Electric Overhead Distribution Lines; Specifications and Drawings for 24.9/14.4 kV Line Construction

Executive Order 12866

This rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866 and, therefore, has not been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Executive Order 12372

This rule is excluded from the scope of Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Consultation, which may require consultation with State and local officials. A Notice of Final Rule entitled Department Programs and Activities Excluded from Executive Order 12372 (50 FR 47034) exempts RUS loans and loan guarantees to governmental and non- governmental entities from coverage under this order.

Executive Order 12988

This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform. RUS has determined that this rule meets the applicable standards provided in Sec. 3. of the Executive Order. In addition, all state and local laws and regulations that are in conflict

with this rule will be preempted, no retroactive effort will be given to this rule, and in accordance with Sec. 212(c) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. Sec. 6912(c)), appeal procedures must be exhausted before an action against the Department or its agencies may be initiated.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

The Administrator of RUS has determined that a rule will not have significant impact on a substantial number of small entities defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), and therefore, the Regulatory Flexibility act does not apply to this rule.

Information Collection and Recordkeeping Requirements

This rule contains no reporting or recordkeeping provisions requiring Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended).

National Environmental Policy Act Certification

The Administrator of RUS has determined that this rule will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment as defined by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) Therefore, this action does not require an environmental impact statement or assessment.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

The program described by this rule is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Programs under No. 10.850, Rural Electrification Loans and Loan Guarantees. This catalog is available on a subscription basis from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325.

Unfunded Mandates

This rule contains no Federal mandates (under the regulatory provision of Title II of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act) for State, local, and tribal governments or the private sector. Thus, this rule is not subject to the requirements of section 202 and 205 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

Background

Pursuant to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is amending 7 CFR Chapter XVII, Part 1728, Electric Standards and Specification for Materials and Construction, by revising RUS Bulletin 50-5 (D-803), Specification and Drawings for 14.4/24.9 kV Line Construction, and renumbering it as RUS Bulletin 1728F-803. RUS maintains a system of bulletins that contains construction standards and specifications for materials and equipment. These standards and specifications apply to system facilities constructed by RUS electric and telecommunications borrowers in accordance with the RUS loan contract, and contain standard construction units, material, and equipment units commonly used in RUS electric and telecommunication borrowers' systems. RUS Bulletin 50-5 provides dimensioned drawings of standard assembly units and specifications for the construction of 24.9/14.4 kV overhead electric distribution lines. RUS is changing the bulletin number from RUS Bulletin 50-5 to RUS Bulletin 1728F-803. The change in the bulletin number and reformatting is necessary to conform to RUS' new publications and directives system. This bulletin is incorporated by reference in 7 CFR part 1728.97. It may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15250-7954. The major changes in the bulletin are described below. The bulletin has been separated into 19 different sections or categories. Each section generally contains construction specifications related to the category, an index of drawings in the section and several similar construction drawings of assemblies that are designed to perform a similar function. The revised bulletin also contains an overall index and general construction specifications. Also added to the bulletin are additional new tables displaying maximum line angles and soil classifications. The drawing numbers on all the modified drawings have been slightly changed. The drawing number on each new and modified drawing is in a new, uniform format based on the original RUS numbering scheme and format in which each character in the number has a functional meaning related to the contents of the drawings. Approximately 64 of the 154 construction drawings in previous bulletin 50-5 have been deleted in the revised bulletin. Each drawing was eliminated for one or more of the following reasons: (a) There is a conflict in the permissible line angles between the primary conductor supports and the neutral conductor supports; (b) The assembly is comprised of materials no longer contained in Information Publication 202-1, ``List of Materials Acceptable for Use on Systems of RUS Electrification Borrowers''; (c) The assembly or assemblies have been renumbered and reorganized and included in the revised bulletin as a new drawing; (d) The assembly design is no longer acceptable as a RUS construction standard for mechanical strength or clearance reasons; (e) The drawing is redundant of another similar drawing and thus not needed or useful; (f) The assembly design is no longer preferred or commonly used; or (g) The drawing contains construction instructions or details that are no longer applicable to RUS construction standards. Corrections or modifications were made to the approximately 90 remaining drawings of the bulletin. Each revised drawing contains one or more of the following changes: (a) Each drawing was given a new, shorter, simpler, and more uniform drawing title or name; (b) The primary system voltage of ``24.9/14.4 kV'' and the number of primary phases were drawn in a uniform place in the title block on each drawing where this information is relevant; (c) The number (quantity) of locknuts is shown in the material list of all the drawings that have these items; (d) The revised drawings specify that crossarms be generally installed 1 foot, 6 inches from the top of the pole to utilize the new predrilled hole arrangement in the new RUS standard pole drilling guide; (e) The new drawings depict the use of 4\1/4\-inch primary deadend insulators instead of 6-inch deadend insulators as shown on the previous drawings; (f) New technical information, defined as ``design parameters'' was added to the title blocks on most of the drawings. These design parameters include maximum line angles (referenced to the new tables), maximum longitudinal, transverse or unbalanced loads, maximum working load, or maximum holding power. This new technical information defines and usually limits the physical applications of the assembly units shown on the drawings; and (g) Several of the revised drawings contain new advisory notes, technical information, and references to other drawings. There are approximately 84 new drawings. Many of these new drawings are of construction assemblies from the

