Bureau of Reclamation October 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us) intends to submit a request for renewal (with revisions) of an existing approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Individual Landholder's and Farm Operator's Certification and Reporting Forms for Acreage Limitation, 43 CFR part 426 and 43 CFR part 428, OMB Control Number: 1006-0005. This information collection is required under the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA), Acreage Limitation Rules and Regulations, 43 CFR part 426, and Information Requirements for Certain Farm Operations In Excess of 960 Acres and the Eligibility of Certain Formerly Excess Land, 43 CFR part 428. We request your comments on the revised RRA forms and specific aspects of the information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), the Bureau of Reclamation (we, our, or us) intends to submit a request for renewal (with revisions) of an existing approved information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Forms to Determine Compliance by Certain Landholders, 43 CFR part 426, OMB Control Number: 1006-0023. We request your comments on the proposed Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (RRA) forms and specific aspects of the information collection.

The Bureau of Reclamation is extending the review period for the DEIS to October 31, 2008. The notice of availability of the DEIS was published in the Federal Register on July 25, 2008 (73 FR 43472). The public review period was originally to end on September 23, 2008.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, is announcing the opportunity for the public to review and comment on a SIR for the SDS Draft EIS. A public hearing to supplement the opportunity to comment on the SIR is also being announced. Reclamation previously published a notice in the Federal Register (73 FR 50055) on August 25, 2008, providing for extended public commenting on the water quality portion of the Draft EIS. Since then Reclamation has completed additional water quality analysis and is providing an opportunity for the public to comment on the new analysis. With this notice Reclamation is therefore closing the comment period on the original water quality analysis as mentioned in the August 25, 2008, notice and opening the comment period for the new water quality analysis. Reclamation has included this analysis in a SIR for the Draft EIS that updates and provides additional information that was not in the Draft EIS. The additional information includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the following topics: water quality analyses, potential effects on the western slope of Colorado, potential effects of a failure of new dams, effects of physical changes to the alternatives and reasonably foreseeable actions, clarification of Reclamation's purpose and need statement, changes in the project sponsors' Proposed Action, and identification of Reclamation's preferred alternative. The new and additional information is contained in the report titled ``Supplemental Information Report for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Southern Delivery System Project, Colorado.'' For access to the report and dates and locations of the public hearing, please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section in this announcement.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) proposes this rule establishing eligibility criteria and program requirements for loan guarantees authorized by the Twenty-first Century Water Works Act (Title II of Pub. L. 109-451; 43 U.S.C. 2421-2434) (Act). This rule is intended to define for potential participants how the loan guarantees authorized by the Act will be administered. The Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to make loan guarantees for three categories of projects: Category (A) projects are rural water supply projects as defined in section 102(9) of the Reclamation Rural Water Supply Act of 2006 (Title I of Pub. L. 109-451; 43 U.S.C.2401-2409) (Rural Water Supply Act of 2006); A category (B) project is an extraordinary operation and maintenance activity for, or the rehabilitation or replacement of, a facility that is authorized by Federal reclamation laws and constructed by the United States under such law; or in connection with which there is a repayment or water service contract executed by the United States under Federal reclamation law; or A category (C) project is an improvement to water infrastructure directly associated with a reclamation project that, based on a determination of the Secretary improves water management; and fulfills other Federal goals. For purposes of this rule, these will be referred to as category (A), (B), or (C) projects. The Act provides that, subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of the Interior may provide loan guarantees for eligible projects. The Act requires the Secretary to develop criteria for determining the eligibility of a project for financial assistance, and to publish them in the Federal Register. The intent of this rulemaking is to meet this requirement, as well as to define for potential participants how the loan guarantee will be administered. Reclamation will administer the program. Reclamation will take into account the comments on this rule in developing final regulations. Reclamation recognizes that the rule will be modified in the future to more specifically address category (A) projects and to address modifications in administration as a result of experience gained through the first requests.