[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 204 (Friday, October 22, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65294-65295]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26747]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative: Notice of Finding of No
Significant Impact
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has issued a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Environmental Assessment (EA)
associated with the Holland Cliff to Hewitt Road 230 kV Transmission
proposal in Calvert and St. Mary's Counties, Maryland. The EA was
prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA) (U.S.C. 4231 et seq.) and in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality's (CEQ's) regulations for implementing the
procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and RUS's NEPA
implementing regulations (7 CFR part 1794, Environmental Policies and
Procedures). The purpose of the EA was to evaluate the potential
environmental impacts of and alternatives to a Southern Maryland
Electric Cooperative (SMECO) application for a RUS loan for the
proposal. The proposal includes construction of a 30-mile 230 kilovolt
(kV) transmission line, a new 230/69 kV switching station, and a 230/69
kV switching station expansion.
ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the FONSI or EA, or for further
information, contact: Ms. Lauren McGee, Environmental Scientist, USDA,
Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 1571, Room
2239-S, Washington, DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 720-1482, fax:
(202) 690-0649, or e-mail: [email protected]. A copy of the
FONSI and EA can be viewed online at: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/ea.htm.
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 20 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 8 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 the 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 for the use of the existing 69 kV
transmission line right-of-way and preclude the need for additional
easement acquisition. The preferred site
[[Page 65295]]
of the new Sollers Wharf switching station is located near the
intersection of Sollers Wharf Road and Pardoe Road, west of Maryland
Highways 2 and 4 near the Calvert Cliffs tap. Approximately 6 to 10
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 scoping summary report can be found at the RUS
website listed in this Notice. The notice of availability of the EA for
public review was published in the Federal Register on September 3,
2010, and in the Enterprise and Calvert Recorder on September 3 and 9,
2010. The EA was available for public and agency review on the RUS Web
site listed in this Notice; at SMECO's Calvert Regional Office located
at 901 Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, Maryland, and at SMECO's St.
Mary's Regional Office located at 23365 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown,
Maryland. The 30-day comment period ended on October 3, 2010. No
comments were received.
SMECO hired Black and Veatch to prepare an EA for RUS that
described the proposal and assessed its potential environmental
impacts. RUS conducted an independent evaluation of the EA and
concurred with its scope and content. In accordance with RUS's
Environmental Policies and Procedures at 7 CFR 1794.41, RUS accepted
the document as its official EA.
Based on its EA, RUS has concluded that the proposal would have no
significant impacts to water quality, wetlands, the 100-year
floodplain, land use, aesthetics, transportation, or human health and
safety. The proposal will have no adverse effects on historic
properties listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of
Historic Places. RUS has also concluded that the proposal is not likely
to affect federally listed threatened and endangered species or
designated critical habitat. The proposal would not disproportionately
affect minority and low-income populations.
No other potential significant impacts resulting from the proposal
have been identified. Therefore, RUS has determined that this FONSI
fulfills its obligations under NEPA for its action related to the
proposal. RUS is satisfied that the environmental impacts of the
proposal have been adequately addressed. If RUS takes a federal action
on the proposal, it will not result in significant impacts to the
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, an Environmental Impact
Statement will not be prepared for the proposal.
Dated: October 19, 2010.
James R. Newby,
Chief of Staff, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-26747 Filed 10-21-10; 8:45 am]
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