Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kV Transmission Line Project, 63149-63151 [2018-26558]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 235 / Friday, December 7, 2018 / Notices
(3) Enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information to be
collected;
(4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
All comments received in response to
this notice, including names and
addresses when provided, will be a
matter of public record. Comments will
be summarized and included in the
submission for Office of Management
and Budget approval.
Steve Peterson,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2018–26504 Filed 12–6–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Farm Service Agency
Information Collection Request;
Request for Special Priorities
Assistance
Farm Service Agency, USDA.
Notice; request for comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Farm Service Agency (FSA) is
requesting comments from all interested
individuals and organizations on an
extension of a currently approved
information collection request
associated with the Request for Special
Priorities Assistance. The information
collection established by the Agriculture
Priorities and Allocations System
(APAS) regulation is necessary for the
program applicant (person) to request
prioritizing of a contract above all other
contracts. The purpose of the priority
rating is to obtain item(s) in support of
national defense programs that they are
not able to obtain in time through
normal market channels.
DATES: We will consider comments that
we receive by February 5, 2019.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit
comments on the notice. In your
comments, include date, volume, and
page number of this issue of the Federal
Register. You may submit comments by
any of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
• Mail: David Weschsler, USDA/
FPAC/HS, 1400 Independence Ave. SW,
Room 0092–S, Mail Stop 0560,
Washington, DC 20250–0567.
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SUMMARY:
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You may also send comments to the
Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the
information collection may be requested
by contacting Lesa A. Johnson at the
above addresses.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Wechsler, (202) 720–2929.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Request for Special Priorities
Assistance for APAS.
OMB Control Number: 0560–0280.
Expiration Date of Approval: March
31, 2019.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: APAS would efficiently
place priority ratings on contracts or
orders of agriculture commodities up
through the wholesale levels,
agriculture production equipment,
allocate resources, and handle food
claims within its authority as specified
in the Defense Production Act (DPA) of
1950, as amended, when necessary to
promote national defense. It was
determined that food is a scarce and
critical commodity essential to the
national defense (including civil
emergency preparedness and response).
Unless its production, processing,
storage, and wholesale distribution are
regulated during times of emergencies,
the national defense requirement for
food and food production may not be
met without creating hardship in the
civilian marketplace. Applicants
(Government agencies or private
individuals with a role in emergency
preparedness, response, and recovery
functions) will request authorization
from USDA to place a rating on a
contract for items to support national
defense activities. Priority rating request
procedures and forms can be found on
USDA’s website. Applicants must
supply, at time of request, their name,
location, contact information, items for
which the applicant is requesting
assistance on, quantity, and delivery
date. Applicants can submit the request
by mail or fax. There are no changes to
the burden hours since the last OMB
approval.
For the following estimated total
annual burden on respondents, the
formula used to calculate the total
burden hour is the estimated average
time per responses hours multiplied by
the estimated total annual responses.
Estimate of Respondent Burden:
Public reporting burden for the
information collection is estimated to
average 30 minutes (0.50) per response.
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63149
Respondents: Individuals, businesses,
and agencies with responsibilities for
emergency preparedness and response.
Estimated Annual Number of
Respondents: 100.
Estimated Number of Reponses per
Respondent: 0.95.
Estimated Total Annual Responses:
95.
Estimated Average Time per
Response: 0.5 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on
Respondents: 50 hours.
We are requesting comments on all
aspects of this information collection to
help us to:
(1) Evaluate whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
FSA, including whether the information
will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the FSA’s
estimate of burden including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility and
clarity of the information to be
collected;
(4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
All comments received in response to
this notice, including names and
addresses when provided, will be a
matter of public record. Comments will
be summarized and included in the
submission for Office of Management
and Budget approval.
Steven Peterson,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2018–26505 Filed 12–6–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–05–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kV
Transmission Line Project
Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
Notice of availability of a draft
environmental impact statement; notice
of public meetings; and section 106
notification to the public.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice is hereby given that
the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has
prepared a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to meet its
responsibilities under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
environmental policies and procedures
related to providing financial assistance
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 235 / Friday, December 7, 2018 / Notices
to Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC).
