This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

54084 

Vol. 75, No. 171 

Friday, September 3, 2010 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Southern Maryland Electric 

Cooperative: Notice of Availability of 

an Environmental Assessment 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of an 

environmental assessment for public 

review. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) has issued an Environmental 

Assessment (EA) to meet its 

responsibilities under the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 

RUS’s Environmental and Policies and 

Procedures (7 CFR Part 1794) in relation 

to possible financial assistance for a 

proposed project by Southern Maryland 

Electric Cooperative (SMECO), with 

headquarters in Hughesville, Maryland. 

The proposal consists of the 

construction of a 30-mile 230 kilovolt 

(kV) transmission line (which includes 

a river crossing), a new 230/69 kV 

switching station, and a 230/69 kV 

switching station expansion in Calvert 

and St. Mary’s Counties, Maryland. 

SMECO is requesting that RUS provide 

financial assistance for the proposal. 

RUS is considering funding this 

proposal, thereby making it an 

undertaking subject to review under 

Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (NHPA), 16 USC 

470(f), and its implementing regulation, 

‘‘Protection of Historic Properties’’ (36 

CFR Part 800). 

DATES: Written comments on this Notice 

must be received on or before October 

4, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the EA 

or for further information, contact: Ms. 

Lauren McGee, Environmental Scientist, 

USDA/RUS, 1400 Independence Ave., 

SW., Room 2244–S, Stop 1571, 

Washington, DC 20250–1571, telephone: 

(202) 720–1482, fax: (202) 690–0649, or 

e-mail: lauren.mcgee@wdc.usda.gov. A 

copy of the EA may be viewed online 

at: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/ 

ea.htm; at the RUS address provided in 

this Notice; at SMECO’s Calvert 

Regional Office, located at: 901 Dares 

Beach Road, Prince Frederick, MD; and 

at SMECO’s St. Mary’s Regional Office, 

located at: 23365 Hollywood Road, 

Leonardtown, MD. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SMECO 

proposes to construct a 230 kV 

transmission line between the existing 

Holland Cliff Switching Station in 

Calvert County to the existing Hewitt 

Road Switching Station in St. Mary’s 

County, Maryland. The proposal has 

five segments and includes: (1) The 

installation of approximately 18 miles of 

new 230 kV single pole, double-circuit 

transmission line from the Holland Cliff 

switching station to a new switching 

station located in Southern Calvert; (2) 

the installation of the new Sollers Wharf 

230/69 kV switching station; (3) the 

installation of approximately 10 miles of 

new 230 kV single pole, double-circuit 

transmission line from the new 

Southern Calvert switching station to 

the existing Hewitt Road switching 

station; (4) the installation of 

approximately 2 miles of 230 kV 

underground transmission cable circuit 

across the lower Patuxent River; and (5) 

the expansion of the existing 230 kV 

ring bus at Hewitt Road switching 

station to accommodate the new 230 kV 

transmission line from Southern 

Calvert. Throughout the right-of-way, 

the existing 69 kV poles would be 

removed, and new 230 kV poles would 

be installed. The existing 69 kV and 

new 230 kV lines would be installed on 

the new poles. This configuration would 

allow the use of the existing 69 kV 

transmission line right-of-way and 

preclude the need for additional 

easement acquisition. The preferred site 

of the new Sollers Wharf switching 

station is located near the intersection of 

Sollers Wharf Road and Pardoe Road, 

west of Maryland Highway 2⁄4 and near 

the Calvert Cliffs tap. Approximately six 

to ten acres of the 40-acre site would be 

disturbed during construction. The 

remainder of the site would serve as a 

buffer. Construction of the proposal is 

anticipated for completion in 2015. 

A Notice of Intent to prepare an EA 

and hold a scoping meeting was 

published in the Federal Register on 

August 27, 2008; in the Enterprise (St. 

Mary’s County) on August 29, 2008; and 

in the Calvert Recorder on August 29, 

2008. A public meeting was held on 

September 11, 2008, in SMECO’s 

Calvert Regional Office located at: 901 

Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, 

Maryland. A summary of public 

comments can be found at the RUS Web 

site listed in this Notice. 

As part of its environmental review 

process, RUS must take into account the 

effect of the proposal on historic 

properties in accordance with Section 

106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act and its implementing 

regulation, ‘‘Protection of Historic 

Properties’’ (36 CFR Part 800). Pursuant 

to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), RUS is using its 

procedures for public involvement 

under NEPA to meet its responsibilities 

to solicit and consider the views of the 

public during Section 106 review. 

Accordingly, comments from the public 

submitted in response to scoping will 

inform RUS decision making in its 

Section 106 review of the proposal. RUS 

has made the determination that the 

proposal would have no adverse effects 

to historic properties listed in or eligible 

for listing on the National Register of 

Historic Places (NRHP). 

Because the proposal may involve 

action in floodplains or wetlands, this 

Notice also serves as a notice of 

proposed floodplain or wetland action. 

The EA includes a floodplain/wetland 

assessment and floodplain/wetland 

statement of findings. 

Alternatives considered by RUS and 

SMECO include (a) no action, (b) 

alternate engineering solutions 

(including new generation and five 

transmission system alternatives), and 

(c) alternate sites. An environmental 

report that describes the proposal in 

detail and discusses its anticipated 

environmental impacts has been 

prepared by Black and Veatch. RUS has 

reviewed and accepted the document as 

its EA of the proposal. The EA is 

available for public review at the 

addresses provided in this Notice. 

