This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

8895 

Vol. 75, No. 38 

Friday, February 26, 2010 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Basin Electric Power Cooperative: 

Deer Creek Station 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) and the Western Area Power 

Administration (Western) have issued a 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

(DEIS) for the proposed Deer Creek 

Station in White, Brookings County, 

South Dakota. The DEIS was prepared 

pursuant to the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) in accordance with 

the Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) regulations for implementing the 

procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 

parts 1500–1508), RUS’s NEPA 

implementing regulations (7 CFR part 

1794), and Western’s NEPA 

implementing regulations (10 CFR part 

1021). Western is the lead federal 

agency as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5; 

RUS is a cooperating agency. The 

purpose of the DEIS is to evaluate the 

potential environmental impacts of and 

alternatives to Basin Electric Power 

Cooperative’s (Basin Electric) 

application for a RUS loan and a 

Western interconnection agreement to 

construct the proposed 300 megawatt 

(MW) Deer Creek Station in Brookings 

and Deuel Counties, South Dakota 

(Project). The proposed facility would 

include a new natural gas-fired 

combustion turbine set, a heat recovery 

steam generator (HRSG), and a steam 

turbine generator set. 

DATES: With this notice, RUS invites any 

affected Federal, State, and local 

agencies and other interested persons to 

comment on the DEIS. Written 

comments on this DEIS will be accepted 

for 45 days following the publication of 

the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency’s notice of availability for this 

DEIS in the Federal Register, which 

occurred on February 5, 2010. 

Western, as lead agency, will hold a 

public meeting on February 25, 2010, 

from 6 to 8 p.m. at McKnight 

Community Hall, located at: 228 W. 

Main St., White, South Dakota. RUS will 

be in attendance. In accordance with 40 

CFR 1503.1, Inviting Comments, the 

purpose of the meeting will be to solicit 

comments from interested parties on the 

DEIS for the Deer Creek Station. A copy 

of the DEIS can be obtained or viewed 

online at: http://www.usda.gov/rus/ 

water/ees/eis.htm.Copies of the DEIS 

will also be available for public review 

at the following locations (hours vary; 

contact individual repositories for 

available times): 

Brookings Public Library, 515 3rd 

Street, Brookings, SD; telephone: 

(605) 692–9407; 

SDSU Hilton M. Briggs Library, South 

Dakota State University, Brookings, 

SD; telephone: (605) 688–5570; 

Deubrook Community Library, 100 

School Avenue, White, SD; 

Elkton City Hall, Elkton, SD; 

Siverson Public Library, 100 W. 

Garfield, Hendricks, MN; 

Brookings County Commission Office, 

314 6th Avenue, Brookings, SD. 

ADDRESSES: To send comments or 

request additional information, contact: 

Ms. Lauren McGee, Environmental 

Scientist, USDA, Rural Utilities Service, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 

1571, Washington, DC 20250–1571, 

telephone: (202) 720–1482, fax: (202) 

690–0649, or e-mail: lauren.mcgee 

@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Basin 

Electric’s proposed Project is to 

construct, own, operate, and maintain 

the Deer Creek Station Energy Facility 

Project, a 300 MW combined-cycle 

natural gas generation facility, water 

pipeline, transmission lines, 

transmission interconnection(s), and 

other associated facilities, all in 

Brookings and Deuel counties in eastern 

South Dakota. The purpose of the 

proposed Project is to help serve 

increased load demand for electric 

power in the eastern portion of Basin 

Electric’s service area. Basin Electric’s 

eastern service area includes western 

Nebraska, northwestern and central 

Iowa, portions of southern Minnesota, 

all of South Dakota, portions of eastern 

Montana, and western and central North 

Dakota. The need for additional 

generating capacity is driven by the 

increasing electrical power usage of the 

Basin Electric membership consumers. 

Between 1999 and 2006, Basin Electric’s 

total system peak demand increased 752 

MW from 1,195 MW to 1,947 MW, or 

approximately 107 MW per year. In 

2007, Basin Electric prepared a forecast 

showing load and capability surpluses/ 

deficits through the year 2021. The 

forecast predicted that by 2014, there 

will be a deficit of 800–900 MW for the 

eastern portion of its service area. The 

proposed Project’s addition of 300 MW 

of generation will help meet Basin 

Electric’s future energy requirements. 

