Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/3384

 PUBLIC LAW 109–451—DEC. 22, 2006

120 STAT. 3353

(B) the economic feasibility and lowest cost method of obtaining the desired results of each alternative, taking into account the Federal cost-share; (8) the availability of guaranteed loans for a proposed rural water supply project; (9) the financial capability of the non-Federal project entity to pay the non-Federal project entity’s proportionate share of the design and construction costs and 100 percent of operations, maintenance, and replacement costs, including the allocation of costs to each non-Federal project entity in the case of multiple entities; (10) whether the non-Federal project entity has developed an operations, management, and replacement plan to assist the non-Federal project entity in establishing rates and fees for beneficiaries of the rural water supply project that includes a schedule identifying the annual operations, maintenance, and replacement costs that should be allocated to each non-Federal entity participating in the project; (11)(A) the non-Federal project entity administrative organization that would implement construction, operations, maintenance, and replacement activities; and (B) the fiscal, administrative, and operational controls to be implemented to manage the project; (12) the extent to which assistance for rural water supply is available under other Federal authorities; (13) the engineering, environmental, and economic activities to be undertaken to carry out the proposed rural water supply project; (14) the extent to which the project involves partnerships with other State, local, or tribal governments or Federal entities; and (15) in the case of a project intended for Indian tribes and tribal organizations, the extent to which the project addresses the goal of economic self-sufficiency. (d) FEASIBILITY STUDY CRITERIA.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall promulgate criteria (including the feasibility factors listed under subsection (c)) under which the feasibility studies shall be assessed for completeness and appropriateness. (2) INCLUSIONS.—The Secretary shall include in the criteria promulgated under paragraph (1) methods to scale the level of effort needed to complete the feasibility assessment relative to the total size and cost of the proposed rural water supply project and reduce total costs to non-Federal entities. (e) FEASIBILITY REPORT.— (1) IN GENERAL.—After completion of appropriate feasibility studies for rural water supply projects that address the factors described in subsection (c) and the criteria promulgated under subsection (d), the Secretary shall— (A) develop a feasibility report that includes— (i) a recommendation of the Secretary on— (I) whether the rural water supply project should be authorized for construction; and (II) the appropriate non-Federal share of construction costs, which shall be—

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