[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 3691]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-955]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


East Texas Electric Cooperative: Notice of Availability of an 
EnvironmentalAssessment

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 (RUS), an agency delivering the 
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development 
Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development, is 
issuing an Environmental Assessment (EA) related to possible financial 
assistance to East Texas Electric Cooperative (ETEC) of Nacogdoches, 
Texas, for the proposed construction of approximately 168 MW simple 
cycle combustion turbine generation station in Hardin County, Texas. 
ETEC 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 
February 16, 2008.

ADDRESSES: To send questions and comments or for further information, 
contact: Dennis Rankin, Environmental Protection Specialist, USDA, 
Rural Development Utilities Programs, Engineering and Environmental 
Staff, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250-
1571, telephone (202) 720-1953, or e-mail: [email protected]. 
The EA will be available for public review at the USDA Rural 
Development, Utilities Programs, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-1571: at the USDA Rural Development's Web site--
http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/ea.htm; at ETEC's Web site--http://www.etec.coop/projects.html; and the Kountze Public Library, 800 South 
Redwood Avenue, Kountze, TX 77625.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ETEC is constructing the Hardin County 
Peaking Facility (HCPF), a 168 MW simple cycle combustion turbine 
generation station, in Hardin County, Texas. The proposal is located 
approximately 6 miles southeast of Kountze and one-half mile west of 
U.S. Highway 69/287, and will be adjacent to an existing Entergy 
electrical substation. Construction on the proposal is expected to 
commence in June 2008 with an expected completion date of May 2009. The 
generation facility will be constructed, owned, operated, and 
maintained by ETEC.
    The generation units at the HCPF will consist of two (2) natural 
gas fired combustion turbines that have a net output of 84 MW each. The 
proposal will require the construction of a 1,200 foot 230 kV 
transmission line to interconnect with Entergy's existing Cypress 
substation. The output of the HCPF will be used to meet ETEC's power 
and energy requirements in east Texas, along with providing added 
reliability and stability to the region's power and transmission 
system.
    Alternatives considered by USDA Rural Development and ETEC 
included: (a) No action; (b) alternate generation alternatives, and (c) 
other electrical alternatives. An Environmental Report (ER) that 
described the proposal in detail and discusses its anticipated 
environmental impacts has been prepared by ETEC. The USDA Rural 
Development has accepted the ER as its EA for the proposal. The EA is 
available for public review at the addresses provided above in this 
Notice.
    Written comments received by the due date will be considered in the 
environmental impact determination.
    Should USDA Rural Development determine, based on the EA of the 
proposal, that the impacts of the construction and operation of the 
proposal 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 will 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 proposal 
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 procedures as prescribed by USDA 
Rural Development Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR 1794).

    Dated: January 14, 2008.
Mark S. Plank,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA/Rural Development/
Utilities Programs.
[FR Doc. E8-955 Filed 1-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P