[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 248 (Thursday, December 26, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 78329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-30743]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 
invites comments on the following information collection for which RUS 
intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB).

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 24, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele L. Brooks, Director, Program 
Development and Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, 1400 
Independence Ave. SW., STOP 1522, Room 5162, South Building, 
Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 690-1078. Fax: (202) 720- 
8435 or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
regulation (5 CFR 1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) requires that interested members 
of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on 
information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)). This notice identifies an information collection that RUS 
is submitting to OMB for revision.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden 
of the collection of information on respondents, including through the 
use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical or other 
technological collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology. Comments may be sent to: Michele L. Brooks, Director, 
Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 1522, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 690-1078, Fax: (202) 720-
8435 or email: [email protected].
    Title: Electric System Emergency Restoration Plan.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0140.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: USDA Rural Development administers rural utilities 
programs through the Rural Utilities Service (Agency). The Agency 
manages loan programs in accordance with the Rural Electrification Act 
(RE Act) of 1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 et sec., as amended. One of the Agency's 
main objectives is to safeguard loan security. An important part of 
safeguarding loan security is to make sure Agency financed facilities 
are utilized responsibly, adequately operated and adequately 
maintained. Accordingly, RUS borrowers have a duty to RUS to maintain 
their respective systems. In performing this duty, borrowers further 
the purposes of the RE Act while also preserving the value of electric 
systems to serve as collateral for repayment of RUS assistance.
    A substantial portion of the electric infrastructure of the United 
States resides in rural America and is maintained by rural Americans. 
RUS is uniquely coupled with the electric infrastructure of rural 
America and its electric borrowers serving rural America. To ensure 
that the electric infrastructure in rural America is adequately 
protected, electric borrowers conduct a Vulnerability and Risk 
Assessment (VRA) of their respective systems and utilize the results of 
this assessment to enhance an existing Emergency Restoration Plan (ERP) 
or to create an ERP. The VRA is utilized to identify specific assets 
and infrastructure owned or served by the electric utility, to 
determine the criticality and the risk level associated with the assets 
and infrastructure including a risk versus cost analysis, to identify 
threats and vulnerabilities, if present, to review existing mitigation 
procedures and to assist in the development of new and additional 
mitigating procedures, if necessary. The ERP provides written 
procedures detailing response and restoration efforts in the event of a 
major system outage resulting from a natural or man-made disaster. The 
annual exercise of the ERP ensures operability and employee competency 
and serves to identify and correct deficiencies in the existing ERP. 
The exercise may be implemented individually by a single borrower, or 
by an individual borrower as a participant in a multi-party (to include 
utilities, government agencies and other participants or combination 
thereof) tabletop execution or actual implementation of the ERP.
    Electric borrowers maintain ERPs as part of prudent utilities 
practices. These ERPs are essential to continuous operation of the 
electric systems. Each electric borrower provides RUS with an annual 
self-certification that an ERP exists for the system and that an 
initial VRA has been performed.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .5 hour per response.
    Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 625.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 313 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Rebecca 
Hunt, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, at (202) 205-3660, 
Fax: (202) 720-8435 or email: [email protected].
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
requests for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: December 19, 2013.
John Charles Padalino,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-30743 Filed 12-24-13; 8:45 am]
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