[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45720-45722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18790]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.: Notice of Intent and
Availability of a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement and
Notice to Hold a Public Meeting
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent and availability of a Supplemental Draft
Environmental Impact Statement and Notice to hold a public meeting.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), has issued a Supplemental Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (Supplemental Draft EIS) for Central
Electric Power Cooperative's (Central Electric) proposed McClellanville
Area 115-kV Transmission Project (Project) in South Carolina. In this
document, RUS analyzes the environmental impacts associated with an
anticipated decision request to approve or deny funding for Central
Electric's proposed Project. The Supplement Draft EIS was prepared to
address substantial changes to the proposed action and assesses new
circumstances and information relevant to potential environmental
impacts originally evaluated in the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (Draft EIS).
In April 2014, RUS issued a Draft EIS that evaluated six 115-kV
transmission line corridors originating in Georgetown County, South
Carolina and terminating in the McClellanville area of Charleston
County, South Carolina. Since publication of the Draft EIS, updated
engineering data has resulted in substantial changes to the proposed
action, including the need to evaluate new transmission line corridors
originating from the Jamestown and Charity areas of Berkeley County,
South Carolina, and to account for a new winter weather operating
agreement between the former South Carolina Electric and Gas (now
Dominion Energy South Carolina) and Berkeley Electric Cooperative that
addresses load concerns during the winter months. In addition, the
following changes made it necessary to supplement the Draft EIS: The
promulgation of a new environmental regulation applicable to RUS (7 CFR
part 1970, which replaced the former 7 CFR part 1794, RUS Environmental
Policies and Procedures), issuance and implementation of Executive
Order 13807: ``Establishing Discipline and Accountability in the
Environmental
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Review and Permitting Process for Infrastructure Projects'' (known as
the ``One Federal Decision Executive Order''), and publication of the
Francis Marion National Forest's Forest Plan.
The Supplemental Draft EIS addresses the construction, operation,
and maintenance of Central Electric's proposed Project. The Project
includes the construction of a new 115 kV transmission line needed to
energize the new McClellanville Substation located near the
McClellanville service area. The Supplemental Draft EIS considers three
alternatives, encompassing three potential corridor locations with one
corridor including two different alignments. The overall project area
encompasses parts of Berkeley, Georgetown and Charleston counties in
coastal South Carolina, and potentially crosses the Francis Marion
National Forest.
The Supplemental Draft EIS has identified the potential for impacts
to various resources, including wetlands, biological resources and
cultural resources (including historic properties). Central Electric
does not hold easements across these areas. Once a final right-of-way
(ROW) is selected within the preferred corridor, coordination with
federal and state agencies and other interested parties would occur to
identify, evaluate and, if needed, mitigate any adverse effects. RUS
will compile public comments received on the Supplemental Draft EIS and
produce a Final EIS that considers and responds to those substantive
public comments. Based on this analysis in additional to technical and
financial reviews, RUS will decide to approve or deny an application
for funding.
DATES: The public comment period on the Supplemental Draft EIS starts
with the publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
environmental impact statement (EIS) receipt notice in the Federal
Register and will continue for 60 days. The Supplemental Draft EIS and
associated documents will be available for the public to view on the
weblink provided in this Notice. RUS will consider all substantive
written comments on the Supplemental Draft EIS received or postmarked
within the 60-day timeframe. Agencies, interested parties, and the
public are invited to submit comments on the Supplemental Draft EIS at
any time during the public comment period RUS contact information
provided in this Notice. The date(s) and time for a public meeting will
be announced in local newspapers and published on the agency's website
at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/mccllellanville-115kv-transmission-line. Attendees are
welcome to attend any public meetings and to provide written or oral
comments on the Project. A court reporter will be present.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the proposed
Project and the EIS process, please contact Ms. Lauren Rayburn,
Environmental Scientist, Rural Utilities Service, 160 Zillicoa Street,
Suite 2, Asheville, North Carolina 28801, Telephone: (202) 695-2540 or
email: [email protected]. Parties wishing to be placed on the
Project mailing list for future information and to receive copies of
the Supplemental Draft EIS and the Final EIS when available should also
contact Ms. Rayburn. Comments on the Supplemental Draft EIS may be
emailed to: [email protected] or physically
mailed to the address provided in this Notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS is authorized to make loans and loan
guarantees that finance the construction of electric distribution,
transmission, and generation facilities, including system improvements
and replacements required to furnish and improve electric service in
rural areas, as well as demand side management, energy conservation
programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems. Central
Electric is an electric transmission cooperative that provides
transmission service from the bulk transmission system to South
Carolina's 20 retail electric cooperatives. Berkeley Electric, a member
distribution electric cooperative of Central Electric, was formed in
1940 to bring electric service to rural areas of coastal South
Carolina. Berkeley Electric owns and operates more than 5,000 miles of
distribution line serving more than 80,000 accounts in Berkeley,
Charleston, and Dorchester counties.