Further, in accordance with section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA) and pursuant to the regulations
participation in the section 106 process
and coordination with the National
Environmental Policy Act, RUS is using
its procedures for public involvement
under NEPA to meet its responsibilities
to solicit and consider the views of the
public during the section 106 review for
the proposed project. RUS would be
providing financial assistance to DPC
for its share in the construction of a
proposed 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission
line and associated infrastructure
connecting the Hickory Creek
Substation in Dubuque County, Iowa,
with the Cardinal Substation in the
Town of Middleton, Wisconsin (near
Madison, Wisconsin). The Project also
includes a new intermediate 345/138-kV
substation near the Village of Montfort
the transmission system to additional
resources, increase the transfer
capability of the electrical system
between Iowa and Wisconsin, reduce
the losses in transferring power and
increase the efficiency of the
transmission system, and respond to
public policy objectives aimed at
enhancing the nation’s transmission
system and to support the changing
generation mix. A more detailed
explanation of the purpose and need for
the project can be found in the Draft
EIS.
Written comments on this Draft
EIS will be accepted for 60 calendar
days following the publication of the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
notice of receipt of the Draft EIS in the
Federal Register. RUS will conduct six
formal public meetings in the project
area. A court reporter will be available
to record agency and public comments.
DATES:
Date
Location
Time
Venue
January 22, 2019 ....................
Peosta, IA .............................
1:00–3:00 p.m .....
January 22, 2019 ....................
Guttenberg, IA .......................
6:00–8:00 p.m .....
January 23, 2019 ....................
Cassville, WI .........................
5:00–7:00 p.m .....
January 24, 2019 ....................
Dodgeville, WI .......................
5:00–7:00 p.m .....
January 28, 2019 ....................
Barneveld, WI .......................
5:00–8:00 p.m .....
January 29, 2019 ....................
Middleton, WI ........................
5:00–8:00 p.m .....
Peosta Community Center, 7896 Burds Road, Peosta, IA
52068.
Guttenberg Municipal Bldg., 502 First St., Guttenberg, IA
52052.
Cassville Middle School Cafeteria, 715 E Amelia St.,
Cassville, WI 53806.
Dodgeville Bowl Banquet Hall, 318 King St., Dodgerville,
WI 53533.
Deer Valley Lodge, 401 West Industrial Drive, Barneveld,
WI 53507.
Madison Marriott West, 1313 John Q. Hammonds Drive,
Middleton, WI 53562.
A copy of the Draft EIS may
be viewed online at the following
website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/
publications/environmental-studies/
impact-statements/cardinal%E2%80%93-hickory-creektransmission-line and Dairyland Power
Cooperative, 3521 East Avenue South,
La Crosse, WI 54602 and at 13 local
libraries in the project area and the
USFWS McGregor District Office in
Prairie du Chien, WI.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
obtain copies of the Draft EIS, to request
further participation or request
consulting party status under section
106 of the NHPA or for further
information, contact: Lauren Cusick or
Dennis Rankin, Environmental
Protection Specialist, USDA, Rural
Utilities Service, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW, Room 2244, Stop 1571,
Washington, DC 20250–1571, by phone
at (202) 720–1414 or email
Lauren.Cusick@usda.gov or
Dennis.Rankin@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS is the
lead agency for the federal
ADDRESSES:
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in either Grant County or Iowa County,
Wisconsin. The total length of the 345kV transmission lines associated with
the proposed project will be
approximately 125 miles. DPC and the
other project participants have
identified proposed and alternate
segments and locations for transmission
lines and associated facilities and for
the intermediate substation. Dairyland
Power Cooperative is requesting RUS to
provide financing for its portion of the
proposed project. DPC is participating
in the proposed project with two other
utilities, American Transmission
Company LLC, and ITC Midwest LLC
(Utilities).
