[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 8118]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3829]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Freedom Power Station Plant, Notice of Finding of No Significant 
Impact

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), 
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, 
the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-
1508), and RUS Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR Part 1794), 
has made a finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a 
project proposed by Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc., (SEC) of 
Greenville, Illinois. The proposed project consists of constructing a 
natural gas-fired simple cycle, combustion turbine power generation 
facility near Wright?s Corner in Fayette County, Illinois. The primary 
purpose of the facility is to meet SEC peak electrical load . The unit 
will have a peak capacity of 45 MW. The facility will be located on a 
1.5 acre tract of land on the East Side of County Highway 4 
approximately six miles north of the City of Elmo, Illinois. The power 
generated from the facility will be distributed through an existing 
transmission line owned and operated jointly by SEC and Ameren. No 
additional construction of the transmission facility will be required. 
Kansas-Nebraska Energy will provide natural gas fuel for the facility. 
The Kansas-Nebraska Energy gas pipeline is located about 50 feet from 
the plant site. RUS may provide financing assistance to SEC for the 
project.
    RUS has concluded that the impacts from the proposed project would 
not be significant and that the proposed action is not a major federal 
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. 
Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not 
necessary.

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Rural Utilities Service, Engineering and Environmental 
Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-
1571, telephone: (202) 720-1414. His e-mail address is 
[email protected]. Information is also available from Mr. Joe 
Richardson, Business Development and Marketing Manager, SEC, 525 US 
Route 40, Greenville, Illinois 62246, telephone (618) 664-1025.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS, in accordance with its environmental 
policies and procedures, required that SEC prepare an Environmental 
Report (ER) reflecting the potential impacts of the proposed 
facilities. The ER, which includes input from Federal, State, and local 
agencies, has been reviewed and adopted as RUS?s Environmental 
Assessment (EA) for the project in accordance with 7 CFR 1794.41. RUS 
and SEC published notices of the availability of the EA and solicited 
public comments per 7 CFR 1794.42. No comments were received. Based on 
the EA, RUS has concluded that the proposed action will not have a 
significant effect to various resources, including important farmland, 
floodplains, wetlands, cultural resources, threatened and endangered 
species and their critical habitat, air and water quality, and noise. 
RUS has also determined that there would be no negative impacts of the 
proposed project on minority communities and low-income communities as 
a result of the construction of the project.
    Copies of the EA and FONSI can be reviewed at the headquarters of 
SEC and the RUS, at the addresses provided above in this notice.

    Dated: February 10, 2000.
Lawrence R. Wolfe,
Acting Director Engineering and Environmental Staff.
[FR Doc. 00-3829 Filed 2-16-00; 8:45 am]
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