[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 139 (Monday, July 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38971-38972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-19025]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative; Finding of No Significant
Impact
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of finding of no significant impact.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS)
has made a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) with respect to a
request from Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative for financing assistance
from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) related to the construction of a
new operations center in Richland County, South Carolina.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Quigel, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Engineering and
[[Page 38972]]
Environmental Staff, RUS, Stop 1571, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-1571, telephone (202) 720-0468, E-mail at
bquigel@rus.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The new operations center is proposed to be
located northeast of the town of Irmo, South Carolina, on the northern
side of U.S. Highway 176 just east of the Interstate 26/101
Interchange. The size of the proposed site for the new operations
center is approximately 6 acres.
The new operations center will consist of a 20,000 square foot
office/operations center building, a 20,000 square foot warehouse, a
one-acre asphalt outside storage area with concrete pads for electrical
equipment and wire storage, a vehicle refueling area including one fuel
pump for gasoline and one pump for diesel fuel, two double-walled
10,000 gallon underground fuel storage tanks (one for gasoline and one
for diesel fuel) with leak detection and monitoring, a 30 kilowatt
standby electric generator with 500 gallon aboveground, diesel fuel
storage tank, and parking and paved areas to accommodate 50 employees
and visitor vehicles and 10 utility trucks. The facade of the two
buildings that make up the office/operations center will be masonry or
metal. The majority of the area surrounding the proposed new operations
center will not be fenced; however, the outside pole yard will be
enclosed by a 7-foot high chain link fence topped with 3 strands of
barbed wire.
RUS considered the alternatives of no action and 3 alternative site
locations. Under the no action alternative, RUS would not approve
financing assistance for construction of the new operations center.
Since RUS believes that Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative has a need to
expand its operations facility to provide better response times by
maintenance and repair crews to the northern part of its service
territory and to avoid future overcrowding at its existing headquarters
facility located in Lexington, South Carolina, the no action
alternative is not considered to be acceptable. The preferred site is
considered to be the best location for the new operations center and is
currently owned by Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative.
Copies of the BER and FONSI are available for review at, or can be
obtained from, RUS at the address provided herein or from Mr. Russ C.
Dantzler, Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, 254 Longs Pond Road, P.O.
Drawer 669, Lexington, South Carolina 29071-0669, telephone (803) 359-
5551.
Dated: July 11, 1997.
Adam M. Golodner,
Deputy Administrator, Program Operations.
[FR Doc. 97-19025 Filed 7-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P
