[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 27, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6358-6359]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03329]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kv Transmission Line Project

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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[[Page 6359]]

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United 
States Department of Agriculture, published a notice of availability, 
public meetings, and Section 106 notification on December 7, 2018 (83 
FR 63149) Federal Register for the Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kV 
Transmission Line Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 
Meetings were scheduled for January 2019 and the public review period 
was to conclude on February 5, 2019.
    On February 12, 2019 (84 FR 3412), RUS published a notice 
announcing an extension of the public comment period to April 1, 2019 
due to the lapse in federal funding. Previously cancelled Draft EIS 
public comment meetings in January 2019 are rescheduled for six days in 
March.

DATES: RUS will conduct six public meetings as follows:

March 13 at 5-7 p.m.--Dodger Bowl Banquet Hall at 318 King St. in 
Dodgeville, Wisconsin
March 14 at 5-7 p.m.--Deer Valley Lodge at 401 W Industrial Dr. in 
Barneveld, Wisconsin
March 15 at 5-7 p.m.--Guttenberg Municipal Bldg. at 502 S First St. in 
Guttenberg, Iowa
March 18 at 5-7 p.m.--Cassville Middle School at 715 E Amelia St. in 
Cassville, Wisconsin
March 19 at 5-7 p.m.--Peosta Community Center at 7896 Burds Rd. in 
Peosta, Iowa
March 20 at 5-7 p.m.--Madison Marriott West at 1313 John Q. Hammons Dr. 
in Middleton, Wisconsin

    All meetings will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. local time. A 
court reporter will be available.
    Written comments on this Draft EIS will be accepted until April 1, 
2019.
    A copy of the Draft EIS may be viewed online at the following 
website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/cardinal-%E2%80%93-hickory-creek-transmission-line 
and Dairyland Power Cooperative, 3521 East Avenue, South, La Crosse, WI 
54602 and at local libraries in the project area.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain copies of the Draft EIS or 
for further information, contact: Dennis Rankin or Lauren Cusick, 
Environmental Protection Specialists, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 2244, Stop 
1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571, or email [email protected] OR 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS has prepared a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) to meet its responsibilities under the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 7 CFR 1794 related to providing 
financial assistance to Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC) for its share 
in the construction of a proposed 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line 
and associated infrastructure connecting the Hickory Creek Substation 
in Dubuque County, Iowa, with the Cardinal Substation in the Town of 
Middle, Wisconsin (near Madison, Wisconsin). The Project also includes 
a new intermediate 345/138-kV substation near the Village of Montfort 
in either Grant County or Iowa County, Wisconsin. The total length of 
the 345- kV transmission lines associated with the proposed project 
will be approximately 125 miles. DPC and the other project participants 
have identified proposed and alternate segments and locations for 
transmission lines and associated facilities and for the intermediate 
substation. Dairyland Power Cooperative is requesting RUS to provide 
financing for its portion of the proposed project. DPC is participating 
in the proposed project with two other utilities, American Transmission 
Company LLC, and ITC Midwest LLC (Utilities).
    The purpose of the proposed project is to: (1) Address reliability 
issues on the regional bulk transmission system, (2) alleviate 
congestion that occurs in certain parts of the transmission system and 
remove constraints that limit the delivery of power, (3) expand the 
access of the transmission system to additional resources, (4) increase 
the transfer capability of the electrical system between Iowa and 
Wisconsin, (5) reduce the losses in transferring power and increase the 
efficiency of the transmission system, and 6) respond to public policy 
objectives aimed at enhancing the nation's transmission system and to 
support the changing generation mix.
    RUS is the lead agency for the federal environmental review with 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
(USACE), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) serving 
as cooperating agencies, and the National Park Service (NPS) as a 
participating agency.

    Dated: February 21, 2019.
Nicole Schindler,
Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff Rural Utilities 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-03329 Filed 2-26-19; 8:45 am]
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