[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 29, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 71462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23381]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.; Notice of Intent to 
Hold Public Scoping Meetings and Prepare an Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to hold public scoping meetings and prepare an 
environmental assessment (EA).

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) intends to hold public 
scoping meetings and prepare an environmental assessment in connection 
with possible impacts related to a project proposed by Central Electric 
Power Cooperative, Inc. (CEPCI) of South Carolina. The proposal 
consists of the construction of approximately 20 miles of 115 kilovolt 
transmission line to provide more reliable transmission power to 
McClellanville, SC. The proposed 115-kilovolt transmission line project 
would be constructed within one of several alternative corridors under 
consideration. The alternative transmission line corridors originate at 
existing power delivery points near Jamestown and Charity, Berkeley 
County and Winyah and Belle Isle south of the city of Georgetown in 
Georgetown County, SC and at a potential new substation that would be 
built in the vicinity of the town of Honey Hill, Berkeley County, SC. 
The corridors terminate at the proposed location of a substation in 
McClellanville from which electric power distribution lines would 
service the community. Portions of the alternative corridors include 
Federal lands of the Francis Marion National Forest therefore the 
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) is a 
cooperating agency in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
analysis. CEPCI is requesting RUS to provide financing for the proposed 
project.

DATES: RUS will conduct a scoping meeting in an open house format from 
4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday, December 14, 2005, at the 
McClellanville Government Services Building, located at 405 Pinckney 
Street, McClellanville, SC 29458 Phone: (843) 887-3712. The purpose of 
the meeting is to provide information and solicit comments for the 
preparation of an EA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Strength, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, USDA, Rural Development, Utilities Programs, 
Engineering and Environmental Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone (202) 720-0468. Mrs. 
Strength's e-mail address is [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CEPCI proposes to construct a 115 kilovolt 
transmission line between a source substation and a proposed substation 
located in McClellanville.
    Single pole structures ranging in height from 80- to 150-feet would 
support the conductors and would require a right-of-way of 70 feet. One 
alternative route includes an approximately 2-mile subsurface 
directionally-drilled section below the Santee River delta. Depending 
on which route is chosen the approximate length of the transmission 
line would be from 16 to 26 miles. It is anticipated that this 
transmission line would be in service in the Spring of 2008.
    Alternatives considered by RUS and CEPCI include: (a) No action, 
(b) alternative transmission improvements, and (c) alternative 
transmission line corridors. An Electric Alternative Evaluation and 
Macro Corridor Study Report, prepared by CEPCI will be presented at the 
public scoping meeting. The Report is available for public review at 
the USDA/Rural Development address provided in this notice, at Central 
Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., 121 Greystone Blvd., Columbia, SC 
29210 and at:

Berkeley County Library, PO Box 1239, 1003 Hwy. 52, Moncks Corner, SC 
29461, (843) 719-4223, (843) 719-4226 (Fax), Director: Colleen L. 
Carney, Web Site: http://www.berkeley.lib.sc.us/.
Charleston County Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401, 
(843) 805-6801, (843) 727-3741 (Fax), Director: Jan Buvinger, Web Site: 
http://www.ccpl.org.
Georgetown County Library, 405 Cleland Street, Georgetown, SC 29440, 
(843) 546-2521, (843) 527-3251 (Fax), Director: Dwight McInvaill, Web 
Site: http://www.gcpl.lib.sc.us/.
McClellanville Branch Library, 222 Baker St., McClellanville, SC 29458, 
(843) 889-3300.

    Government agencies, private organizations, and the public are 
invited to participate in the planning and analysis of the proposed 
project. Representatives from RUS and CEPCI will be available at the 
scoping meeting to discuss RUS' environmental review process, describe 
the project, the need for the project, the macro corridors under 
consideration, and discuss the scope of environmental issues to be 
considered, answer questions, and accept oral and written comments. 
Written comments will be accepted for 30 days after the public scoping 
meeting. Written comments should be sent to RUS at the address provided 
in this notice.
    From information provided in the alternative evaluation and site 
selection study, input that may be provided by government agencies, 
private organizations, and the public, Central Electric Power 
Cooperative 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 project and may adopt it as its 
environmental assessment of the project. RUS' environmental assessment 
of the project would be available for review and comment for 30 days.
    Should RUS determine, based on the EA of the project, that the 
project 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 the Council on Environmental Quality and 
RUS environmental policies and procedures.

Benjamin Shuman,
Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA/Rural 
Development/Utilities Programs.
[FR Doc. 05-23381 Filed 11-28-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P