Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 228 / Monday, November 27, 2000 / Notices 70691

taken until 30 days after the date of this

publication in the Federal Register.

(This activity is listed in the Catalog of

Federal Domestic Assistance under No.

10904, Watershed Protection and Flood

Prevention, and is subject to the provisions

of Executive Order 12372, which requires

intergovernmental consultation with State

and local officials.)

Michael A. Gillespie,

Snow Survey Supervisor, Acting State

Conservationist.

[FR Doc. 00–30061 Filed 11–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–M

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

for Section 515 Rural Rental Housing

Funds and Section 521 Rental

Assistance for Needs Resulting From

Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd, and Irene;

Extension of Application Deadline

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service (RHS),

USDA.

ACTION: Notice of extension of

application deadline.

SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service

(RHS) extends the deadline for

submitting applications for section 515

funds and section 521 rental assistance

for needs resulting from hurricanes

Dennis, Floyd, and Irene announced in

a notice of funding availability (NOFA)

published August 18, 2000 (65 FR

50497). This action is taken to provide

additional information on the source

and type of funds that RHS considers

leveraged assistance and to give

applicants the opportunity to adjust

their applications based on this

information. Finally, this extension will

allow eligible entities additional time to

submit applications.

DATES: Accordingly, the deadline for

submitting applications under the

notice published August 18, 2000 (65

FR 50497), is extended to 5:00 p.m.

local time for each Rural Development

State office on December 11, 2000. The

application deadline is firm as to date

and hour. Applicants intending to mail

applications must provide sufficient

time to permit delivery on or before the

closing deadline date and time.

Acceptance by a post office or private

mailer does not constitute delivery.

Facsimile (FAX) and postage due

applications will not be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

general information, applicants may

contact Linda Armour, Senior Loan

Officer, Multi-Family Housing

Processing Division, Rural Housing

Service, United States Department of

Agriculture, Stop 0781, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC, 20250, telephone (202)

720–1753 (voice) (this is not a toll free

number) or (800) 877–8339 (TDDFederal Information Relay Service).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Discussion of

Extension of Application Deadline

RHS published a Notice of Funding

Availability (NOFA) on August 18, 2000

(65 FR 50497), with an application

deadline of October 17, 2000. Upon

reviewing applications received, RHS

determined that the NOFA was

ambiguous regarding the source and

type of funds that RHS considers

leveraged assistance. From the

applications received, RHS determined

that applicants interpreted this

ambiguity in different ways.

Therefore, to clarify this issue,

applicants are hereby advised that

leveraged assistance includes loans and

grants from other sources, contributions

from the applicant above the required

contribution indicated by the Sources

and Uses Comprehensive Evaluation

(available from the Rural Development

State Office) and tax abatements or other

savings in operating costs provided that,

at the end of the abatement period when

the benefit is no longer available, the

basic rents are comparable to or lower

than the basic rents if RHS provided full

financing. The required applicant

contribution is not considered leveraged

assistance.

RHS has also determined that some,

but not all, applicants received a copy

of the worksheet used by RHS to

calculate the point score for leveraged

assistance. To ensure that all applicants

are treated fairly, applicants who

submitted an application under the

notice published August 18, 2000 will

be provided with a copy of this Notice

and the worksheet used by RHS to

calculate leveraged assistance.

Applicants who wish to adjust their

application based on this additional

information must re-submit their

application by the extension deadline

published in this Notice. Finally, this

extension will allow eligible entities

additional time to submit applications.

Such entities may contact the Rural

Development State office to obtain a

copy of the worksheet used by RHS to

calculate leveraged assistance.

Dated: November 17, 2000.

James C. Kearney,

Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

[FR Doc. 00–30233 Filed 11–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–U

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Arkansas Electric Cooperative

Corporation; Notice of Availability of

an Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an

environmental assessment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), has

accepted the Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) prepared for the

Arkansas Public Service Commission

(APSC) as its Environmental

Assessment. RUS may provide financial

assistance to Arkansas Electric

Cooperative Corporation (AECC) for the

construction of a 153-megawatt (MW)

combustion turbine electric generating

station in southwest Arkansas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob

Quigel, Engineering and Environmental

Staff, Rural Utilities Service, Stop 1571,

1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–1571, telephone

(202) 720–0468. The E-mail address is

bquigel@rus.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: AECC

subsequent to receipt of a Certificate of

Convenience and Necessity (CCN) from

the APSC initiated construction of the

project at a 159 acre site east of Fulton,

Arkansas. Fulton is located in

Hempstead County. The CCN (Order No.

7) for the generating station was issued

on November 18, 1999. The CCN (Order

No. 3) for the transmission line was

issued on May 9, 2000.

The project, when completed, will

initially consist of a single 153 MW gasfired, simple-cycle combustion turbine

generating unit. Other on-site facilities

include a 90-foot exhaust stack, step-up

and auxiliary transformers, motor

control centers, bus ductwork, an

electric substation, and control,

maintenance, and operations buildings.

The project also includes 4 miles of 115

kV transmission line that will tie the

station to the existing transmission grid.

The transmission line will be built to

161 kV specifications in anticipation

that additional transmission line

capacity may be needed in the future.

The facility is designed to

accommodate conversion of the unit to

combined cycle operation, but will be

initially operated as a simple cycle unit.

