[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 193 (Wednesday, October 4, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59172-59173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25452]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Oglethorpe Power Corporation; Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Hold a Public 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 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 prepare an 
Environmental Assessment related to possible financing assistance to 
Oglethorpe Power Corporation to construct a 520 megawatt, combined 
cycle combustion turbine project in Heard County, Georgia.

DATES: RUS will conduct a public scoping meeting in an open house 
format on Thursday, October 19, 2000, from 4:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at the Heard County Parks 
and Recreation Department, Riverside Park Gymnasium, 101 Glover Road, 
Franklin, Georgia. All interested parties are invited to attend the 
meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Quigel, Engineering and 
Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service, at (202) 720-0468. Bob's 
E-mail address is [email protected]. You can also contact Greg Jones 
of Oglethorpe Power Corporation at 1-800-241-5374, extension 7890. 
Greg's email address is [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Oglethorpe Power Corporation proposes to 
construct the natural gas fired electric generation plant at the Hal B. 
Wansley Plant site in northeast Heard County approximately six miles 
southeast of Roopville, Georgia. The existing Wansley Plant is a 1,730 
megawatt, coal fired, electric generation facility owned by Oglethorpe 
Power Corporation, Georgia Power Company, the Municipal Electricity 
Authority of Georgia, and the City of Dalton. The proposed plant is one 
of four blocks of additional electric generation facilities planned for 
construction at the site. Each block of additional generation is 
proposed to consist of two combustion turbines and one heat recovery 
steam generator. The total build-out of the four blocks would total 
approximately 2,280 megawatts. No new electric transmission lines will 
need to be constructed to connect this plant to the existing electric 
transmission grid. No new natural gas pipeline will be constructed to 
exclusively serve this plant. Georgia Power Company is proposing to 
construct a natural gas pipeline that is planned to provide an adequate 
gas supply to the total build-out at the Wansley Plant site.
    The proposed project will be composed of two, nominal 167 megawatt 
Siemens V84.3A2 connected to a heat recovery steam generator which will 
power a Siemens steam turbine. Which This will increase the total plant 
output by 187 megawatts for a total of 520 megawatts. It is the goal of 
Oglethorpe Power Corporation to have the plant in operation by the 
spring of 2003.
    Alternatives considered by RUS and Oglethorpe Power Corporation to 
constructing the proposed generation facility proposed include: (a) No 
action, (b) purchased power, (c) load management, (d) renewable energy, 
(e) hydroelectric generation, (f) pumped storage hydroelectric 
generation, and (g) distributed generation.
    An alternative evaluation and site selection study for the project 
was prepared by Oglethorpe Power Corporation. The alternative 
evaluation and site selection study are available for public review at 
RUS in Room 2242, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, and at 
the headquarters of Oglethorpe Power Corporation located at 2100 East 
Exchange Place, Tucker, Georgia. This document will also be available 
at the West Georgia Regional Library at 710 Rome Street, Carrollton, 
Georgia, phone (770) 836-6711,; the Heard County Public Library at 564 
Main Street, Franklin, Georgia, phone (706) 675-6501; and the Newnan-
Coweta Public Library at 25 Hospital Road, Newnan, Georgia, phone (770) 
253-3625.
    Government agencies, private organizations, and the public are 
invited to participate in the planning and analysis of the proposed 
project. Representatives of RUS and Oglethorpe Power Corporation will 
be available at the scoping meeting to discuss RUS' environmental 
review process, describe the project and alternatives under 
consideration, discuss the scope of environmental issues to be 
considered, answer questions, and accept oral and written comments. 
Written comments will be accepted for at least 30 days after the public 
scoping meeting.
    From information provided in the alternative evaluation and site 
selection

[[Page 59173]]

study, input that may be provided by government agencies, private 
organizations, and the public, Oglethorpe Power Corporation will 
prepare an environmental analysis to be submitted to RUS for review. 
RUS will use the environmental analysis to determine the significance 
of the impacts of the project and may adopt it as its environmental 
assessment of the project. RUS' environmental assessment of the project 
would be available for review and comment for 30 days.
    Should RUS determine, based on the environmental assessment of the 
project, that the impacts of the construction and operation of the 
plant would not have a significant environmental impact, it will 
prepare a finding of no significant impact. Public notification of a 
finding of no significant impact would be published in the Federal 
Register and in newspapers with a circulation in the project area.
    Any final action by RUS related to the proposed project will be 
subject to, and contingent upon, compliance with environmental review 
requirements as prescribed by CEQ and RUS environmental policies and 
procedures.

    Dated: September 28, 2000.
Glendon Deal,
Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff.
[FR Doc. 00-25452 Filed 10-3-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P