[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 185 (Friday, September 24, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57260-57261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-21511]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Southern Montana Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Notice of Intent To 
Hold a Public Scoping Meeting and Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to hold a public scoping meeting and prepare 
an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) intends to hold a public 
scoping meeting and prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) in 
connection with possible impacts related to a project being proposed by 
Southern Montana Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SME), of Billings, 
Montana. The proposal consists of the construction and operation of a 
coal-fired electric generation facility, consisting of a single 250 
Megawatt (MW) unit, at a site near Great Falls, Montana.

DATES: RUS will conduct the public scoping meetings in an open-house 
format on October 13, 2004, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Civic Center 
in Great Falls, Montana.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, RUS, Engineering and Environmental Staff, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 
720-1414 or email: [email protected], or Tim R. Gregori, General 
Manager, Southern Montana Electric Cooperative, Inc., 3521 Gabel Road, 
Suite 5, Billings, MT 59102, telephone: (406) 294-9527, or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SME proposes to construct and operate a 250 
MW coal-fired electric generation facility at one of two sites near 
Great Falls, Montana. The Salem Industrial site is located east of 
Highway 87 in the Great Falls Industrial Park. The Salem site is 
located near the intersection of Salem Road and the abandon

[[Page 57261]]

Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroad bed. Construction of the 
project at either site will require the construction of new electric 
transmission lines that will interconnect with the Great Falls 
Substation and the Great Falls to Broadview 230 kilovolt electric 
transmission line. The schedule developed by SME would place the 
facility in commercial operation by the spring of 2009. Alternatives to 
be considered by RUS include no action, purchased power, renewable 
energy sources, distributed generation, and alternative site locations. 
Comments regarding the proposed project may be submitted (orally or in 
writing) at the public scoping meeting or in writing within 30 days 
after the October 13, 2004 meeting to RUS at the address provided in 
this notice.
    RUS will use input provided by government agencies, private 
organizations, and the public, in the preparation of a Draft EIS. The 
Draft EIS will be available for review and comment for 45 days. A Final 
EIS will then be prepared that considers all comments received. The 
Final EIS will be available for review and comment for 30 days. 
Following the 30-day comment period, RUS will prepare a Record of 
Decision (ROD). Notices announcing the availability of the Draft and 
Final EIS and the ROD will be published in the Federal Register and in 
local newspapers.
    Any final action by RUS related to the proposed project will be 
subject to, and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant Federal, 
State and local environmental laws and regulations and completion of 
the environmental review requirements as prescribed in the RUS 
Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR Part 1794).

    Dated: September 20, 2004.
Mark S. Plank,
Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff.
[FR Doc. 04-21511 Filed 9-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P