[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 194 (Friday, October 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59070-59071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16530]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


East Kentucky Power Cooperative: Notice of Intent To Prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to hold a public scoping meeting and prepare a 
supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS).

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency which administers 
the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities 
Programs (USDA/RDUP) proposes to prepare a Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS) and conduct a public scoping meeting related to 
possible financial assistance to East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) 
for the proposed construction of two 278 MW Circulating Fluidized Bed 
generating units (CFBs) in Clark County, Kentucky. EKPC is requesting 
that RUS provide financial assistance for the proposed project.

DATE: RUS will conduct a public scoping meeting in an open-house 
format: October 18, 2006, Trapp, Kentucky, at Trapp Elementary School, 
11400 Irvine Road; The open house will be held from 5:30-8 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Ms. 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]. An Alternatives Evaluation and Site 
Selection Study, prepared by East Kentucky Power Cooperative, will be 
presented at the public scoping meeting. The Report is available for 
public review at RUS at the address provided in this notice, on the RUS 
Web site http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/eis.htm, at East Kentucky 
Power Cooperative, INC., 4775 Lexington Road, Lexington, Kentucky 
40392-0707 and at: Clark County Public Library, 370 South Burns Ave., 
Winchester, Kentucky 40391, phone: (859) 744-5661.

[[Page 59071]]


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: EKPC proposes to construct and operate two 
nominal 278-megawatt coal-based electric generating units at the Smith 
site, southeast of Winchester, Kentucky, in Clark County. Fuel will be 
supplied to the plant site by rail or truck. The construction of a 
substation and approximately 1 mile of 345-kV transmission line would 
be required to connect the new plant to EKPC's transmission system. The 
line would go northwest from the CFB substation to the existing 
Combustion Turbine substation. EKPC's schedule calls for the first of 
these facilities to be in commercial operation by June 2010 and the 
second by November 2012.
    Alternatives to be considered by RUS include no action, purchased 
power, renewable energy sources, distributed generation, and 
alternative site locations. Comments regarding the proposed project may 
be submitted (orally or in writing) at the public scoping meetings or 
in writing no later than November 20, 2006 to RUS at the address 
provided in this notice.
    RUS will use input provided by government agencies, private 
organizations, and the public in the preparation of a Draft SEIS. The 
Draft SEIS will be available for review and comment for 45 days. A 
Final SEIS will then be prepared that considers all comments received. 
The Final Supplemental EIS will be available for review and comment for 
30 days. Following the 30-day comment period, RUS will prepare a Record 
of Decision (ROD). Notices announcing the availability of the Draft and 
Final SEIS and the ROD will be published in the Federal Register and in 
local newspapers.
    Any final action by RUS 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 the RUS 
Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1794).

    Dated: October 2, 2006.
Mark S. Plank,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA/Rural Development/
Utilities Programs.
[FR Doc. E6-16530 Filed 10-5-06; 8:45 am]
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