Basin Electric’s proposed Project is 

subject to the jurisdiction of the South 

Dakota Public Utilities Commission 

(SDPUC) which has regulatory authority 

for siting power plants and transmission 

lines within the State. Basin Electric 

will submit an application for an Energy 

Conversion Facility Permit and a Route 

Permit to the SDPUC. The SDPUC 

permits would authorize Basin Electric 

to construct the proposed Project under 

South Dakota rules and regulations. 

After considering various ways to 

meet these future needs, Basin Electric 

identified construction of the proposed 

Project as its best course of action. This 

DEIS considered 17 alternatives to meet 

the future energy requirements of the 

eastern portion of its service area. These 

alternatives were evaluated in terms of 

cost-effectiveness, technical feasibility, 

and environmental factors. 

The DEIS analyzes in detail the no 

action alternative and the proposed 

action (Deer Creek station and related 

facilities) at two separate locations: 

White Site I (Brookings County, T111N 

R48W, Section 25 NE Quarter) and 

White Site II (Brookings County, T111N 

R48W, Section 2 NW Quarter). 

Because the proposed Project may 

involve action in floodplains or 

wetlands, this Notice of Availability 

also serves as a notice of proposed 

floodplain or wetland action. The DEIS 

includes a floodplain/wetland 

assessment and floodplain/wetland 

statement of findings following DOE 

regulations for compliance with 

floodplain and wetlands environmental 

review (10 CFR part 1022). 

Any action by RUS related to the 

proposed Project will be subject to, and 

contingent upon, compliance with all 

relevant Federal, state and local 

environmental laws and regulations, 


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8896 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 38 / Friday, February 26, 2010 / Notices 

and completion of the environmental 

review requirements as prescribed in 

RUS’s Environmental Policies and 

Procedures, 7 CFR part 1794, as 

amended. 

Dated: February 19, 2010. 

Nivin A. Elgohary, 

Acting Assistant Administrator, Electric 

Programs, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–3986 Filed 2–25–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) 

for Loan Guarantees Under Section 

538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing 

Program (GRRHP) for Fiscal Year 2010 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: NOFA. 

SUMMARY: This is a request for proposals 

for loan guarantees under the section 

538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing 

Program (GRRHP) pursuant to 7 CFR 

3565.4 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010. FY 

2010 funding for the section 538 

program is $129,130,434.78. Applicants 

will submit proposals in the form of 

‘‘responses.’’ Responses to this NOFA 

will be accepted until December 31, 

2010, 12 p.m. Eastern Time. The 

commitment of program dollars will be 

made to applicants of selected responses 

that have fulfilled the necessary 

requirements for obligation. Expenses 

incurred in developing applications will 

be at the applicant’s risk. The following 

paragraphs outline the timeframes, 

eligibility requirements, lender 

responsibilities, and the overall 

response and application processes. 

The GRRHP operates under 7 CFR 

part 3565. The GRRHP Origination and 

Servicing Handbook (HB–1–3565) is 

available to provide lenders and the 

general public with guidance on 

program administration. HB–1–3565, 

which contains a copy of 7 CFR part 

3565 in Appendix 1, can be found at: 

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/ 

hblist.html#hbw6. 

Eligible lenders are invited to submit 

responses for the new construction and 

the acquisition with rehabilitation of 

affordable rural rental housing. 

Also eligible for guarantees is the 

revitalization, repair, and transfer (as 

stipulated in 7 CFR 3560.406) of 

existing direct section 515 housing 

(transfer costs are subject to Agency 

approval and must be an eligible use of 

loan proceeds as listed in 7 CFR 

3565.205), and properties involved in 

the Agency’s multi-family preservation 

and revitalization (MPR) program. 

Equity payments, as stipulated in 7 CFR 

3560.406, in connection with the 

transfer of existing direct section 515 

housing, are an eligible use of 

guaranteed loan proceeds. In order to be 

considered, for a transfer, the direct 

section 515 housing and MPR projects 

must need repairs and undergo 

revitalization of a minimum of $6,500 

per unit. 

The Agency will review responses 

submitted by eligible lenders, on the 

lender’s letterhead, and signed by both 

the prospective borrower and lender. 

