[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 118 (Thursday, June 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33392-33394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-16121]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
City of Albany, KY, Cagle Water Expansion Project; Final
Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability of final environmental impact statement
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS),
pursuant to its responsibility as Lead Agency, and in conjunction with
its cooperating agencies, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
[[Page 33393]]
Development and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development
Administration is issuing a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
related to the proposed water treatment plant expansion in the City of
Albany, Kentucky. The FEIS was prepared pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231 et seq.) in
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations
for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508)
and Agency regulations (7 CFR 1940-G). RUS invites comments on the
FEIS.
The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate the environmental impacts of
the proposal to expand Albany's water treatment plant to increase its
treatment capacity from 2.0 million gallons daily (MGD) to 5.0 MGD. As
a result of the action, Cagle's, Inc., plans to build a poultry
processing plant in Clinton County, Kentucky. Cagle support operations
such as a feed mill, hatchery, poultry farms, and associated utility
lines would be built in the region. The Clinton County Industrial Park
would also be built as a result of the water plant expansion.
DATES: Written comments on the FEIS will be accepted on or before July
21, 1997.
ADDRESSES: To send comments or for more information, contact: Mark S.
Plank, USDA, Rural Utilities Service, Engineering and Environmental
Staff, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Mail Stop 1571, Washington, DC
20250, telephone (202) 720-1649, fax (202) 720-0820, or e-mail:
[email protected].
A copy of the FEIS can be obtained over the Internet at http://
www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/ees.htm. The file is in a portable document
format (pdf); in order to review the document, users need to obtain a
copy of Acrobat Reader. Free copies of Acrobat Reader can be obtained
from http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html
Copies of the FEIS will be available for public review during
normal business hours at the following locations:
Clinton County Public Library, 205 Burkeville Road, Albany, KY
40601, (606) 387-5989.
Goodnight Memorial Library, 203 South Main, Franklin, KY 42134,
(502) 586-8397.
Simpson County Extension Service, 300 N. Main Street, Franklin, KY
42134, (502) 586-4484.
Warren County Extension Service, 1117 Cabell Drive, Bowling Green,
KY 42102-1018, (502) 842-1681.
Bowling Green Public Library, 1225 State Street, Bowling Green, KY
42102, (502) 843-1438.
Helm-Cravers Library, 1 Big Red Way, Western Kentucky University,
Bowling Green, KY 42101, (502) 745-3951.
Individuals who received copies of the Draft EIS will be mailed
copies of the FEIS.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The City of Albany, KY, located in south-
central Kentucky, has applied for federal financial assistance to
expand its water treatment plant. This action is a part of the Federal
Government Empowerment Zone program that seeks to empower economically
depressed communities to pursue economic development through a
government and private business partnership. The U. S. Department of
Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service (RUS), has prepared this
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) concerning this action. This
document is developed and written in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act, the President's Council on Environmental
Quality regulations, and Rural Utilities Service regulations. The U. S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City of Albany, KY,
the responsible entity of HUD's, Community Development Block Grant, and
the U. S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration
are cooperating agencies for this action.
RUS, announced its' intent to prepare a EIS on November 29, 1996.
Two scoping meetings were held in Clinton County to solicit comments
from the public. These comments were considered in developing the scope
of the EIS. The availability of the draft EIS was announced in the
Federal Register by RUS on April 16, 1997, and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency on April 25, 1997.
Four public meetings to solicit comments from the public were held
in the area affected by this proposal. These comments and all comments
received in writing were considered and incorporated, as appropriate,
in the FEIS. Specific responses to the public comments can be found in
Appendix E of the FEIS.
This EIS is the evaluation of the potential impacts on the
environment from the water treatment plant expansion. In addition, the
EIS considers the potential environmental impacts from the construction
and operation of industries that would locate in the Albany, Kentucky,
area as a result of the expansion. Cagle's Inc. plans to build a
poultry processing facility in the area. This would require
construction of support operations such as a feed mill, hatchery,
poultry farms, and associated utility lines and ancillary systems. The
Clinton County Industrial Park is also proposed as a result of the
expansion, even though no specific plans have been made for the
industrial park.
