[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 101 (Thursday, May 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25844-25845]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12997]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Dairyland Power Cooperative; Notice of Intent

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to conduct scoping meetings and prepare an 
environmental assessment and/or an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing 
NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and RUS Environmental Policies and 
Procedures (7 CFR Part 1794) intends to hold public scoping workshops 
and prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for a transmission project proposed by Dairyland Power 
Cooperative (Dairyland) and Northern States Power (NSP). RUS may 
provide financing assistance to Dairyland for project construction 
costs.

MEETING INFORMATION: RUS will conduct four scoping meetings in an open 
house forum as follows: on June 24, 1996, from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. at 
the Lake Woods Resort, in Cable, Wisconsin; on June 25, 1996, from 2 
p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Hotel Chequamegon, located on Lakeshore Drive 
West, in Ashland, Wisconsin; on June 26, 1996, from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. 
at the Dalles House Restaurant located at the junction of Highways 35 
and 8 in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin; and on June 27, 1996, from 2 p.m. 
until 8 p.m. at the Lent Township Townhall located on 3355 Hemmingway 
Road in Stacy, Minnesota.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Lawrence R. Wolfe, Senior Environmental Protection Specialist, 
Engineering and Environmental Staff, RUS, Ag. Box 1571, South 
Agriculture Building, Washington, DC 20250, telephone (202) 720-1784, 
or
Mr. Chuck Thompson, Dairyland Power Cooperative, 3200 East Avenue 
South, P.O. Box 817, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54602-0817, telephone (608) 
788-1432.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dairyland, in conjunction with NSP, proposes 
to construct approximately 35 miles of 230 kV transmission line from 
the Chisago Substation near Lent, Minnesota, to the Apple River 
Substation, in Polk County, Wisconsin, and 50 miles of 161 kV 
transmission line from the Stone Lake Substation, near Hayward, 
Wisconsin, to the Bayfront Substation in Ashland, Wisconsin.
    Alternatives to be considered by RUS include no action, demand side

[[Page 25845]]

management, local generation, system alternatives, transmission 
alternatives, and alternative routes.
    Government agencies, private organizations, and the public are 
invited to participate in the planning and analysis of the proposed 
project. Representatives from RUS, Dairyland, and NPS will be available 
to discuss RUS's environmental review process, describe the project and 
alternatives under consideration, explain the need for the project, 
discuss the scope of environmental issues to be considered, answer 
questions, and accept oral and written comments. An Alternative 
Evaluation and Macro-Corridor Study (Study) to be prepared by 
Dairyland, and its consultant, will be presented for review and comment 
at the public scoping meetings. The Study will be made available for 
review and comment following the public scoping meetings at a 
convenient location to be announced at the public scoping meetings and 
in public and legal notices placed in newspapers with a circulation in 
the project area. Written comments will be accepted at the addresses 
provided in this notice within 30 days after the June 27 public scoping 
meeting.
    Based on the Study and input from Federal, State and local 
agencies, private organizations, and the public, Dairyland will prepare 
an Environmental Analysis to be submitted to RUS for review. If 
significant impacts are not evident based on RUS's independent review 
of the Environmental Analysis (EVAL) and other relevant information, 
RUS will prepare an EA to determine if the preparation of an EIS is 
warranted. If the EVAL or the EA indicates that significant impacts may 
occur due to project construction, RUS will prepare an EIS.
    Should RUS determine that the preparation of an EIS is not 
warranted, it will prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). 
The FONSI will be made available for public review and comment for 30 
days. RUS will not take its final action related to the project prior 
to the expiration of the 30-day period.
    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 CEQ and RUS Environmental Policies 
and Procedures.

    Dated: May 17, 1996.
Adam M. Golodner,
Deputy Administrator--Program Operations.
[FR Doc. 96-12997 Filed 5-22-96; 8:45 am]
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