Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Notices 38119 

Gyant, Deputy Regional Forester, at: 

USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest 

Region, ATTN: Inyo Forest Plan 

Objection, 1323 Club Dr., Vallejo, CA 

94592, Fax: (707) 562–9049. Note that 

the office hours for submitting a handdelivered objection are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 

p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding 

Federal holidays. Electronic objections 

may be submitted to objectionspacificsouthwest-regional-office@

fs.fed.us in common formats (.doc, 

.docx, .rtf, .pdf, or .txt) with ‘‘Inyo 

Forest Plan Objection’’ or ‘‘Inyo species 

of conservation concern’’ in the subject 

line. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Inyo 

National Forest Environmental 

Coordinator, Leeann Murphy at 760– 

873–2404 or lbmurphy@fs.fed.us. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 

between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern 

Time, Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

The decision to approve the revised 

forest plan for the Inyo National Forest 

and the Regional Forester’s list of SCC 

will be subject to the objection process 

identified in 36 CFR part 219 Subpart B 

(219.50 to 219.62). An objection must 

include the following (36 CFR 

219.54(c)): 

(1) The objector’s name and address 

along with a telephone number or email 

address if available. In cases where no 

identifiable name is attached to an 

objection, the Forest Service will 

attempt to verify the identity of the 

objector to confirm objection eligibility; 

(2) Signature or other verification of 

authorship upon request (a scanned 

signature for electronic mail may be 

filed with the objection); 

(3) Identification of the lead objector, 

when multiple names are listed on an 

objection. The Forest Service will 

communicate to all parties to an 

objection through the lead objector. 

Verification of the identity of the lead 

objector must also be provided if 

requested; 

(4) The name of the plan revision 

being objected to, and the name and title 

of the responsible official; 

(5) A statement of the issues and/or 

parts of the plan revision to which the 

objection applies; 

(6) A concise statement explaining the 

objection and suggesting how the 

proposed plan decision may be 

improved. If the objector believes that 

the plan revision is inconsistent with 

law, regulation, or policy, an 

explanation should be included; 

(7) A statement that demonstrates the 

link between the objector’s prior 

substantive formal comments and the 

content of the objection, unless the 

objection concerns an issue that arose 

after the opportunities for formal 

comment; and 

(8) All documents referenced in the 

objection (a bibliography is not 

sufficient), except that the following 

need not be provided: 

a. All or any part of a Federal law or 

regulation, 

b. Forest Service Directive System 

documents and land management plans 

or other published Forest Service 

documents, 

c. Documents referenced by the Forest 

Service in the planning documentation 

related to the proposal subject to 

objection, and 

d. Formal comments previously 

provided to the Forest Service by the 

objector during the plan revision 

comment period. 

It is the responsibility of the objector 

to ensure that the Reviewing Officer 

receives the objection in a timely 

manner. The regulations prohibit 

extending the length of the objection 

filing period. 

Responsible Official 

The responsible official who will 

approve the ROD and the revised forest 

plan for the Inyo National Forest is 

Barbara Drake, Acting Forest 

Supervisor, Inyo National Forest, 351 

Pacu Lane Suite 200, Bishop, CA 

93514–3101. The responsible official for 

the SCC list is Randy Moore, Regional 

Forester, USDA Forest Service Pacific 

Southwest Region, 1323 Club Drive, 

Vallejo, CA 94592. 

The Regional Forester is the reviewing 

officer for the revised forest plan since 

the Forest Supervisor is the deciding 

official (36 CFR 219.56(e)(2)). The 

Regional Forester will consider 

comments received and respond to them 

in the FEIS and ROD. The decision to 

approve the SCC list will be subject to 

a separate objection process. The Chief 

of the Forest Service is the reviewing 

officer for SCC identification since the 

Regional Forester is the deciding official 

(36 CFR 219.56(e)(2)). Information about 

species of conservation concern is 

available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/ 

detail/r5/landmanagement/planning/ 

?cid=STELPRD3847418. 

Dated: June 29, 2018. 

Glenn P. Casamassa, 

Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 

System. 