In preparing this EIS, the study team considered several
alternative ways to meet the community's need, but most were considered
impracticable, or unreasonable. Therefore, this EIS evaluates in depth
only two alternatives: the action to expand the water treatment plant
and the No Action alternative. Alternatives within the proposed action
are also discussed.
The affected environment of the facilities considered in this EIS
consists of rural settings that are dominated by agricultural
operations. The expansion would require building a new water treatment
plant next to the existing plant. This would increase the overall raw
water treatment capacity from 2 million gallons per day to 5 million
gallons per day. The raw water would be drawn from Lake Cumberland, a
major recreational lake in the area.
The poultry processing facility would be located about 3 miles from
Lake Cumberland. It would use an on-site, no discharge wastewater
treatment system that would use drip and spray irrigation of treated
wastewater on a hay farm. There will be no point discharge of treated
wastewater to Indian Creek or any other surface waterway on the
property. Indian Creek drains into Lake Cumberland. A feed mill and
hatchery would be located about 70 miles due west of the poultry
processing facility in Franklin, Kentucky, with poultry farms likely to
be established throughout fifteen counties in Kentucky and Tennessee.
The Clinton County Industrial Park would be located about four miles
south of the raw water treatment plant.
The EIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts from the
construction and operation of the various facilities and associated
utility lines. Construction and operation of the facilities and utility
lines would have no significant impact on biological resources, noise,
aesthetics, cultural resources, and the air quality of the region.
Construction of the facilities and utility lines would use best
management practices to control erosion, runoff, and sedimentation, as
required by Kentucky Best Management Practices for Construction
Activities. Therefore, minimal impacts on soils and surface water would
occur. The geology of the area consists largely of limestone,
containing sinkholes, crevices, and caves. To minimize the risk of
problems
[[Page 33394]]
associated with sinkholes, subsurface investigations would have to be
used by Cagles to help determine the exact siting of buildings,
lagoons, and the other facilities.
Operation of the water treatment plant would have negligible impact
on Lake Cumberland's water capacity. The irrigation of treated
wastewater from the poultry processing facility would have no
significant impact on soils or surface and groundwater. However, a
monitoring program for soils, surface, and groundwater would be set up
to assess any potential long-term effects of the irrigation. The feed
mill and hatchery would have minimal impact on the water and associated
environment since its wastewater would be discharged to a local
municipal sewer.
Disposal of poultry wastes from the poultry processing facility and
poultry farms would use best management practices as required by the
Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Plan, which is in the process of
being implemented. Each new agriculture operation would need to comply
with the plan. The plan also includes long-term monitoring of the
state's water quality to evaluate the effectiveness of the best
management practices. Therefore, no significant impacts on water
quality are expected.
For all of the facility areas, no significant cultural resources
have been found.
Most of the socioeconomic effects would result from the
construction and operation of the poultry processing facility and its
support operations. The poultry farming operations would be consistent
with U.S. Department of Agriculture's family farming policy. The
projected industrial growth in the area would result in increased
employment and income. This would in turn stimulate economic growth of
this low-income area. No significant impact on the transportation
system in the region is expected.
The Clinton County Industrial Park would be able to accommodate
businesses interested in locating to the area in the future. This would
further stimulate economic growth in the area.
The construction and operation of the facilities and utility lines
would meet all federal, state, and local regulations and permitting
requirements. Best management practices for construction activities and
poultry farming operations would prevent any significantly adverse
impacts on the environment. Funding of the water treatment plant is the
preferred alternative at this time.
The No Action alternative is not to award Federal financial
assistance to the City of Albany. If the No Action alternative is
chosen, the potential environmental effects of the various facilities,
discussed above, would not occur. However, potential economic
development in the area would not be realized, and the goals of the
federal assistance program would not be met. The area would continue to
suffer from high unemployment, poverty, and dependence on Federal and
State entitlements.
By not funding the project, the No Action alternative, economic
conditions within the EZ would continue to worsen. The trend of
factories closing or down sizing shifts, and stores and businesses
closing would continue. The current economy could not support the
existing businesses. The No Action alternative would be detrimental to
the EZ and result in an adverse impact to the community.
Dated: June 16, 1997.
John P. Romano,
Deputy Administrator, Water and Environmental Program.
[FR Doc. 97-16121 Filed 6-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P