The purpose of the proposed project
is to: Address reliability issues on the
regional bulk transmission system,
alleviate congestion that occurs in
certain parts of the transmission system
and remove constraints that limit the
delivery of power, expand the access of
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16:56 Dec 06, 2018
Jkt 247001
environmental review with cooperating
and participating agencies as outlined in
the Draft EIS. The first Notice of Intent
(NOI) to Prepare an EIS and Hold Public
Scoping Meeting was published in the
Federal Register at 81 FR 71697, on
October 18, 2016 to initiate a 30-day
public scoping period. Four public
scoping meetings for the EIS were held
in the project area in October and
November 2016, and the public
comment was extended to 81 days and
comments were accepted from October
18, 2016 through January 6, 2017. On
November 22, 2016 RUS published a
second NOI announcing a second round
of public scoping meetings in December
2017. RUS issued a Scoping Report in
May 2018.
The Draft EIS addresses the
construction and operation of the
proposed project, which, in addition to
the 345-kV transmission line and
associated infrastructure, includes the
following facilities:
a. At the existing Cardinal Substation
in Dane County, Wisconsin: A new 345kV terminal within the substation;
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b. At the new proposed Hill Valley
Substation near the Village of Montfort,
Wisconsin: A 10-acre facility with four
345-kV circuit breakers, one 345-kV
shunt reactor, one 345-kV/138-kV
autotransformer, and three 138-kV
circuit breakers;
c. At the existing Eden Substation
near the village of Montfort, Wisconsin:
Transmission line protective relaying
upgrades, ground grid improvements,
and replacement of equipment within
the Eden Substation;
d. Between the existing Eden
Substation and the proposed Hill Valley
Substation near the Village of Montfort,
Wisconsin: A rebuild of the
approximately 1-mile Hill Valley to
Eden 138-kV transmission line;
e. At the existing Wyoming Valley
Substation near Wyoming, Wisconsin:
Ground grid improvements;
f. Between the existing Cardinal
Substation and the proposed Hill Valley
Substation: A new 50- to 53-mile
(depending on the final route) 345-kV
transmission line;
g. Between the proposed Hill Valley
Substation and existing Hickory Creek
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 235 / Friday, December 7, 2018 / Notices
Substation: A new 50- to 70-mile
(depending on the final route) 345-kV
transmission line;
h. At the Mississippi River in
Cassville, Wisconsin: A rebuild and
possible relocation of the existing
Mississippi River transmission line
crossing to accommodate the new 345kV transmission line and Dairyland’s
161-kV transmission line, and which
would be capable of operating at 345kV/345-kV but will initially be operated
at 345-kV/161-kV;
1. depending on the final route and
the Mississippi River crossing locations:
i. A new 161-kV terminal and
transmission line protective relaying
upgrades within the existing Nelson
Dewey Substation in Cassville,
Wisconsin;
ii. a replaced or reinforced structure
within the Stoneman Substation in
Cassville, Wisconsin;
iii. multiple, partial, or complete
rebuilds of existing 69-kV and 138-kV
transmission lines in Wisconsin that
would be collocated with the new 345kV line;
i. At the existing Turkey River
Substation in Dubuque County, Iowa:
Two 161-/69-kV transformers, four 161kV circuit breakers, and five 69-kV
circuit breakers; and
j. At the existing Hickory Creek
Substation in Dubuque County, Iowa: A
new 345-kV terminal within the existing
Hickory Creek Substation.
Among the alternatives addressed in
the Draft EIS is the No Action
alternative, under which the proposed
project would not be undertaken.
Additional alternatives addressed in the
Draft EIS include six action alternatives
connecting the Cardinal Station in
Wisconsin with the Hickory Creek
Station in Iowa. RUS has carefully
studied public health and safety,
environmental impacts, and engineering
aspects of the proposed project.
RUS used input provided by
government agencies, private
organizations, and the public in the
preparation of the Draft EIS. RUS will
prepare a Final EIS that considers all
comments received on the Draft EIS.
Following the 30 calendar day comment
period for the Final EIS, RUS will
prepare a Record of Decision (ROD).
Notices announcing the availability of
the Final EIS and the ROD will be
published in the Federal Register and in
local newspapers.
