[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43915-43916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18294]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Deer Creek Station

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of record of decision.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service, hereinafter referred to as RUS 
and/or the Agency, has issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Deer Creek 
Station Energy Facility project (Project) in Brookings and Deuel 
Counties, South Dakota. The Administrator of RUS has signed the ROD, 
which is effective upon signing. The EIS was prepared pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231 et seq.) 
and

[[Page 43916]]

in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) 
regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 
Parts 1500-1508), RUS's NEPA implementing regulations (7 CFR Part 
1794), and the Western Area Power Administration's (Western) NEPA 
implementing regulations (10 CFR Part 1021). Western was the lead 
federal agency in preparation of the EIS as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5; 
RUS was a cooperating agency. The purpose of the EIS was 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 
Project. The proposed Project's facility would include a new natural 
gas-fired combustion turbine set, a heat recovery steam generator, and 
a steam turbine generator set.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the ROD, or for 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 ROD can 
be viewed online at: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/eis.htm.

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 line, 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.
    In accordance with NEPA, the CEQ regulations for implementing the 
procedural provisions of NEPA, and applicable agency NEPA implementing 
regulations, Western and RUS prepared an EIS to assess the potential 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed Project. The 
decision being documented in RUS's ROD is that the Agency agrees to 
consider, subject to loan approval, funding the proposed Project at the 
White Site 1 location. More details regarding RUS's regulatory 
authority, rationale for the decision, and compliance with applicable 
regulations are included in the ROD. Because two distinct federal 
actions are being proposed, RUS and Western decided to issue separate 
RODs.
    On February 6, 2009, Western published in the Federal Register a 
Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the proposed Project. On 
February 26, 2010, RUS published its Notice of Availability (NOA) 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. RUS published 
its NOA of the Final EIS for the proposed Project in the Federal 
Register on June 11, 2010. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
acknowledged receipt of the Final EIS on May 28, 2010, from Western. 
The 30-day waiting period ended on June 28, 2010. One comment was 
received; it was addressed in RUS's ROD.
    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 16 alternatives to meet the 
future energy requirements of the eastern portion of its service area 
and five alternative site locations. These alternatives were evaluated 
in terms of cost-effectiveness, technical feasibility, and 
environmental factors (e.g., 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).
    The EIS analyzes in detail the No Action Alternative and the Action 
Alternative (construction of the Deer Creek Station Energy Facility) at 
two separate locations: White Site 1 (Brookings County, T111N R48W, 
Section 25 NE Quarter) and White Site 2 (Brookings County, T111N R48W, 
Section 2 NW Quarter). The No Action Alternative would expose Basin 
Electric and its member cooperatives to higher prices by purchasing 
power on the volatile open electric market. The Action Alternative at 
White Site 1 would be located approximately 0.5-miles from the existing 
White Substation, would be further away from occupied residences, and 
has more suitable site conditions than White Site 2. The Action 
Alternative at White Site 2 would require the construction of a new 
substation for interconnection to the grid, would be closer to occupied 
residences, and has site conditions that are less suitable for the type 
of development being proposed. The resources or environmental factors 
that could be affected by the proposed Project were evaluated in detail 
in the EIS. These issues are summarized in Table ES-1: ``Summary of 
Potential Impacts of Deer Creek Station,'' of the EIS.
    Based on an evaluation of the information and impact analyses 
presented in the EIS, including the evaluation of all alternatives, and 
in consideration of the Agency's NEPA implementing regulations, 
Environmental Policies and Procedures, as amended (7 CFR Part 1794), 
RUS finds that the evaluation of reasonable alternatives is consistent 
with NEPA. The Agency has selected the Action Alternative at White Site 
1 as its preferred alternative. Because the proposed Project may 
involve action in floodplains or wetlands, this Notice also serves as a 
final notice of action in floodplains and wetlands (in accordance to 
Executive Orders 11988 and 11990). This Notice concludes RUS's 
compliance with NEPA and the Agency's ``Environmental Policies and 
Procedures.''

    Dated: July 15, 2010.
Jonathan Adelstein,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-18294 Filed 7-26-10; 8:45 am]
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