[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 3692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-958]



[[Page 3692]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


East Texas Electric 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 (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 San Jacinto 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 Shepherd Public Library, 30 North 
Liberty Street, Shepherd, TX 77371.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ETEC proposes to construct the San 
Jacinto County Peaking Facility (SJCPF), a 168 MW simple cycle 
combustion turbine generation station, in San Jacinto County, Texas. 
The proposal is located approximately 5 miles south of Shepherd and 2 
miles east of U.S. Highway 59. 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 SJCPF 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 less than 500 feet of 
transmission line to interconnect with Entergy's existing 138 kV 
Jacinto-Poco transmission line that crosses the property where the 
SJCPF will be located. The output of the SJCPF 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 
describes 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 
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 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 part 
1794).

    Dated: January 14, 2008.
Mark S. Plank,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA/Rural Development/
Utilities Programs.
[FR Doc. E8-958 Filed 1-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P