[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 189 (Thursday, September 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58389-58390]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-21886]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Household Water Well System Program Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a programmatic environmental 
assessment.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency delivering the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Program, 
has prepared a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for a new 
grant program that will implement the Household Water Well System 
Program (HWWSP) lending program. The PEA is available for a 30-day 
public review and comment period. Subsequent to the comment period RUS 
plans to issue a finding of no significant impact.

DATES: RUS will accept public comments until November 1, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark S. Plank, Senior Environmental 
Scientist, RUS, Water and Environmental Programs, Engineering and 
Environmental Staff, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, 
Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 720-11649 or e-mail: 
[email protected]. Copies of the PEA may be obtained by contacting 
Mr. Plank.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 13, 2002, the Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act of 2002 (Farm Bill) was signed into law as Public Law 
107-171. Section 6012 of the Farm Bill amended section 306E of the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) by adding a grant 
program to establish a lending program. The program will provide grants 
to private nonprofit organizations for the purpose of providing loans 
to eligible individuals for the construction, refurbishing, and 
servicing of individual household water well systems in rural areas 
that are or will be owned by the eligible individuals. The program is 
called the Household Water Well System Program (HWWSP). This program 
was authorized to appropriate up to $10,000,000 for Fiscal Years (FY) 
2003 through 2007. There was no funding appropriated in FY 2003. 
However, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2004 (Pub. L. 108-199), 
includes $1,000,000 for the program.
    The USDA, RUS, is issuing regulations to implement the HWWSP. The 
final rule outlines the procedures for providing grants to eligible 
applicants to establish a revolving loan fund and to pay reasonable 
administrative expenses. The revolving loan fund will be used to make 
loans to eligible applicants for the construction, refurbishing, and 
servicing of individual household water well systems in rural areas 
that are or will be owned by the eligible individuals. The CONACT 
defines an ``eligible individual'' as a person who is a member of a 
household in which all members have a combined income that is 100 
percent or less of the median non-metropolitan household income for the 
State or territory in which the person resides. The combined household 
income must be for the most recent 12-month period for which the 
information is available, according to the most recent decennial census 
of the United States. The maximum statutory limit per loan per 
household water well system is $8,000.
    Certain financing actions taken by RUS are classified as Federal 
actions subject to compliance with NEPA, the Council on Environmental 
Quality (CEQ), Regulations for implementing the Procedural Provisions 
of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and RUS

[[Page 58390]]

Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1794). There are two 
Federal actions under the new HWWSP program being considered in this 
PEA: (1) Grants awarded by RUS to eligible grant recipients and (2) 
loans made by the grant recipient to eligible loan recipients using the 
direct or indirect proceeds of a HWWSP grant awarded under this 
program.
    The level of RUS environmental reviews for agency actions are 
categorized in 7 CFR part 1794, subpart C, Classification of Proposals. 
Both agency actions for the HWWSP program are classified in 7 CFR 1794 
as categorical exclusions. The first action (grant award) is classified 
under 7 CFR 1794.21(c)(3) categorically excluded proposals without an 
Environmental Report. The second (loan approvals) action is classified 
under 7 CFR 1794.22(b)(1) categorically excluded proposals requiring an 
Environmental Report.
    Due to similar project activities and a limited area of potential 
effect of most HWWSP loan approval actions, RUS finds that a 
programmatic environmental analysis of the new HWWSP will reduce 
paperwork, duplication of effort, and promote a more efficient 
decision-making process for program implementation. RUS reserves the 
right to update this programmatic analysis to take additional 
information into account or develop particular elements of the analysis 
more fully as may be warranted in individual circumstances.
    In summary, RUS has determined that the implementation of the HWWSP 
will not significantly affect the human or natural environment. 
However, to minimize any potential for adverse effects to specific 
environmental resources grant recipients will be required to comply 
with the following mitigation measures. These mitigation measures will 
be incorporated in executed grant agreements.

1. Floodplains

    The grant recipient will complete FEMA Form 81-93, Standard Flood 
Hazard Determination Form for all loans. If a household is located in a 
special flood hazard area (Code A and V), the revolving loan fund 
recipient must have flood insurance and the grantee shall obtain flood 
insurance certifications as part of the revolving loan fund closing 
process.

2. Water Quality Issues

    HWSPHWWSP funded projects will be built by contractors that are 
appropriately licensed to do the work in the State where the project is 
located. Water withdrawal permits will be obtained as required by the 
appropriate State or local regulatory agency.

3. Coastal Resources

    The grant recipient will obtain written approval from the U. S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service before approving any proposed loans located 
in Coastal Barrier Resources System units.

    Dated: September 24, 2004.
Gary J. Morgan,
Assistant Administrator, Water and Environmental Programs, Rural 
Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 04-21886 Filed 9-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P