[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 11, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34904-34905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14721]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Lawrence County Generation Plant; 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), 
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, 
the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-
1508), and 7 CFR Part 1794, Environmental Policies and Procedures, has 
made a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) with respect to a 
project proposed by Hoosier Energy Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc., 
(Hoosier Energy) located in Bloomington, Indiana, and Wabash Valley 
Power Association, Inc. (Wabash Valley), located in Indianapolis, 
Indiana. The proposed project will have six units of natural gas fired 
simple-cycle combustion turbines of 43 megawatts (MW) each for a total 
of 258 MW. The proposed plant will be located in Lawrence County, 
Indiana. Wabash Valley applied for assistance from RUS to finance the 
construction of the proposed project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, RUS, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 
720-1414, or e-mail: [email protected]. Information is also available 
from Ms. Sheila M. Wheeler, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, 
Inc., 9400 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Missouri 64114, telephone: (816) 
822-3250, or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Rural Utilities Service, in accordance 7 CFR 
1794.42, published a notice of availability of the environmental 
assessment (EA) for the proposed project and solicited public comments. 
Hoosier Energy and Wabash Valley also published notices of availability 
of the EA in local newspapers seeking comments on the proposed project. 
Notices were published twice in the Bedford Times Mail and Mitchell

[[Page 34905]]

Tribune, a daily and weekly newspaper, respectively.
    Agencies that reviewed and provided comments on the EA are (1) 
Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM); (2) U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); (3) Hoosier National Forest 
(National Forest), U.S. Department of Agriculture; (4) U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers (COE), Louisville District, and (5) Indiana Department of 
Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology. 
Appropriate responses to the above agency comments are presented in the 
FONSI statement prepared for the project. Environmental coordination 
will continue with IDEM and other agencies as appropriate on various 
environmental issues during planning and construction of the project. 
Hoosier Energy and Wabash Valley have already secured or will secure 
the following approval or permits prior to initiation of construction 
of the project as needed: (1) A storm water permit; (2) a wastewater 
treatment facility construction permit; (3) a permit to construct in a 
floodway, and (4) a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System 
permit.
    Hoosier Energy and Wabash Valley agreed to follow all agency 
recommendations and mitigation measures discussed in the EA. Based on 
the EA, RUS has concluded that the proposed action will not have a 
significant effect to various resources, including important farmland, 
floodplains, wetlands, cultural resources, threatened and endangered 
species and their critical habitat, air and water quality, and noise. 
RUS has also determined that there would be no disproportionately high 
and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority 
populations and low-income populations as a result of construction of 
the project. RUS has concluded that the impacts of the proposed project 
would not be significant and the proposed action is not a major federal 
action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. 
Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not 
necessary.
    Copies of the EA and FONSI can be reviewed at RUS at the address 
provided in this notice, at the headquarters of Hoosier Energy, 7398 
North State Road 37, Bloomington, Indiana 47402, telephone: (812) 876-
0374, and Wabash Valley, 722 North High School Road, Indianapolis, 
Indiana 46214, telephone: (317) 481-2842, and also at Bedford Public 
Library, 1323 K Street, Bedford, Indiana 47421, telephone: (812) 275-
4471, and Mitchell Community Public Library, 804 Main Street, Mitchell, 
Indiana 47446, telephone: (812) 849-2412.
    Any final action by RUS related to this proposed project will be 
subject to, and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant Federal 
environmental laws and regulations and completion of environmental 
review procedures as prescribed by the 7 CFR Part 1794, Environmental 
Policies and Procedures.

    Dated: June 5, 2003.
Alfred Rodgers,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities 
Service.
[FR Doc. 03-14721 Filed 6-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P