E8-26770. Amending the Household Water Well System Grant Program Regulations

AGENCY:

Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Proposed rule.

SUMMARY:

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development or the Agency, is amending its regulations to administer the Household Water Well System Grant Program. This action implements provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill for limits on loans that nonprofit organizations may make to homeowners for private well systems. The 2008 Farm Bill raises the loan limit to $11,000 from $8,000. The intended effect is to make part 1776 current with statutory authority. The Agency will also amend the regulation to enable existing grant recipients to amend their grant agreements for the new $11,000 loan limit.

In the final rule section of the Federal Register, the Agency is publishing this action as a direct final rule without prior proposal because Rural Development views this as a non-controversial action and expects no adverse comments. If no adverse comments are received in response to the direct final rule, no further action will be taken on this proposed rule, and the action will become effective at the time specified in the direct final rule. If the Agency receives adverse comments, a timely document will be published withdrawing the direct final rule, and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this action.

DATES:

Comments on this proposed action must be received by Rural Development or carry a postmark or equivalent no later than December 18, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments to this rule by any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the “Search Documents” box, enter RUS-08-WATER-03, check the box under the Search box labeled “Select to find documents accepting comments or submissions,” and click on the GO>> key. To submit a comment, choose “Send a comment or submission,” under the Docket Title. In order to submit your comment, the information requested on the “Public Comment and Submission Form,” must be completed. (If you click on the hyperlink of the docket when the search returns it, you will see the docket details. Click on the yellow balloon to receive the “Public Comment and Submission Form.”) Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through the site's “How to Use this Site” link.
• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send your comment addressed to Michele Brooks, Director, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, USDA Rural Development, 1400 Independence Avenue, STOP 1522, Room 5159, Washington, DC 20250-1522.

Other Information: Additional information about Rural Development and its programs is available at http://www/​rurdev.usda.gov/​index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cheryl Francis, Loan Specialist, Water and Environmental Programs, USDA Rural Development, 1400 Independence Avenue, STOP 1570, Room 2229 South Building, Washington, DC 20250-1570. Telephone: [phone]; FAX: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

See the Supplementary Information provided in the direct final rule located in the Rules and Regulations direct final rule section of the Federal Register for the applicable Supplementary Information on this action.

Dated: October 20, 2008.

James M. Andrew,

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.