[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 150 (Thursday, August 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47401-47402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17847]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation; Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to hold public meetings and prepare an 
environmental assessment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), 
an agency delivering the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural 
Development Utilities Programs, 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 (EA) 
related to possible financing assistance to North Carolina Electric 
Membership Corporation (NCEMC) to construct two, 300 megawatt simple 
cycle combustion turbines at two locations. Sites under consideration 
are located in Anson County, Person County, Richmond County, and Wake 
County, North Carolina.
    Meeting Information: RUS will conduct public meetings in an open 
house format on August 23, 2004, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Cole 
Auditorium, 1042 West Hamlet Avenue, Hamlet, NC, on August 24, 2004, 
from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Lilesville Elementary School, 121 Camden 
Street, Lilesville, NC, on September 7, 2004, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., 
at Person County Office Building Auditorium, 304 South Morgan Street, 
Roxboro, NC, and on September 9, 2004, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the 
Holly Springs Town Hall, 128 South Main Street, Holly Springs, NC. All 
interested parties are invited to attend the meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Quigel, Engineering and 
Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service, at (202) 720-0468, or 
[email protected]. You

[[Page 47402]]

can also contact Jane Pritchard of North Carolina Electric Membership 
Corporation at 1-800-662-8835, extension 3104, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: North Carolina Electric Membership 
Corporation proposes to construct a natural gas fired electric 
generation plant at two of four potential sites. One site is in Anson 
County, North Carolina, located southwest of Blewett Falls Lake. 
Approximately one-half mile of natural gas pipeline will be constructed 
from the existing Sandhills pipeline to the plant site. No new electric 
transmission lines will be constructed at this site. The second site is 
located in Richmond County, North Carolina, just south of U.S. 74 and 
adjacent to the Progress Energy facility. Approximately one-half mile 
of natural gas pipeline and one-half mile of new electric transmission 
line would be associated with a plant at this site. The third site is 
located in Person County, North Carolina, approximately two miles 
southwest of Roxboro. Approximately 1,000 feet of natural gas pipeline 
and no new electric transmission line would be associated with a plant 
at this site. The fourth site is located in southwestern Wake County, 
North Carolina, on a parcel bounded by U.S. Highway One and Friendship 
Road. Approximately three miles of natural gas pipeline and 0.8 miles 
of new electric transmission line would be associated with a plant at 
this site.
    The proposed projects will be composed of five or six Pratt & 
Whitney FT-8 Swift-Pac\TM\ generation units operating in simple-cycle 
mode. The plants will use natural gas with low sulfur distillate fuel 
oil as backup fuel. It is the goal of North Carolina Electric 
Membership Corporation to have the facilities operational by mid to 
late 2007.
    An alternative evaluation and site selection study for the project 
was prepared by North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation. The 
alternative evaluation and site selection study are available for 
public review at RUS in Room 2244 South Building, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, and at the headquarters of NCEMC located 
at 3400 Sumner Boulevard, Raleigh, North Carolina. This documents will 
also be available at the Hampton B. Allen Library, 120 South Greene 
Street, Wadesboro, North Carolina, (704) 694-5177, Pee Dee Electric 
Membership Corporation, Highway 52 South, Wadesboro, North Carolina, 
(704) 694-2114, at the Person County Library, 319 South Main Street, 
Roxboro, North Carolina, (336) 597-7881, at the Office of the County 
Manager, 304 South Morgan Street, Room 212, Roxboro, North Carolina, 
(336) 597-1720, at the Leath Memorial Library, 412 East Franklin 
Street, Rockingham, North Carolina, (910) 895-6337, Pee Dee Electric 
Membership Corporation, Rockingham District Office, U.S. 22 South & 
Midway Road, Rockingham, North Carolina, (910) 997-4441, at the Fuquay-
Varina Library, 133 South Fuquay Avenue, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, 
(919) 557-2788, at the Eva H. Perry Library, 2100 Shepherd's Vineyard 
Drive, Apex, North Carolina, (919) 387-2100, and at the Office of the 
Town Clerk, Holly Springs Town Hall, 128 South Main Street, Holly 
Springs, North Carolina, (919) 557-3900.
    Government agencies, private organizations, and the public are 
invited to participate in the planning and analysis of the proposed 
project. The purpose of the meetings is to describe the projects 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 study, input that may be provided by government agencies, 
private organizations, and the public, NCEMC 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 projects and may adopt it as its environmental assessment of the 
projects. RUS' environmental assessment of the projects 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: July 30, 2004.
Mark Plank,
Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff.
[FR Doc. 04-17847 Filed 8-4-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P