[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3049-3050]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-509]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Great River Energy, Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of finding of no significant impact.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 
has made a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) in connection with 
potential impacts related to the construction and operation of a 
natural gas-fired simple cycle, combustion turbine power generation 
facility in Cambridge Township in Isanti County, Minnesota. The 
electrical output from the facility is expected to range from 170 
megawatts (MW) to 190 MW depending upon operating conditions. RUS may 
provide financial assistance for this project.

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Rural Development, 
Utilities Programs, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 720-1414, FAX: (202) 720-
0820; or e-mail: [email protected].; or Mark Strohfus, 
Environmental Project Leader, GRE, 17845 East Highway 10, P.O. Box 800, 
Elk River, Minnesota 55330-0800, telephone (763) 241-2491, FAX: (763) 
241-6033, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Great River Energy (GRE) is proposing to 
construct a simple-cycle combustion turbine generation plant in 
Cambridge Township in Isanti County, Minnesota. Total electrical output 
is expected to range from 170 MW to 190 MW depending on operating 
conditions. An alternative site for the plant is also being proposed 
for the project. The alternative site location is at GRE's Elk River 
headquarters in Sherburne County, Minnesota. The Elk River site 
presently has a 40 MW facility fueled with refuse derived fuel and it 
would remain if the proposed plant were to be constructed at this 
alternative site. No additional land would be purchased if the plant 
were to be constructed at this location. Due to constraints on natural 
gas availability, a combustion turbine at the Elk River site would be 
equipped to fire fuel oil as a backup fuel. The generator would be 
connected to the Elk River Substation. Construction of the project at 
the proposed Cambridge site would necessitate upgrading approximately 
47 miles of existing 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines. Construction 
at the alternative Elk River site would necessitate upgrading 
approximately 27 miles of existing 69-kV transmission lines to allow 
the electricity from the new generator to be reliably delivered from 
the site. A fuel oil-fired combustion turbine rated at approximately 20 
MW exists at the proposed Cambridge site and will remain in operation 
at the site after construction of the proposed combustion turbine. 
Additional land would be acquired to facilitate the proposed 
construction activities. The proposal at the Cambridge site would 
include upgrades to the existing substation at the Cambridge plant 
site. A 10-inch high pressure gas lateral pipeline approximately one-
half mile long would be constructed to provide a natural gas fuel 
supply for the proposal.
    GRE prepared an environmental analysis for RUS that describes the 
proposal and assesses the proposal's environmental impacts. RUS has 
conducted an independent evaluation of the environmental analysis and 
believes that it accurately assesses the impacts of the proposal. This 
environmental analysis will serve as RUS' environmental assessment (EA) 
of the

[[Page 3050]]

project. The EA was distributed for public and agency review. Comments 
were received from two entities: the Minnesota Department of 
Transportation (MNDOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) Region 5. The MNDOT commented that the project would not impact 
the local trunk highway system. The EPA commented that: (1) The natural 
gas pipeline to be installed, owned and operated by a third party was 
not adequately addressed in the EA, and (2) there should be stronger 
protective measures, including the consideration of third party 
oversight/inspection, where the proposal's transmission lines involve 
environmentally sensitive areas identified by the Minnesota Department 
of Natural Resources (MNDNR). Construction of the natural gas pipeline 
must follow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) National 
Environmental Policy Act requirements. RUS believes that adequate 
protective measures for the construction of the pipeline will be 
implemented through the FERC requirements. GRE has agreed to follow the 
recommendations of the MNDNR; therefore, RUS believes that adequate 
protective measures will be implemented in the environmentally 
sensitive areas. Since the MNDNR recommendations are being followed and 
the MNDNR did not suggest that third party oversight was necessary, RUS 
believes that third party oversight is not warranted.
    GRE 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 proposal ended January 6, 2006.
    Based on the EA, RUS has concluded that the proposal 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, water quality and 
noise. RUS has also determined that there would be no negative impacts 
of the proposal on minority communities and low-income communities as a 
result of the proposal's construction.
    Any final action by RUS related to the proposal 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: January 11, 2006.
James R. Newby,
Assistant Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-509 Filed 1-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P