[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 204 (Friday, October 22, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65294-65295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26747]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative: Notice of Finding of No 
Significant Impact

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has issued a Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Environmental Assessment (EA) 
associated with the Holland Cliff to Hewitt Road 230 kV Transmission 
proposal in Calvert and St. Mary's Counties, Maryland. The EA 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's) regulations for implementing the 
procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and RUS's NEPA 
implementing regulations (7 CFR part 1794, Environmental Policies and 
Procedures). The purpose of the EA was to evaluate the potential 
environmental impacts of and alternatives to a Southern Maryland 
Electric Cooperative (SMECO) application for a RUS loan for the 
proposal. The proposal includes construction of a 30-mile 230 kilovolt 
(kV) transmission line, a new 230/69 kV switching station, and a 230/69 
kV switching station expansion.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the FONSI or EA, 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 
FONSI and EA can be viewed online at: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/ea.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SMECO proposes to construct a 230 kV 
transmission line between the existing Holland Cliff Switching Station 
in Calvert County to the existing Hewitt Road Switching Station in St. 
Mary's County, Maryland. The proposal has five segments and includes: 
(1) The installation of approximately 20 miles of new 230 kV single 
pole, double-circuit transmission line from the Holland Cliff switching 
station to a new switching station located in Southern Calvert; (2) the 
installation of the new Sollers Wharf 230/69 kV switching station; (3) 
the installation of approximately 8 miles of new 230 kV single pole, 
double-circuit transmission line from the new Southern Calvert 
switching station to the existing Hewitt Road switching station; (4) 
the installation of approximately 2 miles of 230 kV underground 
transmission cable circuit across the lower Patuxent River; and (5) the 
expansion of the existing 230 kV ring bus at the Hewitt Road switching 
station to accommodate the new 230 kV transmission line from Southern 
Calvert. Throughout the right-of-way, the existing 69 kV poles would be 
removed, and new 230 kV poles would be installed. The existing 69 kV 
and new 230 kV lines would be installed on the new poles. This 
configuration would allow for the use of the existing 69 kV 
transmission line right-of-way and preclude the need for additional 
easement acquisition. The preferred site

[[Page 65295]]

of the new Sollers Wharf switching station is located near the 
intersection of Sollers Wharf Road and Pardoe Road, west of Maryland 
Highways 2 and 4 near the Calvert Cliffs tap. Approximately 6 to 10 
acres of the 40-acre site would be disturbed during construction. The 
remainder of the site would serve as a buffer. Construction of the 
proposal is anticipated for completion in 2015.
    A Notice of Intent to prepare an EA and hold a scoping meeting was 
published in the Federal Register on August 27, 2008, in the Enterprise 
(St. Mary's County) on August 29, 2008, and in the Calvert Recorder on 
August 29, 2008. A public meeting was held on September 11, 2008, in 
SMECO's Calvert Regional Office located at 901 Dares Beach Road, Prince 
Frederick, Maryland. A scoping summary report can be found at the RUS 
website listed in this Notice. The notice of availability of the EA for 
public review was published in the Federal Register on September 3, 
2010, and in the Enterprise and Calvert Recorder on September 3 and 9, 
2010. The EA was available for public and agency review on the RUS Web 
site listed in this Notice; at SMECO's Calvert Regional Office located 
at 901 Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, Maryland, and at SMECO's St. 
Mary's Regional Office located at 23365 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, 
Maryland. The 30-day comment period ended on October 3, 2010. No 
comments were received.
    SMECO hired Black and Veatch to prepare an EA for RUS that 
described the proposal and assessed its potential environmental 
impacts. RUS conducted an independent evaluation of the EA and 
concurred with its scope and content. In accordance with RUS's 
Environmental Policies and Procedures at 7 CFR 1794.41, RUS accepted 
the document as its official EA.
    Based on its EA, RUS has concluded that the proposal would have no 
significant impacts to water quality, wetlands, the 100-year 
floodplain, land use, aesthetics, transportation, or human health and 
safety. The proposal will have no adverse effects on historic 
properties listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of 
Historic Places. RUS has also concluded that the proposal is not likely 
to affect federally listed threatened and endangered species or 
designated critical habitat. The proposal would not disproportionately 
affect minority and low-income populations.
    No other potential significant impacts resulting from the proposal 
have been identified. Therefore, RUS has determined that this FONSI 
fulfills its obligations under NEPA for its action related to the 
proposal. RUS is satisfied that the environmental impacts of the 
proposal have been adequately addressed. If RUS takes a federal action 
on the proposal, it will not result in significant impacts to the 
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, an Environmental Impact 
Statement will not be prepared for the proposal.

    Dated: October 19, 2010.
James R. Newby,
Chief of Staff, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-26747 Filed 10-21-10; 8:45 am]
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