[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 243 (Monday, December 20, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75901-75902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-27760]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation; Notice of 
Availability of an Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an environmental assessment.

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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 336 megawatt (MW) simple-cycle electric generation facility in 
Anson County, North Carolina, and a 280 MW simple-cycle electric 
generation facility and a 7.8-mile 230 kV transmission line in Richmond 
County, North Carolina. RUS may provide financing assistance to North 
Carolina Electric Membership Corporation for the project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence Wolfe, Rural Utilities 
Service, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 
720-9053. Mr. Wolfe's e-mail address is [email protected]. 
Information is also available from June Small of North Carolina 
Electric Membership Corporation. Ms. Small may be contacted by 
telephone at (919) 872-0800. Ms. Small's e-mail address is 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: North Carolina Electric Membership 
Corporation's proposed electric generation project will involve the 
construction and operation of a 336 MW simple-cycle electric generation 
facility at a site located approximately 4 miles east of Lilesville, 
just to the north of State Route 1745 (Blewett Falls Road) and south of 
McCoy Creek in Anson County, North Carolina. The site is 178 acres. 
Approximately 20 acres of the site will be needed for the generation 
facility. The facility will be made up of 6 Pratt and Whitney FT-8 
combustion turbine units. (Each unit is comprised of 2 turbines.) This 
facility will require 12 exhaust stacks approximately 60 feet tall. 
This project will also involve the construction of a 280 MW electric 
generation facility at a site approximately 2.54 miles southwest of 
Hamlet west of Airport Road and south of Marks Creek in Richmond 
County, North Carolina. The site is 258 acres of which approximately 15 
to 20 acres will be needed for the generation facility. The facility 
will be made up of 5 Pratt and Whitney FT-8 combustion turbine units. 
This facility will require 10 exhaust stacks approximately 60 feet 
tall. This facility will require the construction of 7.8 miles of 230 
kV transmission line between the Rockingham Substation and the Richmond 
Substation. The transmission line will be constructed and operated by 
Progress Energy. North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation will 
incur the cost of the project and finance its cost through an RUS 
guarantee. Specific

[[Page 75902]]

information on the facilities to be constructed and their locations are 
provided in the environmental assessment.
    North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation 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 North Carolina 
Electric Membership Corporation's headquarters located at 3400 Sumner 
Boulevard, Raleigh, North Carolina, and at the headquarters of RUS at 
the address provided above. The environmental assessment is also 
available for review at the Hampton B. Allen Library, 120 South Greene 
Street, Wadesboro North Carolina, 28170, phone: (704) 694-5177; Pee Dee 
Electric Membership Corporation, Highway 52 South Wadesboro, North 
Carolina 28170, phone (704) 694-2114; Leath Memorial Library, 412 East 
Franklin Street, Rockingham, North Carolina 28379, phone: (910) 895-
6337; Person County Library, 319 South Main Street, Roxboro, North 
Carolina 27573, phone: (336) 597-7881; Office of the County Manager, 
304 South Morgan Street, Room 212, Roxboro, North Carolina 27573, phone 
(336) 597-1720; Holly Springs Town Hall, 128 South Main Street, Holly 
Springs, North Carolina 27540; Fuquay-Varina Library, 133 South Fuquay 
Avenue, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina 27526, phone (919) 557-2788; Eva 
H. Perry Library, 2100 Shepherd's Vineyard Drive, Apex, North Carolina 
27502, phone (919) 387-2100; and the Office of the Town Clerk, Holly 
Springs Town Hall, 128 South Main Street, Holly Springs, North Carolina 
27540.
    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 from the date of publication of this notice.
    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: December 14, 2004.
Glendon D. Deal,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Water and Environmental 
Program, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 04-27760 Filed 12-17-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P