[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 198 (Friday, October 14, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-25467]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 14, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Electrification Administration
Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative; Finding of No
Significant Impact
AGENCY: Rural Electrification Administration, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Electrification
Administration (REA) has made a finding of no significant impact
(FONSI), with respect to the potential environmental impact resulting
from a proposal by Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative (PNGC), to
construct and operate the Coffin Butte Resource Project in Benton
County, Oregon. The FONSI is based on a Borrower's Environmental Report
(BER) prepared for PNGC by CH2M Hill and submitted to REA covering the
proposed action. REA conducted an independent evaluation of the BER and
concurs with its scope and content. In accordance with REA
Environmental Policies and Procedures, 7 CFR 1794.61, REA has adopted
the BER as its environmental assessment for this project.
REA has concluded that the impacts associated with the proposed
project would not be significant and that the proposed action is not a
major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human
environment. Therefore the preparation of an environmental impact
statement is not necessary.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence R. Wolfe, Chief,
Environmental Compliance Branch, Electric Staff Division, room 1246,
South Agriculture Building, Rural Electrification Administration,
Washington, DC 20250-1500, telephone (202) 720-1784.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed project will be located in
Benton County, near the city of Adair Village and approximately 10
miles north of Corvallis, Oregon. The 11.4 acre plant site is located
adjacent to Coffin Butte Road and State Highway 99W. The site, which is
owned by Valley Landfills, Inc. (VLI), is immediately adjacent to VLI's
Coffin Butte Landfill. PNGC proposes to construct and operate a 2.2
megawatt (MW) net diesel electric generation facility that will be
fueled by methane gas collected from the adjacent VLI landfill. The
generation facilities will initially consist of three 850 kilowatt
diesel engines designed to burn landfill gas. Planned expansion of the
landfill is expected to provide sufficient methane to fuel three
additional diesel units. The engines will be enclosed in a sound
treated building that will be approximately 80 feet long by 45 feet
wide and 20 feet high. The exhaust stack on each engine will extend
approximately 5 feet above the top of the building. A pipe system,
installed by VLI, will collect the landfill gas and deliver the gas to
a compressor in the generating facility. Access to the enclosed fenced
site will be via a single lane gravel road from Coffin Butte Road. A
12.5 kilovolt overhead powerline will connect the facility to the
existing 12.5 kV distribution line of Consumers Power, Inc., (CPI) a
PNGC member. The distribution line is located adjacent and parallel to
Coffin Butte Road.
Alternatives examined for the proposed project included no action,
energy conservation, purchased power, and alternative generating
technologies. REA has considered these alternatives and has concluded
that the project as proposed will meet the needs of PNGC and CPI with a
minimum of adverse impacts.
Based on analysis of the adopted BER and other available project
related information, REA has concluded that construction and operation
of the proposed Coffin Butte Resource Project will have no significant
impact on air quality, wetlands, existing land uses, or flora and
fauna. In addition, REA has determined that construction and operation
of the proposed project will have no effect on water quality, important
farmland, floodplains, cultural resources, federally listed threatened
and endangered species or designated critical habitat, or species
proposed for listing or proposed critical habitat. No other potential
significant impact resulting from the construction and operation of the
proposed project has been identified.
In accordance with REA Environmental Policies and Procedures for
Electric and Telephone Borrowers, 7 CFR part 1794, PNGC published
notices in the Corvallis Gazette Times on August 25 and 26, 1994. The
notices announced the project and identified locations at which the BER
could be reviewed. No comments were received. Copies of the BER and
FONSI are available for review at, or can be obtained from REA at the
address provided herein or obtained from the offices of Pacific
Northwest Generating Cooperative, 771 Northeast Halsey Street, Suite
200, Portland, Oregon 97232-1288, during normal business hours.
Dated: October 9, 1994.
Adam M. Golodner,
Deputy Administrator--Program Operations.
[FR Doc. 94-25467 Filed 10-13-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P
