[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