[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 231 (Friday, November 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 60678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30511]



[[Page 60678]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Town of Albany, Cagle Water Expansion Project and Notice of Public 
Scoping Meeting

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent and notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), USDA announces its intent 
to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231 et seq.) 
in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for 
implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508) and 
Agency regulations 7 CFR 1940-G. The primary scope of the EIS is to 
evaluate the environmental impacts of and alternatives to the City of 
Albany's proposal to increase treatment capacity of their water 
treatment plant from 2.0 million gallons per day (MGD) to 5.0 MGD; 
install 30,000 linear feet (5.68 miles) of a 16-inch water transmission 
main; and construct a 1.5 million gallon water storage tank. 
Alternatives to be considered will include alternatives to the 
treatment plant expansion.
    The Town of Albany has requested financial assistance from three 
Federal Agencies: RUS, Economic Development Administration (EDA), and 
Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In accordance with 40 CFR 1501.5, 
Lead Agencies, the RUS will be the lead Agency for the EIS and EDA and 
HUD will be cooperating Agencies.
    With this notice, RUS invites any affected Federal, State, and 
local Agencies and other interested persons to comment on the scope, 
alternatives, and significant issues to be analyzed in depth in the 
EIS.
    The public scoping meeting will be held on December 19, 1996 at the 
Clinton County High School Gym, Highway North 127, Albany, KY 42602 at 
6:30 pm.
    After the scoping process and the initial environmental analysis 
are completed RUS will issue a Draft EIS. A Notice of Availability of 
the Draft EIS will be published in the Federal Register and area 
newspapers, and public comments will again be solicited. Those persons 
who choose not to comment on the scope of the document at this time but 
desire a copy of the Draft EIS should send their names and addresses to 
Mark S. Plank at the address listed below. RUS anticipates releasing a 
final EIS in less than nine months.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS will be accepted 15 
days after the public scoping meeting is held.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Mark S. Plank, USDA, Rural 
Utilities Service, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Mail Stop 1571, 
Washington, DC 20250, telephone (202) 720-1649 or fax (202) 720-0820 or 
Thomas G. Fern, State Director, USDA, Rural Development State Office, 
771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503, (606) 224-7300 or 
fax (606) 224-7340.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Letcher, Vernon Brown, or Ken 
Sloane, USDA, Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, 
Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503, (606) 224-7300 or Mark S. Plank, at the 
address and telephone number above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Subchapter C, Part I 
(Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities and Rural Development 
Investment Areas) of Title XIII of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation 
Act of 1993, Clinton County, Kentucky is located in an area designated 
as an Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community (EZ/EC) (see Federal 
Register Vol. 60, No. 24, February 6, 1995). The purpose of the EZ/EC 
initiative is to empower rural communities and their residents to 
create opportunities for economic development as part of a Federal-
State-local and private sector partnership. The proposed action is an 
integral component of the EZ/EC initiative by providing the financial 
assistance for infrastructure development that is critical for 
promoting favorable economic conditions for job creation. One of the 
EZ/EC initiatives is the construction of a chicken processing plant 
(Plant) in Clinton County by Cagle Industries, Atlanta, GA. The Plant 
is expected to bring 800-1,000 jobs in an area of chronic poverty and 
high unemployment. In order to accommodate the water needs of the 
Plant, the City of Albany submitted a pre-application on September 5, 
1996, to the Rural Utilities Service (and other Federal agencies) to 
upgrade the existing Albany Water Treatment Plant (WTP). The City of 
Albany proposes to increase treatment capacity of the WTP from 2.0 
million gallons per day (MGD) to 5.0 MGD; install 30,000 linear feet 
(5.68 miles) of a 16-inch water transmission main; and construct a 1.5 
million water storage tank at the Plant site.

    Dated: November 25, 1996.
Adam Golodner,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 96-30511 Filed 11-27-96; 8:45 am]
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