In accordance with section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act and
its implementing regulation, ‘‘Protection
of Historic Properties’’ (36 CFR part 800)
and as part of its broad environmental
review process, RUS must take into
account the effect of the proposed
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16:56 Dec 06, 2018
Jkt 247001
project on historic properties. 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. Any
party wishing to participate more
directly with RUS as a ‘‘consulting
party’’ in section 106 review may
submit a written request to the RUS
contact provided in this notice.
The proposed project involves
unavoidable impacts to wetlands and
floodplains; this Notice of Availability
also serves as a statement of no
practicable alternatives to impacts on
wetlands and floodplains, in accordance
with Executive Orders 11990 and 11988,
respectively.
Any final action by RUS related to the
proposed project 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
the RUS Environmental Policies and
Procedures (7 CFR part 1970).
Dated: November 8, 2018.
Christopher A. McLean,
Assistant Administrator, Electric Programs,
Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2018–26558 Filed 12–6–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Census Bureau
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will
submit to the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) for clearance the
following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act.
Agency: U.S. Census Bureau.
Title: Annual Survey of Manufactures.
OMB Control Number: 0607–0449.
Form Number(s): MA–10000.
Type of Request: Reinstatement, with
change of an expired collection.
Number of Respondents: 55,000.
Average Hours per Response: 3.5
hours.
Burden Hours: 192,500.
Needs and Uses: The Census Bureau
is requesting a reinstatement with
changes of the expired collection for the
Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM).
The Census Bureau has conducted the
ASM since 1949 to provide key
measures of manufacturing activity
during intercensal periods. In census
years ending in ‘‘2’’ and ‘‘7,’’ we mail
and collect the ASM as part of the
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63151
Economic Census covering the
Manufacturing Sector.
The Census Bureau allowed the
previous clearance to lapse since ASM
inquiries for survey year 2017 (collected
in 2018) are cleared as part of the 2017
Economic Census (0607–0998). The
Census Bureau is requesting
reinstatement to continue annual
collection of the ASM for survey years
2018, 2019, and 2020.
The ASM collects data on
employment, payroll, hours, wages of
production workers, value added by
manufacture, cost of materials, value of
shipments by North American Product
Classification System (NAPCS) product
code, inventories, cost of employer’s
fringe benefits, operating expenses, and
expenditures for new and used plant
and equipment. The Census Bureau
tabulates and publishes data for most of
these items by two-digit through sixdigit North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS) levels.
The Census Bureau also publishes ASM
data by state at the two-through fourdigit NAICS levels.
Federal agencies use ASM data as
benchmarks for their statistical
programs, including the Federal Reserve
Board’s Index of Industrial Production
and the Bureau of Economic Analysis’
(BEA) National Income and Product
Accounts. The Department of Energy
relies on ASM estimates on the use of
energy during production in the
manufacturing sector. These data also
are used as benchmark data for the
Manufacturing Energy Consumption
Survey, which is conducted for the
Department of Energy by the Census
Bureau. Within the Census Bureau, the
ASM data are used to benchmark and
reconcile monthly and quarterly
estimates of manufacturing production
and inventories.
The survey also provides valuable
information to private companies,
research organizations, and trade
associations. Industry makes extensive
use of the annual figures on NAPCS
product shipments for market analysis,
product planning, and investment
planning. State development and
planning agencies rely on ASM data for
policymaking, planning, and
administration.
