[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 153 (Tuesday, August 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 48453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-18251]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Notice of Availability of an 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of 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, is issuing an environmental assessment 
with respect to the environmental impacts related to the construction 
of a 310 megawatt, simple-cycle electric generation facility at 
Seminole Electric Cooperative's Payne Creek Generating Station. RUS may 
provide financing assistance to Seminole Electric Cooperative for the 
project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Quigel, Rural Utilities Service, 
Engineering and Environmental Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 720-0468. Mr. 
Quigel's e-mail address is [email protected]. Information is also 
available from James Frauen of Seminole Electric Cooperative. Mr. 
Frauen may be contacted by telephone at (813) 739-1213. Mr. Frauen's e-
mail address is electric.com">jfrauen@seminole-electric.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Seminole Electric Cooperative's proposed 
electric generation project will involve the construction and operation 
of nominal 310 MW of simple-cycle combustion turbine electric 
generating units and associated support facilities at its existing 
1,300-acre Payne Creek Generating Station site in Hardee and Polk 
Counties, Florida. The proposed electric generating facilities will 
consist of five Pratt & Whitney (P&W) FT8-3 Twin Pac aeroderivative 
combustion turbine units. Each Twin Pac unit will consist of two 
simple-cycle combustion turbines coupled with one common electric 
generator with a nominal generating capacity of 62 MW. The proposed 
combustion turbine units and associated substation will be constructed 
in an approximately 8-acre area located adjacent to the east of the 
existing Payne Creek Generating Station units. A small (i.e., 0.15-
acre), isolated freshwater marsh wetland, which will be impacted by 
construction of the proposed project, is present in the southern 
portion of the area.
    The Payne Creek Generating Station site is located approximately 9 
miles northwest of the city of Wauchula, 16 miles south-southwest of 
the city of Bartow, and 40 miles east of the Tampa Bay area. The site 
is bordered on the east by County Road 663, a CSX Railroad line, and 
the CF Industries Hardee Complex phosphate mine.
    The simple-cycle combustion turbines will be fired primarily with 
natural gas via gas pipeline systems which currently provide natural 
gas for the existing Payne Creek Generating Station units. Low-sulfur 
distillate fuel oil will serve as backup fuel. The proposed project 
will require the construction of a new aboveground 1.4-million-gallon 
fuel oil storage tank to be located adjacent to the existing 1.4-
million-gallon storage tank within an expanded spill containment area.
    To facilitate interconnection of the proposed project with the 
Florida power grid, the existing 8-mile-long 230-kV transmission line 
extending from the Payne Creek Generating Station site to the Vandolah 
Substation will be upgraded. The line upgrade will consist of replacing 
the existing conductors with higher current-carrying conductors. Also, 
both the associated transmission line terminals and switches will be 
upgraded. These upgrades will not require any additional right-of-way, 
replacement of any transmission line structures, or any expansion of 
the Vandolah substation.
    Seminole Electric Cooperative submitted an environmental analysis 
to RUS which describes the project and assesses its potential 
environmental impacts. RUS has conducted an independent evaluation of 
the environmental analysis and believes that it accurately assesses the 
potential impacts of the proposed project. This environmental analysis 
will serve as RUS' environmental assessment of the project.
    The environmental assessment can be reviewed at Seminole Electric 
Cooperative's headquarters located at 16313 North Dale Mabry Highway, 
Tampa, Florida 33618, and at the headquarters of RUS at the address 
provided above. The environmental assessment is also available for 
review at the Hardee County Library, 315 North 6th Street, Suite 114, 
Wauchula, Florida 33873, telephone (863) 773-6438 and the Bartow Public 
Library, 2150 South Broadway Avenue, Bartow, Florida 33830, telephone 
(863) 534-0131.
    Questions and comments should be sent to RUS at the address 
provided. RUS will accept questions and comments on the environmental 
assessment for 30 days.
    Any final action by RUS related to the 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.
    Any final action by RUS related to the 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: August 5, 2004.
Glendon D. Deal,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Water and Environmental 
Programs.
[FR Doc. 04-18251 Filed 8-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P