[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 112 (Friday, June 11, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33238-33239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14020]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 112 / Friday, June 11, 2010 / 
Notices  

[[Page 33238]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Deer Creek Station

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement.

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

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Western Area Power 
Administration (Western) have issued a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the proposed Deer Creek Station project in 
Brookings and Duel Counties, South Dakota. The Final 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 1500-1508), RUS's NEPA implementing regulations (7 
CFR part 1794), and Western's NEPA implementing regulations (10 CFR 
part 1021). Western is the lead federal agency as defined at 40 CFR 
1501.5; RUS is a cooperating agency. The purpose of the Final EIS is to 
evaluate the potential environmental impacts of and alternatives to 
Basin Electric Power Cooperative's (Basin Electric) application for a 
RUS loan and a Western interconnection agreement to construct the 
proposed 300 megawatt (MW) Deer Creek Station in Brookings and Deuel 
Counties, South Dakota (Project). The proposed facility would include a 
new natural gas-fired combustion turbine set, a heat recovery steam 
generator (HRSG), and a steam turbine generator set.

DATES: Written comments on this Final EIS will be accepted on or before 
June 28, 2010, following the publication of the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency's notice of availability for this FEIS in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the Final EIS or further information, 
contact: Ms. Lauren McGee, Environmental Scientist, USDA, Rural 
Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, Room 2239-
S, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 720-1482, fax: (202) 
690-0649, or e-mail: [email protected].
    A copy of the Final EIS has been sent to affected federal, state, 
and local government agencies and to interested parties and can be 
viewed online at: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/eis.htm.
    Copies of the Final EIS will also be available for public review at 
the following locations (hours vary; contact individual repositories 
for available times):

Brookings Public Library 515 3rd Street Brookings, SD; telephone: (605) 
692-9407
SDSU Hilton M. Briggs Library, South Dakota State University, 
Brookings, SD; telephone: (605) 688-5570.
Deubrook Community Library, 100 School Avenue, White, SD.
Elkton City Hall, Elkton, SD.
Siverson Public Library, 100 W. Garfield, Hendricks, MN.
Brookings County Commission Office, 314 6th Avenue, Brookings, SD.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Basin Electric's proposed Project is to 
construct, own, operate, and maintain the Deer Creek Station Energy 
Facility, a 300 MW combined-cycle natural gas generation facility, 
water pipeline, transmission lines, transmission interconnection(s), 
and other associated facilities in Brookings and Deuel counties in 
eastern South Dakota. The purpose for the proposed Project is to serve 
increased load demand for electric power in the eastern portion of 
Basin Electric's service area. In 2007, Basin Electric prepared a 
forecast showing load and capability surpluses/deficits through the 
year 2021. The forecast predicted that by 2014, there will be a deficit 
of 800-900 MW for the eastern portion of its service area. The proposed 
Project's addition of 300 MW of generation will help meet Basin 
Electric's future energy requirements.
    On February 6, 2009, Western published in the Federal Register a 
Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the Deer Creek Station. The EIS 
focused on potential impacts to the following resources: soils, 
topography and geology, water resources, air quality, biological 
resources, the acoustic environment, recreation, cultural and historic 
resources, visual resources, transportation, farmland, land use, human 
health and safety, the socioeconomic environment, environmental 
justice, and cumulative effects. On February 26, 2010, the Rural 
Utilities Service published its Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS 
for the proposed project in the Federal Register. The U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency acknowledged receipt of the Draft EIS 
on February 5, 2010, from Western. The 45-day comment period ended on 
March 22, 2010. Because few comments were received which did not result 
in the substantial modification of the alternatives or the 
environmental analysis in the Draft EIS, Western and RUS prepared an 
abbreviated Final EIS to address the comments received.
    Basin Electric's proposed Project is subject to the jurisdiction of 
the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (SDPUC) which has 
regulatory authority for siting power plants and transmission lines 
within the State. Basin Electric will submit an application for an 
Energy Conversion Facility Permit and a Route Permit to the SDPUC. The 
SDPUC permits would authorize Basin Electric to construct the proposed 
Project under South Dakota rules and regulations.
    After considering various ways to meet these future needs, Basin 
Electric identified construction of the proposed Project as its best 
course of action. This EIS considered 17 alternatives to meet the 
future energy requirements of the eastern portion of its service area. 
These alternatives were evaluated in terms of cost-effectiveness, 
technical feasibility, and environmental factors.
    The EIS analyzes in detail the no action alternative and the 
proposed action (Deer Creek station and related facilities) at two 
separate locations: White Site I (Brookings County, T111N R48W, Section 
25 NE Quarter) and White Site II (Brookings County, T111N R48W, Section 
2 NW Quarter). The proposed action at White Site I has been identified 
as the preferred alternative.
    Because the proposed Project may involve action in floodplains or 
wetlands, this Notice of Availability also serves as a notice of 
proposed floodplain or wetland action. The EIS includes a floodplain/
wetland

[[Page 33239]]

assessment and floodplain/wetland statement of findings.
    Any action by RUS related to the proposed Project 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 requirements as prescribed in RUS's Environmental 
Policies and Procedures, 7 CFR part 1794, as amended.

    Dated: June 7, 2010.
James F. Elliott,
Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator, Electric Programs, Rural 
Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-14020 Filed 6-10-10; 8:45 am]
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