8848 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Notices 

collection of information are those 

materials necessary to allow the agency 

to determine applicant and community 

eligibility and an explanation and 

documentation of the high need for the 

benefits of the SUTA provisions. 

Program specific application materials, 

which funds are being applied for, are 

covered by the information collection 

package for the specific RUS program. 

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information 

is estimated to average 2 hours per 

response. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 2. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 4. 

Copies of this information collection 

can be obtained from MaryPat Daskal, 

Program Development and Regulatory 

Analysis, at (202) 720–7853, FAX: (202) 

720–8435. Email: MaryPat.Daskal@

wdc.usda.gov. 

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: February 10, 2015. 

Jasper Schneider, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03349 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Basin Electric Power Cooperative: 

Notice of Extension of Public 

Comment Period for an Environmental 

Assessment 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Extension of Public 

Comment Period for an Environmental 

Assessment. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) is extending the public comment 

period for an Environmental 

Assessment (EA) related to a proposed 

project by Basin Electric Power 

Cooperative (Basin Electric). The 

Western Area Power Administration 

(Western) and the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs (BIA) are cooperating agencies in 

preparation of the EA. The proposed Big 

Bend to Witten Transmission Line 

Project (proposed action) consists of an 

approximately 70-mile long 230–kV 

single-circuit transmission line, a new 

Western switchyard called Lower Brule 

Switchyard, an addition to the existing 

Witten Substation, and approximately 

two miles of 230–kV double-circuit 

transmission line between Big Bend 

Dam and the new Lower Brule 

Switchyard. Communications facilities 

including a microwave relay tower and 

associated building will also be 

constructed at the Lower Brule 

Switchyard and Witten Substation. A 

portion of the proposed transmission 

line crosses Indian trust lands of the 

Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, and the 

agencies have closely cooperated with 

the Tribe in preparation of the EA. Basin 

Electric is requesting RUS financial 

assistance for the proposed action. To 

ensure that parties interested in the 

proposed action are provided adequate 

opportunity for comment, notices are 

being reissued and the public comment 

period is being extended for 30 days. 

DATES: A Notice of Availability of the 

Environmental Assessment was 

published in the Federal Register on 

January 28, 2015. Written comments on 

this notice must now be received on or 

before March 30, 2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

obtain copies of the EA or for further 

information, contact Richard Fristik, 

Senior Environmental Protection 

Specialist, USDA, Rural Utilities 

Service, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW., Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250– 

1571, telephone: (202) 720–5093, or 

email: richard.fristik@wdc.usda.gov; or, 

or Kevin L. Solie, Basin Electric Power 

Cooperative, Inc., 1717 East Interstate 

Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58503–0564, 

telephone: (701) 355–5495, or email: 

ksolie@bepc.com. A copy of the EA may 

be viewed on line at the Agency’s Web 

site: http://www.rd.usda.gov/files/ 

UWPBigBendtoWitten_EA_Nov_2014

_Final.pdf and at the following 

locations: 

Rural Utilities Service, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., Room 

2240, Washington, DC 20250 

Basin Electric Power Cooperative, 

1717 East Interstate Ave., Bismarck, 

ND 58503–0564 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

network transmission system in South 

Dakota is not able to accommodate 

projected load growth in the next 

several years. This transmission line is 

proposed to strengthen the transmission 

network, improve transmission system 

reliability, and to help meet future 

demand for electricity and economic 

development in the region. In addition 

to increasing load serving ability for 

both Rosebud and West Central Electric 

Cooperatives, the Project would provide 

additional access to the regional high 

voltage transmission system. The 

proposed Big Bend to Witten line would 

enhance system reliability by providing 

an additional connection to the ‘‘grid’’ 

roughly midpoint along this east-west 

line. If a portion of the Fort Randall to 

Martin 115–kV line would be damaged 

by a storm, the Big Bend to Witten line 

could provide power to the undamaged 

segments of the line. The proposed line 

also would provide a tap point for West 

Central near Reliance, which would 

enhance the reliability and stability of 

the West Central system. The tap point 

near Reliance would provide an 

additional power line to the Lower 

Brule Sioux Indian Reservation, which 

currently has only one older line, and 

would provide reliability and stability 

to power on the Reservation. In 

addition, future wind generation 

facilities may be able to interconnect to 

the proposed line to convey power to 

West Central’s markets. Lastly, the 

Project lends itself to additional buildout in support of Western’s long-range 

plan for a 230-kV system in southern 

South Dakota, and it would provide an 

increase in the load serving capacity 

such that the delivery needs of the 

projected network load can be met in a 

reliable manner. 

Basin Electric is seeking financing 

from RUS for its ownership of the 

proposed project. Before making a 

decision to provide financing, RUS is 

required to conduct an environmental 

review under NEPA in accordance with 

RUS’s Environmental Policies and 

Procedures (7 CFR part 1794). AECOM, 

an environmental consultant, prepared 

an EA for RUS that describes the project 

and assesses the proposed project’s 

environmental impacts. RUS has 

conducted an independent evaluation of 

the EA and believes that it accurately 

assesses the impacts of the proposed 

project. No significant impacts are 

expected as a result of the construction 

of the project. 

Any final action by RUS related to the 

proposed action will be subject to, and 

contingent upon, compliance with all 

relevant Federal, State, and local 

environmental laws and regulations and 

completion of the environmental review 

requirements as prescribed in RUS’s 

Environmental Policies and Procedures 

at 7 CFR part 1794. 

Richard Fristik, 

Acting Director, Engineering and 

Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03385 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] 

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