[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76394-76395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-30898]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.: Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Extend Scoping Comment 
Period

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
and Extend Scoping Comment Period.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to meet its responsibilities under 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on 
Environmental Quality's regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508), RUS's Environmental and Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 
1794), and the U.S. Forest Service's (USFS) National Environmental 
Policy Act Procedures (36 CFR part 220) in connection with

[[Page 76395]]

potential impacts related to a proposal by Central Electric Power 
Cooperative, Inc., (Central Electric) of Columbia, South Carolina. The 
proposal consists of constructing a 115 kilovolt (kV) transmission line 
through portions of Berkeley, Charleston, and/or Georgetown Counties, 
South Carolina, to the proposed McClellanville substation. Central 
Electric is requesting that RUS provide financial assistance for the 
proposal and may request that the USFS issue a special use permit for 
the proposal.

DATES: RUS has extended the public comment period to January 14, 2011. 
RUS will accept verbal and written comments regarding the proposal. 
Contact information for submitting comments is provided in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Send all written comments to the attention of Ms. Lauren 
McGee, Environmental Scientist, USDA Rural Utilities Service, 
Engineering and Environmental Staff, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Stop 1571, Room 2244-S, Washington, DC 20250-1571. Comments may also be 
sent via fax: (202) 690-0649, or by e-mail: [email protected]. 
RUS will also accept verbal comments at the following telephone number: 
(855) 806-8863.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Central Electric proposes to construct a 
115-kV transmission line to Berkeley Electric Cooperative's proposed 
McClellanville substation. The proposal would provide long-term, 
reliable electric service to the McClellanville community and 
surrounding areas. The transmission line may originate from one of the 
following points: Belle Isle (Georgetown County), Britton Neck 
(Georgetown County), Jamestown (Berkeley County), Honey Hill (Berkeley 
County), Charity (Charleston County), or Commonwealth (Charleston 
County). This notice invites government agencies, organizations, and 
the public to provide input in the development of the EIS for the 
proposal.
    An updated Alternatives Evaluation Study (AES) and Macro-Corridor 
Study (MCS) were prepared for the proposal. The AES and MCS discuss the 
purpose and need for the proposal as well as the alternatives 
considered in the proposal's development. A public scoping meeting was 
held on September 29, 2010, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at St. James-Santee 
Elementary School, 8900 Highway 17 North, McClellanville, SC 29458. 
RUS, Central Electric, and Mangi Environmental Group gave a 
presentation at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., which provided an overview of: (1) 
The Federal action being considered by RUS; (2) an overview of NEPA and 
the EIS process; and, (3) the purpose, need and alternatives considered 
in the development of the proposal. The AES and MCS (both dated 
September 2010), in addition to materials from the public meeting, are 
available for public review at the following RUS Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/eis.htm. Due to an error in the mailing list 
for this proposal, RUS has extended the comment period to January 14, 
2011.
    Among the alternatives that RUS will address in the EIS is the ``No 
Action'' alternative, under which the proposal would not be undertaken. 
In the EIS, the effects of the proposal will be compared to the 
existing conditions in the proposal area. Alternative transmission line 
corridors will be refined as part of the EIS scoping process and will 
be addressed in the EIS. Public health and safety, environmental 
impacts, and engineering aspects of the proposal will be considered in 
the EIS.
    RUS is the lead Federal agency, as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5, for 
preparation of the EIS. The USFS is a cooperating agency. With this 
notice, Federally recognized Native American Tribes and Federal 
agencies with jurisdiction or special expertise are invited to be 
cooperating agencies. Tribes or agencies may request to be a 
cooperating agency by contacting the RUS contact provided in this 
notice.
    RUS will use input provided during scoping in the preparation of 
the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS will be available for review and comment 
for 45 days. A Final EIS that considers all comments received will 
subsequently be prepared. The Final EIS will be available for review 
for 30 days. Following the 30-day review period, RUS will prepare a 
Record of Decision (ROD). Notices announcing the availability of the 
Draft EIS, the Final EIS, and the ROD will be published in the Federal 
Register and in local newspapers. The USFS may issue a separate ROD for 
the proposal, which may be subject to an appeals period as prescribed 
in USFS departmental regulations.
    Any final action by RUS related to the proposal will be subject to, 
and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant executive orders and 
Federal, State, and local environmental laws and regulations in 
addition to the completion of the environmental review requirements as 
prescribed in RUS's Environmental Policies and Procedures, 7 CFR part 
1794, as amended.

    Dated: December 2, 2010.
Richard Fristik,
Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA, Rural 
Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-30898 Filed 12-7-10; 8:45 am]
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