[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]


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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.

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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