[Federal Register: June 21, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 120)]

[Notices]               

[Page 42232]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr21jn02-25]                         



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE



Rural Utilities Service



 

Basin Electric Power 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: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 

has made a finding of no significant impact in connection with a 

request from Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric) of 

Bismarck, North Dakota for assistance from RUS to finance the 

construction of an asynchronous tie that would connect the eastern and 

western transmission grids near Rapid City in Pennington County, South 

Dakota.



FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Nurul Islam, Environmental Protection 

Specialist, Rural Utilities Service, Engineering and Environmental 

Staff, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-

1571, telephone (202) 720-1414, Fax (202) 720-0820, e-mail 

nislam@rus.usda.gov. Information is also available from Mr. James A. 

Berg, Water Quality/Waste Management Coordinator, Basin Electric, 1717 

East Interstate Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota 58501, telephone (701) 

223-0441, Fax (701) 224-5336, e-mail address jberg@bepc.com.



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Basin Electric is proposing construction of 

an asynchronous tie that would connect the eastern and western 

transmission grids near Rapid City in Pennington County, South Dakota. 

This project is known as the Rapid City Tie project. The Rapid City Tie 

Project will include approximately 23 miles of 230 kV transmission 

line, a line terminal bay at the South Rapid City Substation, a line 

terminal bay at the New Underwood Substation, and an asynchronous tie 

converter station. The project is located just south of Rapid City and 

the transmission line extends eastward for approximately 23 miles. The 

Rapid City Tie Project is anticipated encompassing approximately 325 

acres of land including 285 acres for the transmission line (a 100-foot 

right-of-way is assumed) and 40 acres for the converter station. The 

project is required to meet the growing needs for power of Basin 

Electric's membership in South Dakota and in northeastern Wyoming. RUS 

may provide financial assistance to Basin Electric for this project.

    RUS has concluded that the impacts of the proposed project would 

not be significant and the proposed action is not a major federal 

action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. 

Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not 

necessary. RUS, in accordance with its environmental policies and 

procedures, required that Basin Electric prepare an environmental 

report (ER/Environmental Analysis) reflecting the potential impacts of 

the proposed facilities. The Environmental Analysis, which includes 

input from Federal, state, and local agencies, has been reviewed and 

accepted as RUS'' Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project in 

accordance with 7 CFR 1794.41. Basin Electric published notices of the 

availability of the EA and solicited public comments per 7 CFR 1794.42. 

The 30-day comment period on the EA for the proposed project ended May 

6, 2002. Comments were received on the EA from the following agencies: 

South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT); South Dakota 

Department of Fish, Game and Parks (SDDFG&P); Natural Resources 

Conservation Service (NRCS); United States Army Corps of Engineers 

(COE); United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); and Planning 

Department, City of Rapid City (Rapid City PD). Basin Electric has 

agreed to follow Federal, state, and local agency recommendations 

(SDDOT, SDDFG&P, COE, USFWS, NRCS, and Rapid City PD) and secure all 

necessary permits prior to constructing and operating the proposed 

project.

    Based on the EA and the Basin Electric's commitments to follow all 

agency recommendations, RUS has concluded that the proposed action will 

not have a significant effect to various resources, including important 

farmland, floodplains, wetlands, cultural resources, threatened and 

endangered species and their critical habitat, air pollution and water 

quality, noise, electrocution of birds. RUS has also determined that 

there would be no negative impacts of the proposed project on minority 

communities and low-income communities as a result of the construction 

of the project. RUS believes that there are no significant unresolved 

environmental conflicts related to this project.



    Dated: June 17, 2002.

Blaine D. Stockton,

Assistant Administrator, Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service.

[FR Doc. 02-15721 Filed 6-20-02; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P