[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62950-62951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25703]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Southern Intertie Project; Notice of Availability of a Record of 
Decision

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a record of decision.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), 
has issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Southern Intertie 
Project. The decision of RUS is that the National Environmental Policy 
Act process is satisfied with respect to a request for financing 
assistance from Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) for its share 
of the cost of constructing the Southern Intertie Project. The project 
being proposed by the Intertie Participants Group (IPG), of which GVEA 
is a member, is the construction of a 138 kilovolt (kV) transmission 
line between the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage, Alaska. The 
construction of the project will be undertaken in accordance with the 
FEIS.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence R. Wolfe, Senior Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA Rural 
Utilities Service, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone (202) 720-1784, fax (202) 720-
0820. The e-mail address is: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RUS preferred alternative, the Tesoro 
Route, would connect the Bernice Lake Substation on the Kenai Peninsula 
with the Pt. Woronzof Substation in Anchorage. This alternative would 
parallel the Tesoro Pipeline from the Captain Cook State Recreational 
Area to Pt. Possession (Route A). At Pt. Possession three options are 
available to cross the Turnagain Arm and terminate at the Pt. Woronzof 
Substation. Route Option B crosses the Turnagain Arm via Fire Island to 
the Pt. Woronzof Substation. Route Option C crosses the Turnagain Arm 
directly from Pt. Possession to a landing at the Pt. Woronzof 
Substation. Route Option D would cross the Turnagain Arm from Pt. 
Possession to Pt. Campbell. From the Pt. Campbell landing, this 
alternative would continue to parallel the Tesoro pipeline through 
Kincaid Park and

[[Page 62951]]

terminate at the Pt. Woronzof Substation (Route Option N).
    As stated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), the 
RUS preferred alternative route between Pt. Possession and Anchorage is 
Route Option D/N. However, RUS considers both Route Options B and C 
acceptable alternatives.
    Notices of availability of the FEIS were published in the Federal 
Register on July 10, 2002, at 67 FR 45701, by RUS and on July 12, 2002, 
at 67 FR 46185 by EPA. The 30-day comment period ended on August 12, 
2002. Comments were received from 2 agencies and 5 non-profit 
organizations. No new issues or concerns were identified in these 
comments.
    The RUS is the lead Federal agency in the environmental review 
process. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers (USACE) are serving as cooperating agencies. The 
USFWS' ROD was issued on September 11, 2002. The USACE's ROD is 
pending.
    Agencies, persons, and organizations on the FEIS mailing list will 
receive a copy of each agency's ROD. The RUS' ROD is available online 
at http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/eis.htm. The USFWS' ROD is 
available online at http://www.r7.fws.gov/compatibility/completed/kenai/kenai.cfm.

    Dated: October 2, 2002.
Blaine D. Stockton,
Assistant Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 02-25703 Filed 10-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P