a system of bulletins that

contains construction standards and

specifications for materials and

equipment. These standards and

specifications apply to system facilities

constructed by RUS electric and

telecommunications borrowers in

accordance with the RUS loan contract,

and contain standard construction units,

material and equipment units

commonly used in RUS electric and

telecommunication borrowers’ systems.

RUS Bulletin 50–5 provides

dimensioned drawings of standard

assembly units and specifications for

the construction of 24.9/14.4 kV

overhead electric distribution lines.

RUS proposes to change the bulletin

number from RUS Bulletin 50–5 to RUS

Bulletin 1728F–803. The change in the

bulletin number and reformatting is

necessary to conform to RUS’ new

publications and directives system. This

bulletin will be incorporated by

reference in 7 CFR part 1728.97. It may

be purchased from the Superintendent

of Documents, U.S. Government

Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402–

9325.

The major proposed changes are

described below.

The proposed bulletin has been

separated into 19 different sections or

categories. Each section generally

contains construction specifications
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 165 / Tuesday, August 26, 1997 / Proposed Rules 45177

related to the category, an index of

drawings in the section and several

similar construction drawings of

assemblies which are designed to

perform a similar function. The

proposed bulletin also contains an

overall index and general construction

specifications. Also added to the

proposed bulletin are additional new

tables displaying maximum line angles

and soil classifications.

The drawing numbers on all the

proposed modified drawings have been

slightly changed. The drawing number

on each new and modified drawing is in

a new, uniform format based on the

original RUS numbering scheme and

format in which each character in the

number has a functional meaning

related to the contents of the drawings.

Approximately 63 construction

drawings in previous bulletin 50–5 have

been deleted in the proposed bulletin.

Each drawing was eliminated for one or

more of the following reasons:

(a) There is a conflict in the

permissible line angles between the

primary conductor supports and the

neutral conductor supports;

(b) The assembly contains material no

longer listed in Information Publication

202–1, ‘‘List of Materials Acceptable for

Use on Systems of RUS Electrification

Borrowers’’;

(c) The assembly or assemblies have

been renumbered and reorganized and

included in the proposed bulletin as a

new drawing;

(d) The assembly design is no longer

acceptable as a RUS construction

standard for mechanical strength or

clearance reasons;

(e) The drawing is redundant of

another similar drawing and thus not

needed or useful;

(f) The assembly design is no longer

preferred or commonly used; or,

(g) The drawing contains construction

instructions or details which are no

longer applicable to RUS construction

standards.

Corrections or modifications are being

proposed to approximately 89 drawings

of the bulletin. Each revised drawing

contains one or more of the following

changes:

(a) Each drawing was given a new,

shorter, simpler and more uniform

drawing title or name;

(b) The primary system voltage of

‘‘24.9/14.4 kV’’ and the number of

primary phases were drawn in a

uniform place in the title block on each

drawing where this information is

relevant;

(c) The number (quantity) of locknuts

is shown in the material list of all the

drawings that have these items;

(d) The revised drawings specify that

crossarms be generally installed one

foot, six inches from the top of the pole

to utilize the new predrilled hole

arrangement in the new RUS standard

pole drilling guide;

(e) The new drawings depict the use

of three, more modern, 41⁄4 inch primary

suspension insulators for primary

conductors instead of 2–6 inch

insulators as shown on the previous

drawings;

(f) New technical information, defined

as ‘‘design parameters’’ would be added

to the title blocks on most of the

drawings. These design parameters

include maximum line angels

(referenced to the new tables),

maximum longitudinal, transverse or

unbalanced loads, maximum working

load or maximum holding power. This

new technical information defines and

usually limits the physical applications

of the assembly units shown on the

drawings; and,

(g) Several of the revised drawings

contain new advisory notes, technical

information and references to other

drawings.

Approximately 87 new drawings are

being proposed. Many of these proposed

new drawings are of construction

assemblies from the previous bulletin

that have been modified as appropriate,

renumbered and reorganized. Other new

drawings were added to exhibit one or

more of the following:

(a) The application of post-type

insulators;

(b) Construction guides and design

details;

(c) New equipment and new design;

and

(d) Details of subassembly units.

A few new drawings would be added

to replace, with modifications as

required, needed drawings or

assemblies which were deleted from the

previous bulletin for the reasons

previously given.

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 proposes to amend 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.; 7 U.S.C.

1921 et seq.; Pub L. 103–354, 108 Stat. 3178

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

2. Section 1728.97(b) is amended by

removing the entry for Bulletin 50–5

and adding to the list of bulletins, in

numerical order, the entry for Bulletin

1728F–803, to read as follows:

§ 1728.97 Incorporation by reference of

electric standards and specifications.

* * * * *

(b) List of Bulletins.

* * * * *

Bulletin 1728F–803, Specifications

and Drawings for 24.9/14.4 kV Line

Construction ([Month and year of

effective date of final rule])

* * * * *

Dated: August 18, 1997.

Jill Long Thompson,

Under Secretary, Rural Development.

[FR Doc. 97–22523 Filed 8–25–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

12 CFR Part 250

[Miscellaneous Interpretations; Docket R–

0977]

Applicability of Sections 23A and 23B

of the Federal Reserve Act to

Transactions Between a Member Bank

and its Subsidiaries

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the

Federal Reserve System.

ACTION: Proposed rule; Extension of

comment period.

SUMMARY: On July 3, 1997 (62 FR 37744,

July 15, 1997), the Board requested

comment on a proposal to apply

sections 23A and 23B to transactions

between a member bank and any

subsidiary that engages in activities that

are impermissible for the bank itself and

that Congress has not previously

exempted from coverage by section 23A.

In response to requests for an extension

of the comment period, the Secretary of

the Board, acting pursuant to delegated

authority, has extended the comment

period from September 3, 1997 to

October 3, 1997.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before October 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments, which refer to

Docket No. R–0977, may be mailed to

Mr. William W. Wiles, Secretary, Board

of Governors of the Federal Reserve

System, 20th Street and Constitution

Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20551.

Comments address to Mr. Wiles also

may be delivered to the Board’s mail

room between 8:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.

and to the security control room outside

of those hours. Both the mail room and

the security control room are accessible