Project Description: Central Electric has identified the need for
additional electric transmission capacity in the McClellanville area of
coastal South Carolina to meet reliability and energy load requirements
of its member owner, Berkeley Electric Cooperative. Investigations and
analyses conducted for the overall power delivery systems found that
without improvements, the flow of power along existing lines may result
in local line overloads and power outages. To resolve these issues,
Central Electric is proposing to construct, own and operate a new 115-
kV transmission line and associated supporting infrastructure to
energize the new McClellanville Substation, located near the
McClellanville service area. Berkeley Electric owner-customers that
would benefit from the proposed Project include those located in the
areas near Rutledge Road, South Santee Road, Wedge Plantation,
Germantown, Toby Road, Dupree Road, Lincoln High School, Randall Road,
Tibwin Road, St. James-Santee School, Shellmore, Buck Hall, Town of
Awendaw, Doar Road, and areas adjacent to U.S. Highway 17 in northern
Charleston County.
The Supplemental Draft EIS considers three alternatives,
encompassing three potential corridor locations with one corridor
including two different alignments. The corridors range in length from
16 to 31 miles and encompasses parts of Berkeley, Georgetown and
Charleston counties in South Carolina. The corridor locations propose
to cross both public and private lands, including the Francis Marion
National Forest, Santee Coastal Reserve, and other private and public
lands used for conservation management purposes; all corridors are
located entirely within the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.
The Supplemental Draft EIS analyzes the extent of Central's Electric's
proposal with regard to the following: Water resources, biological
resources, soils and geology, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions,
cultural resources, recreation and land use, visual resources,
socioeconomics, environmental justice, transportation, health and
safety, and noise.
Central Electric plans to request financial assistance for the
proposed Project from RUS. Completing the EIS is one of RUS's
requirements in processing a future application from Central Electric,
along with other technical and financial considerations. In accordance
with 40 CFR 1501.5(b) of the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ)
Regulation for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National
Environmental Policy Act (CEQ Regulations), RUS will serve as the lead
agency in the preparation of the EIS. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and the U.S. Forest Service are participating as cooperating agencies.
RUS has prepared a Supplemental Draft EIS to analyze the impacts of the
respective federal actions and the proposed Project in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as amended, CEQ
Regulations, RUS Environmental Policies and Procedures, and the U.S.
Forest Service's National Environmental Policy Act procedures.
Because the proposed Project may involve action in floodplains or
wetlands, this Notice also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or
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wetland action. The Supplemental Draft EIS will include an assessment
of effects to floodplains/wetlands and, if required, a statement of
findings will be issued with the Final SEIS.
RUS has determined that its action regarding the proposed Project
would be an undertaking subject to review under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106), and its implementing
regulations, ``Protection of Historic Properties.'' As part of its
broad environmental review process, RUS must consider the effect of the
proposed Project on historic properties in accordance with Section 106.
Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), RUS is using its procedures for public
involvement under NEPA to meet its responsibilities to solicit and
consider the views of the public during Section 106 review.
Accordingly, comments submitted in response to this Notice will inform
RUS decision-making in its Section 106 review process. Any party
wishing to participate more directly with RUS as a ``consulting party''
in Section 106 review may submit a written request to the RUS contact
provided in this Notice.
Agency Responsibilities: RUS is serving as the lead agency, as
defined at 40 CFR 1501.5, for preparation of the Supplemental Draft
EIS. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Forest Service are
participating as cooperating agencies and may issue separate Records of
Decision relevant to the Project under separate authorities. For the
U.S. Forest Service, a draft Record of Decision would be subject to the
Agency's administrative review process at 36 CFR part 218, subparts A
and B. The U.S. Forest Service may need to issue a special use permit
to authorize occupancy of National Forest System lands for this
proposal. Per 40 CFR 1506.3, the U.S. Forest Service intends to review
and adopt the Final EIS, if found sufficient, in support of issuance of
a special use permit.
Public Participation: The EIS process has included past scoping
meetings and comment periods; consultation and involvement with
appropriate Federal, State, local, and tribal governments; and a public
meeting and comment period on the Draft EIS issued in 2014. The date(s)
and time for a public meeting will be announced in local newspapers and
published on the agency's website at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/mccllellanville-115kv-transmission-line. Attendees are welcome to attend any public
meetings and to provide written or oral comments on the Project. A
court reporter will be present. The process will be followed by
publication of a Final EIS and publication of a Record of Decision.
Christopher A. Mclean,
Assistant Administrator--Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-18790 Filed 8-29-19; 8:45 am]
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