previous bulletin that have been modified as appropriate, renumbered, and reorganized. Other new drawings were added to exhibit one or more of the following: (a) The application of post-type insulators; (b) Construction guides and design details; (c) New equipment and new design; and (d) Details of subassembly units. A few new drawings were added to replace, with modifications as required, needed drawings or assemblies that were deleted from the previous bulletin for the reasons previously given.

Comments

On August 26, 1997, RUS published a proposed rule in the Federal Register, Vol. 62, No. 165. Comments were received from two parties. The first party, a distribution borrower of RUS, made three comments. The first comment pointed out a minor technical error on one of the drawings that RUS subsequently corrected. The second comment pointed out the absence of platforms for large transformer banks which is not a RUS standard and has not been a standard for over 30 years. The final comment regarded a preference size of conduit on a service entrance drawing. Since this third comment refers to a guide drawing and not a RUS specification, no changes are necessary to accommodate the preference of the commenter. The second set of approximately 30 comments was received from a consulting engineering firm. Four comments were general in nature regarding the National Electrical Safety Code, the size of the openings on clevises, crossarm loading and grounding assemblies. No response for the above comments were called for nor needed. The commenter pointed out minor technical, drafting, or typographical errors or improvements on several drawings. As a result of these comments the following 21 drawings were corrected:

VA4.1 VD2.91L E3.1 VB4.1 VD4.1 E4.1L VC1.41L VD4.1L F1.XX VC2.52L E1.1 F2.XX VC4.1 E1.01 F3.XX VC4.2L E2.1 F6.6 VC5.11G E2.3G VQ.41

Based on the comments given, drawing M2.1G was eliminated. This commenter suggested the addition of notes on several drawings, where relevant, regarding maximum transverse loading for conductors, clearances from poles of conductors on swing angles, separation of conductors on double-circuit assemblies, helix sizes, torques and depths on anchor drawings, right-of-way clearing details, and lead lengths on surge arresters. The commenter also suggested the addition of logs anchors, elimination of rock anchors, replacement of swamp anchors, and minor design changes on certain oil circuit recloser, auto-transformer and switch drawings. Each of the above comments was thoroughly reviewed and considered. RUS determined that each of the suggestions immediately above, which describe the commenter's construction preferences on some assembly units, are technically correct. Likewise, the RUS version of the assemblies is technically sound. In the interest of staying consistent with previous RUS standard assembly units, RUS did not change any of these drawings as suggested. The commenter also suggested that drawing VD6.91 was technically wrong, that ``silts'' should be eliminated from some soil classifications in Table F, and that the ground connections on two of the transformer/meter connection schematics was incorrect. RUS reviewed these comments very carefully and determined that the RUS drawings are correct and that the comments were incorrect. Thus, no changes were made to these drawings.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 1728

Electric power, Incorporation by reference, Loan programs-energy, Rural areas.

For reasons set out in the preamble, RUS is amending 7 CFR part 1728 as follows:

PART 1728--ELECTRIC STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

1. The authority citation for part 1728 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.; 1921 et seq.; 6941 et seq.).

2. Section 1728.97(b) is amended by removing the entry for Bulletin 50-5 and adding to the list of bulletins, in numerical order, the entry for Bulletin 1728F-803, to read as follows:

Sec. 1728.97 Incorporation by reference of electric standards and specifications.

* * * * * (b) List of Bulletins. * * * * * Bulletin 1728F-803, Specifications and Drawings for 24.9/14.4 kV Line Construction (October 1998). * * * * *

Dated: December 18, 1998. Jill Long Thompson, Under Secretary, Rural Development. [FR Doc. 98-34493 Filed 12-30-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-15-P