[FR Doc. 2018–16662 Filed 8–2–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Notice of Solicitation of Applications 

for the Biorefinery, Renewable 

Chemical, and Biobased Product 

Manufacturing Assistance Program 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This Notice announces the 

solicitation of applications for funds 

available under the Biorefinery, 

Renewable Chemical, and Biobased 

Product Manufacturing Assistance 

Program (the Program) to provide 

guaranteed loans to fund the 

development, construction, and 

retrofitting of commercial scale 

biorefineries using eligible technology 

and of Biobased product manufacturing 

facilities that use technologically new 

commercial scale processing and 

manufacturing equipment to convert 

renewable chemicals and other biobased 

outputs of biorefineries into end-user 

products, on a commercial scale. 

DATES: With this Notice, the Agency is 

announcing two separate application 

cycles, as is provided which are 

application closing dates of 4:30 p.m. 

Eastern Daylight Time, October 1, 2018, 

and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, 

April 1, 2019. 

Applications must be received in the 

USDA Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, Energy Programs no later than 

4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time of the 

application closing date to compete for 

program funds. Any application 

received after 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight 

Time of the application closing date will 

be considered for the subsequent 

application cycle, provided that funding 

is available. 

ADDRESSES: Applications and forms may 

be obtained from: 

• USDA, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, Energy Programs, Attention: 

Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and 

Biobased Product Manufacturing 

Assistance Program, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Room 6901–S, Washington, 

DC 20250–3225. 

• Agency website: http://

forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/eForms/ 

welcomeAction.do?Home. Follow the 

instructions for obtaining the 

application and forms. Application 

materials can also be obtained from the 

Agency’s website. http://

www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/ 

biorefinery-assistance-program. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Aaron Morris, Assistant Deputy 

Administrator, USDA Rural BusinessVerDate Sep<11>2014 18:26 Aug 02, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\03AUN1.SGM 03AUN1

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38120 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Notices 

Cooperative Service, Energy Programs, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 

6901–S, Washington, DC 20250–3225. 

Telephone: 202–720–1501. Email: 

Aaron.Morris@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Preface 

The Agency encourages applications 

that will support recommendations 

made in the Rural Prosperity Task Force 

report to help improve life in rural 

America (www.usda.gov/ 

ruralprosperity). Applicants are 

encouraged to consider projects that 

provide measurable results in helping 

rural communities build robust and 

sustainable economies through strategic 

investments in infrastructure, 

partnerships, and innovation. Key 

strategies include: 

• Achieving e-Connectivity for Rural 

America 

• Developing the Rural Economy 

• Harnessing Technological 

Innovation 

• Supporting a Rural Workforce 

• Improving Quality of Life 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, the information 

collection requirements associated with 

the Program, as covered in this Notice, 

have been approved by the Office of 

Management Budget (OMB) under OMB 

Control Number 0570–0065. 

Overview 

Federal Agency Name: Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service (an 

Agency of USDA in the Rural 

Development mission area). 

Solicitation Opportunity Title: 

Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and 

Biobased Product Manufacturing 

Assistance Program. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Solicitation of Applications. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: The CFDA 

number for this Notice is 10.865. 

Dates: Applications must be received 

in the USDA Rural BusinessCooperative Service, Energy Programs 

no later than the application closing 

dates of 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight 

Time, October 1, 2018, and 4:30 p.m. 

Eastern Daylight Time, April 1, 2019. 

Any application received after 4:30 p.m. 

Eastern Daylight Time of the application 

closing date will be considered for the 

subsequent application cycle, provided 

that funding is available. 

Availability of Notice and Rule: This 

Notice and the interim rule for the 

Program are available on the USDA 

Rural Development website at: http://

www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/ 

biorefinery-assistance-program. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

A. Purpose of the Program. The 

purpose of the Biorefinery, Renewable 

Chemical, and Biobased Product 

Manufacturing Assistance Program is to 

assist in the development of new and 

emerging technologies for the 

development of advanced biofuels, 

renewable chemicals, and biobased 

product manufacturing. This is achieved 

through guarantees for loans made to 

fund the development, construction, 

and retrofitting of commercial scale 

biorefineries using eligible technology 

and of biobased product manufacturing 

facilities that use technologically new 

commercial scale processing and 

manufacturing equipment and required 

facilities to convert renewable 

chemicals and other biobased outputs of 

biorefineries into end-user products on 

a commercial scale. 

B. Statutory Authority. This Program 

is authorized under 7 U.S.C. 8103. 

Regulations are contained in 7 CFR part 

4279, subpart C and in 7 CFR part 4287, 

subpart D. 

