Speedway Solar Project: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Hold Public Scoping Meeting on February 2, 2022, 2411-2412 [2022-00688]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 10 / Friday, January 14, 2022 / Notices
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ad-3027, from any USDA office, by
calling (866) 632–9992, or by writing a
letter addressed to USDA. The letter
must contain the complainant’s name,
address, telephone number, and a
written description of the alleged
discriminatory action in sufficient detail
to inform the Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature
and date of an alleged civil rights
violation. The completed AD–3027 form
or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400
Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
DC 20250–9410; or
(2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202) 690–
7442; or
(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity
provider, employer, and lender.
Karama Neal,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative
Service.
[FR Doc. 2022–00653 Filed 1–13–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Speedway Solar Project: Notice of
Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement and Hold Public
Scoping Meeting on February 2, 2022
Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement and
hold public scoping meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Rural Utilities Service
(RUS) announces its intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and to hold a virtual public scoping
meeting in connection with possible
impacts related to a project proposed by
Speedway Solar LLC (Speedway Solar).
The primary scope of the EIS is to
evaluate the environmental impacts of
and alternatives to Speedway Solar’s
application for financial assistance to
develop the Speedway Solar Project
(Project), a 199-megawatt (MW) solar
array using photovoltaic (PV) modules
on private, primarily agricultural lands
in Shelby County, Indiana. RUS is
considering funding this application,
thereby making the proposed Project an
undertaking subject to review under the
National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA). RUS has determined that a
loan for the Project would be a federal
action and is, therefore, subject to
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) review.
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
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18:04 Jan 13, 2022
Jkt 256001
One virtual public scoping
meeting webinar will be held on
February 2, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. EST–
8:00 p.m. EST via Zoom. The public
scoping meeting will be conducted in a
virtual format with RUS and Speedway
Solar representatives. Attendees will be
able to submit comments during the
virtual public meeting orally or via the
chat function. The public scoping
meeting will be recorded and kept as
part of the Project record. Equal weight
will be given to oral and written (chat)
comments. More information about the
virtual public scoping meeting can be
found at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/
resources/environmental-studies/
impact-statements.
Written requests to participate as a
‘‘consulting party’’ or to provide
comments for consideration during the
scoping process for the proposed Project
must be received on or before February
14, 2022.
ADDRESSES: To request ‘‘consulting
party’’ status, submit comments, or for
further information, please contact:
SpeedwaySolarEIS@usda.gov. Although
electronic submittal is strongly
encouraged, written comments may also
be submitted by regular mail to United
States Department of Agriculture,
Attention: Peter Steinour, Mail Stop
1570, Rural Utilities Service, WEP/EES,
1400 Independence Ave. SW,
Washington, DC 20250.
Project-related information will be
available at RUS’s and Speedway Solar’s
websites located at: https://
www.rd.usda.gov/resources/
environmental-studies/impactstatements, and https://speedwaysolar.
com/. This includes the Alternative
Evaluation and Site Selection Studies
prepared for the project. Project
information will also be available at the
Shelby County Public Library
Morristown Branch at 127 E Main St.,
Morristown, IN.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RUS
is the lead federal agency, as defined at
40 CFR 1508.1(o), for preparation of the
EIS. With this notice, federal and state
agencies and federally-recognized
Tribes with jurisdiction or special
expertise are invited to be cooperating
agencies. Such agencies or tribes may
make a request to RUS to be a
cooperating agency by contacting the
RUS contact provided in this notice.
Designated cooperating agencies have
certain responsibilities to support the
NEPA and scoping process, as specified
at 40 CFR 1501.8.
In addition, RUS invites any affected
federal, state, and local agencies, Tribes,
and other interested persons to
comment on the scope, alternatives, and
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
2411
significant issues to be analyzed in
depth in the EIS.
Public participation is an integral
component of the environmental review
process for federal actions. Public
participation will be especially
important during the scoping phase of
the proposed Project. The RUS will be
seeking information, comments, and
assistance from federal, State, and local
agencies, Tribes, and other individuals
who may be interested in or affected by
the proposed Project. This input will be
used in preparing the Draft EIS.
Comments submitted during the scoping
process should be in writing. The
comments should describe as clearly
and completely as possible any issues,
concerns, or input commenters may
have so that they can be addressed
appropriately in the EIS.
The RUS is considering funding this
application, thereby making the
proposed Project an undertaking subject
to review under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA), 16 U.S.C. 470(f), and its
implementing regulation, ‘‘Protection of
Historic Properties’’ (36 CFR part 800).
