[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10575-10576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04381]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Telecommunications Program: Notice of Availability of a 
Programmatic Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment of USDA Rural Utilities Service's Financial Support for 
Deployment of the Telecommunications Programs to Rural America.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS, Agency), an agency of the 
United States Department of Agriculture, seeks public and federal 
agency comments regarding the preparation of a Programmatic 
Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the development of a more efficient 
and effective environmental review process for the RUS 
Telecommunications Program--an environmental review process that is 
commensurate with the potential environmental impacts of both wired and 
wireless broadband projects financed by the Agency. RUS is seeking 
comment from interested stakeholders regarding compliance with relevant 
laws and regulations, including the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Endangered Species 
Act (ESA) and other environmental statutes, regulations, and Executive 
Orders applicable to the RUS Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan 
Program, Farm Bill Broadband Loan Program, Community Connect Grant 
Program, and Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program (collectively, 
the Telecommunications Program). The proposed review process supports 
the Agency's mission of facilitating the development of affordable and 
reliable

[[Page 10576]]

broadband infrastructure to improve the quality of life and promote 
economic development in rural America. The Agency programs provide a 
necessary source of low-cost capital for rural telecommunications 
companies (broadband, wireless, and fiber-to-the-home providers). RUS 
actions covered in the PEA include certain Agency preliminary decisions 
(such as obligation of funds and approval of interim financing 
requests) to eligible applicants for project proposals within eligible 
service areas. In accordance with NEPA, NHPA, ESA, and other applicable 
environmental statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders, RUS must 
evaluate the environmental impact of project proposals before providing 
financial assistance to eligible applicants. The PEA provides a broad 
environmental analysis of the Agency's preliminary decisions and 
includes a tiered, site-specific analysis at the project level that 
would be completed before Agency dispersal of funds and/or applicant 
construction.

DATES: Written comments on the PEA must be received on or March 31, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments by physical mail or 
electronic mail to: Mr. Richard Fristik, Senior Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Water and Environmental Programs/Engineering and 
Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Ave. 
SW., Mail Stop 1571, Room 2240, Washington, DC 20250, fax: (202) 690-
0649, or email: [email protected].
    To obtain copies of the PEA or for further information, contact: 
Mr. Richard Fristik at the contact information provided in this Notice. 
A copy of the PEA is available for downloading through the Rural 
Development homepage at: http://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/assessments/programmatic-environmental-assessment. Additional information about the Agency and its programs is 
available on the Internet at http://www.rd.usda.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the proposed PEA, 
please contact Mr. Richard Fristik, Senior Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Water and Environmental Programs/Engineering and 
Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Ave. 
SW., Mail Stop 1571, Room 2240, Washington, DC 20250, telephone: (202) 
720-5093, fax: (202) 690-0649, or email: [email protected]. 
Parties wishing to be placed on the PEA's mailing list for future 
information and to receive copies of the PEA should also contact Mr. 
Fristik.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RUS Telecommunications Program provides 
a variety of loans and grants to build and expand broadband networks in 
rural America. Loans to build broadband networks and deliver service to 
households and businesses in rural communities provide a necessary 
source of capital for rural telecommunications companies. Grant funding 
is awarded based on a number of factors relating to the benefits to be 
derived from the proposed broadband network project, as specified in 
applicable program regulations.
    Eligible applicants for RUS loans and grants include for-profit and 
non-profit entities, tribes, municipalities, and cooperatives. The 
Agency particularly encourages investment in tribal and economically 
disadvantaged areas. Through low-cost funding for telecommunications 
infrastructure, rural residents can have access to services that will 
close the digital divide between rural and urban communities. Once 
funds are awarded, RUS monitors the projects to make sure they are 
completed in accordance with program conditions and requirements.
    The application process for requesting financial assistance for the 
various Telecommunications programs varies slightly from a competitive 
grant program, individual project proposals, or multi-year ``loan 
design'' applications. The Agency seeks to synchronize and create 
environmental review efficiencies for future project-level 
environmental review compliance for the various programs, commensurate 
with the potential environmental impacts. The Agency also seeks to 
establish proper sequencing of certain agency preliminary decisions 
(i.e., obligation of funds and/or approval of interim financing 
requests) with subsequent tiered, site-specific project environmental 
reviews.
    The PEA is intended to expedite the funding, deployment, and 
expansion of broadband infrastructure in rural America. The PEA 
includes detailed descriptions and analyses of the direct, indirect, 
and cumulative impacts associated with broadband infrastructure 
technologies and construction methods, such as impacts to water 
resources, terrestrial resources, historic and cultural resources, air 
and climate resources, noise, threatened and endangered species, 
electromagnetic radiation, and Environmental Justice issues. Use of the 
PEA analyses thereby saves project-level processing time, ensuring 
consistent and accurate environmental evaluations while avoiding 
unnecessary duplication and repetition in project-level planning and 
evaluation. Use of the PEA enables project-level compliance with NEPA, 
ESA, NHPA, and other requirements to focus on the remaining relevant 
site-specific issues, expediting planning, analysis, compliance, 
documentation, and ultimately project-level decisions.
    The PEA is available for public review at the digital and physical 
addresses provided in this Notice. Questions and comments should be 
sent to RUS at the mailing or email addresses provided in this Notice. 
RUS should receive written comments on the PEA on or before March 31, 
2016 to ensure that they are considered in its environmental impact 
determination.
    Any final action by RUS related to the broadband portion of the RUS 
Telecommunications Program will be subject to, and contingent upon, 
compliance with all relevant presidential executive orders and federal, 
state, and local environmental laws and regulations in addition to the 
completion of the environmental review requirements as prescribed in 
RUS's Environmental Policies and Procedures, 7 CFR part 1794, as 
amended.

    Dated: February 16, 2016.
Keith B. Adams
Assistant Administrator--Telecommunications Program, Rural Utilities 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-04381 Filed 2-29-16; 8:45 am]
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