C. Definition of Terms. The 

definitions applicable to this Notice are 

published at 7 CFR 4279.202 and 7 CFR 

4287.302. 

D. Application awards. The Agency 

will review, evaluate, score, and award 

applications received in response to this 

Notice based on the provisions found in 

7 CFR part 4279, subpart C and as 

indicated in this Notice. 

II. Award Information 

A. Available funds. This Notice is a 

solicitation for applications that will be 

funded using budget authority provided 

by the Food, Conservation, and Energy 

Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) and the 

Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm 

Bill). 

B. Type of Award. Guaranteed loan. 

C. Approximate Number of Awards. 

Subject to the amount of funding 

available. 

D. Guarantee Loan Funding. The 

provisions of 7 CFR 4279.232 apply to 

this Notice. The Borrower needs to 

provide the remaining funds from other 

non-Federal sources to complete the 

Project. 

E. Guarantee and Annual Renewal 

Fees. The guarantee and annual renewal 

fees specified in 7 CFR 4279.231 are 

applicable to this Notice. 

F. Anticipated Award Date. The 

award date will vary based on timing of 

completion of each project’s individual 

application process. 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Lenders. To be eligible for 

this program, lenders must meet the 

eligibility requirements in 7 CFR 

4279.208. 

B. Eligible Borrowers. To be eligible 

for this program, borrowers must meet 

the eligibility requirements in 7 CFR 

4279.209. 

C. Eligible Projects. To be eligible for 

this program, projects must meet the 

eligibility requirements in 7 CFR 

4279.210. 

D. Application Completeness. 

Incomplete Phase 1 applications will be 

rejected and the project will be given no 

further consideration. Lenders will be 

informed of the element(s) that made 

the application incomplete. If the lender 

makes the required edits and resubmits 

the application to the USDA’s Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service, Energy 

Programs by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight 

Time, on the application closing date, 

the Agency will reconsider the 

application. 

IV. Application Submission 

Information 

A. Letter of Intent. For each guarantee 

request, the lender or the borrower must 

submit to the Agency a non-binding 

letter of intent to apply for a loan 

guarantee, not less than 30 calendar 

days prior to the application deadline. 

The letter of intent due date is August 

31, 2018, for the October 1, 2018, 

application cycle and March 1, 2019, for 

the April 1, 2019, cycle. The letter must 

identify the borrower, the lender and 

any project sponsors; describe the 

project and project location; describe 

the proposed feedstock, primary 

technologies of the facility, and primary 

products produced; estimate the total 

project cost and amount of loan 

requested; and identify the application 

cycle due date. The Agency reserves the 

right to request additional information 

from potential applicants. Applications 

submitted without a letter of intent may 

be accepted by the Agency at the 

Agency’s discretion. 

B. Application Submittal. For each 

guarantee request, the lender must 

submit to the Agency an application 

that is in conformance with 7 CFR 

4279.261. The content and methods of 

application submittal are specified 

below. Additionally, the Agency has 

developed an application guide that 

explains the application procedures and 

details the process for submission of an 

application. This guide is located at 

http://www.rd.usda.gov/files/RBS_

Section9003Biorefinery_

ApplicationGuide.pdf. 

C. Content and Form of Submission. 

All applicants must submit one paper 

copy of the application materials and an 

electronic copy containing the same 

information that is included in the 


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paper copy. Detailed instructions 

regarding application submission are 

explained in the application guide that 

the Agency has developed. The 

application guide is available online on 

the ‘‘Forms and Resources’’ page at 

http://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/biorefinery-assistance-program 

or by contacting Aaron Morris, 

Telephone: 202–720–1501. Email: 

Aaron.Morris@wdc.usda.gov. 

Application materials should be 

submitted to USDA Rural BusinessCooperative Service, Energy Programs, 

Attention: Biorefinery, Renewable 

Chemical, and Biobased Product 

Manufacturing Assistance Program, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 

6901–S, Washington, DC 20250–3225. 

The Agency’s application process is 

divided into two phases. Phase 1 

applications will provide information 

needed to determine lender, borrower, 

and project eligibility; preliminary 

economic and technical feasibility; and 

the priority score of the application. 

Based on the priority score ranking, the 

Agency will invite applicants whose 

Phase 1 applications receive higher 

priority scores to submit Phase 2 

applications. Phase 2 application 

materials will be submitted as the 

project planning and engineering are 

finalized and will include information 

such as: Environmental compliance 

information, technical report, financial 

model, and the lender’s credit 

evaluation. Phase 1 applications must 

contain the information required in the 

Agency’s application guide and in 

accordance with 7 CFR 4279.261. 

