[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 205 (Monday, October 25, 1999)] [Notices] [Pages 57437-57438] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-27738] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Utilities Service Great River Energy; Notice of Intent AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to hold scoping meeting and prepare an environmental assessment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and RUS Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR Part 1794) proposes to hold a scoping meeting and prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for its Federal action related to a project proposed by Great River Energy (GRE) of Elk River, Minnesota. The project consists of constructing a natural gas-fired simple cycle, combustion turbine power generation facility in Pleasant Valley Township in Mower County, Minnesota. Total electrical output from the facility is expected to range from 434 megawatts (MW) to 526 MW depending upon operating conditions. MEETING INFORMATION: RUS will conduct a scoping meeting in open house forum on Tuesday, November 9, 1999, at the Sargeant Community Center, Chestnut Avenue, Sargeant, Minnesota, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection Specialist, RUS, Engineering and Environmental Staff, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone (202) 720-1784, FAX: (202) 720-0820, e-mail: [email protected]; or Tim Seck, Environmental Project Leader, GRE, 17845 East Highway 10, P.O. Box 800, Elk River, Minnesota 55330-0800, telephone (612) 241-2278, FAX: (612) 241-6078, e- mail: [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GRE proposes to construct the facility in Pleasant Valley Township in Mower County, Minnesota. The primary purpose of the facility is to meet GRE peak electrical load during hot summer weather. Under those conditions the facility's expected output is about 434 MW of power. The proposed project will consist of three simple cycle combustion turbines. Two of the turbines will have a maximum rating of 195.5 MW, with a summertime rating of 155 MW. The third unit will have a maximum rating of 135 MW with a summertime rating of 124 MW. The primary fuel will be natural gas and distillate oil will serve as the back-up fuel. The plant will require approximately 18 acres of land. The following additional facilities will also be constructed. A 161/345 kV substation will be constructed at the plant site. A short transmission line tap (500 feet) will be needed to connect to an existing Byron-Adams 345-kV transmission line. A new 69/161 kV transmission line, between 5 and 7 miles long, will be built from the plant to the Sargeant Substation. A new 161 kV line, approximately 17 miles long, will be constructed from the Sargeant Substation to the Austin North Substation in Austin. Where feasible the new 161 kV line will follow an existing 69 kV transmission line corridor. A total of about three-mile long new high-pressure gas line from the proposed generating station north to an existing gas line will provide gas supply. The total water usage will be approximately 1.8 million gallons per year. Alternatives to be considered by RUS and GRE include no action, purchased power, upgrade of existing resources, new transmission facilities, alternative sites, alternative routes, fossil fuel technologies, customer-owned generation, energy conservation, renewable resources, and emerging technologies. GRE has prepared an Alternative Evaluation and Site Selection Study for the project. The Alternative Evaluation and Site Selection Study is available for public review at the RUS or GRE at the addresses provided in this notice or at the following locations: Austin Public Library, 323 4th Avenue, NE, Austin, Minnesota, (507) 433-2391 Brownsdale Public Library, Brownsdale Community Building, Brownsdale, Minnesota 55918, (507) 567-9951 Rochester Public Library, 101 2nd Street, SE, Rochester, Minnesota 55904, (507) 285-8022 Sargeant Community Center, Chestnut Avenue, Sargeant, Minnesota 55973, (507) 584-6885 Federal, state and local agencies, private organizations, and the public are invited to participate in the planning and analysis of the proposed project. Representatives from RUS and GRE will be available at the scoping meeting to discuss RUS's environmental review process, the proposed project and the alternatives being considered, scope of the environmental issues to be considered, and answer questions. Oral and written comments will be accepted at the scoping meeting. Written comments regarding the proposed project will also be accepted for at least [[Page 57438]] 30 days after the scoping meeting. All written comments should be sent to RUS at the address provided in this notice. Any final action by RUS related to the proposed project will be subject to, and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant Federal environmental laws and regulations and completion of environmental review procedures as prescribed by the CEQ Regulations and RUS Environmental Policies and Procedures. Dated: October 18, 1999. Lawrence R. Wolfe, Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service. [FR Doc. 99-27738 Filed 10-22-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-15-P