Public Notice Announcing the Availability of a Finding of No Significant Impact
The United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development (RD) has made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a request for possible financing assistance to Elkhorn Solar, LLC for the construction of a solar array approximately five miles west of Elgin, NE. If the public wishes to obtain copies of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and FONSI, or for further information, contact: Jeff Carpenter, RD Energy Coordinator at (402) 437-5554 or jeff.carpenter@usda.gov or 100 Centennial Mall North, Suite 308, Lincoln, NE 68508. The EA and FONSI are also available for public review at the RD Office.
The proposed project consists of installing a 1.938 MW solar array on an approximately 30-acre site. Some tree clearing and grading will be required on the site. Disturbed areas will be revegetated with native seed mix.
The availability of the EA for public review was announced via notice in the Elgin Review on December 3, 2020 and December 10, 2020. A 14-day comment period was announced in the newspaper notice(s). The EA was also available for public review at the locations mentioned above. No public comments were received
Based on its EA, commitments made by the Elkhorn Solar, LLC, and lack of public comments received, RD has concluded that the project would have no significant impact (or no impacts) to water quality, wetlands, floodplains, land use, aesthetics, transportation, or human health and safety or on resources listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Therefore, RD has determined that this FONSI fulfills its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act, for its action related to the project.
PUBLISH: December 30, 2020 & January 6, 2021
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