D. Local Owner. For applications 

submitted under this Notice, when the 

majority of feedstock to be utilized by 

the project on an annual basis is 

harvested from the land, the term ‘‘local 

owner’’ is defined as an individual who 

owns any portion of an eligible 

biorefinery and whose primary 

residence is located within the 

geographic area that the biorefinery’s 

feedstock originates. In all other cases, 

‘‘local owner’’ is defined as an 

individual who owns any portion of an 

eligible biorefinery and whose primary 

residence is located within 100 miles of 

the biorefinery. This definition will 

remain in effect until amended by a 

future Federal Register Notice. 

V. Biobased Product Manufacturing 

This notice also includes the 

solicitation of applications for funds 

available under the Biorefinery, 

Renewable Chemical, and Biobased 

Product Manufacturing Assistance 

Program to specifically fund biobased 

product manufacturing. The 2014 Farm 

Bill added biobased product 

manufacturing to the Program and 

provided for up to 15 percent of the 

mandatory funds for fiscal years 2014 

and 2015 to be used to support facilities 

producing biobased products for end 

use. The 2014 Farm Bill provides the 

definition of ‘‘biobased product 

manufacturing,’’ which the Agency has 

incorporated into the subsequent 

interim rule (see 7 CFR 4279.202). This 

definition requires that the biobased 

product manufacturing facility use 

renewable chemicals and other biobased 

outputs of biorefineries as inputs and 

also requires that the borrower use 

technologically new commercial scale 

processing and manufacturing 

equipment and required facilities. The 

facility must produce end-user 

products. 

VI. Biobased Product Manufacturing 

Eligibility Information 

The eligibility requirements for 

prospective lenders and borrowers will 

not change from those listed above for 

the program, generally. For biobased 

product manufacturing projects, the 

eligible project requirement is modified 

to reflect that eligible projects will use 

technologically new commercial scale 

processing and manufacturing 

equipment and required facilities to 

convert renewable chemicals and other 

biobased outputs of biorefineries into 

end-user products on a commercial 

scale. 

Additionally, for purposes of biobased 

product manufacturing projects, only for 

purposes of technical review, technical 

reports need to address only the 

technologically new commercial scale 

processing and manufacturing 

equipment and required facilities. 

VII. Biobased Product Manufacturing 

Application Processing Procedures 

The application processing 

procedures will remain the same for 

biobased product manufacturing 

projects as for the projects described 

above. 

For applications submitted under this 

Notice, ‘‘local owner’’ is defined as an 

individual who owns any portion of an 

eligible biorefinery and whose primary 

residence is located within 100 miles of 

the biorefinery. 

VIII. Biobased Product Manufacturing 

Scoring 

In lieu of the criteria listed in 7 CFR 

4279.266, biobased product 

manufacturing projects will be scored 

using the criteria listed below. The 

scoring criteria below will remain in 

effect until amended by another Federal 

Register Notice. The scoring criteria are 

as follows: 

(a) Whether the borrower has 

established a market for the 

manufactured biobased product, as 

applicable. A maximum of 16 points can 

be awarded. Points to be awarded will 

be determined as follows: 

(1) Degree of commitment of 

contracted sales agreements. A 

maximum of 6 points will be awarded. 

(i) If the borrower has signed contracts 

for purchase for greater than 50 percent 

of the dollar value of manufactured 

biobased product, 6 points will be 

awarded. 

(ii) If the borrower has signed letters 

of intent to enter into contracted sales 

agreements, or comparable 

documentation, for the purchase for 

greater than 50 percent of the dollar 

value of the manufactured biobased 

product, or combination of signed 

contracts or agreements and letters of 

intent or comparable documentation, 4 

points will be awarded. 

(iii) If the borrower has signed letters 

of interest to enter into contracted sales 

agreements, or comparable 

documentation, for the purchase for 

greater than 50 percent of the dollar 

value of the manufactured biobased 

product, or combination of signed 

contracts, letters of intent or comparable 

documentation, 2 points will be 

awarded. 

(2) Duration of contracted sales 

agreements. A maximum of 6 points 

will be awarded. 

