34630 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 122 /Thursday, June 25, 1998 / Notices

Dated: June 19, 1998.

David R. Shipman,

Acting Administrator, Grain Inspection,

Packers and Stockyards Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–16963 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–EN–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc.;

Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Finding of No

Significant Impact.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS),

pursuant to the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the

Council on Environmental Quality

Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508),

and RUS Environmental Policies and

Procedures (7 CFR part 1794), has made

a Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI) with respect to a project

proposed by two electric utilities:

Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc.,

(MPC) of Grand Forks, North Dakota,

and Otter Tail Power Company (OTPC)

of Fergus Falls, Minnesota. These two

utilities are collectively referred to as

the Partners for the purpose of this

project. MPC is a RUS borrower and

anticipates to requesting financing

assistance for its portion of the proposed

transmission line. MPC and OTPC have

proposed to construct and operate a

transmission line and associated

facilities between Oslo in Walsh

County, North Dakota and Thief River

Falls in Pennington County, Minnesota.

The line will originate at an existing

substation located approximately two

miles west of Oslo in Walsh County,

North Dakota. The line will terminate at

an existing substation located in

Pennington County, Minnesota.

RUS has concluded that the impacts

from the proposed project would not be

significant and that the proposed action

is not a major Federal action

significantly affecting the quality of the

human environment. Therefore, the

preparation of an environmental impact

statement is not necessary.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection

Specialist, RUS, Engineering and

Environmental Staff, Stop 1571, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250—1571,

telephone (202)-720–1784.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RUS,

in accordance with its environmental

policies and procedures, required that

the MPC prepares a Borrower’s

Environmental Report (BER) reflecting

the potential impacts of the proposed

facilities. The BER which includes input

from the Federal, state, and local

agencies, has been adopted as RUS’s

Environmental Assessment for the

project in accordance with § 1794.61.

The RUS has concluded that the BER

represents an accurate assessment of the

environmental impacts of the project.

The proposed project will not affect any

known properties listed or eligible for

listing in the National Register of

Historic Places. The project will be

constructed on an existing right-of-way

for about 24.5 miles. Of the 56 mile total

length of the proposed route, 54 miles

share rights-of-way with existing

highways or roadways. Two miles will

be along entirely new rights-of-way.

However, if previously unknown

resources are discovered during

construction, the Partners will halt

construction while the significance of

the finding and proper mitigation is

determined. Construction of the line

should have no impact on floodplains,

air quality, and formally classified areas.

The project should also have no

significant impact on farmlands, water

quality, wetlands, aesthetics, federally

listed or proposed for listing threatened

or endangered species or their critical

habitat.

Alternatives considered to the project

included no action, power purchase

from other sources, localized generating

facilities, load management and energy

conservation, alternative routes,

construction method alternatives,

design alternatives, and voltage

alternatives. RUS has considered these

alternatives and concluded that the

project as proposed will meet the needs

of the MPC to provide adequate service

in the project area with a minimum of

adverse impact.

Copies of the BER and FONSI are

available for review at, or may be

obtained from RUS at the address

provided above or from the office of

MPC, P.O. Box 13200, Grand Forks,

North Dakota 58208–3200, telephone

(701) 795–4000 during normal business

hours.

Dated: June 19, 1998.

Blaine D. Stockton, Jr.

Assistant Administrator—Electric Program.

[FR Doc. 98–16946 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

The Department of Commerce (DOC)

has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

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

Agency: National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Northeast Region Logbook

Family of Forms.

Agency Form Number: NOAA 88–30

and 88–140.

OMB Approval Number: 0648–0212.

Type of Request: Revision of a

currently approved collection.

Burden: 6,348 hours.

Number of Respondents: 5,875 with

multiple responses.

Avg. Hours Per Response: 5 minutes

for vessel logbooks and 12.5 minutes for

shellfish logbooks. These estimates do

not include the time for entries that

respondents would make to their own

logbooks as normal business practice.

Needs and Uses: Under the Magnuson

Fishery Conservation and Management

Act, the Regional Fishery Management

Councils have developed fishery

management plans to conserve and

manage marine resources in the

exclusive economic zone. Participants

in the summer flounder, scup, black

seas, bass, Northeast multispecies,

Atlantic sea scallop, Atlantic mackerel,

squid, butterfish or surf clam and ocean

quahog fisheries in the Northeast must

submit logbooks containing catch and

effort data about their fishing trips. The

information is used in the development

of management measures to control

fishing effort, as well as to enforce the

measures once they are in effect.

