[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56051-56052]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22966]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 178 / Wednesday, September 15, 2010 
/ Notices  

[[Page 56051]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Bemidji to Grand Rapids Minnesota 230 kV Transmission Line 
Project

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement.

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

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), U.S. Forest Service 
Chippewa National Forest (CNF), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 
and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Division of Resource Management (LLBO) 
have issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
proposed Bemidji to Grand Rapids, Minnesota 230 kV Transmission Line 
Project (``Project'') in Minnesota. 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's (CEQ) 
regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 
1500-1508), and RUS regulations (7 CFR 1794). To minimize duplication 
of effort pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.2, RUS prepared the Final EIS jointly 
with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security 
(OES) in compliance with federal responsibilities under NEPA and other 
federal statutes and regulations, and state responsibilities under the 
Minnesota Environmental Policy Act and the Minnesota Power Plant Siting 
Act. RUS is the lead federal agency as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5, and 
CNF and USACE are cooperating agencies. LLBO accepted an invitation to 
participate as a cooperating agency. The purpose of the Final EIS is to 
evaluate the potential environmental impacts of and alternatives to the 
application of Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc. for RUS financing to 
construct a 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line between the Wilton 
Substation near Bemidji, Minnesota and the Boswell Substation near 
Grand Rapids, Minnesota, which will cross portions of Beltrami, 
Hubbard, Itasca, and Cass counties. Minnkota also proposes to modify 
the Wilton and Boswell substations and construct a new 115 kV breaker 
station at Nary Junction, Minnesota. In addition, Minnkota proposes to 
upgrade an existing or construct a new substation in the Cass Lake, 
Minnesota area, depending on the route alternative selected for the 
Project. The Project is being jointly developed by Minnkota, Otter Tail 
Power Company, and Minnesota Power.

DATES: Written comments on this Final EIS will be accepted 30 days 
following the publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 
notice of receipt of the Final EIS in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the Final EIS or further information, 
contact: Ms. Stephanie Strength, Environmental Protection Specialist, 
USDA Rural Utilities Service, Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, Room 
2239-S, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (970) 403-3559, fax: 
(202) 690-0649, or e-mail: [email protected]. Or contact 
Suzanne Steinhauer, Project Manager, Minnesota Department of Commerce, 
Office of Energy Security, 85 Seventh Place East, Suite 500, Saint 
Paul, Minnesota 55101-2198; telephone (651) 296-2888, 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 the RUS Web site at http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/eis.htm, or at the Minnesota Public Utilities Web site at http://energyfacilities.puc.state.mn.us/Docket.html?Id=19344.
    Copies of the Final EIS will also be available for public review at 
the following public libraries:

Bemidji Public Library, 509 America Ave., NW., Bemidji, MN 56601;
Cass Lake Community Library, 223 Cedar Ave., NW., Cass Lake, MN 56633;
Grand Rapids Area Library, 140 NE 2nd Street, Grand Rapids, MN 55744;
Blackduck Community Library, 72 First St., SE., Blackduck, MN 56630;
Margaret Welch Memorial Library, 5051 State 84, Longville, MN 56655;
Walker Public Library, 207 4th St., Walker, MN 56484;
Bovey Public Library, Village Hall, 402 2nd Street, Bovey, MN 55709-
0130; and
Coleraine Public Library, Independent Building, 203 Cole Avenue, 
Coleraine, MN 55722-0225.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Minnkota Power, Otter Tail Power, and 
Minnesota Power propose to construct a new transmission line from 
Bemidji to Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The proposal is designed to correct 
a local load serving inadequacy for the Bemidji area and the northern 
Red River Valley in West Central Minnesota. It is part of the CapX2020 
long-range planning effort that has identified a comprehensive 
framework for new transmission infrastructure that will be needed to 
maintain reliability of the transmission system throughout Minnesota 
and the surrounding region.
    Minnkota Power is seeking financing from RUS for its portion of the 
investment. Prior to making a financial decision about whether to 
provide financial assistance for a proposal, RUS is required to conduct 
an environmental review under NEPA in accordance with the Agency's 
policies and procedures codified in 7 CFR Part 1794.
    This proposal is identified under RUS regulation 7 CFR 
1794.24(b)(1) as requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) with 
scoping meetings. The State of Minnesota requires that an EIS be 
prepared by OES in accordance with Chapter 216E of the Minnesota Power 
Plant Siting Act, and Chapter 116D of the Minnesota Environmental 
Policy Act. RUS and OES have agreed to be co-lead agencies in preparing 
a joint federal/state EIS on the Project. Using information from the 
Alternatives Evaluation Study (AES), the Macro-Corridor Study (MCS), 
Public Scoping Meetings, the Draft EIS and public hearings and comments 
on the Draft EIS, RUS and OES developed this Final EIS in consultation 
with the cooperating agencies, CNF, USACE, and LLBO.
    On July 18, 2008, RUS published in the Federal Register a Notice of 
Intent to prepare an EIS for the proposal. 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

[[Page 56052]]

resources, transportation, farmland, land use, human health and safety, 
the socioeconomic environment, environmental justice, and cumulative 
effects. On March 3, 2010, the Rural Utilities Service published its 
Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS for the proposed project in the 
Federal Register. The 45-day comment period ended on April 19, 2010. 
Comments received on the Draft EIS were addressed in the Final EIS.
    After considering various ways to meet the reliability needs, 
Minnkota identified construction of the proposed Project as its best 
course of action. This EIS considered four route alternatives in terms 
of cost-effectiveness, technical feasibility, and environmental 
factors.
    The EIS analyzes in detail the no action alternative, the proposed 
action Route Alternative 4 and three other Route Alternatives. Route 
Alternative 4 has been identified as the applicants' preferred 
alternative, the federally preferred alternative and the 
environmentally 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.
    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: September 7, 2010.
Nivin Elgohary,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Electric Programs.
[FR Doc. 2010-22966 Filed 9-14-10; 8:45 am]
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