Rural Utilities Service March 3, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 7 CFR 1794 related to possible financial assistance to Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc (Minnkota) for the construction of a 230 kilovolt (kV) kV transmission line between the Wilton Substation near Bemidji, Minnesota, and the Boswell Substation near Grand Rapids, Minnesota in Beltrami, Hubbard, Itasca, and Cass counties. To minimize duplication of effort pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.2, RUS prepared the Draft EIS jointly with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (Commerce), Office of Energy Security (OES) in compliance with federal responsibilities under NEPA and other federal statutes and regulations, and state responsibilities under the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act and the Minnesota Power Plant Siting Act. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Forest Service Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe are cooperating agencies for this Draft EIS.