The Census Bureau plans to make the
following changes to the ASM data
collection:
a. Elimination of the MA–10000(S)
The MA–10000(S) questionnaire will
be eliminated. Historically, all locations
of multiple-establishment firms and
large single-establishment firms in the
sample were asked to report on the MA–
10000(L) questionnaire. The remaining
E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 235 (Friday, December 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63149-63151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26558]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kV Transmission Line Project
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental impact
statement; notice of public meetings; and section 106 notification to
the public.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to meet its
responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
environmental policies and procedures related to providing financial
assistance
[[Page 63150]]
to Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC). Further, in accordance with
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and
pursuant to the regulations participation in the section 106 process
and coordination with the National Environmental Policy Act, RUS is
using its procedures for public involvement under NEPA to meet its
responsibilities to solicit and consider the views of the public during
the section 106 review for the proposed project. RUS would be providing
financial assistance to DPC for its share in the construction of a
proposed 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line and associated
infrastructure connecting the Hickory Creek Substation in Dubuque
County, Iowa, with the Cardinal Substation in the Town of Middleton,
Wisconsin (near Madison, Wisconsin). The Project also includes a new
intermediate 345/138-kV substation near the Village of Montfort in
either Grant County or Iowa County, Wisconsin. The total length of the
345- kV transmission lines associated with the proposed project will be
approximately 125 miles. DPC and the other project participants have
identified proposed and alternate segments and locations for
transmission lines and associated facilities and for the intermediate
substation. Dairyland Power Cooperative is requesting RUS to provide
financing for its portion of the proposed project. DPC is participating
in the proposed project with two other utilities, American Transmission
Company LLC, and ITC Midwest LLC (Utilities).
The purpose of the proposed project is to: Address reliability
issues on the regional bulk transmission system, alleviate congestion
that occurs in certain parts of the transmission system and remove
constraints that limit the delivery of power, expand the access of the
transmission system to additional resources, increase the transfer
capability of the electrical system between Iowa and Wisconsin, reduce
the losses in transferring power and increase the efficiency of the
transmission system, and respond to public policy objectives aimed at
enhancing the nation's transmission system and to support the changing
generation mix. A more detailed explanation of the purpose and need for
the project can be found in the Draft EIS.
DATES: Written comments on this Draft EIS will be accepted for 60
calendar days following the publication of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's notice of receipt of the Draft EIS in the Federal
Register. RUS will conduct six formal public meetings in the project
area. A court reporter will be available to record agency and public
comments.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Location Time Venue
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 22, 2019.................. Peosta, IA.......... 1:00-3:00 p.m.............. Peosta Community Center,
7896 Burds Road, Peosta,
IA 52068.
January 22, 2019.................. Guttenberg, IA...... 6:00-8:00 p.m.............. Guttenberg Municipal
Bldg., 502 First St.,
Guttenberg, IA 52052.
January 23, 2019.................. Cassville, WI....... 5:00-7:00 p.m.............. Cassville Middle School
Cafeteria, 715 E Amelia
St., Cassville, WI
53806.
January 24, 2019.................. Dodgeville, WI...... 5:00-7:00 p.m.............. Dodgeville Bowl Banquet
Hall, 318 King St.,
Dodgerville, WI 53533.
January 28, 2019.................. Barneveld, WI....... 5:00-8:00 p.m.............. Deer Valley Lodge, 401
West Industrial Drive,
Barneveld, WI 53507.
January 29, 2019.................. Middleton, WI....... 5:00-8:00 p.m.............. Madison Marriott West,
1313 John Q. Hammonds
Drive, Middleton, WI
53562.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDRESSES: A copy of the Draft EIS may be viewed online at the
following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/cardinal-%E2%80%93-hickory-creek-transmission-line and Dairyland Power Cooperative, 3521 East Avenue
South, La Crosse, WI 54602 and at 13 local libraries in the project
area and the USFWS McGregor District Office in Prairie du Chien, WI.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain copies of the Draft EIS, to
request further participation or request consulting party status under
section 106 of the NHPA or for further information, contact: Lauren
Cusick or Dennis Rankin, Environmental Protection Specialist, USDA,
Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 2244, Stop
1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571, by phone at (202) 720-1414 or email
[email protected] or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS is the lead agency for the federal
environmental review with cooperating and participating agencies as
outlined in the Draft EIS. The first Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare
an EIS and Hold Public Scoping Meeting was published in the Federal
Register at 81 FR 71697, on October 18, 2016 to initiate a 30-day
public scoping period. Four public scoping meetings for the EIS were
held in the project area in October and November 2016, and the public
comment was extended to 81 days and comments were accepted from October
18, 2016 through January 6, 2017. On November 22, 2016 RUS published a
second NOI announcing a second round of public scoping meetings in
December 2017. RUS issued a Scoping Report in May 2018.