Any party wishing to participate
directly with RUS as a ‘‘consulting
party’’ in Section 106 review may
submit a written request to the RUS
contact provided below. Pursuant to 36
CFR 800.3(f)(3), RUS will consider, and
provide a timely response to, any and
all requests for consulting party status.
The Project will consist of a 199megawatt (MW) solar array using
photovoltaic (PV) modules on private
lands in Shelby County, Indiana. The
Project consists of a 199–MW solar array
that will utilize PV modules. The
Project consists of two major
components: PV solar arrays (the main
Project footprint) and transmission
interconnection facilities (a collector
substation). The Project will be located
entirely on privately owned farmland in
a rural area in Shelby County, Indiana.
The Application Area encompasses
approximately 1,800 acres. Within the
Application Area, construction will
occur on an approximately 1,100-acre
project area.
Speedway Solar entered into a power
purchase agreement with Wabash Valley
Power Alliance (WVPA) for the solar
and energy storage project. WVPA’s
objective is to provide safe, adequate,
and reliable power to its members at the
lowest reasonable cost. The Project will
allow the Applicant to provide the
additional generation capacity needed
by WVPA to achieve these goals and to
serve electrical needs within the service
territories of their member cooperatives.
Among the alternatives that RUS will
address in the EIS is the No Action
E:\FR\FM\14JAN1.SGM
14JAN1
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
2412
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 10 / Friday, January 14, 2022 / Notices
alternative, under which the proposal
will not be undertaken or if RUS did not
fund the proposed Project, other sites
evaluated by Speedway Solar, and any
reasonable alternatives defined as a
result of the scoping process. In the EIS,
the effects of the proposal will be
compared to the existing conditions in
the affected area of the proposal. Public
health and safety, environmental
impacts (such as impacts to vegetation,
soils/prime farmland, wildlife/
endangered species, cultural resources,
and land use), socio-economic, and
engineering aspects of the proposal will
also be considered in the EIS.
As part of its broad environmental
review process, RUS must take into
account the effect of the proposal on
historic properties in accordance with
Section 106 of the NHPA (Section 106)
and its implementing regulation,
‘‘Protection of Historic Properties’’ (36
CFR 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
NHPA Section 106 review. Accordingly,
comments submitted in response to this
Notice will inform RUS decisionmaking during NHPA Section 106
review.
In addition to compliance with
Section 106, the Project will require
evaluation under Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act and will obtain
required state, county, and local
permits. The Project has received
approval from the Shelby County Board
of Zoning Appeals.
From information provided in the
studies mentioned above, and using
input provided by government agencies,
tribes, and the public, RUS will prepare
a Draft EIS. The Draft EIS will be filed
with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA) and will be available
for public comment by Spring 2022. At
that time, RUS and USEPA will publish
a notice of the availability of the Draft
EIS and notice of receipt, respectively,
in the Federal Register. In addition,
Speedway Solar will publish notices in
local newspapers and any online local
news sources. The comment period will
be 45 days from the date the EPA
publishes its Federal Register notice
announcing receipt of the Draft EIS.
To assist the involved federal agencies
in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposal,
comments on the Draft EIS should be as
specific as possible. It is also helpful if
the comments refer to the specific pages
or chapters of the Draft EIS. Comments
may also address the adequacy of the
Draft EIS or the merits of the
alternatives formulated and discussed in
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:04 Jan 13, 2022
Jkt 256001
the statement. Reviewers may wish to
refer to the CEQ’s regulations at 40 CFR
1503.3 in addressing these points. After
the comment period ends on the Draft
EIS, the comments will be analyzed,
considered, and responded to by the
agencies involved in preparing the Final
EIS.
The public will again have the
opportunity to review and comment on
the Final EIS. Upon completion of a 30day public comment period, the RUS
will document its decision regarding the
proposed Project and reasons for the
decision in a Record of Decision. A
public notice announcing the
availability of the Record of Decision
will be published in the Federal
Register and local newspapers.
Any final action by RUS related to the
proposal will be subject to, and
contingent upon, compliance with all
relevant executive orders and federal,
state, and local environmental laws and
regulations in addition to the
completion of the environmental review
requirements as prescribed in 7 CFR
1970, Environmental Policies and
Procedures.
Christopher A. McLean,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2022–00688 Filed 1–13–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–15–P
COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS
Notice of Public Meetings of the
Virginia Advisory Committee to the
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
U.S. Commission on Civil
Rights.
ACTION: Announcement of meeting.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given,
pursuant to the provisions of the rules
and regulations of the U.S. Commission
on Civil Rights (Commission) and the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, that
the Virginia Advisory Committee
(Committee) will hold a web meeting
via WebEx on Friday, February 11,
2022, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The
purpose of the meeting is to continue
reviewing testimony and discussing
potential speakers for the next briefing
on police accountability in the state.
