34142 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 103 / Friday, May 26, 2000 / Notices

whether the information will have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

RHS’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology. Comments may be sent to

Brenda Frost, Regulations and

Paperwork Management Branch, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Rural

Development, STOP 0743, 1400

Independence Ave., SW, Washington,

DC 20250–0743. All responses to this

notice will be summarized and included

in the request for OMB approval. All

comments will also become a matter of

public record.

Dated: May 10, 2000.

Obediah G. Baker, Jr.,

Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

[FR Doc. 00–13237 Filed 5–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Jackson County Lake Project

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft

Environmental Impact Statement and

Notice of Public Meeting.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is

issuing a Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) for the Jackson County

Lake Project. The Draft EIS was

prepared pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231 et seq.) in

accordance with the Council on

Environmental Quality (CEQ)

regulations for implementing the

procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR

parts 1500–1508) and RUS regulations

(7 CFR part 1940, Subpart G). RUS

invites comments on the Draft EIS.

The purpose of the EIS is to evaluate

the potential environmental impacts of

and alternatives to the Jackson County

Empowerment Zone (EZ) Community,

Incorporated and Jackson County Water

Association’s (JCWA) applications for

financial assistance to provide water

supply for the residents of Jackson

County and parts of surrounding

counties. The project, known as the

Jackson County Lake Project, proposes

to construct a roller-compacted concrete

dam to create a reservoir within Jackson

County, Kentucky, and to construct a

raw water transmission main from the

proposed reservoir to the JCWA

Treatment Plant. A 300-foot buffer zone

surrounding the reservoir horizontally

from the normal pool level has been

proposed to protect the water quality of

the reservoir by restricting development

and certain land uses in this area. Also

included in the proposal is the

construction of a water intake structure

and a pump house to pump water out

of the reservoir. Proposed recreational

development around the reservoir may

include a boat ramp, boat dock, public

beach, hiking trails, picnic areas, and a

primitive campground.

DATES: Written comments on this Draft

EIS will be accepted on or before July

10, 2000. A public meeting will be held

on June 27, 2000. The public meeting

will be held in two sessions, one

beginning at 10 a.m. and one beginning

at 7 p.m.

ADDRESSES: To send comments or for

more information, contact: Mark S.

Plank, USDA, Rural Utilities Service,

Engineering and Environmental Staff,

1400 Independence Avenue, Mail Stop

1571, Washington DC 20250, telephone

(202) 720–1649, fax (202) 720–0820, or

email: mplank@rus.usda.gov. Further

information can also be obtained from:

Thomas G. Fern, State Director, USDA,

Rural Development State Office, 771

Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington,

KY 40503, telephone (606) 224–7300, or

fax (606) 224–7340. The public meeting

will be held in the gymnasium of

Jackson County High School, located on

U.S. 421.

A copy of the Draft EIS can be

obtained or viewed online at http://

www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/deisjc.htm. The files are in a portable

document format (pdf); in order to

review or print the document, users

need to obtain a free copy of Acrobat

Reader. The Acrobat Reader can be

obtained from http://www.adobe.com/

prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html.

Copies of the Draft EIS will be

available for public review during

normal business hours at the following

locations:

Jackson County Public Library,

Courthouse Square, PO Box 160,

McKee, KY 40447, (606) 287–8113

Natural Resources Conservation Service,

U.S. Highway 421 South, McKee, KY

40447, (606) 287–8311

Jackson County Extension Service, 263

U.S. Highway 421 South, PO Box 188,

McKee, KY 40447, (606) 287–7693

Kentucky Highlands Investment

Corporation, 362 Old Whitley Road,

London, KY 40741, (606) 864–5175

Jackson County EZ Community,

Incorporated, McCammon Ridge

Road, PO Box 280, McKee, KY 40447,

(606) 287–8395

USDA Rural Development, 771

Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington,

KY 40503, (606) 224–7300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to Subchapter C, Part 1 (Empowerment

Zones, Enterprise Communities and

Rural Development Investment Areas) of

Title XIII of the Omnibus Budget

Reconciliation Act of 1993, Jackson

County, Kentucky is located in an area

designated as an Empowerment Zone/

Enterprise Community (EZ/EC) (see

Federal Register Vol. 60, No. 24,

February 6, 1995). The purpose of the

EZ/EC initiative is to empower rural

communities and their residents to

create opportunities for economic

development as part of a Federal-Statelocal and private sector partnership. The

proposed action is an integral

component of the EZ/EC initiative as

identified in the Kentucky Highland

Empowerment Zone’s Strategic Plan.

