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Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation; Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: November 27, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 228)]
[Notices]
[Page 70691-70692]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27no00-26]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation; Notice of Availability
of an Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an environmental assessment.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS),
has accepted the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prepared for the
Arkansas Public Service Commission (APSC) as its Environmental
Assessment. RUS may provide financial assistance to Arkansas Electric
Cooperative Corporation (AECC) for the construction of a 153-megawatt
(MW) combustion turbine electric generating station in southwest
Arkansas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Quigel, Engineering and
Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service, Stop 1571, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone (202)
720-0468. The E-mail address is bquigel@rus.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AECC subsequent to receipt of a Certificate
of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) from the APSC initiated construction
of the project at a 159 acre site east of Fulton, Arkansas. Fulton is
located in Hempstead County. The CCN (Order No. 7) for the generating
station was issued on November 18, 1999. The CCN (Order No. 3) for the
transmission line was issued on May 9, 2000.
    The project, when completed, will initially consist of a single 153
MW gas-fired, simple-cycle combustion turbine generating unit. Other
on-site facilities include a 90-foot exhaust stack, step-up and
auxiliary transformers, motor control centers, bus ductwork, an
electric substation, and control, maintenance, and operations
buildings. The project also includes 4 miles of 115 kV transmission
line that will tie the station to the existing transmission grid. The
transmission line will be built to 161 kV specifications in
anticipation that additional transmission line capacity may be needed
in the future.
    The facility is designed to accommodate conversion of the unit to
combined cycle operation, but will be initially operated as a simple
cycle unit. The site has been sized to accommodate additional simple or
combined cycle units. However, the environmental assessment announced
herein will cover only the initial 153 MW simple cycle unit and related
electric transmission

[[Page 70692]]

line. Only those facilities are being considered for RUS financial
assistance.
    The only alternative to providing financial assistance to AECC for
the construction of the subject project being considered by RUS would
be to take no action, therefore, not provide financial assistance.
    An EIS for the proposed generating station was submitted by AECC to
the APSC on July 1, 1999. Information on the proposed transmission line
was submitted to the APSC on February 15, 2000. RUS has independently
evaluated the information contained in both submittals to the APSC and
believes that it accurately assesses the environmental impacts of the
project. In accordance with the provisions of Secs. 1794.53 and 1794.74
of RUS'' Environmental Policies and Procedures, the information
referenced above will serve as RUS'' environmental assessment for this
project.
    The environmental assessment can be reviewed at the AECC
headquarters located at 8000 Scott Hamilton Drive, Little Rock,
Arkansas (501-570-2462). This document will also be available for
public inspection at the Hempstead County Library, 500 South Elm
Street, Hope, Arkansas (870-777-4564). It can also be reviewed at the
headquarters of RUS at the address provided previously.
    Questions and comments should be sent to RUS at the address
provided. RUS will accept questions and comments on its proposed action
for at least 30 days from the date of publication of this notice.
    RUS will take no final action related to the project until after
notification of that action is published in the Federal Register and in
the same newspapers that this notice is being published.

    Dated: November 16, 2000.
Lawrence R. Wolfe,
Acting Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff.
[FR Doc. 00-30098 Filed 11-24-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

 
 

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