[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 192 (Tuesday, October 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61414-61415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24993]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Basin Electric Power Cooperative: South Dakota PrairieWinds 
Project

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 South Dakota 
PrairieWind Project (Project) in Aurora, Bule and Jerauld 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 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). RUS and Western are 
serving as co-lead agencies in preparation of the EIS as defined at 40 
CFR 1501.5. Each agency is issuing a separate ROD for the project. 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 151.5-megawatt wind-powered generation 
facility.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the ROD, or for further information, 
contact: Mr. Dennis Rankin, Environmental Protection Specialist, USDA, 
Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, Room 
2239-S, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 720-1453, 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 Project. The proposed Project 
includes a 151.5-megawatt (MW) nameplate capacity wind-powered energy 
generation facility that would feature 101 wind turbine generators; 
6,000-square-foot operations and maintenance building and fence 
perimeter; 64 miles of underground communication system and electrical 
collector lines (within the same trench); 34.5-kilovolt (kV) to 230-kV 
collector substation and microwave tower; 11-mile-long overhead 230-kV 
transmission line; temporary equipment/material storage or lay-down 
areas; temporary crane walks; and 81 miles of new and/or upgraded 
service roads to access the facilities in Aurora, Brule and Jerauld 
Counties in eastern South Dakota. The purpose for the proposed Project 
is to meet Basin Electric's load growth responsibilities, State 
mandated Renewable Portfolio Standards and Renewable Energy Objectives 
and renewable energy goals. In accordance with NEPA, the CEQ 
regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA, and 
applicable agency NEPA implementing regulations, RUS and Western 
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 Crow Lake 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 April 7, 2009, RUS and Western published in the Federal Register 
a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the proposed Project. The U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency acknowledged receipt of the Draft EIS 
on January 15, 2010. The 45-day comment period ended on March 1, 2010. 
A public hearing to receive comments on the Draft EIS was held in 
Chamberlain, South Dakota, on February 11, 2010. All comments received 
were addressed in the Final EIS, The U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency acknowledged receipt of the Final EIS on July 30, 2010. The 30-
day review period ended on August 28, 2010. Two comment letters were 
received; they were addressed in RUS's ROD.
    After considering various ways to meet its purpose and need, Basin 
Electric identified construction of the proposed Project as its best 
course of action. This EIS considered four alternative methods to 
provide renewable energy and six 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 Project) at two separate locations: 
The Crow Lake site (approximately 36,000 acres 15 miles north of the 
City of White Lake within Brule, Aurora and Jerald Counties, South 
Dakota), and the Winner site (approximately 83,000 acres eight miles 
south of the City of Winner in Tripp County, South Dakota). The No 
Action Alternative would not meet the state's and Basin Electric's 
renewable energy goals. 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 South Dakota PrairieWinds Project,'' of the EIS.

[[Page 61415]]

    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 Crow Lake 
site as its preferred alternative. This Notice concludes RUS's 
compliance with NEPA and the Agency's ``Environmental Policies and 
Procedures.''

    Dated: September 29, 2010.
James R. Newby,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-24993 Filed 10-4-10; 8:45 am]
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