(i) If the borrower commits to enter 

into contracted sales agreements prior to 

loan closing for purchase for greater 

than or equal to 50 percent of the dollar 

value of manufactured biobased product 

for the period not less than the loan 

term, 6 points will be awarded. 

(ii) If the borrower commits to enter 

into contracted sales agreements prior to 

loan closing for purchase for greater 

than or equal to 50 percent of the dollar 

value of the manufactured biobased 

product for the period not less than 5 

years but less than the term of the loan, 

4 points will be awarded. 

(iii) If the borrower commits to enter 

into contracted sales agreements prior to 

loan closing for purchase for greater 

than or equal to 50 percent of the dollar 

value of the manufactured biobased 

product for the period not less than 1 

year but less than 5 years, 2 points will 

be awarded. 

(3) Financial strength of the 

contracted sales agreement 

counterparty. A maximum of 4 points 

will be awarded. 

(i) If the borrower commits to enter 

into contracted sales agreements prior to 

loan closing for purchase for greater 

than or equal to 50 percent of the dollar 

value of the manufactured biobased 


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product with a counterparty with a 

corporate credit rating not less than AA, 

Aa2, or equivalent, 4 points will be 

awarded. 

(ii) If the borrower commits to enter 

into contracted sales agreements prior to 

loan closing for purchase for greater 

than or equal to 50 percent of the dollar 

value of the manufactured biobased 

product with a counterparty with a 

corporate credit rating less than AA, 

Aa2, or equivalent, but not less than 

A¥, or A3, or equivalent, 2 points will 

be awarded. 

(iii) If the borrower commits to enter 

into contracted sales agreements prior to 

loan closing for purchase for greater 

than or equal to 50 percent of the dollar 

value of the manufactured biobased 

product with a counterparty with a 

corporate credit rating less than A-, or 

A3, or equivalent, but not less than 

BBB-, or Baa3, or equivalent, 1 point 

will be awarded. 

(b) Whether the area in which the 

borrower proposes to place the project, 

defined as the area that will supply the 

renewable chemicals and other biobased 

outputs of biorefineries to the proposed 

project, has any other similar facilities. 

A maximum of 5 points can be awarded. 

Points to be awarded will be determined 

as follows: 

(1) If the area that will supply the 

renewable chemicals and other biobased 

outputs of biorefineries to the proposed 

project does not have any other similar 

facilities, 5 points will be awarded. 

(2) If there are other similar facilities 

located within the area that will supply 

the renewable chemicals and other 

biobased outputs of biorefineries to the 

proposed project, 0 points will be 

awarded. 

(c) Whether the borrower is proposing 

to use renewable chemicals and other 

biobased outputs of biorefineries not 

previously used in the biobased product 

manufacturing. A maximum of 10 

points can be awarded. Points to be 

awarded will be determined as follows: 

(1) If the borrower proposes to use 

renewable chemicals and other biobased 

outputs of biorefineries previously used 

in the manufacture of a biobased 

product in a commercial facility, 0 

points will be awarded. 

(2) If the borrower proposes to use 

renewable chemicals and other biobased 

outputs of biorefineries not previously 

used in the manufacture of a biobased 

product in a commercial facility, 10 

points will be awarded. 

(d) Whether the borrower is proposing 

to work with producer associations or 

cooperatives. A maximum of 5 points 

can be awarded. Points to be awarded 

will be determined as follows: 

(1) If at least 50 percent of the dollar 

value of renewable chemicals and other 

biobased outputs of biorefineries to be 

used by the proposed project will be 

supplied by producer associations and 

cooperatives or biorefineries supplied 

by producer associations and 

cooperatives, 5 points will be awarded. 

(2) If at least 30 percent of the dollar 

value of renewable chemicals and other 

biobased outputs of biorefineries to be 

used by the proposed project will be 

supplied by producer associations and 

cooperatives or biorefineries supplied 

by producer associations and 

cooperatives, 3 points will be awarded. 

(e) The level of financial participation 

by the borrower, including support from 

non-Federal Government sources and 

private sources. A maximum of 20 

points can be awarded. Points to be 

awarded will be determined as follows: 

(1) If the sum of the loan amount 

requested and other direct Federal 

funding is less than or equal to 50 

percent of total eligible project costs, 20 

points will be awarded. 

(2) If the sum of the loan amount 

requested and other direct Federal 

funding is greater than 50 percent but 

less than or equal to 55 percent of total 

eligible project costs, 16 points will be 

awarded. 

