[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 198 (Friday, October 14, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-25467]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: October 14, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Electrification Administration

 

Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative; Finding of No 
Significant Impact

AGENCY: Rural Electrification Administration, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Electrification 
Administration (REA) has made a finding of no significant impact 
(FONSI), with respect to the potential environmental impact resulting 
from a proposal by Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative (PNGC), to 
construct and operate the Coffin Butte Resource Project in Benton 
County, Oregon. The FONSI is based on a Borrower's Environmental Report 
(BER) prepared for PNGC by CH2M Hill and submitted to REA covering the 
proposed action. REA conducted an independent evaluation of the BER and 
concurs with its scope and content. In accordance with REA 
Environmental Policies and Procedures, 7 CFR 1794.61, REA has adopted 
the BER as its environmental assessment for this project.
    REA has concluded that the impacts associated with 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 the preparation of an environmental impact 
statement is not necessary.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence R. Wolfe, Chief, 
Environmental Compliance Branch, Electric Staff Division, room 1246, 
South Agriculture Building, Rural Electrification Administration, 
Washington, DC 20250-1500, telephone (202) 720-1784.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed project will be located in 
Benton County, near the city of Adair Village and approximately 10 
miles north of Corvallis, Oregon. The 11.4 acre plant site is located 
adjacent to Coffin Butte Road and State Highway 99W. The site, which is 
owned by Valley Landfills, Inc. (VLI), is immediately adjacent to VLI's 
Coffin Butte Landfill. PNGC proposes to construct and operate a 2.2 
megawatt (MW) net diesel electric generation facility that will be 
fueled by methane gas collected from the adjacent VLI landfill. The 
generation facilities will initially consist of three 850 kilowatt 
diesel engines designed to burn landfill gas. Planned expansion of the 
landfill is expected to provide sufficient methane to fuel three 
additional diesel units. The engines will be enclosed in a sound 
treated building that will be approximately 80 feet long by 45 feet 
wide and 20 feet high. The exhaust stack on each engine will extend 
approximately 5 feet above the top of the building. A pipe system, 
installed by VLI, will collect the landfill gas and deliver the gas to 
a compressor in the generating facility. Access to the enclosed fenced 
site will be via a single lane gravel road from Coffin Butte Road. A 
12.5 kilovolt overhead powerline will connect the facility to the 
existing 12.5 kV distribution line of Consumers Power, Inc., (CPI) a 
PNGC member. The distribution line is located adjacent and parallel to 
Coffin Butte Road.
    Alternatives examined for the proposed project included no action, 
energy conservation, purchased power, and alternative generating 
technologies. REA has considered these alternatives and has concluded 
that the project as proposed will meet the needs of PNGC and CPI with a 
minimum of adverse impacts.
    Based on analysis of the adopted BER and other available project 
related information, REA has concluded that construction and operation 
of the proposed Coffin Butte Resource Project will have no significant 
impact on air quality, wetlands, existing land uses, or flora and 
fauna. In addition, REA has determined that construction and operation 
of the proposed project will have no effect on water quality, important 
farmland, floodplains, cultural resources, federally listed threatened 
and endangered species or designated critical habitat, or species 
proposed for listing or proposed critical habitat. No other potential 
significant impact resulting from the construction and operation of the 
proposed project has been identified.
    In accordance with REA Environmental Policies and Procedures for 
Electric and Telephone Borrowers, 7 CFR part 1794, PNGC published 
notices in the Corvallis Gazette Times on August 25 and 26, 1994. The 
notices announced the project and identified locations at which the BER 
could be reviewed. No comments were received. Copies of the BER and 
FONSI are available for review at, or can be obtained from REA at the 
address provided herein or obtained from the offices of Pacific 
Northwest Generating Cooperative, 771 Northeast Halsey Street, Suite 
200, Portland, Oregon 97232-1288, during normal business hours.

    Dated: October 9, 1994.
Adam M. Golodner,
Deputy Administrator--Program Operations.
[FR Doc. 94-25467 Filed 10-13-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P