Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 79 / Monday, April 24, 2000 / Notices 21717

Council on Environmental Quality

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508),

and RUS Environmental Policies and

Procedures (7 CFR part 1794), has made

a Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI) with respect to a project

proposed by Great River Energy (GRE) of

Elk River, Minnesota. The proposed

project will have a total of three

combustion turbine units, two 155 MW

and one 124 MW unit, including a new

345/161 kV substation and other

associated transmission facilities. The

proposed plant will be constructed in

the Pleasant Valley Township in Mower

County, Minnesota. The construction

site is located in the northwest quarter

of Section 19, Pleasant Valley

Township, Mower County, Minnesota.

The primary purpose of the facility is to

meet GRE?s peak electrical load. The

facility will require approximately 24

acres of land. However, GRE wants to

purchase up to 160 acres in order to

provide sufficient construction laydown area and to maintain an

appropriate distance between the

facility and its neighbors. The primary

fuel for the facility will be natural gas

via the Northern Natural Gas (NNG)

pipeline. Presently the NNG pipeline is

located approximately two miles north

from the plant site. The power generated

from the facility will be distributed

through a new substation, which will be

built on the plant site; a short tap line,

approximately 500 feet in length, to an

existing 345–kV transmission line. In

addition, a 161–kV transmission line

will be built to an existing substation

located in north Austin. Between five

and seven miles of the 161–kV line will

need a new rights-of-way; much of the

remainder of the transmission line,

approximately 17 miles long, will

follow an existing 69–kV transmission

line.

RUS has concluded that the impacts

from the proposed project would not be

significant and that the proposed action

is not a major federal action

significantly affecting the quality of the

human environment. Therefore, an

Environmental Impact Statement will

not be prepared.

FOR FURTHER 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. His e-mail

address is nislam@rus.usda.gov.

Information is also available from Mr.

Tim Seck, Environmental Project

Leader, GRE, 17845 East Highway 10,

PO Box 800, Elk River, Minnesota

55330–0880, telephone (612) 241–2278,

or E-mail tseck@grenergy.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS, in

accordance with its environmental

policies and procedures, required that

GRE prepare an Environmental Analysis

(EVAL) to evaluate the potential impacts

of the proposed project. The EVAL,

which includes input from federal,

state, and local agencies, has been

reviewed and accepted as RUS’s

Environmental Assessment (EA) for the

project in accordance with 7 CFR

1794.41. RUS and GRE published

notices of the availability of the EA and

solicited public comments per 7 CFR

1794.42. Two federal agencies, Bureau

of Indian Affairs and Federal Aviation

Administration, have responded but no

objections were raised. No comments

were received from the public. Based on

the EA, 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 and

water quality, and noise. RUS has also

determined that there would be no

disproportionately high and adverse

human health or environmental effects

on minority populations and lowincome populations as a result of the

construction of the project.

Copies of the EA and FONSI can be

reviewed at the headquarters of GRE

and the RUS, at the addresses provided

above in this notice.

Dated: April 18, 2000.

Blaine D. Stockton, Jr.,

Assistant Administrator-Electric, Electric

Program, Rural Utilities Service.

[FR Doc. 00–10141 Filed 4–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Florida Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the

Florida Advisory Committee to the

Commission will convene at 1 p.m. and

YBrickell, Miami, Florida 33131. The

purpose of the meeting is to provide

new member orientation, discuss

affirmative action in Florida, and the

Governor’s ‘‘One Florida Plan.’’

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact Bobby

D. Doctor, Director of the Southern

Regional Office, 404–562–7000 (TDD

404–562–7004). Hearing-impaired

persons who will attend the meeting

and require the services of a sign

language interpreter should contact the

Regional Office at least ten (10) working

days before the scheduled date of the

meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, April 17, 2000.

Lisa M. Kelly,

Special Assistant to the Staff Director.

[FR Doc. 00–10044 Filed 4–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting

of the Maine Advisory Committee

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to

the provisions of the rules and

regulations of the U.S. Commission on

Civil Rights, that a meeting of the Maine

Advisory Committee to the Commission

will convene at 2 p.m. and adjourn at

6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2000,

at the Holiday Inn By The Bay, 88

Spring Street, Portland, Maine 04101.

The Committee will plan the press

release of its report, Limited English

Proficient Students in Maine: An

Assessment of Equal Educational

Opportunities, and discuss future

program activities. In addition, the

Committee will be briefed by invited

civil rights advocates on the status of

civil rights issues in Maine.

Persons desiring additional

information, or planning a presentation

to the Committee, should contact

Committee Chairperson Gerald Talbot,

207–287–5984, or Ki-Taek Chun,

Director of the Eastern Regional Office,

202–376–7533 (TDD 202–376–8116).

Hearing-impaired persons who will

attend the meeting and require the

services of a sign language interpreter

should contact the Regional Office at

least ten (10) working days before the

scheduled date of the meeting.

The meeting will be conducted

pursuant to the provisions of the rules

and regulations of the Commission.

Dated at Washington, DC, April 17, 2000.

Lisa M. Kelly,

Special Assistant to the Staff Director.

[FR Doc. 00–10046 Filed 4–21–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P