# Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A95-12884 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** May 25, 1995 - **Citation:** 60 FR 27718 ## Text DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Utilities Service Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of availability of draft supplemental environmental impact statement. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are issuing a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) related to Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc.'s, (Seminole) proposed Hardee Unit 3. The DSEIS is a supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement issued in January 1991 by the Rural Electrification Administration (predecessor of RUS), with EPA, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as cooperating agencies, for their actions related to the Hardee Power Station. Hardee Unit 3 would increase the originally proposed ultimate output of the Hardee Power Station from 660 megawatts (MW) to 880 MW. RUS's federal action related to Hardee Unit 3 would be providing a loan guarantee to Seminole to cover the cost of project construction. EPA's federal action related to Hardee Unit 3 has, to date, been the preparation of the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit needed to operate the new unit. However, on May 1, 1995, EPA authorized the State of Florida to administer the NPDES Permit Program (with EPA program oversight retained). As such, EPA's role as an NPDES permitting agency has changed and EPA no longer has a direct federal action related to the proposed Hardee Unit 3. With program authorization, the NPDES permitting decision now is a state action as opposed to an EPA federal action. The notice for the Draft NPDES permit will be issued by the State of Florida. Despite program authorization, EPA nevertheless remains a cooperating agency to RUS for the DSEIS and will also have a role in the RUS National Environmental Policy Act process for Hardee Unit 3 by providing review and comment on the DSEIS and Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Hardee Unit 3 via its responsibilities pursuant to Section 309 of the Clean Air Act. The draft NPDES permit is Appendix A to the DSEIS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Lawrence R. Wolfe, Chief, Environmental Compliance Branch, Electric Staff Division, Rural Utilities Service, Ag. Box 1569, Washington, DC 20250, Telephone (202) 720-1784, Fax (202) 720-7491. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DSEIS for Hardee Unit 3 covers the construction and operation of 440 MW of additional generating capacity to be installed at the existing 1,300-acre Hardee Power Station site. The Hardee Power Station site is located in Hardee and Polk counties approximately 9 miles northwest of Wauchula, 16 miles south-southwest of Bartow, and 40 miles east of Tampa Bay. The site is bordered on the east by Hardee County Road 663, a CSX Railroad right-of-way, and CF Industries' Hardee Complex. IMC-Agrico properties surround the remaining portions of the site. Payne Creek flows along the southern and western boundary of the Hardee Power Station site. The proposed Hardee Unit 3 would occupy approximately 50 acres of this site. As proposed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Hardee Power Station, Hardee Power Partners has constructed and operates 295 MW of generation capacity at the Hardee Power Station and proposes an additional 145 MW of generation capacity there by the year 2003 for use by Seminole. Seminole originally proposed to construct and operate an additional 220 MW at the Hardee Power Station at a future date to be determined. That addition, along with Hardee Power Partners' 145 MW addition, would have increased the existing 295 MW Hardee Power Station capacity to 660 MW. Seminole now proposes in the DSEIS to construct 440 MW of additional capacity at the Hardee Power Station at a specified date, 1999, instead of the originally proposed 220 MW addition at an unspecified date. As now proposed, the Hardee Power Station Site would be made up of a total of 880 MW of capacity when completed. The proposed Hardee Unit 3 would consist of natural gas fired combustion turbines utilizing heat recovery steam generators that will operate efficiently by recovering heat from the combustion turbines. Fuel oil would be used as a backup source of fuel. These are the same type of generators already installed at the Hardee Power Station (295 MW) and the same type proposed for future installation (145 MW) at the site by Hardee Power Partners. The natural gas would be transported via an existing 18 inch diameter, underground gas pipeline connected to the Florida Gas Transmission System to the Hardee Power Station. Three existing 230 kilovolt transmission lines would be utilized to connect Hardee Unit 3 into the Florida transmission grid. Alternatives to the project as proposed included no action, design alternatives, alternative fuels, and conservation. Seminole has provided RUS with a Site Certification Application/ Environmental Analysis for Hardee Unit 3 which is the primary support document used by RUS to develop its DSEIS. RUS has concluded that the Site Certification Application/Environmental Analysis for Hardee Unit 3 represents an accurate assessment of the potential environmental impacts related to the proposed project. The Hardee Unit 3 Site Certification Application/Environmental Analysis has been incorporated by reference into the DSEIS and is available for inspection by interested parties at RUS or Seminole at the addresses provided in this notice. That document, along with the DSEIS, will also be available for review at the following libraries: Bartow Public Library, 315 E. Parker Street, Bartow, Florida 33830 Hardee County Library, 315 N. 6th Avenue, Suite 114, Wauchula, Florida 33837. Anyone wishing to comment on the DSEIS should do so in writing within the 45-day comment period to RUS at the appropriate address provided in this notice. All comments received during the comment period will be given consideration in the formulation of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for Hardee Unit 3. (Oral responses submitted by telephone will be considered, but it is recommended that comments be submitted in writing.) A copy of each written comment and a summary of each oral comment received will be included in the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Notice of availability of the DSEIS and the 45-day comment period is being published in the Federal Register by RUS and EPA. Seminole will have a notice similar to this one published in newspapers of general circulation in the proposed project area. As it is possible that RUS, EPA, and Seminole's notices will not appear on the same date, the 45-day comment period will begin on the date the latest notice (RUS, EPA or Seminole's) is published. Questions concerning the closing date of the 45-day comment period should be referred [[Page 27719]] to Mr. Lawrence Wolfe at (202) 720-1784. Dated: May 22, 1995. Adam M. Golodner, Deputy Administrator, Program Operations. [FR Doc. 95-12884 Filed 5-24-95; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-15-M --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A95-12884. Public record. Not legal advice.