The proposed action will improve the

area’s water supply necessary for

promoting economic development in

the area.

The Jackson County EZ Community,

Inc. and the JCWA have applied for

financial assistance for the Jackson

County Lake Project from the following:

RUS; Appalachian Regional

Commission; U.S. Department of

Commerce, Economic Development

Administration; Department of Housing

and Urban Development; Kentucky

Highlands Empowerment Zone; and

Kentucky Tobacco Settlement money. In

accordance with 40 CFR 1501.5, Lead

Agencies, the RUS is the lead Agency

for the EIS and the U.S. Forest Service

is the Cooperating Agency.

A number of alternatives were

evaluated in the EIS and were

determined to be unreasonable or

inefficient due to environmental or

economic reasons or due to an

insufficient yield to meet the projected

water needs of Jackson County. These

alternatives included eleven reservoir

sites throughout Jackson County,

groundwater development, the

expansion of existing surface water

storage facilities within Jackson County,

water conservation, and importing water

from existing surface water resources in

surrounding counties to the JCWA

Treatment Plan.

Three alternative sites for the dam

and reservoir were determined to be

reasonable for further consideration,

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 103 / Friday, May 26, 2000 / Notices 34143

and are evaluated in the EIS along with

the No Action alternative. these

alternative reservoir sites include the

War Fork and Steer Fork site, the

Sturgeon Creek, 8.5 million gallons per

day (mgd) site, and the Sturgeon Creek,

2.5 mgd site.

The War Fork and Steer Fork dam site

is located about 0.5 miles southwest of

Turkey Foot in eastern Jackson County.

The dam would be situated on War

Fork, 0.75 miles north of the confluence

with Steer Fork. The dam would be

about 87 to 107 feet tall, 760 to 790 feet

long, and 102 to 122 feet wide, creating

a reservoir with an average yield of 2.5

mgd of raw water. At a normal pool

elevation of 980 feet above mean sea

level (MSL), the surface area of this

reservoir would be about 116 acres. At

a potential maximum floor elevation of

1,000 feet above MSL, the surface area

of the reservoir would be approximately

162 acres. The total acreage for a

reservoir at maximum flood level at this

site, with a 300-foot buffer extending

from normal pool level, would be about

337 acres of land. As much of this land

is currently part of the Daniel Boone

National Forest, land acquisition at this

site would require a land exchange with

the U.S. Forest Service. the War Fork

and Steer Fork reservoir site has been

identified as the Lead Agency’s

Preferred Alternative.

The Sturgeon Creek, 8.5 mgd dam site

is located near the Jackson/Owsley

County boundary line in eastern Jackson

County. The dam would be situated on

Sturgeon Creek, just below the

confluence with Blackwater Creek. The

dam would be about 84 to 100 feet tall,

825 to 850 feet long, and 99 to 115 feet

wide, creating a reservoir with an

average yield of 8.5 mgd of raw water.

Due to this greater yield, a reservoir at

this site might be used as a regional

water supply source to serve the needs

of neighboring counties in addition to

Jackson County. At a normal pool

elevation of 990 feel above MSL, the

surface area of this reservoir would be

about 467 acres. At a potential

maximum flood elevation of 1,010 feet

above MSL, the surface of the reservoir

would be approximately 740 acres. The

total acreage for a reservoir at maximum

flood level at this site, with a 300-foot

buffer extending from normal pool level,

would be about 1,119 acres of land. all

of this land is currently privately

owned. Implementation of the project at

this site would require the relocation of

residents currently living on the project

at this site would require the relocation

of residents currently living on the

project site and the demolition or

relocation of existing structures in this

area, including homes, barns, and

outbuildings. There would also be

connected actions associated with the

project at this site, such as plugging

water and oil wells in the project area,

closing existing septic and storage tanks,

and relocating roadways, such as KY 30.

The Sturgeon Creek, 3.5 mgd dam site

is located near the Jackson/Owsley

County boundary line in eastern Jackson

County. The dam would be situated on

Sturgeon Creek, about 0.6 miles above

the confluence with Blackwater Creek.