Questions and comments should be sent 

to RUS at the mailing or e-mail 

addresses provided in this Notice. RUS 

should receive comments on the EA in 

writing by October 4, 2010 to ensure 

that they are considered in its 

environmental impact determination. 

Should RUS, based on its EA of the 

proposal, determine that the impacts of 

the construction and operation of the 

proposal would not have a significant 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 171 / Friday, September 3, 2010 / Notices 54085 

environmental impact, it will prepare a 

Finding of No Significant Impact 

(FONSI). Public notification of a FONSI 

would be published in the Federal 

Register and in newspapers with 

circulation in the proposal area. 

Any final action by RUS related to the 

proposal 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 (7 CFR Part 1794). 

Mark S. Plank, 

Director, Engineering and Environmental 

Staff USDA, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22063 Filed 9–2–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Divide Ranger District, Rio Grande 

National Forest; Colorado; Big Moose 

Vegetation Management Project 

AGENCY: Forest Service, Rio Grande 

National Forest, USDA. 

ACTION: Corrected Notice of Intent to 

prepare an environmental impact 

statement. 

DATES: The draft environmental impact 

statement is expected in the fall of 2010 

and the final environmental impact 

statement is expected in the spring of 

2011. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kirby Self at (719) 657–3321. 

Individuals who use telecommunication 

devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the 

Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 between 8 

a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday 

through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

All prior notices: The original Notice 

of Intent was published in the Federal 

Register, Volume 74, Number 39, page 

9076. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22, 36 

CFR 220.5(b) and Forest Service Handbook 

1909.15, Section 21. 

Dated: August 25, 2010. 

Thomas Malecek, 

District Ranger/Field Office Manager. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22037 Filed 9–2–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–11–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Farm Service Agency 

Dairy Industry Advisory Committee; 

Public Meeting 

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: As required by the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 

the Farm Service Agency (FSA) 

announces two public meetings of the 

Dairy Industry Advisory Committee 

(Dairy Committee) to discuss farm milk 

price volatility and dairy farmer 

profitability, review various industry 

proposals and analysis, and hear public 

comments. The Dairy Committee is 

responsible for making 

recommendations to the Secretary on 

policy issues impacting the dairy 

industry. Instructions regarding 

registering for and attending the 

meetings are provided in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this notice. 

DATES: Public meetings: The public 

meetings will be on September 23 and 

24, 2010, and October 12 and 13, 2010. 

Registration: You must register by 

September 21, 2010, to attend the 

September public meeting and by 

October 8, 2010, to attend the October 

public meeting. 

Comments: Written comments are due 

by September 24, 2010, for the 

September meeting and by October 13, 

2010, for the October meeting. 

ADDRESSES: We invite you to participate 

in the meetings. The meetings are open 

to the public. The meetings on 

September 23 and 24 and October 12 

will be held in room 104–A of the 

USDA Headquarters, Jamie L. Whitten 

Building at 12th Street, SW., and 

Jefferson Drive, Washington, DC 20250. 

The October 13 meeting will be held in 

room 3074 of the USDA Headquarters 

South Building at 12th Street and 

Independence Avenue, Washington, DC 

20250. Instructions for registering and 

attending the meetings are in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this notice. 

You may submit comments by either 

of the following methods: 

• Online: Go to http:// 

www.fsa.usda.gov/DIAC. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments, or 

• Orally at the meeting; please also 

provide a written copy of your 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Solomon Whitfield, Designated Federal 

Official; phone: (202) 720–9886; e-mail: 

solomon.whitfield@wdc.usda.gov. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication 

(Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) 

should contact the USDA Target Center 

at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In August 

2009, USDA established the Dairy 

Committee. The Dairy Committee 

reviews issues of farm milk price 

volatility and dairy farmer profitability. 

The Dairy Committee provides 

recommendations to the Secretary on 

how USDA can best address these issues 

to meet the dairy industry’s needs. 

The Secretary of Agriculture selected 

a diverse group of members representing 

a broad spectrum of persons interested 

in providing suggestions and ideas on 

how USDA can tailor its programs to 

meet the dairy industry’s needs. Equal 

opportunity practices were considered 

in all appointments to the Dairy 

Committee in accordance with USDA 

policies. The Secretary announced the 

members on January 6, 2010. 

Representatives include: Producers and 

producer organizations, processors and 

processor organizations, consumers, 

academia, a retailer, and a state 

representative. 

The Dairy Committee will hold the 

meetings on the following dates and 

locations. The meetings are open to the 

public. The dairy industry and public 

are invited to provide oral comments at 

the meetings on September 23 and 

October 12, 2010, at the time designated 

on the agenda. 

Date Time Location 

September 23, 2010 ............................ 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. ............ USDA headquarters, in the Jamie Whitten Building, Room 104–A, 12th 

Street, SW. and Jefferson Drive, Washington, DC 20250. 

September 24, 2010 ............................ 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m. .......... USDA headquarters, in the Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 104–A, 12th 

Street, SW. and Jefferson Drive, Washington, DC 2050. 

October 12, 2010 ................................. 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. ............ USDA headquarters, in the Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 104–A, 12th 

Street, SW. and Jefferson Drive, Washington, DC 20250. 

October 13, 2010 ................................. 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. ............ USDA headquarters, in the South Building, Room 3074, 12th Street, SW. 

and Independence Avenue, Washington, DC 20250. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES