[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 173 (Friday, September 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51420-51421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17685]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Pee 
Dee Electrical Generating Station in Florence County, SC

AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District intends 
to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the 
potential social, economic and environmental effects of the proposed 
construction of a coal-fired electrical generating station with 
associated facilities, a rail line extension and transmission corridor 
by the South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper), in the 
vicinity of the Bostic Landing on the Great Pee Dee River, in Florence 
County, South Carolina. The EIS will assess potential effects of a 
range of alternatives, including an alternative proposed in the Federal 
permit application.

DATES: General Public Scoping Meetings: Two Public Scoping meetings are 
being planned. The first will take place on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 
from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Coastal Carolina University located in Conway, 
South Carolina in the Recital Hall of the Edwards College of Humanities 
and Fine Arts. The second Public Scoping meeting will be held on 
Thursday, September 27, 2007 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Commons Area 
and Auditorium of South Florence High School located at 3200 South Irby 
Street in Florence, South Carolina.
    Federal and State Agency Scoping Meeting: A Federal and State 
Agency Scoping Meeting is planned to be held on Thursday, September 20, 
2007 in Charleston, South Carolina.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or 
questions about the proposed project and EIS, please contact Dr. 
Richard Darden, Project Manager, by telephone: 843-329-8043 or toll 
free 1-866-329-8187, or by mail: CESAC-RE-P, 69A Hagood Avenue, 
Charleston, SC 29403. For inquiries from the media, please contact the 
Corps, Charleston District Public Affairs Officer (PAO), Ms. Connie 
Gillette by telephone: (843) 329-8123.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application for a Department of the Army 
permit was submitted by Santee Cooper pursuant to section 10 of the 
Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403) and section 404 of the 
Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) on December 11, 2006 and was 
advertised in a local public notice, P/N  SAC 2006-3574-SIB, 
on December 22, 2006. The public notice is available on Charleston 
District's public Web site at http://www.sac.usace.army.mil/?action=publicnotices.pn2006. Santee Cooper agreed that based on the 
potential social, economic, and environmental effects associated with 
the construction of the proposed Pee Dee Electrical Generating Station 
in Florence County, an EIS should be prepared by the Charleston 
District, Corps of Engineers.
    1. Description of Proposed Project. The project proposed by the 
South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) is to construct 
a coal-fired electrical generating station with associated facilities 
on the Great Pee Dee River, in Florence County, SC. The proposed 
facility will involve the installation of an intake and discharge 
structure in the Great Pee Dee River in the vicinity of the Bostic 
Landing and this Notice of Intent will refer to the proposed project as 
the Pee Dee Station. The Pee Dee Station development will include the 
generating station structure and facilities that include intake and 
discharge structures, solid waste landfills, ash ponds, onsite-rail, 
rail switchyard, transmission lines, cooling towers, and roads. In 
total, approximately 93.75 acres of jurisdictional and non-
jurisdictional wetlands may be impacted to construct the proposed Pee 
Dee Station. Construction of the Pee Dee Station may require filling an 
estimated 9.45 acres of jurisdictional wetlands and 5.10 acres of fill 
in non-jurisdictional wetlands, 8.14 acres of mechanized land clearing 
in jurisdictional wetlands, 2.32 acres mechanized land clearing in non-
jurisdictional wetlands, and 0.67 acres of excavation in waters of the 
United States. Construction/upgrade of the rail line extension may 
require filling of 4.49 acres of jurisdictional wetlands and 4.90 acres 
of mechanized clearing. Construction of the transmission line may 
involve converting an estimated 58.68 acres of jurisdictional wetlands 
from forested wetlands to scrub shrub wetlands.
    2. Alternatives. The following alternatives have been identified as 
reasonable alternatives that will be fully evaluated in the EIS: No 
Action; the modification of existing Santee Cooper facilities to meet 
the purpose and need of and for the proposed project; alternative 
locations within the jurisdictional authority of Santee Cooper where 
the proposed project might be developed; alternative facility layouts 
for the proposed Pee Dee Station; alternatives for energy generation, 
and mitigation measures. However, this list is not exclusive and 
additional alternatives may be considered for inclusion as reasonable 
alternatives.
    3. Scoping and Public Involvement Process. Scoping meetings will be 
conducted to gather information on the scope of the project and the 
alternatives to be addressed in detail in the EIS. There will be three 
(3) sessions: One (1) Specifically for the Federal and State

[[Page 51421]]

agencies with regulatory responsibilities and two (2) for the general 
public that are being planned. Additional public and agency involvement 
will be gained through the implementation of a public outreach plan and 
agency coordination team.
    4. Significant Issues. Issues associated with the proposed project 
to be given significant analysis in the EIS are likely to include, but 
may not be limited to, the potential impacts of the proposed Pee Dee 
Station on: Air quality, wetland quality, conservation, economics, 
aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historic 
properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain 
values, land use, navigation, shore erosion and accretion, recreation, 
water supply and conservation, energy needs, public health and safety, 
hazardous wastes and materials, food and fiber production, mineral 
needs, considerations of property ownership, environmental justice and, 
in general, the needs and welfare of the people.
    5. Cooperating Agencies. S.C. Department of Health and 
Environmental Control, S.C. Department of Archives and History, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, and U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency will be asked to participate as 
cooperating agencies.
    6. Additional Review and Consultation. Additional review and 
consultation which will be incorporated into the preparation of this 
EIS will include, but shall not be limited to: Section 401 of Clean 
Water Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic 
Preservation Act; the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air Act.
    7. Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is anticipated to be 
available late in 2008. A Public Hearing will be conducted following 
the release of the DEIS.

Lieutenant Colonel J. Richard Jordan, III,
Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District.
 [FR Doc. E7-17685 Filed 9-6-07; 8:45 am]
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