This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

39268

Vol. 63, No. 140

Wednesday, July 22, 1998

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of Procurement and Property

Management; Proposed Information

Collection, Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of Procurement and

Property Management, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Office of

Procurement and Property

Management’s intention to request the

Office of Management and Budget

approval of an information collection in

support of Section 923 of the Federal

Agriculture Improvement and Reform

Act of 1996 (FAIR Act).

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before September 21, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments

to Denise Hayes, USDA, OPPM, PMD,

Room 1520–S, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact Kathy Fay, (202) 720–3141,

USDA, Room 1522–S, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Uniform Procedures for the

Acquisition and Transfer of Excess

Personal Property under 7 U.S.C. 2206a.

OMB Number: Not yet assigned.

Expiration Date of Approval: Three

years from approval date.

Type of Request: New Collection.

Frequency of Use: Annually.

Type of Affected Public: Not-for-profit

institutions.

Estimated Number of Annual

Responses: 100.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours: 100.

Estimated Average Burden Hours Per

Response: 1⁄2 hour preparation x 200

requests.

Need for and Use of Information: This

information collection will be used to

submit USDA’s annual Non-Federal

Recipient Report to the General Services

Administration. The additional

information requested requires eligible

institutions to justify need and usability

for excess personal property.

W. R. Ashworth,

Director, Office of Procurement and Property

Management.

[FR Doc. 98–19463 Filed 7–21–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XE–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Notice of Actions and Considerations

to Assure Year 2000 Compliance

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice serves to clarify

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) policies

related to the processing of electric and

telecommunications loans in light of the

year 2000 problem.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Orren E. Cameron III, Acting Assistant

Administrator, Telecommunications

Program, Rural Utilities Service, 1400

Independence Ave., SW., STOP 1590,

Room 4056, South Building,

Washington, DC. Telephone: (202) 720–

9554. Facsimile: (202) 720–0810.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is

given that RUS is undertaking to

address with its electric and

telecommunications borrowers year

2000 compliance issues that may affect

the operations of RUS-financed rural

electric and telecommunications

systems. Year 2000 compliance means

that performance and functionality of

the electric and telecommunications

systems, including computer software,

software systems, and firmware, will not

be affected by dates before, during, and

after the year 2000. Because electric and

telecommunications services are critical

to public health and safety, electric and

telecommunications providers must

protect against any possible

consequences of the year 2000 problem.

RUS therefore has taken or will be

taking the following actions:

(1) RUS has surveyed all electric and

telecommunications borrowers to learn

how many cooperatives and companies

were prepared or preparing for the year

2000 and RUS is in the process of

contacting all electric and

telecommunications borrowers in a

general review to help ensure that no

RUS-financed electric or

telecommunications systems will be

affected by the date change.

(2) RUS has, by letter dated May 15,

1998, provided borrowers with a

suggested provision addressing the year

2000 compliance for inclusion in

specifications when purchasing new or

upgraded central office switches and

transmission equipment.

(3) In reviewing applications for

electric and telecommunications loans,

RUS is seeking assurance that the

applicant has a satisfactory plan for year

2000 compliance.

(4) RUS will work closely with

applicants for electric and

telecommunications loans to ensure that

loans necessary to ensure year 2000

compliance will be acted upon in a

timely fashion.

Dated: July 16, 1998.

Wally Beyer,

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.

[FR Doc. 98–19522 Filed 7–21–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

South River Electric Membership

Corporation; 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) has

made a finding of no significant impact

(FONSI) with respect to a request by

South River Electric Membership

Corporation for financing assistance to

construct a headquarters and warehouse

facility in Harnett County, North

Carolina. The FONSI is based on a

borrower’s environmental report (BER)

submitted to RUS by South River

Electric Membership Corporation. RUS

conducted an independent evaluation of

the report and concurs with its scope

and content. In accordance with

§ 1794.61, RUS has adopted the BER as

its environmental assessment for the

project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob

Quigel, Environmental Protection

Specialist, Engineering and