[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 11861]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-4229]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Norborne Baseload Plant

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Termination of Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 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 or the Agency, is terminating further action by Rural 
Development on the environmental review process in accordance with the 
Agency's environmental policies and procedures for the Norborne 
Baseload Plant (Norborne Plant) in Carroll County, Missouri.
    The purpose of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was to 
evaluate the potential environmental impacts of and alternatives to 
Associated Electric Cooperative, Incorporated's (AECI) application 
requesting federal financial assistance from Rural Development to 
construct the proposed 660 megawatt net supercritical pulverized coal 
fired power plant, new and modified substations, approximately 134 
miles of new 345-kV transmission lines, a utility waste landfill, new 
rail access from existing mainline railroads, and a water supply system 
consisting of groundwater wells and associated pipeline. The AECI 
withdrew their application for federal financial assistance from the 
Agency on February 12, 2008, and has decided to evaluate non-federal 
financing options. The notice to prepare an EIS and to hold scoping 
meetings was published in the Federal Register on August 10, 2005. Four 
public scoping meetings were conducted in August of 2005. In addition, 
the Agency held an interagency scoping meeting with state and federal 
agency stakeholders on August 23, 2005. The Notice of Availability of 
the Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register on January 11, 2007 
with the 45-day public comment period beginning on the date the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published their receipt of the 
document. The USEPA's notice was published on January 26, 2007 and the 
public review period concluded on March 12, 2007. Three public hearings 
to solicit review comments were held between February 6-8, 2007. A 
Notice of Availability of the Final EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on July 13, 2007 with a 30-day public comment period. The 
comment period was extended to October 28, 2005 through a second notice 
published in the Federal Register on September 30, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Stephanie A. Strength, USDA, Rural 
Development Utilities Programs, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Mail 
Stop 1570, Room 2244, Washington, DC 20250-1570, telephone (202) 720-
0468, fax (202) 720-0820, or e-mail: [email protected].

    Dated: February 28, 2008.
James R. Newby,
Assistant Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. E8-4229 Filed 3-4-08; 8:45 am]
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