[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 201 (Thursday, October 18, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 59071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20514]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Dry Fork Station and Hughes Transmission Line

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Extension of Public Comment Period, Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, Dry Fork Station and Hughes 
Transmission Line, Wyoming.

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

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 
is extending the public comment period for the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Dry Fork Station and Hughes Transmission 
Line. The Draft EIS was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231, et seq.) in accordance with the 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the 
procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508) and RUS 
regulations (7 CFR part 1794).
    The Draft EIS is to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of 
and alternatives to the Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (Basin 
Electric) application for a loan guarantee to construct a generation 
facility referred to as the Dry Fork Station, consisting of a single 
maximum net 385 Megawatt (MW) unit, at a site near Gillette, Wyoming, 
along with other proposed pollution controls collectively known as Best 
Available Control Technology (BACT). In addition, Basin Electric also 
proposes to construct and operate 136 miles of 230 kilovolt (kV) 
transmission line in Campbell and Sheridan counties, referred to as the 
Hughes Transmission Project. Basin Electric is not, however, requesting 
a loan guarantee from RUS for this action. However, the Hughes 
Transmission Project is evaluated as a connected action for this EIS 
because the Dry Fork Station would interconnect with it if the Station 
is built.
    The Draft EIS was filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency on August 24, 2007. Requests for extension of public comment 
periods may be honored per 40 CFR 1506.10. The initial 45-day public 
comment period was to end on October 15, 2007. With the 30-day 
extension, the new deadline for public comments is now November 19, 
2007.

DATES: Written comments on this Draft EIS will be accepted on or before 
November 19, 2007.

Address for Further Information: To send comments or for further 
information, contact: Richard Fristik, USDA, Rural Development 
Utilities Programs, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, Room 
2240, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone (202) 720-5093, fax (202) 
690-0649, or e-mail: [email protected].
    A copy of the Draft EIS can be obtained or viewed online at http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/deis-dfs.htm. The files are in a Portable 
Document Format (.pdf); in order to review or print the document, users 
need to obtain a free copy of Acrobat[supreg] Reader[supreg] 
((copyright) 2003 Adobe Systems Incorporated). The Acrobat[supreg] 
Reader[supreg] can be obtained from http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html.
    Copies of the Draft EIS will also be available for public review 
during normal business hours at the following locations:

Campbell County Public Library, 2101 South 4J Road, Gillette, WY 82718-
5205, Phone: (307) 687-0009, FAX: (307) 686-4009
Wright Branch Library--Campbell County Public Library System, 305 
Wright Boulevard, Wright, WY 82732
Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library, 35 W. Alger Street, Sheridan, WY 
82801
Clearmont Branch Library--Sheridan County Public Library, 1240 Front 
Street, Clearmont, WY 82835, Phone: (307) 758-4331
Crook County Library, 414 Main Street, Sundance, WY 82729
Moorcroft Public Library--Crook County Library System, 105 East 
Converse, Moorcroft, WY 82721
Johnson County Library, 171 North Adams, Buffalo, WY 82834

    Dated: October 12, 2007.
Mark S. Plank,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA Rural Development, 
Utilities Programs.
 [FR Doc. E7-20514 Filed 10-17-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P