(3) If the sum of the loan amount 

requested and other direct Federal 

funding is greater than 55 percent but 

less than or equal to 60 percent of total 

eligible project costs, 12 points will be 

awarded. 

(4) If the sum of the loan amount and 

other direct Federal funding is greater 

than 60 percent but less than or equal 

to 65 percent of total eligible project 

costs, 8 points will be awarded. 

(5) If the sum of the loan amount and 

other direct Federal funding is greater 

than 65 percent but less than or equal 

to 70 percent of total eligible project 

costs, 4 points will be awarded. 

(f) Whether the borrower has 

established that the adoption of the 

manufacturing process proposed in the 

application will have a positive effect 

on three impact areas: resource 

conservation (e.g., water, soil, forest), 

public health (e.g., potable water, air 

quality), and the environment (e.g., 

compliance with an applicable 

renewable fuel standard, greenhouse 

gases, emissions, particulate matter). A 

maximum of 10 points can be awarded. 

Based on what the borrower has 

provided in either the application or the 

feasibility study, points to be awarded 

will be determined as follows: 

(1) If process adoption will have a 

positive impact on any one of the three 

impact areas (resource conservation, 

public health, or the environment), 3 

points will be awarded. 

(2) If process adoption will have a 

positive impact on two of the three 

impact areas, 6 points will be awarded. 

(3) If process adoption will have a 

positive impact on all three impact 

areas, 10 points will be awarded. 

(g) Whether the borrower can 

establish that, if adopted, the technology 

proposed in the application will not 

have any economically significant 

negative impacts on existing 

manufacturing plants or other facilities 

that use renewable chemicals and other 

biobased outputs of biorefineries. A 

maximum of 5 points can be awarded. 

Points to be awarded will be determined 

as follows: 

(1) If the borrower has failed to 

establish, through an independent thirdparty feasibility study, that the 

production technology proposed in the 

application, if adopted, will not have 

any economically significant negative 

impacts on existing manufacturing 

plants or other facilities that use similar 

renewable chemicals and other biobased 

outputs of biorefineries, 0 points will be 

awarded. 

(2) If the borrower has established, 

through an independent third-party 

feasibility study, that the production 

technology proposed in the application, 

if adopted, will not have any 

economically significant negative 

impacts on existing manufacturing 

plants or other facilities that use 

renewable chemicals and other biobased 

outputs of biorefineries, 5 points will be 

awarded. 

(h) The potential for rural economic 

development. A maximum of 10 points 

can be awarded. Points to be awarded 

will be determined as follows: 

(1) If the project is located in a rural 

area, 5 points will be awarded. 

(2) If the project creates jobs through 

direct employment with an average 

wage that exceeds the county median 

household wages where the project will 

be located, 5 points will be awarded. 

(i) The level of local ownership of the 

facility proposed in the application. For 

the purposes of this Notice, a local 

owner is defined as ‘‘An individual who 

owns any portion of an eligible 

advanced biofuel biorefinery and whose 

primary residence is located within 100 

miles of the biorefinery.’’ A maximum 

of 5 points can be awarded. Points to be 

awarded will be determined as follows: 

(1) If local owners have an ownership 

interest in the facility of more than 20 

percent but less than or equal to 50 

percent, 3 points will be awarded. 

(2) If local owners have an ownership 

interest in the facility of more than 50 

percent, 5 points will be awarded. 


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(j) Whether the project can be 

replicated. A maximum of 10 points can 

be awarded. Points to be awarded will 

be determined as follows: 

(1) If the project can be commercially 

replicated regionally (e.g., Northeast, 

Southwest, etc.), 5 points will be 

awarded. 

(2) If the project can be commercially 

replicated nationally, 10 points will be 

awarded. 

(k) If the project uses a particular 

technology, system, or process that is 

not currently operating at commercial 

scale as of October 1 of the fiscal year 

for which the funding is available; 

October 1, 2018, 5 points will be 

awarded. 

