[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 96 (Thursday, May 18, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31674-31675]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10712]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service


Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Housing Service (RHS), 
as required by the National Environmental Policy Act, is issuing a 
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to the 
preliminary affordability determination of minimum energy standards.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain copies of the Environmental 
Assessment (EA) and FONSI, see https://www.rd.usda.gov/resources/environmental-studies/hud-usda-joint-notice. For additional 
information, contact Peggy Wade, Environmental Protection Specialist, 
Program Support Staff, Rural Housing Service, USDA--Rural Development, 
USDA, 202-875-3572; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action implements the requirements of 
Section 481 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 1990 (the 
Act), which established procedures for the U.S. Department of Housing 
and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) to adopt revisions to the 2006 International Energy Conservation 
Code (IECC) and ASHRAE90.1-2004, or subsequent revisions to these 
codes.
    This notice addresses new construction of single-family homes 
financed under RHS's Section 502 Direct Loan, Section 502 Guaranteed 
Loan, or Section 523 Grant programs and announces USDA's preliminary 
determination that the 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1-2019 codes will not

[[Page 31675]]

negatively affect the affordability or availability of housing covered 
by the Act. Therefore, RHS has determined that this FONSI fulfills its 
obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations 
(40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508), and USDA Rural Development's 
Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1970) for its action 
related to the project. RHS's federal action would not result in 
significant impacts to the quality of the human environment, and as 
such it will not prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for its 
action related to the proposed project.

Joaquin Altoro,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service, Rural Development, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2023-10712 Filed 5-17-23; 8:45 am]
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