[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 138 (Thursday, July 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 47348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18044]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Great River Energy; 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) 
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 project consists of a short reroute of an existing GRE 230 kV 
transmission line to facilitate access to coal reserves of the Falkirk 
Mining Company, and a short segment of additional 230 kV line to 
provide for separation of the circuits on an existing double-circuited 
transmission line. The project is located approximately 4.5 miles south 
and 4 miles west of Underwood in McLean County, North Dakota. RUS may 
provide financial assistance to GRE for this project.

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; Fax: (202) 720-0820 e-mail: 
[email protected]. Information is also available from Ms. Carole 
Schmidt, Environmental Scientist, Great River Energy, 17845 E. Highway 
10, P.O. Box 800, Elk River, MN 55330-0800, telephone: (763) 241-2272; 
e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GRE currently owns a 230 kV transmission 
line that runs between two of its generating facilities--Coal Creek 
Station (Coal Creek) and Stanton Station (Stanton). A 4.5-mile portion 
of this line is double-circuited. The purpose of this project is two 
fold: (1) To reroute a portion of this transmission line to allow 
access to coal reserves in the area of the line, and (2) to separate 
the two circuits onto separate transmission structures to allow for 
additional transmission capacity in the Coal Creek-Stanton area. The 
relocation will maintain transmission capabilities between Coal Creek 
and the Stanton area. GRE also intends to place an optical ground wire 
(fiber optic cable) between Coal Creek and Stanton area to provide a 
high-speed telecommunications link between the two sites. Portions of 
the fiber optic cable will be installed in underground conduit. The 
conduit will be installed by trenching at a depth of approximately 36 
inches. A right-of-way of 120 feet will be needed for the line. A 
combination of single-pole and H-frame structures will be used for the 
transmission line. The proposed rerouted portion of the line and 
separation of the line onto separate transmission structures of the 
double-circuited portion of the 230 kV line will allow for additional 
transmission capacity in the Coal Creek-Stanton area. This will 
facilitate increased coal-fired generation in the area.
    RUS, in accordance with its environmental policies and procedures, 
requires that GRE prepare an environmental report reflecting the 
potential impacts of the proposed facilities. The environmental report 
that includes input from federal, state, and local agencies has been 
reviewed and accepted as RUS' Environmental Analysis (EA) for the 
project in accordance with 7 CFR 1794.41. GRE published notices of the 
availability of the EA and solicited public comments per 7 CFR 1794.42. 
The 30-day comment period on the EA for the proposed project ended May 
20, 2002. No comments were received on the EA. GRE, however, received 
comments on the environmental report from federal, state, and local 
agencies. GRE has agreed to follow Federal, State, and local agency 
recommendations and secure all permits prior to constructing and during 
operation of the proposed facilities.
    Based on the EA and the GRE's commitments to follow all agency 
recommendations, RUS has concluded that the proposed action will not 
have a significant effect to various resources, including important 
farmland, floodplains, wetlands, cultural and historic properties, 
threatened and endangered species and their critical habitat, and water 
quality. 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 construction of the project. RUS believes 
that there are no significant potential environmental conflicts related 
to this project.

    Dated: July 12, 2002.
Alfred Rodgers,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities 
Service.
[FR Doc. 02-18044 Filed 7-17-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P