The dam would be about 64 to 67 feet

tall, 500 to 600 feet long, and 104 to 107

feet wide, creating a reservoir with an

average yield of 3.5 mgd of raw water.

At a normal pool elevation of 980 feet

above MSL, the furace area of this

reservoir would be about 264 acres. At

a potential maximum flood elevation of

1,000 feet above MSL, the surface area

of the reservoir would be approximately

440 acres. The total acreage for a

reservoir at maximum flood level at this

site, with a 300–foot buffer extending

from normal pool level, would be about

643 acres of land. All of this land is

currently privately owned.

Implementation of the project at this site

would require the relocation of

residents currently living on the project

site and the demolition or relocation of

existing structures in this area,

including homes, barns, and

outbuildings. There would also be

connected actions associated with the

project at this site, such as plugging

water and oil wells in the project area,

closing existing septic and storage tanks,

and relocating roadways, such as KY 30.

Some major potential environmental

impacts associated with the

implementation of the proposed action

that are common to all three dam and

reservoir sites include a significant,

beneficial increase in recreational

opportunities provided by the reservoir,

moderately significant changes in

property values in the vicinity of and

increases in business development

induced by the proposed reservoir,

moderately significant impacts to

downstream aquatic biota and riparian

vegetation due to decreased water

quality; and significant impacts on the

visual quality of the area, both adverse

and beneficial.

There are also major potential sitespecific environmental impacts

associated with the implementation of

the project. The project at the War Fork

and Steer Fork site would have slightly

greater adverse impacts on downstream

water quality as a result of construction

activities, due to the Wild and Scenic

Study River status of the downstream

river segment. In addition, there would

be a more significant adverse impact on

terrestrial plants and wildlife due to

permanent elimination of forest habitat

at this site. The Federally-endangered

India bat (Myotis sodalis) is also more

likely to utilize this site for foraging

than either of the Sturgeon Creek sites,

although it is unlikely that the project

will have an adverse effect on the local

population of these bats.

Major potential environmental

impacts are similar at both of the

Sturgeon Creek reservoir sites.

Implementation of the project at these

sites would result in a significant loss of

Prime and other important farmland,

moderately significant changes to

roadway structure due to the necessary

relocation of KY 30, and moderately

significant permanent changes in land

uses within the project area. The project

would likely result in significant

disruption of community structure and

social relations due to necessary

residential relocations from either of the

project areas. There would also be a

more significant adverse impact on

human health and safety in the event of

a dam failure at either of the Sturgeon

Creek sites. In addition, a preliminary

cultural resources survey indicated a

potentially significant archeological site

within the boundaries of both Sturgeon

Creek reservoir sites, which would

require Phase II testing, and the

potential for historic sites and

undisturbed, intact cultural deposits to

be located there.

With this notice, RUS invites any

affected Federal, State, and local

Agencies and other interested persons to

comment on the Draft EIS. RUS will

hold a public meeting on June 27, 2000,

in the gymnasium of Jackson County

High School, located on U.S. 421. This

public meeting will be held in two

sessions, one beginning at 10 a.m. and

one beginning at 7 p.m. In accordance

with 40 CFR Section 1503.1, Inviting

Comments, the purpose of the meeting

will be to solicit comments from

interested parties on the Draft EIS for

the Jackson County Lake Project.

Throughout the Jackson County Lake

Project EIS, two definitions of the No

Action alternative were analyzed. The

first definition, identified in the EIS as

the No Change alternative, describes a

situation in which nothing is done to

meet the projected water and recreation

needs of Jackson County. The No

Change alternative was determined to be

unreasonable due to the documented

need for water in Jackson County.

Therefore, a second definition,

identified as the No Action alternative

in the EIS, was also analyzed. The No

Action alternative assumes that,

although a dam and reservoir will not be

constructed to meet the needs of Jackson

County, other activities will occur to

34144 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 103 / Friday, May 26, 2000 / Notices

increase the current water supply,

although in insufficient amounts to

meet the projected needs. These

activities may include drilling

additional water wells throughout

Jackson County, constructing water

transmission lines from existing

resources, such as intermittent streams,

within the County to the JCWA

Treatment Plant, or water conservation.

