[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 68 (Monday, April 9, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18430-18431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8644]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Old Dominion Electric Cooperative; 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, the Council 
on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act (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 Louisa Generation LLC related to construction and 
operation of a 490-megawatt simple cycle, combustion turbine electric 
generation plant in Louisa County, Virginia.
    Meeting Information: RUS will conduct a public meeting on 
Wednesday, April 25, 2001, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the 
Trevilians Elementary School, 2035 Spotswood Trail, Louisa, Virginia. 
All interested parties are invited to attend the meeting.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Quigel, Engineering and Environmental 
Staff, Rural Utilities Service, at (202) 720-0468. Mr. Quigel's E-mail 
address is [email protected]. Information is also available from 
David Smith of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative at (804) 968-4045. Mr. 
Smith's E-mail address is [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Old Dominion would be the agent to construct 
and operate the proposed plant. The preferred plant site is located 
just south of the Louisa/Albemarle County line at the intersection of 
Klockner Road and a CSX Railroad track. The site is approximately 90 
acres. About 30 acres of the site would be developed for the plant. The 
plant would be made up of one GE Frame 7FA and four 7EA combustion 
turbines. The nominal maximum output of the plant will be 490 
megawatts. The primary fuel will be natural gas. Low sulfur fuel oil 
will be used as a back-up fuel.
    The plant will be a peaking facility. It is anticipated that each 
of the five turbines would operate for no more than 1,800 hours per 
year. This would be during periods of high-energy demand in Virginia. 
The plant would be interconnected to a 230 kV transmission line that 
crosses the site. Natural gas would be delivered to the site via an 
existing pipeline located south of the plant site. The natural gas 
pipeline company is evaluating what upgrades would be necessary to 
interconnect the plant to the existing pipeline. The maximum water use 
by the plant is estimated to be 22.6 million gallons per year. A water 
pipeline would need to be constructed to transport the water to the 
plant.
    Alternatives considered by RUS and Old Dominion Electric 
Cooperative include: (a) No action, (b) purchased power, (c) load 
management and conservation, (d) renewable energy, (e) simple cycle 
combustion turbine, (f) combined cycle, and (g) various site locations.
    An alternative evaluation and site selection study for the project 
was prepared by Old Dominion Electric Cooperative. 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 Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, Innsbrook 
Corporate Center, 4201 Dominion Boulevard, Glen Allen, Virginia. This 
document will also be available at the Jefferson-Madison Regional 
Library, 881 Davis Highway, Mineral, Virginia.
    Government agencies, private organizations, and the public are 
invited to participate in the planning and analysis of the proposed 
project. Representatives of RUS and Old Dominion Electric Cooperative 
will be available at the public 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

[[Page 18431]]

accepted for 30 days after the public scoping meeting.
    From information provided in the alternative evaluation and site 
selection study, input that may be provided by government agencies, 
private organizations, and the public, Old Dominion Electric 
Cooperative 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 Council on Environmental Quality and RUS 
environmental policies and procedures.

    Dated: April 4, 2001.
Mark Plank,
Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff.
[FR Doc. 01-8644 Filed 4-6-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P