(l) The Administrator can award up to 

a maximum of 10 bonus points: 

(1) To ensure, to the extent practical, 

there is diversity in the types of projects 

approved for loan guarantees to ensure 

a wide a range as possible technologies, 

products, and approaches are assisted in 

the program portfolio; and 

(2) To applications that promote 

partnerships and other activities that 

assist in the development of new and 

emerging technologies for the 

development of renewable chemicals 

and other biobased outputs of 

biorefineries, so as to, as applicable, 

promote resource conservation, public 

health, and the environment; diversify 

markets for agricultural and forestry 

products and agriculture waste material; 

and create jobs and enhance the 

economic development of the rural 

economy. No additional information 

regarding partnerships is provided at 

this time. If additional information does 

become available, the Agency will 

publish those details in a Federal 

Register notice. 

IX. General Program Information 

A. Loan Origination. Lenders seeking 

a loan guarantee under this Notice must 

comply with all of the provisions found 

in 7 CFR 4279, subpart C. 

B. Loan Processing. The Agency will 

process loans guaranteed under this 

Notice in accordance with the 

provisions specified in 7 CFR 4279.260 

through 4279.290. 

C. Evaluation of Applications and 

Awards. Awards under this Notice will 

be made on a competitive basis; 

submission of an application neither 

reserves funding nor ensures funding. 

The Agency will evaluate each 

application received in the USDA Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service, Energy 

Programs, select Phase 1 applications in 

accordance with 7 CFR 4279.267 to 

invite submittal of Phase 2 applications 

and will make awards using the 

provisions specified in 7 CFR 4279.278. 

D. Guaranteed Loan Servicing. The 

Agency will service loans guaranteed 

under this Notice in accordance with 

the provisions specified in 7 CFR 

4287.301 through 4287.399. 

E. System for Award Management 

(SAM) and Dun and Bradstreet Data 

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

Registration. Unless exempt under 2 

CFR 25.110, the applicant must be 

registered in the SAM prior to 

submitting an application and maintain 

an active SAM registration with current 

information at all times during which it 

has an active Federal award or an 

application under consideration by the 

Agency. Applicants must provide a 

DUNS number for each application 

submitted to the Agency. 

X. Administration Information 

A. Notifications. The Agency will 

notify, in writing, lenders whose Phase 

1 applications have scored highest and 

will invite them to submit Phase 2 

applications. If the Agency determines it 

is unable to guarantee any particular 

loan, the lender will be informed in 

writing. Such notification will include 

the reason(s) for denial of the guarantee. 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements. 

1. Review or Appeal Rights. A person 

may seek a review of an Agency 

decision or appeal to the National 

Appeals Division in accordance with 7 

CFR 4279.204. 

2. Exception Authority. The 

provisions specified in 7 CFR 4279.203 

and 7 CFR 4287.303 apply to this 

Notice. 

C. Environmental Review. The Agency 

will review all applicant proposals that 

may qualify for assistance under this 

section in accordance with 7 CFR part 

1970, Environmental Policies and 

Procedures. The environmental review 

for projects that score high enough will 

be submitted during the Phase 2 

application process and must be 

conducted in accordance with 7 CFR 

part 1970, Environmental Policies and 

Procedures. 

XI. Agency Contacts 

For general questions about this 

Notice, please contact Aaron Morris, 

Rural Business–Cooperative Service, 

Energy Programs, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW, Room 6901–S, Washington DC 

20250–3225. Telephone: 202–720–1501. 

Email: Aaron.Morris@wdc.usda.gov. 

Equal Opportunity and NonDiscrimination Requirements 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights law and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights 

regulations and policies, the USDA, its 

Agencies, offices, and employees, and 

institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program. Political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means of communication for 

program information (e.g., Braille, large 

print, audiotape, American Sign 

Language, etc.) should contact the 

responsible Agency or USDA’s TARTET 

Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and 

TTY) or contact USDA through the 

Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339. 

Additionally, program information may 

be made available in languages other 

than English. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD– 

3027, found online at: http://

www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_

cust.html, and at any USDA office or 

write a letter addressed to USDA and 

provide in the letter all of the 

information requested in the form. To 

request a copy of a complaint form, call, 

(866) 632–9992. Submit your completed 

form or letter to USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; 

(2) Fax: (202) 690–7442; or 

(3) Email at: program.intake@

usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Dated: July 30, 2018. 

Bette B. Brand, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–16664 Filed 8–2–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Bureau of Industry and Security 

[Docket Number 17–BIS–0005] 

Denial of Export Privileges 

In the Matter of: Narender Sharma Middle 

Bazzar, Rampur Bushahr Distt. Shimla (H.P.) 

172 001 India, Hydel Engineering Products 


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