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Georgia Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To Hold Public Scoping Meetings and Prepare an Environmental Assessment
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: April 5, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 65)]
[Notices]
[Page 17072-17073]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05ap06-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Georgia Transmission Corporation; Notice of Intent To Hold Public
Scoping Meetings and Prepare an Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to hold public scoping meetings and prepare an
Environmental Assessment (EA).
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SUMMARY: USDA Rural Development administers rural utilities programs
through the Rural Utilities Service. USDA Rural Development (the
Agency) intends to hold public scoping meetings and prepare an
Environmental Assessment (EA) in connection with potential impacts
related to projects proposed by Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC),
with headquarters in Tucker, Georgia. The proposal consists of the
construction of approximately 55 miles of 500 kilovolt transmission
line and approximately 13 miles of 230 kilovolt transmission line, a
500/230 kilovolt substation and a switching station. The 500-kilovolt
transmission line project would be located in Putnam, Morgan, Walton
and Oconee Counties, Georgia. The 230 kilovolt transmission line
projects would be located in Walton County, Georgia. The substation and
switching station are also located in Walton County, Georgia. In
addition, a 230 kilovolt transmission line in Walton and Oconee
Counties and a 230/115 kilovolt substation in Oconee County are
included in the proposal as a connected action. GTC is requesting the
Agency provide financing for the proposed action.
DATES: The Agency will conduct two Scoping Meetings in an open house
format, seeking the input of the public and other interested parties.
The meetings will be held from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., on April 17 & 18,
2006.
ADDRESSES: The April 17, 2006 meeting will be held at the Carver Middle
School Gymnasium, Monroe, Georgia, ZIP: 30655, Phone: 770 270-7741 or
770 267-6000. The address is 1095 Good Hope Road, Monroe, Georgia. The
April 18, 2006 meeting will be held from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., at the
Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, Madison, Georgia, ZIP: 30650-1640,
Phone: 706-342-4743. The Community Center address is 434 South Main
Street, located on South Main Street between Foster Street and Hill Street.
An Electric Alternatives Evaluation and Macro Corridor Study
Report, prepared by Georgia Transmission Corporation, will be presented
at the public scoping meetings. The Report will be available for public
review at the Agency's address provided in this notice, at the Agency's
Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/ea.htm, 
at Georgia
Transmission Corporation, 2100 East Exchange Place, Tucker, Georgia
30084 and at the:
Morgan County Library: 1131 East Avenue, Madison, GA, 706-342-1206.
Eatonton Putnam County Library: 309 North Madison Avenue, Eatonton,
GA, 706-485-6768.
Walton-Monroe Public Library: 217 West Spring Street, Monroe, GA
30655, Phone: (770) 267-4630.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Strength, Environmental
Protection Specialist, USDA Rural Development, Utilities Programs,
Engineering and Environmental Staff, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone (202) 720-0468. Mrs.
Strength's e-mail address is stephanie.strength@wdc.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Georgia Transmission Corporation proposes to
construct a 500 kilovolt transmission line between the proposed East
Walton 500/230 kV Substation located in the vicinity of Highway 186 and
Jones Woods Road in Walton County, Georgia to Georgia Power Company's
proposed Rockville Switching Station that would be located
approximately 3 miles southwest of Wallace Dam and 1 mile east of the
intersection of the existing Scherer-Warthen 500 kV and Eatonton
Primary-Wallace Dam 230 kV Transmission Lines in Putnam County,
Georgia. The approximate length of the 500 kV Transmission Line is 55
miles. Georgia Transmission Corporation also proposes to construct a
230 kilovolt transmission line between the proposed East Walton 500/230
kV Substation and the proposed Bostwick Switching Station. The proposed
Bostwick Switching Station would be located in the vicinity of the
intersection of Georgia Transmission Corporation's existing East Social
Circle-East Watkinsville 230 kV Transmission Line and the proposed East
Walton-Rockville 500 kV Transmission Line. The approximate length of
the East Walton-Bostwick 230 kV Transmission Line would be 3 miles. In
addition, Georgia Transmission proposes to construct a 230 kilovolt
transmission line between the proposed East Walton 500/230 kV
Substation and MEAG Power's proposed Jack's Creek Switching Station
that would be located in the proximity of GTC's LG&E Monroe Substation.
The approximate length of the proposed East Walton-Jack's Creek 230
kilovolt Transmission Line is 9 miles. Lattice steel towers ranging in
height from 80- to 150-feet would support the proposed East Walton-
Rockville 500 kV conductors. It would require a right-of-way of 180
feet. Guyed and unguyed concrete or steel poles ranging in height from
80- to 120-feet would support the East Walton-Bostwick 230 kV and the
East Walton-Jack's Creek 230 kV conductors. Both lines would require a
right-of-way of 35 feet if located parallel to a road; 75-feet if
located parallel to an existing transmission line; or 100-feet
[[Page 17073]]
if located cross country. It is anticipated that all of the facilities
would be in service in 2011.
Government agencies, private organizations, and the public are
invited to participate in the planning and analysis of the proposed
project. Representatives from the Agency and Georgia Transmission
Corporation will be available at the scoping meeting to discuss the
Agency's environmental review process, describe the project, the need
for the project, macro corridors under consideration, and to discuss
the scope of environmental issues to be considered, answer questions,
and accept comments. Comments regarding the proposed action may be
submitted (orally or in writing) at the public scoping meetings or in
writing for receipt no later than May 18, 2006 to the Agency at the
address provided in this notice.
From information provided in the alternative evaluation and site
selection study, input that may be provided by government agencies,
private organizations, and the public, Georgia Transmission Corporation
will use to prepare an environmental analysis to be submitted to the
Agency for review. The Agency will use the environmental analysis to
determine the significance of the impacts of the project and if
acceptable will adopt it as its environmental assessment of the
project. The Agency's environmental assessment of the project would be
available for review and comment for 30 days.
Should the Agency determine, based on the Environmental Assessment
of the project, that the impacts of the construction and operation of
the transmission line would not have a significant environmental
impact, it will prepare a finding of no significant impact. Public
notification of a finding of no significant impact would be published
in the Federal Register and in newspapers with a circulation in the
project area.
Any final action by the Agency related to the proposed project will
be subject to, and contingent upon, compliance with environmental
review requirements as prescribed by the Agency's environmental
policies and procedures (7 CFR part 1794).
Dated: March 29, 2006.
Mark S. Plank,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA/Rural Development/
Utilities Programs.
[FR Doc. E6-4879 Filed 4-4-06; 8:45 am]
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