[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 79 (Monday, April 24, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21716-21717]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10141]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Pleasant Valley 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

[[Page 21717]]

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 Great River Energy (GRE) of Elk River, Minnesota. 
The proposed project will have a total of three combustion turbine 
units, two 155 MW and one 124 MW unit, including a new 345/161 kV 
substation and other associated transmission facilities. The proposed 
plant will be constructed in the Pleasant Valley Township in Mower 
County, Minnesota. The construction site is located in the northwest 
quarter of Section 19, Pleasant Valley Township, Mower County, 
Minnesota. The primary purpose of the facility is to meet GRE?s peak 
electrical load. The facility will require approximately 24 acres of 
land. However, GRE wants to purchase up to 160 acres in order to 
provide sufficient construction lay-down area and to maintain an 
appropriate distance between the facility and its neighbors. The 
primary fuel for the facility will be natural gas via the Northern 
Natural Gas (NNG) pipeline. Presently the NNG pipeline is located 
approximately two miles north from the plant site. The power generated 
from the facility will be distributed through a new substation, which 
will be built on the plant site; a short tap line, approximately 500 
feet in length, to an existing 345-kV transmission line. In addition, a 
161-kV transmission line will be built to an existing substation 
located in north Austin. Between five and seven miles of the 161-kV 
line will need a new rights-of-way; much of the remainder of the 
transmission line, approximately 17 miles long, will follow an existing 
69-kV transmission line.
    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, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared.

FOR FURTHER 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. Tim Seck, 
Environmental Project Leader, GRE, 17845 East Highway 10, PO Box 800, 
Elk River, Minnesota 55330-0880, telephone (612) 241-2278, or E-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS, in accordance with its environmental 
policies and procedures, required that GRE prepare an Environmental 
Analysis (EVAL) to evaluate the potential impacts of the proposed 
project. The EVAL, which includes input from federal, state, and local 
agencies, has been reviewed and accepted as RUS's Environmental 
Assessment (EA) for the project in accordance with 7 CFR 1794.41. RUS 
and GRE published notices of the availability of the EA and solicited 
public comments per 7 CFR 1794.42. Two federal agencies, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs and Federal Aviation Administration, have responded but 
no objections were raised. No comments were received from the public. 
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 
disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental 
effects on minority populations and low-income populations as a result 
of the construction of the project.
    Copies of the EA and FONSI can be reviewed at the headquarters of 
GRE and the RUS, at the addresses provided above in this notice.

    Dated: April 18, 2000.
Blaine D. Stockton, Jr.,
Assistant Administrator-Electric, Electric Program, Rural Utilities 
Service.
[FR Doc. 00-10141 Filed 4-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P