This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of

new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

63195

Vol. 65, No. 205

Monday, October 23, 2000

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

7 CFR Part 1724

RIN 0572–AB54

Electric Engineering, Architectural

Services and Design Policies and

Procedures

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service

(RUS) is amending its regulations to

revise its requirements regarding RUS

approval of plans and specifications for

buildings. Specifically, the requirement

for RUS approval of architectural plans

and specifications for buildings is

eliminated and instead the borrower’s

architect or engineer is required to state

that the design complies with certain

specific standards. This change is being

made in order to provide better service

to borrowers.

DATES: This rule will become effective

on November 22, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred

J. Gatchell, Deputy Director, Electric

Staff Division, Rural Utilities Service,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop

1569, 1400 Independence Ave., SW.,

Washington, DC 20250–1569.

Telephone: (202) 720–1398. FAX: (202)

720–7491. E-mail:

fgatchel@rus.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12866

This rule has been determined to be

not significant for the purposes of

Executive Order 12866 and, therefore,

has not been reviewed by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB).

Executive Order 12372

This rule is excluded from the scope

of Executive Order 12372,

Intergovernmental Consultation, which

may require consultation with state and

local officials. See the final rule related

notice entitled ‘‘Department Programs

and Activities Excluded from Executive

Order 12372,’’ (50 FR 47034) advising

that RUS loans and loan guarantees

were not covered by Executive Order

12372.

Executive Order 12988

This rule has been reviewed under

Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice

Reform. RUS has determined that this

rule meets the applicable standards

provided in section 3 of the Executive

Order. In addition, (1) all state and local

laws and regulations that are in conflict

with this rule will be preempted; (2) no

retroactive effect will be given to this

rule; and (3), in accordance with section

212(e) of the Department of Agriculture

Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C.

6912(e)) administrative appeals

procedures, if any are required, must be

exhausted prior to initiating an action

against the Department or its agencies.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

The Administrator of RUS has

determined that this rule relating to

RUS electric loan program is not a rule

as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility

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

the Regulatory Flexibility Act does not

apply to this rule. RUS borrowers, as a

result of obtaining federal financing,

receive economic costs associated with

complying with RUS regulations and

requirements.

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

The program described by this 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, the

United States Government Printing

Office, Washington, DC 20402–9325,

telephone number (202) 512–1800.

Information Collection and

Recordkeeping Requirements

The recording and recordkeeping

requirements contained in this rule

were approved by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35)

under OMB control number 0572–0118.

Send questions or comments

regarding this burden or any other

aspect of these collections of

information, including suggestions for

reducing the burden, to F. Lamont

Heppe, Jr., Director, Program

Development and Regulatory Analysis,

Rural Utilities Service, USDA, 1400

Independence Ave., SW., Room 4034

SBldg., Stop 1522, Washington, DC

20250–1522.

Unfunded Mandates

This rule contains no Federal

mandates (under the regulatory

provision of title II of the Unfunded

Mandates Reform Act) for State, local,

and tribal governments or the private

sector. Thus, this rule is not subject to

the requirements of sections 202 and

205 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform

Act.

Background

RUS has promulgated regulations

pertaining to the design and

construction of RUS electric borrower’s

systems. These regulations are

contained in 7 CFR Part 1724, Electric

Engineering, Architectural Services and

Design Policies and Procedures, which

describes policies and procedures

pertaining to RUS electric borrower

procurement of architectural and

engineering services for planning,

design, and construction management of

buildings and electric utility plant such

as distribution and transmission lines,

substations, communications and

control systems, and generating plants.

RUS has determined that continued

review and approval of plans and

specifications for buildings by RUS is

not necessary. This will eliminate the

burden on the borrowers of having to

send the plans and specifications to

RUS before issuing them to bidders.

However, RUS will require that the

borrower’s architect or engineer state

that the design complies with certain

specific standards. This change is being

63196 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 205 / Monday, October 23, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

made in order to provide better service

to borrowers.

We are also correcting a date in the

list of contract forms.

RUS received no comments to the

proposed regulation published in the

Federal Register on April 24, 2000, at

65 FR 21671.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 1724

Electric power, Loan programs—

energy, Reporting and recordkeeping

requirements, Rural areas.

For the reasons set forth in the

preamble, RUS amends 7 CFR chapter

XVII by amending part 1724 as follows:

PART 1724—ELECTRIC

ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURAL

SERVICES AND DESIGN POLICIES

AND PROCEDURES

1. The authority citation for part 1724

continues to read as follows:

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

seq., 6941 et seq.

2. Section 1724.54(f)(2) is revised to

read as follows:

§ 1724.54 Requirements for RUS approval

of plans and specifications.

