[Federal Register: April 24, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 79)]
[Notices]
[Page 21716-21717]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24ap00-33]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Pleasant Valley Station Plant, Notice of Finding of No
Significant Impact
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS),
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended,
the
[[Page 21717]]
Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508),
and RUS Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1794), has
made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a
project proposed by Great River Energy (GRE) of Elk River, Minnesota.
The proposed project will have a total of three combustion turbine
units, two 155 MW and one 124 MW unit, including a new 345/161 kV
substation and other associated transmission facilities. The proposed
plant will be constructed in the Pleasant Valley Township in Mower
County, Minnesota. The construction site is located in the northwest
quarter of Section 19, Pleasant Valley Township, Mower County,
Minnesota. The primary purpose of the facility is to meet GRE?s peak
electrical load. The facility will require approximately 24 acres of
land. However, GRE wants to purchase up to 160 acres in order to
provide sufficient construction lay-down area and to maintain an
appropriate distance between the facility and its neighbors. The
primary fuel for the facility will be natural gas via the Northern
Natural Gas (NNG) pipeline. Presently the NNG pipeline is located
approximately two miles north from the plant site. The power generated
from the facility will be distributed through a new substation, which
will be built on the plant site; a short tap line, approximately 500
feet in length, to an existing 345-kV transmission line. In addition, a
161-kV transmission line will be built to an existing substation
located in north Austin. Between five and seven miles of the 161-kV
line will need a new rights-of-way; much of the remainder of the
transmission line, approximately 17 miles long, will follow an existing
69-kV transmission line.
RUS has concluded that the impacts from the proposed project would
not be significant and that the proposed action is not a major federal
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Rural Utilities Service, Engineering and Environmental
Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-
1571, telephone: (202) 720-1414. His e-mail address is
nislam@rus.usda.gov. Information is also available from Mr. Tim Seck,
Environmental Project Leader, GRE, 17845 East Highway 10, PO Box 800,
Elk River, Minnesota 55330-0880, telephone (612) 241-2278, or E-mail
tseck@grenergy.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS, in accordance with its environmental
policies and procedures, required that GRE prepare an Environmental
Analysis (EVAL) to evaluate the potential impacts of the proposed
project. The EVAL, which includes input from federal, state, and local
agencies, has been reviewed and accepted as RUS's Environmental
Assessment (EA) for the project in accordance with 7 CFR 1794.41. RUS
and GRE published notices of the availability of the EA and solicited
public comments per 7 CFR 1794.42. Two federal agencies, Bureau of
Indian Affairs and Federal Aviation Administration, have responded but
no objections were raised. No comments were received from the public.
Based on the EA, RUS has concluded that the proposed action will not
have a significant effect to various resources, including important
farmland, floodplains, wetlands, cultural resources, threatened and
endangered species and their critical habitat, air and water quality,
and noise. RUS has also determined that there would be no
disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental
effects on minority populations and low-income populations as a result
of the construction of the project.
Copies of the EA and FONSI can be reviewed at the headquarters of
GRE and the RUS, at the addresses provided above in this notice.
Dated: April 18, 2000.
Blaine D. Stockton, Jr.,
Assistant Administrator-Electric, Electric Program, Rural Utilities
Service.
[FR Doc. 00-10141 Filed 4-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P
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