The Draft EIS addresses the construction and operation of the
proposed project, which, in addition to the 345-kV transmission line
and associated infrastructure, includes the following facilities:
a. At the existing Cardinal Substation in Dane County, Wisconsin: A
new 345-kV terminal within the substation;
b. At the new proposed Hill Valley Substation near the Village of
Montfort, Wisconsin: A 10-acre facility with four 345-kV circuit
breakers, one 345-kV shunt reactor, one 345-kV/138-kV autotransformer,
and three 138-kV circuit breakers;
c. At the existing Eden Substation near the village of Montfort,
Wisconsin: Transmission line protective relaying upgrades, ground grid
improvements, and replacement of equipment within the Eden Substation;
d. Between the existing Eden Substation and the proposed Hill
Valley Substation near the Village of Montfort, Wisconsin: A rebuild of
the approximately 1-mile Hill Valley to Eden 138-kV transmission line;
e. At the existing Wyoming Valley Substation near Wyoming,
Wisconsin: Ground grid improvements;
f. Between the existing Cardinal Substation and the proposed Hill
Valley Substation: A new 50- to 53-mile (depending on the final route)
345-kV transmission line;
g. Between the proposed Hill Valley Substation and existing Hickory
Creek
[[Page 63151]]
Substation: A new 50- to 70-mile (depending on the final route) 345-kV
transmission line;
h. At the Mississippi River in Cassville, Wisconsin: A rebuild and
possible relocation of the existing Mississippi River transmission line
crossing to accommodate the new 345-kV transmission line and
Dairyland's 161-kV transmission line, and which would be capable of
operating at 345-kV/345-kV but will initially be operated at 345-kV/
161-kV;
1. depending on the final route and the Mississippi River crossing
locations:
i. A new 161-kV terminal and transmission line protective relaying
upgrades within the existing Nelson Dewey Substation in Cassville,
Wisconsin;
ii. a replaced or reinforced structure within the Stoneman
Substation in Cassville, Wisconsin;
iii. multiple, partial, or complete rebuilds of existing 69-kV and
138-kV transmission lines in Wisconsin that would be collocated with
the new 345-kV line;
i. At the existing Turkey River Substation in Dubuque County, Iowa:
Two 161-/69-kV transformers, four 161-kV circuit breakers, and five 69-
kV circuit breakers; and
j. At the existing Hickory Creek Substation in Dubuque County,
Iowa: A new 345-kV terminal within the existing Hickory Creek
Substation.
Among the alternatives addressed in the Draft EIS is the No Action
alternative, under which the proposed project would not be undertaken.
Additional alternatives addressed in the Draft EIS include six action
alternatives connecting the Cardinal Station in Wisconsin with the
Hickory Creek Station in Iowa. RUS has carefully studied public health
and safety, environmental impacts, and engineering aspects of the
proposed project.
RUS used input provided by government agencies, private
organizations, and the public in the preparation of the Draft EIS. RUS
will prepare a Final EIS that considers all comments received on the
Draft EIS. Following the 30 calendar day comment period for the Final
EIS, RUS will prepare a Record of Decision (ROD). Notices announcing
the availability of the Final EIS and the ROD will be published in the
Federal Register and in local newspapers.
In accordance with section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act and its implementing regulation, ``Protection of
Historic Properties'' (36 CFR part 800) and as part of its broad
environmental review process, RUS must take into account the effect of
the proposed project on historic properties. 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. Any party wishing to participate
more directly with RUS as a ``consulting party'' in section 106 review
may submit a written request to the RUS contact provided in this
notice.
The proposed project involves unavoidable impacts to wetlands and
floodplains; this Notice of Availability also serves as a statement of
no practicable alternatives to impacts on wetlands and floodplains, in
accordance with Executive Orders 11990 and 11988, respectively.
Any final action by RUS related to the proposed project 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 the RUS
Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1970).
Dated: November 8, 2018.
Christopher A. McLean,
Assistant Administrator, Electric Programs, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-26558 Filed 12-6-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P
