[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 11]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR1780.19]

[Page 1043]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
    CHAPTER XVII--RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 1780--WATER AND WASTE LOANS AND GRANTS--Table of Contents
 
              Subpart A--General Policies and Requirements
 
Sec. 1780.19  Public information.

    (a) Public notice of intent to file an application with the Agency. 
Within 60 days of filing an application with the Agency the applicant 
must publish a notice of intent to apply for a RUS loan or grant. The 
notice of intent must be published in a newspaper of general circulation 
in the proposed area to be served.
    (b) General public meeting. Applicants should inform the general 
public regarding the development of any proposed project. Any applicant 
not required to obtain authorization by vote of its membership or by 
public referendum, to incur the obligations of the proposed loan or 
grant, must hold at least one public information meeting. The public 
meeting must be held not later than loan or grant approval. The meeting 
must give the citizenry an opportunity to become acquainted with the 
proposed project and to comment on such items as economic and 
environmental impacts, service area, alternatives to the project, or any 
other issue identified by Agency. To the extent possible, this meeting 
should cover items necessary to satisfy all public information meeting 
requirements for the proposed project. To minimize duplication of public 
notices and public involvement, the applicant shall, where possible, 
coordinate and integrate the public involvement activities of the 
environmental review process into this requirement. The applicant will 
be required, at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to publish a notice 
of the meeting in a newspaper of general circulation in the service 
area, to post a public notice at the applicant's principal office, and 
to notify the Agency. The applicant will provide the Agency a copy of 
the published notice and minutes of the public meeting. A public meeting 
is not normally required for subsequent loans or grants which are needed 
to complete the financing of a project.