The major environmental and human

health and safety impacts that would

result from implementation of the No

Action alternative include: Significant,

continued lack of recreation needs

within Jackson County and the

surrounding region; a moderately

significant adverse impact on human

health and safety due to an insufficient

water supply; a significant impediment

to growth of industry, residential

devleopment, and employment in

Jackson County; an impediment to other

development goals of the EZ/EC; and a

significant potential to adversely and

disproportionately affect minority or

low-income groups due to further

economic degradation and due to

adverse health impacts associated with

an insuficient water supply.

Dated: May 22, 2000.

John P. Romano,

Deputy Administrator, Water and

Environmental Programs.

[FR Doc. 00–13294 Filed 5–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–M

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR

SEVERELY DISABLED

Procurement List; Additions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled.

ACTION: Additions to the Procurement

List.

SUMMARY: This action adds to the

Procurement List commodities to be

furnished by nonprofit agencies

employing persons who are blind or

have other severe disabilities.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 26, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase

From People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800,

1421 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, Virginia 22202–3259.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Louis R. Bartalot (703) 603–7740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On February 4 and March 31, 2000,

the Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled published notices (65 F.R.

5492 and 17255) of proposed additions

to the Procurement List.

After consideration of the material

presented to it concerning capability of

qualified nonprofit agencies to provide

the commodities and impact of the

additions on the current or most recent

contractors, the Committee has

determined that the commodities listed

below are suitable for procurement by

the Federal Government under 41 U.S.C.

46–48c and 41 CFR 51–2.4.

I certify that the following action will

not have a significant impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The major factors considered for this

certification were:

1. The action will not result in any

additional reporting, recordkeeping or

other compliance requirements for small

entities other than the small

organizations that will furnish the

commodities to the Government.

2. The action will not have a severe

economic impact on current contractors

for the commodities.

3. The action will result in

authorizing small entities to furnish the

commodities to the Government.

4. There are no known regulatory

alternatives which would accomplish

the objectives of the Javits-WagnerO’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46–48c) in

connection with the commodities

proposed for addition to the

Procurement List.

Accordingly, the following

commodities are hereby added to the

Procurement List:

Blanket Set, Bed

6545–00–911–1300

Thumbtacks, Maptacks and Pushpins

7510–00–272–6886 (Thumbtacks)

7510–00–272–6887 (Thumbtacks)

7510–00–272–3099 (Maptacks)

7510–00–285–5844 (Maptacks)

7510–00–940–0935 (Pushpins)

This action does not affect current

contracts awarded prior to the effective

date of this addition or options that may

be exercised under those contracts.

Leon A. Wilson, Jr.,

Executive Director.

[FR Doc. 00–13316 Filed 5–25–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6353–01–P

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR

SEVERELY DISABLED

Procurement List; Proposed Additions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled.

ACTION: Proposed Additions to

Procurement List.

SUMMARY: The Committee has received

proposals to add to the Procurement List

commodities and services to be

furnished by nonprofit agencies

employing persons who are blind or

have other severe disabilities.

Comments Must Be Received on or

Before: June 26, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase

From People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800,

1421 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, Virginia 22202–3259.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Louis R. Bartalot (703) 603–7740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice is published pursuant to

41 U.S.C. 47(a)(2) and 41 CFR 51–2.3. Its

purpose is to provide interested persons

an opportunity to submit comments on

the possible impact of the proposed

actions.

If the Committee approves the

proposed additions, all entities of the

Federal Government (except as

otherwise indicated) will be required to

procure the commodities and services

listed below from nonprofit agencies

employing persons who are blind or

have other severe disabilities.

I certify that the following action will

not have a significant impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The major factors considered for this

certification were:

1. The action will not result in any

additional reporting, recordkeeping or

other compliance requirements for small

entities other than the small

organizations that will furnish the

commodities and services to the

Government.

2. The action will result in

authorizing small entities to furnish the

commodities and services to the

Government.

3. There are no known regulatory

alternatives which would accomplish

the objectives of the Javits-WagnerO’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46–48c) in

connection with the commodities and

services proposed for addition to the

Procurement List. Comments on this

certification are invited. Commenters

should identify the statement(s)

underlying the certification on which

they are providing additional

information.

The following commodities and

services have been proposed for

addition to Procurement List for

production by the nonprofit agencies

listed:

Commodities

PVA Sponge Mop Refill