Affected Public: Businesses or other

for-profit organizations.

Frequency: Weekly, monthly.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker,

(202) 395–3897.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

Room 5327, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent to

David Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room

10202, New Executive Office Building,

725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC

20503.
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 122 /Thursday, June 25, 1998 / Notices 34631

Dated: June 18, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–16864 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

The Department of Commerce (DOC)

has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

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

Agency: National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: U.S. Fishermen Fishing in

Russian Waters.

Agency Form Number: None.

OMB Approval Number: 0648–0228.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Burden: 75 hours.

Number of Respondents: 10 with

multiple responses.

Avg. Hours Per Response: 30 minutes.

Needs and Uses: In support of the

Agreement between the U.S. and the

Government of the Russian Federation,

the National Marine Fisheries Service

(NMFS) requires certain information to

honor this Agreement. First, U.S.

fishermen must apply for a Russian

permit by submitting the application to

NMFS for transmittal to Russian

authorities. When received, fishermen

must notify NMFS of the approved

permit and then they must report when

entering and exiting the U.S. Exclusive

Economic Zone. This information will

be used in conjunction with landings

data by ‘‘enforcement’’ staff to

determine illegal catch.

Affected Public: Businesses or other

for-profit organizations.

Frequency: On occasion, annually.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker,

(202) 395–3897.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

Room 5327, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent to

David Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room

10202, New Executive Office Building,

725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC

20503.

Dated: June 18, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Office, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–16865 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

The Department of Commerce (DOC)

has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

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

Agency: National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Subsequent Purchaser Report.

Agency Form Number: None.

OMB Approval Number: 0648–0079.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Burden: 150 hours.

Number of Respondents: 150 with 2

responses each.

Avg. Hours Per Response: 30 minutes.

Needs and Uses: Under the

Endangered Species Act (ESA), it is

illegal to engage in interstate or foreign

commerce of products comprised of

endangered fish or wildlife. Certificates

of Exemption (CE) were issued to

persons holding inventories of such

items before the effective date of the

law. Only those persons who hold CE’s

are allowed to engage in interstate or

foreign commerce. When selling an

item, CE holders are responsible for

telling purchasers that they must file a

report if they plan to sell the item. This

information is used by NOAA’s

enforcement officers to identify legal

items from illegal items in the

marketplace.

Affected Public: Businesses or other

for-profit organizations.

Frequency: On occasion.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker,

(202) 395–3897.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

Room 5327, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent to

David Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room

10202, New Executive Office Building,

725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC

20503.

Dated: June 18, 1998.

Linda Engelmeier,

Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office

of Management and Organization.

[FR Doc. 98–16866 Filed 6–24–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Submission for OMB Review;

Comment Request

The Department of Commerce (DOC)

has submitted to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

clearance the following proposal for

collection of information under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

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

Agency: National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Certificate of Exemption.

Agency Form Number: None.

OMB Approval Number: 0648–0078.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Burden: 41 hours.

Number of Respondents: 10 with

multiple responses.

Avg. Hours Per Response: Ranges

between 30 minutes and one hour

depending on the requirement.

Needs and Uses: Under the

Endangered Species Act (ESA), it is

illegal to engage in interstate or foreign

commerce of products comprised of

endangered fish or wildlife. Certificates

of Exemption (CE), however, were

issued to those persons holding

inventories of such items before the

effective date of the Act. CE holders

must renew their certificates

periodically and are required to report

on transfer of parts. The information is

used by law enforcement personnel to

track the movement of such items and

to differentiate legal items from illegal

ones.

Affected Public: Businesses or other

for-profit organizations.

Frequency: Quarterly, every five

years.

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.

OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker,

(202) 395–3897.

Copies of the above information

collection proposal can be obtained by

calling or writing Linda Engelmeier,

DOC Forms Clearance Officer, (202)

482–3272, Department of Commerce,

Room 5327, 14th and Constitution

Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230.

Written comments and

recommendations for the proposed

information collection should be sent to

David Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, Room

10202, New Executive Office Building,

725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC

20503.