[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 106 (Friday, May 31, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27333-27334]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13644]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service


LaGrange County, Indiana Sewer District; Final Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Final Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 
is issuing a final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) 
related to the LaGrange County, Indiana Sewer District's proposal to 
construct sanitary wastewater collection and treatment facilities for 
residential population centers. The final PEIS 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 
1500-1508) and Farmers Home Administration's procedure (7 CFR 1940, 
Subpart G, Environmental Program). RUS invites comments on the 
alternative analyses performed by and addressed in the final PEIS.
    The purpose of this PEIS is to evaluate the environmental impacts 
of proposed alternative strategies to provide treatment of sanitary 
wastewaters for rural residential population centers in LaGrange 
County. Discussion of each alternative's impact on the human 
environment, including risks to public health and safety, and effects 
on the natural environment is presented. The proposed action is 
necessary in order to respond to increased public health concerns and 
the continuation of surface and ground water degradation caused by 
inadequately treated wastewater effluent. This PEIS provides a planning 
tool to County officials and citizens and engineers who will select the 
most appropriate design and implementation strategy to address LaGrange 
County's wastewater problems.

The Preferred Alternative

    Fund a Decentralized Wastewater Collection and Treatment System for 
Residents in Densely Populated Areas Using Engineered Wetlands 
Treatment Processes: This alternative involves the use of pressure or 
gravity collection systems to convey wastewater to multiple engineered 
wetland treatment facilities. Collection and conveyance technologies 
considered for this option will be the same as those analyzed for the 
centralized treatment facility option.

[[Page 27334]]

Treatment alternatives for this option will include: wetlands 
application followed by land application (spray irrigation) of the 
effluent; wetlands application followed by disinfection and surface 
water discharge; and wetlands application followed by subsurface 
discharge.

Other Alternatives Presented in the PEIS

    The following project alternatives were identified in feasibility 
studies conducted for the LaGrange County Sewer District and analyzed 
in this PEIS. Even though they are creditable technical alternatives, 
they were not selected as the preferred alternative.
    Continued Use of On-Site Waste Disposal Systems (No Action 
Alternative): This alternative would not address the present public 
health concerns or the continued degradation of the County's surface 
and ground water.
    Centralized Wastewater Collection and Treatment for all County 
Residents Using Conventional Wastewater Treatment: This alternative 
would provide wastewater collection and treatment service for all 
county residents. This option would use either gravity, or pressure 
sewers to convey wastewater to a centralized facility. Collection and 
conveyance alternatives that were analyzed for this option include: 
small diameter gravity systems; small diameter pressure systems using 
single connection effluent grinder pumps; and conventional gravity 
collector lines connected to pressure lines for conveyance to the 
treatment facility. Activated sludge process alternatives that were 
considered for this option included: oxidation ditches, and extended 
aeration.
    Centralized Wastewater Collection and Treatment for All County 
Residents Except for Residents in Remote Locations Using Conventional 
Activated Sludge Waste Treatment Processes: This alternative involves 
providing water waste collection and treatment services for all of the 
County's residents except those located in isolated regions. This 
option would use the same collection and treatment technologies as the 
option providing wastewater treatment for the entire County. Cost 
savings over serving the entire county would be realized because of the 
high unit cost of serving remote residences.

ADDRESSES/FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information, 
contact or for transmittal of written comments send to: Paul Neumann, 
State Environmental Coordinator, USDA, Rural Development, RUS, 5975 
Lakeside Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46278, (219) 290-3109, and FAX (219) 
290-3011. Copies of the final PEIS will be available for public 
inspection, during normal business hours at the following locations:

LaGrange Town Clerk, 107 S. High Street, LaGrange, IN 46761
Town of Topeka, Attn: Duane Bontrager, 101 Main Street, Topeka, IN 
46571
Town of Shipshewana, Attn: Ruth Ann Downey, P.O. Box 486, 345 N. Morton 
Street, Shipshewana, IN 46565
Town of Wolcottville, Attn: Elizabeth Hodge, P.O. Box 325, 101 W. Race 
Street, Wolcottville, IN 46795.

    The draft final PEIS will be distributed to various Federal, State, 
and local agencies, and elected officials.

    Dated: May 13, 1996.
Wally Beyer,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-13644 Filed 5-30-96; 8:45 am]
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