* * * * *

(f) * * *

(2) Unless RUS approval is required

by paragraph (a) of this section, plans

and specifications for headquarters

buildings do not require RUS approval.

The borrower shall submit two copies of

RUS Form 740g, Application for

Headquarters Facilities. This form is

available from Program Development

and Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities

Service, United States Department of

Agriculture, Stop 1522, 1400

Independence Ave., SW., Washington,

DC 20250–1522. The application must

show floor area and estimated cost

breakdown between office building

space and space for equipment

warehousing and service facilities, and

include a one line drawing (floor plan

and elevation view), to scale, of the

proposed building with overall

dimensions shown. The information

concerning the planned building may be

included in the borrower’s construction

work plan in lieu of submitting it with

the application. (See 7 CFR part 1710,

subpart F.) Prior to issuing the plans

and specifications for bid, the borrower

shall also submit to RUS a statement,

signed by the architect or engineer, that

the building design meets the Uniform

Federal Accessibility Standards (See

§ 1724.51(e)(1)(i)).

* * * * *

3. Section 1724.74(d)(7) is revised to

read as follows:

§ 1724.70 List of electric program standard

contract forms.

* * * * *

(d) * * *

(7) RUS Form 284, Rev. 4–72, Final

Statement of Cost for Architectural

Service. This form is used for the

closeout of architectural services

contracts.

* * * * *

Dated: October 5, 2000.

Jill Long Thompson,

Under Secretary, Rural Development.

[FR Doc. 00–27155 Filed 10–20–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM177; Special Conditions No.

25–163–SC]

Special Conditions: Canadair Model

CL–600–2B19 Series Airplanes; HighIntensity Radiated Fields (HIRF).

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request

for comments.

SUMMARY: These special conditions are

issued for Canadair Model CL–600–

2B19 series airplanes modified by

Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics.

These modified airplanes will have a

novel or unusual design feature when

compared to the state of technology

envisioned in the airworthiness

standards for transport category

airplanes. The modification

incorporates the installation of a new

Head-Up Guidance System (HGS). The

HGS will utilize electrical and

electronic systems that perform critical

functions. The applicable airworthiness

regulations do not contain adequate or

appropriate safety standards for the

protection of this system from the

effects of high-intensity-radiated fields

(HIRF). These special conditions

contain the additional safety standards

that the Administrator considers

necessary to establish a level of safety

equivalent to that established by the

existing airworthiness standards.

DATES: The effective date of these

special conditions is October 17, 2000.

Comments must be received on or

before November 22, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments on these special

conditions may be mailed in duplicate

to: Federal Aviation Administration,

Transport Airplane Directorate,

Attention: Rules Docket (ANM–114),

Docket No. NM177, 1601 Lind Avenue

SW., Renton, Washington 98055–4056;

or delivered in duplicate to the

Transport Airplane Directorate at the

above address. All comments must be

marked: Docket No. NM177. Comments

may be inspected in the Rules Docket

weekdays, except Federal holidays,

between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gerald Lakin, FAA, Standardization

Branch, ANM–113, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification

Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW.,

Renton, Washington 98055–4056;

telephone (425) 227–1187; facsimile

(425) 227–1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

The FAA has determined that good

cause exists for making these special

conditions effective upon issuance;

however, interested persons are invited

to submit such written data, views, or

arguments, as they may desire.

Communications should identify the

regulatory docket number and be

submitted in duplicate to the address

specified above. All communications

received on or before the closing date

for comments will be considered by the

Administrator. These special conditions

may be changed in light of the

comments received. All comments

received will be available in the Rules

Docket for examination by interested

persons, both before and after the

closing date for comments. A report

summarizing each substantive public

contact with FAA personnel concerning

this rulemaking will be filed in the

docket. Commenters wishing the FAA to

acknowledge receipt of their comments

submitted in response to these special

conditions must include a selfaddressed, stamped postcard on which

the following statement is made:

‘‘Comments to Docket No. NM177.’’ The

postcard will be date stamped and

returned to the commenter.

Background

On June 26, 2000, Rockwell Collins

Flight Dynamics, 16600 S.W. 72nd

Avenue, Portland, OR 97224, applied

for a Supplemental Type Certificate

(STC) for Canadair Model CL–600–2B19

series airplanes. The Model CL–600–

2B19 is a Model Regional Jet Series 100

passsenger airplane with two AVCO

Lycoming ALF–502L or ALF–502L–2

engines. These airplanes will

incorporate a Head-Up Guidance

System (HGS), manufactured by

Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics,

which displays attitude and heading

information.