[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 83 (Friday, April 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 24911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10649]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Southern Intertie Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Extension for the Southern Intertie Project Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), as lead Federal agency, is 
preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Southern 
Intertie Project, a proposal by six electric utilities that are 
collectively known as the Intertie Participants Group (IPG). The 
project consists of the construction and operation of a 230 kV 
transmission line and associated facilities to be located between 
Anchorage and a location on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska 
District (ACE) are both cooperating agencies. A notice of intent to 
prepare an EIS was announced in the Federal Register on Wednesday, 
October 9, 1996, at 61 FR 52908.
    The route proposed by the IPG would cross portions of the Kenai 
National Wildlife Refuge. On August 5, 1999, the IPG submitted an 
application for a right-of-way pursuant to Title XI of the Alaska 
National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-487, 
U.S.C. 668dd) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR part 36). The 
application was accepted by the RUS, FWS, and ACE.
    Regulations at 43 CFR 36.6(a)(2) require the lead agency to publish 
notification of an extension with reasons for the extension of a nine-
month period to complete the draft EIS. Due to the magnitude and 
complexity of the proposed project and the number of resources that 
will potentially be impacted, the evaluation of the data compiled by 
the applicant's consultants is taking longer than expected. Because of 
the additional time needed to evaluate the data, RUS is providing 
notice that an additional four months is required to complete the draft 
EIS.

DATES: The draft EIS is expected to be available for public review in 
September of 2000. Public hearings on the draft EIS will be scheduled 
in Soldotna and Anchorage, Alaska, and Washington, DC in September/
October of 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence R. Wolfe, Senior 
Environmental Protection Specialist, RUS, Engineering and Environmental 
Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-
1571, telephone (202) 720-5093 or e-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: April 25, 2000.
Mark S. Plank,
Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff.
[FR Doc. 00-10649 Filed 4-27-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P