[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 152 (Tuesday, August 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46136-46137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-15675]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Basin Electric Power Cooperative, 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) 
has made a finding of no significant impact in connection with a 
request from Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) of 
Bismarck, North Dakota for assistance from RUS to finance the 
construction of a natural gas-fired combustion turbine and associated 
equipment near Groton in Brown County, South Dakota.

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Rural Utilities Service, Engineering and Environmental 
Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-
1571, telephone (202) 720-1414, fax (202) 720-0820, e-mail 
[email protected]. Information is also available from Mr. James 
A. Berg, Environmental Monitoring Coordinator, Basin Electric, 1717 
East Interstate Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota 58501, telephone (701) 
223-0441, Fax (701) 224-5336, e-mail address [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Basin Electric of Bismarck, North Dakota is 
proposing to construct a new 80-100 megawatt (MW) simple cycle gas 
turbine near Groton in Brown County, South Dakota. The primary purpose 
of the East Side Peaking Project (Project) is to meet the increasing 
power consumption requirements on the east side of Basin Electric's 
service territory. The proposed project would be located adjacent to an 
existing Basin Electric and Western Area Power Administration 
substation. The evaluated turbine offers the advantages of an aero-
derivative gas turbine in achieving low emissions. The project would 
include a natural gas-fired combustion turbine and a modification to an 
existing substation will be required. In addition, approximately \1/2\ 
mile of new transmission line will be constructed, and a new gas supply 
pipeline will be constructed to supply the natural gas. The South 
Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources approved Basin 
Electric's request to construct the proposed project and issued an Air 
Quality Construction/Operation permit in May 2005. The South Dakota 
Public Utilities Commission also approved the proposed project in May 
2005. The Project is required to help meet the growing needs for power 
of Basin Electric's membership in South Dakota. RUS may provide 
financial assistance to Basin Electric for this project.
    Basin Electric applied to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 
Western Area Power Administration (Western) to interconnect the Project 
to Western's Groton Substation in Brown County, South Dakota. Western 
proposes to modify its substation to accommodate a new transmission 
line linking the peaking facility to the substation. RUS prepared an 
environmental assessment (EA) for the Project. The EA was distributed 
for public and agency review. Western was designated a cooperating 
agency for the EA by RUS. Western provided comments and the final EA 
was completed on June 20, 2005. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made a 
very general comment on the final EA. RUS did not receive any comments 
on the final EA from the public or from any other agencies. The EA, RUS 
believes, adequately addressed the potential environmental impacts of 
the Project. A number of environmental resource areas were analyzed 
including air quality, water quality, land use, floodplains, wetlands, 
cultural and historic properties, fish and wildlife resources, 
aesthetics, transportation, noise, human health and safety, and 
environmental justice. RUS, in accordance with its environmental 
policies and procedures, required that Basin Electric prepare an 
Environmental Report reflecting the potential impacts of the proposed 
facilities. The Environmental Analysis, which includes input from 
Federal, State, and local agencies, has been reviewed and accepted as 
RUS' EA for the project in accordance with 7 CFR 1794.41. Basin 
Electric published notices of the availability of the EA and solicited 
public comments per 7 CFR 1794.42. The 30-day comment period on the EA 
for the proposed project ended June 5, 2005.

[[Page 46137]]

    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 negative impacts of 
the proposed project on minority communities and low-income communities 
as a result of the construction of the project.

    Dated: July 21, 2005.
James R. Newby,
Assistant Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 05-15675 Filed 8-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P