The site has been sized to accommodate

additional simple or combined cycle

units. However, the environmental

assessment announced herein will cover

only the initial 153 MW simple cycle

unit and related electric transmission

70692 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 228 / Monday, November 27, 2000 / Notices

line. Only those facilities are being

considered for RUS financial assistance.

The only alternative to providing

financial assistance to AECC for the

construction of the subject project being

considered by RUS would be to take no

action, therefore, not provide financial

assistance.

An EIS for the proposed generating

station was submitted by AECC to the

APSC on July 1, 1999. Information on

the proposed transmission line was

submitted to the APSC on February 15,

2000. RUS has independently evaluated

the information contained in both

submittals to the APSC and believes that

it accurately assesses the environmental

impacts of the project. In accordance

with the provisions of §§ 1794.53 and

1794.74 of RUS’’ Environmental Policies

and Procedures, the information

referenced above will serve as RUS’’

environmental assessment for this

project.

The environmental assessment can be

reviewed at the AECC headquarters

located at 8000 Scott Hamilton Drive,

Little Rock, Arkansas (501–570–2462).

This document will also be available for

public inspection at the Hempstead

County Library, 500 South Elm Street,

Hope, Arkansas (870–777–4564). It can

also be reviewed at the headquarters of

RUS at the address provided previously.

Questions and comments should be

sent to RUS at the address provided.

RUS will accept questions and

comments on its proposed action for at

least 30 days from the date of

publication of this notice.

RUS will take no final action related

to the project until after notification of

that action is published in the Federal

Register and in the same newspapers

that this notice is being published.

Dated: November 16, 2000.

Lawrence R. Wolfe,

Acting Director, Engineering and

Environmental Staff.

[FR Doc. 00–30098 Filed 11–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Georgia Transmission Corporation,

Notice of Availability of an

Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of an

environmental assessment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is

issuing an environmental assessment

with respect to the potential

environmental impacts related to the

construction of approximately 7 miles of

230 kilovolt transmission line in Cobb

County, Georgia. RUS may provide

financing assistance to Georgia

Transmission Corporation for the

project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob

Quigel, Environmental Protection

Specialist, Rural Utilities Service,

Engineering and Environmental Staff,

Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20250–1571,

telephone: (202) 720–0468. Bob’s e-mail

address is bquigel@rus.usda.gov.

Information is also available from Susan

Ingall of Georgia Transmission

Corporation at (770) 270–7425. Susan’s

e-mail address is

susan.ingall@gatrans.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Georgia

Transmission Corporation proposes to

construct the 230 kilovolt transmission

line between the existing South

Acworth Substation and the existing

Hawkins Store Road Substation. The

transmission line will be 7.1 miles long

and will be located near Acworth and

Kennesaw, Georgia, in northern Cobb

County.

The proposed transmission line will

require a 25 to 35-foot wide corridor

adjacent to existing rights-of-way such

as roads and railroads. Where the

transmission line will not adjacent to an

existing right-of-way a 100-foot wide

corridor will be necessary. The

transmission line will be suspended via

concrete or steel single-pole structures

which will support three conductors

and an overhead ground wire. The

support structures will average 75 to 80

feet in height and will be spaced

approximately 500 to 600 feet apart.

Georgia Transmission Corporation

prepared an environmental analysis for

RUS which describes the project and

assesses its environmental impacts. RUS

has conducted an independent

evaluation of the environmental

analysis and believes that it accurately

assesses the impacts of the proposed

project. This environmental analysis

will serve as RUS’ environmental

assessment of the project. No significant

impacts are expected as a result of the

construction of the project.

The environmental assessment can be

reviewed at the Georgia Transmission

Corporation headquarters located at

2100 East Exchange Place, Tucker, GA.

This document will also be available at

the Cobb County Law Library, 10 East

Park Square, Marietta, Georgia 30090,

telephone (770) 528–1884. It can also be

reviewed at the headquarters of RUS at

the address provided above.

Questions and comments should be

sent to RUS at the address provided.

RUS will accept questions and

comments on the environmental

assessment for at least 30 days from the

date of publication of this notice.

Any final action by RUS related to the

proposed project will be subject to, and

contingent upon, compliance with all

relevant Federal environmental laws

and regulations and completion of

environmental review procedures as

prescribed by the 7 CFR Part 1794,

Environmental Policies and Procedures.

Dated: November 21, 2000.

Lawrence R. Wolfe,

Acting Director, Engineering and

Environmental Staff.

[FR Doc. 00–30097 Filed 11–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative;

Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

environmental assessment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS),

pursuant to the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et

seq.), the Council on Environmental

Quality Regulations for Implementing

the National Environmental Policy Act

(40 CFR parts 1500–1508), and the RUS’

Environmental Policies and Procedures

(7 CFR part 1794) proposes to prepare

an Environmental Assessment for

possibly granting financial assistance to

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (Old

Dominion) to construct a 510 megawatt,

natural gas-fired combustion turbine

electric generation plant in Cecil

County, Maryland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob

Quigel, Engineering and Environmental

Staff, Rural Utilities Service, at (202)

720–0468. Bob’s E-mail address is:

bquigel@rus.usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Old

Dominion proposes to construct the

natural gas-fired electric generation

plant in the community of Rock Springs,

located in northwestern Cecil County,

Maryland. The proposed plant site is at

the intersection of Old Mill Road and

U.S. Route 222.

The Old Dominion ownership portion

of the project will consist of three

natural gas-fired combustion turbine

generation units with an output of 170

megawatts each. The entire plant layout

will be designed and permitted to