DATES: The meeting will be held on:
Friday, February 11, 2022, at 2:00 p.m.
Eastern Time.
Online Registration: https://bit.ly/
3zyzYdG.
Join by Phone: 800–360–9505 USA
Toll Free; Access code: 2762 877 8065.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Melissa Wojnaroski, DFO, at
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
mwojnaroski@usccr.gov or (202) 618–
4158.
Members
of the public may listen to this
discussion through the above call-in
number. An open comment period will
be provided to allow members of the
public to make a statement as time
allows. Callers can expect to incur
regular charges for calls they initiate
over wireless lines, according to their
wireless plan. The Commission will not
refund any incurred charges. Callers
will incur no charge for calls they
initiate over land-line connections to
the toll-free telephone number.
Individual who is deaf, deafblind, and
hard of hearing may also follow the
proceedings by first calling the Federal
Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 and
providing the Service with the
conference call number and conference
ID number.
Members of the public are entitled to
submit written comments; the
comments must be received in the
regional office within 30 days following
the meeting. Written comments may be
emailed to Melissa Wojnaroski at
mwojnaroski@usccr.gov.
Records generated from this meeting
may be inspected and reproduced at the
Regional Programs Unit Office, as they
become available, both before and after
the meeting. Records of the meeting will
be available via www.facadatabase.gov
under the Commission on Civil Rights,
Virginia Advisory Committee link.
Persons interested in the work of this
Committee are directed to the
Commission’s website, https://
www.usccr.gov, or may contact the
Regional Programs Unit at the above
email or street address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Agenda
I. Welcome & Roll Call
II. SAC Discussion: Civil Rights and
Police Accountability in Virginia
III. Public Comments
IV. Adjournment
Dated: January 11, 2022.
David Mussatt,
Supervisory Chief, Regional Programs Unit.
[FR Doc. 2022–00665 Filed 1–13–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
E:\FR\FM\14JAN1.SGM
14JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 10 (Friday, January 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2411-2412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00688]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Speedway Solar Project: Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement and Hold Public Scoping Meeting on
February 2, 2022
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
and hold public scoping meeting.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces its intent to
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and to hold a virtual
public scoping meeting in connection with possible impacts related to a
project proposed by Speedway Solar LLC (Speedway Solar). The primary
scope of the EIS is to evaluate the environmental impacts of and
alternatives to Speedway Solar's application for financial assistance
to develop the Speedway Solar Project (Project), a 199-megawatt (MW)
solar array using photovoltaic (PV) modules on private, primarily
agricultural lands in Shelby County, Indiana. RUS is considering
funding this application, thereby making the proposed Project an
undertaking subject to review under the National Historic Preservation
Act (NHPA). RUS has determined that a loan for the Project would be a
federal action and is, therefore, subject to National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) review.
DATES: One virtual public scoping meeting webinar will be held on
February 2, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. EST-8:00 p.m. EST via Zoom. The public
scoping meeting will be conducted in a virtual format with RUS and
Speedway Solar representatives. Attendees will be able to submit
comments during the virtual public meeting orally or via the chat
function. The public scoping meeting will be recorded and kept as part
of the Project record. Equal weight will be given to oral and written
(chat) comments. More information about the virtual public scoping
meeting can be found at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/resources/environmental-studies/impact-statements.
Written requests to participate as a ``consulting party'' or to
provide comments for consideration during the scoping process for the
proposed Project must be received on or before February 14, 2022.
ADDRESSES: To request ``consulting party'' status, submit comments, or
for further information, please contact: [email protected].
Although electronic submittal is strongly encouraged, written comments
may also be submitted by regular mail to United States Department of
Agriculture, Attention: Peter Steinour, Mail Stop 1570, Rural Utilities
Service, WEP/EES, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250.
Project-related information will be available at RUS's and Speedway
Solar's websites located at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/resources/environmental-studies/impact-statements, and https://speedwaysolar.com/. This includes the Alternative Evaluation and Site
Selection Studies prepared for the project. Project information will
also be available at the Shelby County Public Library Morristown Branch
at 127 E Main St., Morristown, IN.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RUS is the lead federal agency, as
defined at 40 CFR 1508.1(o), for preparation of the EIS. With this
notice, federal and state agencies and federally-recognized Tribes with
jurisdiction or special expertise are invited to be cooperating
agencies. Such agencies or tribes may make a request to RUS to be a
cooperating agency by contacting the RUS contact provided in this
notice. Designated cooperating agencies have certain responsibilities
to support the NEPA and scoping process, as specified at 40 CFR 1501.8.