Although a complete application is not 

required in response to this NOFA, 

eligible lenders may submit a complete 

application concurrently with the 

response. Submitting a complete 

application will not have any effect on 

the respondent’s NOFA response score. 

DATES: Eligible responses to this NOFA 

will be accepted per this guidance until 

December 31, 2010, 12 p.m. Eastern 

Time. 

Selected responses that develop into 

complete applications and meet all 

Federal environmental requirements 

will receive commitments until all 

funds are expended. A notice will be 

placed in the Federal Register if all FY 

2010 funds are committed prior to 

September 30, 2010. Responses to this 

NOFA that are received after September 

30, 2010, and deemed eligible for 

further processing will be funded to the 

extent an appropriation act provides 

funding for GRRHP for FY 2011. 

The Agency will select the responses 

that meet eligibility criteria and invite 

lenders to submit complete applications 

to the Agency. Those responses that are 

selected that subsequently submit 

complete applications that meet all 

program requirements and are received 

prior to or on April 1, 2010, but score 

less than 25 points, or score 25 points 

or more, but have a development cost 

ratio equal to or greater than 70 percent, 

may be selected for obligation after 

April 1, 2010, with the highest scoring 

responses receiving priority subject to 

availability of funds. After April 1, 

2010, responses that develop into 

complete applications that meet all 

program requirements will be selected 

for further processing regardless of 

score, subject to the availability of 

funding. 

The USDA Rural Development will 

prioritize the obligation requests 

received after April 1, 2010, using the 

highest score and the procedures 

outlined as follows. Once a complete 

application is received and approved, 

the Agency will obligate funds. 

Obligation requests submitted will be 

accumulated, but not obligated 

throughout the week until midnight 

Eastern Time every Thursday. To the 

extent that funds remain available, the 

Agency will obligate the requests 

accumulated through the weekly request 

deadline of the previous week by the 

following Tuesday (i.e., requests 

received from Friday, May 14, 2010, to 

Thursday, May 20, 2010, will be 

obligated by Tuesday, May 25, 2010). 

However, requests received prior to 

April 1, 2010, that are not eligible for 

obligation until after April 1, 2010, will 

be obligated no earlier than Tuesday, 

April 6, 2010. Funds will be obligated 

in scoring order, with the highest 

scoring requests being obligated first, 

until all funds are exhausted. In the 

event of a tie, priority will be given to 

the request for the project that: 1st—has 

the highest percentage of leveraging 

(lowest Loan to Cost) and in the event 

there is still a tie;—is in the smaller 

rural community. 

Eligible lenders mailing a response or 

application must provide sufficient time 

to permit delivery to the submission 

address on or before the closing 

deadline date and time. Acceptance by 

a U.S. Post Office or private mailer does 

not constitute delivery. Postage due 

responses and applications will not be 

accepted. 

Submission Address: Eligible lenders 

will send responses to the contact 

person in the State Office where the 

project will be located. 

USDA Rural Development State 

Offices, their addresses, telephone 

numbers, and person to contact follows: 

[this information may also be found at 

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ 

recd_map.html] 

Note: Telephone numbers listed are not 

toll-free. 

Alabama State Office, 4121 Carmichael Road, 

Suite 601, Sterling Centre, Montgomery, 

AL 36106–3683, (334) 279–3440, TDD 

(334) 279–3495, Anne Chavers. 

Alaska State Office, 800 West Evergreen, 

Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 761– 

7740, TDD (907) 761–8905, Deborah Davis. 

Arizona State Office, 230 North First Ave., 

Suite 206, Phoenix, AZ 85003–1706, (602) 

280–8768, TDD (602) 280–8706, Carol O. 

Torres. 

Arkansas State Office, 700 W. Capitol Ave., 

Room 3416, Little Rock, AR 72201–3225, 

(501) 301–3250, TDD (501) 301–3279, 

Gregory Kemper. 

California State Office, 430 G Street, #4169, 

Davis, CA 95616–4169, (530) 792–5813, 

TDD (530) 792–5848, Edgar Morales. 

Colorado State Office, 655 Parfet Street, 

Room E100, Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 

544–2923, TDD (800) 659–2656, Mary 

Summerfield. 

Connecticut, Served by Massachusetts State 

Office. 


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