[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30652-30653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4874]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


East Kentucky Power Cooperative: Notice of Availability of an 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an Environmental Assessment for 
public review.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service, an agency which administers the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Programs 
(USDA Rural Development) proposes to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) related to possible financial assistance to East 
Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) for the construction of approximately 
19 miles of double circuit 345/138 kilovolt (kV) electric transmission 
line and two 345 kV electric transmission substations. The proposed 
transmission line and substation projects would be located in Clark 
County, Kentucky. EKPC is requesting USDA Rural Development to provide 
financial assistance for the proposed project.

DATES: Written comments on this Notice must be received on or before 
June 29, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The Environmental Assessment will be available for public 
review at the Agency's address provided in this notice, at the Agency's 
Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/ea.htm, at EKPC's 
headquarters office located at 4775 Lexington Road, Winchester, 
Kentucky 40391; and at the Clark County Library, 370 South Burns 
Avenue, Winchester, KY 40391.
    Written comments should be sent to: Stephanie Strength, 
Environmental Protection Specialist, USDA, Rural Development, Utilities 
Programs, Engineering and Environmental Staff, 1400 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571 or e-mail 
[email protected].

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed project area is located in 
northeastern, central, and southeastern Clark County, Kentucky. The 
proposed route for the new electric transmission line extends westerly 
on new and existing electric utility line rights-of-way (ROWs) from a 
proposed new substation site located at EKPC's existing J.K. Smith 
Electric Generating Station, east of the unincorporated community of 
Bloomingdale in southeastern Clark County. Just east of Muddy Creek 
Road the proposed route turns northerly following new and mostly 
existing utility line ROWs to a proposed new substation site located in 
northeastern Clark County near the Bourbon County/Clark County/
Montgomery County Line, and north of Donaldson Road. The electrical 
conductors for the proposed new transmission line would be supported by 
Corten steel, two and three pole structures with an average height of 
100 feet aboveground. The proposed new line would require a right-of-
way (ROW) width of 150 feet. Construction of a portion of the new line 
would involve rebuilding 16.56 miles of existing 69 kV transmission 
line on an existing 100-foot wide ROW. The existing line would be 
dismantled and replaced by the proposed new transmission line. An 
additional 50 feet in width would be added to the existing ROW to 
accommodate the proposed new line.

[[Page 30653]]

Each of the proposed new substations would affect a maximum of 20 acres 
of land. The construction of the proposed electric transmission project 
is tentatively scheduled to begin in the summer of 2006 and the 
estimated duration of construction would be 10 months.
    Alternatives considered by USDA Rural Development and EKPC 
included: (a) No action, (b) alternate transmission line routes, (c) 
alternate substation sites, and (d) other electrical alternatives. An 
Environmental Report (ER) that describes the proposed project in detail 
and discusses its anticipated environmental impacts has been prepared 
by EKPC. The USDA Rural Development has accepted the ER as its EA of 
the proposed project. The EA is available for public review at 
addresses provided above in this Notice.
    Questions and comments should be sent to USDA Rural Development at 
the mailing or e-mail addresses provided above in this Notice. USDA 
Rural Development should receive comments on the EA in writing by June 
29, 2006 to ensure that they are considered in its environmental impact 
determination.
    Should USDA Rural Development determine, based on the EA of the 
proposed project, that the impacts of the construction and operation of 
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 circulation in the project area.
    Any final action by USDA Rural Development 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 USDA Rural Development's Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 
CFR part 1794).

Mark S. Plank,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA/Rural Development/
Utilities Programs.
[FR Doc. 06-4874 Filed 5-26-06; 8:45 am]
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