In addition, RUS invites any affected federal, state, and local
agencies, Tribes, and other interested persons to comment on the scope,
alternatives, and significant issues to be analyzed in depth in the
EIS.
Public participation is an integral component of the environmental
review process for federal actions. Public participation will be
especially important during the scoping phase of the proposed Project.
The RUS will be seeking information, comments, and assistance from
federal, State, and local agencies, Tribes, and other individuals who
may be interested in or affected by the proposed Project. This input
will be used in preparing the Draft EIS. Comments submitted during the
scoping process should be in writing. The comments should describe as
clearly and completely as possible any issues, concerns, or input
commenters may have so that they can be addressed appropriately in the
EIS.
The RUS is considering funding this application, thereby making the
proposed Project an undertaking subject to review under Section 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), 16 U.S.C. 470(f), and
its implementing regulation, ``Protection of Historic Properties'' (36
CFR part 800). Any party wishing to participate directly with RUS as a
``consulting party'' in Section 106 review may submit a written request
to the RUS contact provided below. Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.3(f)(3), RUS
will consider, and provide a timely response to, any and all requests
for consulting party status.
The Project will consist of a 199-megawatt (MW) solar array using
photovoltaic (PV) modules on private lands in Shelby County, Indiana.
The Project consists of a 199-MW solar array that will utilize PV
modules. The Project consists of two major components: PV solar arrays
(the main Project footprint) and transmission interconnection
facilities (a collector substation). The Project will be located
entirely on privately owned farmland in a rural area in Shelby County,
Indiana. The Application Area encompasses approximately 1,800 acres.
Within the Application Area, construction will occur on an
approximately 1,100-acre project area.
Speedway Solar entered into a power purchase agreement with Wabash
Valley Power Alliance (WVPA) for the solar and energy storage project.
WVPA's objective is to provide safe, adequate, and reliable power to
its members at the lowest reasonable cost. The Project will allow the
Applicant to provide the additional generation capacity needed by WVPA
to achieve these goals and to serve electrical needs within the service
territories of their member cooperatives.
Among the alternatives that RUS will address in the EIS is the No
Action
[[Page 2412]]
alternative, under which the proposal will not be undertaken or if RUS
did not fund the proposed Project, other sites evaluated by Speedway
Solar, and any reasonable alternatives defined as a result of the
scoping process. In the EIS, the effects of the proposal will be
compared to the existing conditions in the affected area of the
proposal. Public health and safety, environmental impacts (such as
impacts to vegetation, soils/prime farmland, wildlife/endangered
species, cultural resources, and land use), socio-economic, and
engineering aspects of the proposal will also be considered in the EIS.
As part of its broad environmental review process, RUS must take
into account the effect of the proposal on historic properties in
accordance with Section 106 of the NHPA (Section 106) and its
implementing regulation, ``Protection of Historic Properties'' (36 CFR
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 NHPA Section 106 review.
Accordingly, comments submitted in response to this Notice will inform
RUS decision-making during NHPA Section 106 review.
In addition to compliance with Section 106, the Project will
require evaluation under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and will
obtain required state, county, and local permits. The Project has
received approval from the Shelby County Board of Zoning Appeals.
From information provided in the studies mentioned above, and using
input provided by government agencies, tribes, and the public, RUS will
prepare a Draft EIS. The Draft EIS will be filed with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and will be available for
public comment by Spring 2022. At that time, RUS and USEPA will publish
a notice of the availability of the Draft EIS and notice of receipt,
respectively, in the Federal Register. In addition, Speedway Solar will
publish notices in local newspapers and any online local news sources.
The comment period will be 45 days from the date the EPA publishes its
Federal Register notice announcing receipt of the Draft EIS.
To assist the involved federal agencies in identifying and
considering issues and concerns on the proposal, comments on the Draft
EIS should be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if the
comments refer to the specific pages or chapters of the Draft EIS.
Comments may also address the adequacy of the Draft EIS or the merits
of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement.
Reviewers may wish to refer to the CEQ's regulations at 40 CFR 1503.3
in addressing these points. After the comment period ends on the Draft
EIS, the comments will be analyzed, considered, and responded to by the
agencies involved in preparing the Final EIS.
The public will again have the opportunity to review and comment on
the Final EIS. Upon completion of a 30-day public comment period, the
RUS will document its decision regarding the proposed Project and
reasons for the decision in a Record of Decision. A public notice
announcing the availability of the Record of Decision will be published
in the Federal Register and local newspapers.
Any final action by RUS related to the proposal will be subject to,
and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant executive orders and
federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations in
addition to the completion of the environmental review requirements as
prescribed in 7 CFR 1970, Environmental Policies and Procedures.
Christopher A. McLean,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2022-00688 Filed 1-13-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P
