Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 200 / Monday, October 16, 2000 / Notices 61141

Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of the Agency,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

the Agency’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 Tracy

Gillin, Regulations and Paperwork

Management Branch, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, Rural Development,

STOP 0742, 1400 Independence Ave.

SW, Washington, DC 20250. 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: October 4, 2000.

Jill Long Thompson,

Under Secretary, Rural Development.

Dated: October 5, 2000.

Thomas I. Grau,

Acting Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign

Agricultural Services.

[FR Doc. 00–26414 Filed 10–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Oregon Coast Provincial Advisory

Committee Meeting

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Oregon Coast Provincial

Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet at

the Florence Convention & Performing

Arts Center, at 715 Quince Street,

Florence, OR, on October 26, 2000. The

meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and end at

4 p.m. The agenda will include 303–D

Listed Streams, public comments, and

round-robin information sharing. Two

fifteen-minute open public forums are

scheduled at 11:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m.

Interested citizens are encouraged to

attend. The committee welcomes the

publics’ written comments on

committee business at any time.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joni

Quarnstrom, Public Affairs Specialist,

Siuslaw National Forest, 541/750–7075

or write to Acting Forest Supervision,

Siuslaw National Forest, P.O. Box 1148,

Corvallis, OR 97339.

Dated: October 3, 2000.

Y. Robert Iwamoto,

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 00–26468 Filed 10–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–11–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Elk Mound Combustion Turbine

Project, Notice of Finding of No

Significant Impact

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of finding of no

significant impact.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS),

pursuant to the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the

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 Dairyland Power

Cooperative (DPC) of La Crosse,

Wisconsin. The proposed project will

have a total of two combustion turbine

units. Each turbine unit will have a

maximum rating of 49 MW. DPC

proposes to construct the facility in

Wheaton Township in Chippewa

County, Wisconsin. The site is located

adjacent to DPC’s Elk Mound

Substation, which is located north of

Highway 29. The primary purpose of the

facility is to meet DPC’s peak electrical

load. The facility will require

approximately 5 acres of land. However,

DPC wants to purchase up to 60 acres

in order to provide sufficient

construction lay-down area and to

maintain an appropriate distance

between the facility and its neighbors.

The primary fuel for the facility will be

natural gas that will be obtained from

the Viking Gas Transmission Company

pipeline that is located approximately

2.2 miles north of the plant site. A 6-

inch lateral pipeline will connect the

Viking pipeline with the plant site. No

new electric transmission lines will be

required.

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, the

preparation of an environmental impact

statement is not necessary.

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.

George L. Johnston, Senior

Environmental Biologist, DPC, 3200 East

Avenue South, La Crosse, Wisconsin

54601, telephone (608) 787–1322, FAX:

(608) 787–1241. His e-mail address is:

glj@dairynet.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS, in

accordance with its environmental

policies and procedures, required that

DPC prepare an Environmental Analysis

(EVAL) reflecting the potential impacts

of the proposed facilities. The EVAL,

which includes input from federal,

state, and local agencies, has been

reviewed and accepted as RUS’

Environmental Assessment (EA) for the

project in accordance with § 1794.41.

RUS and DPC published notices of the

availability of the EA and solicit public

comments per § 1794.42. No responses

were received from the public or any

agencies and also no objections were

raised to the project. 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 negative impacts of

the proposed project on minority

communities and low-income

communities as a result of the

construction of the project.

Copies of the EA and FONSI can be

reviewed at the headquarters of DPC

and RUS, at the addresses provided

above in this notice.

Dated: October 10, 2000.

George J. Bagnall,

Acting Assistant Administrator, Electric

Program.

[FR Doc. 00–26459 Filed 10–13–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P