AGENCY: Rural Development, USDA
ACTION: Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact.
SUMMARY: Rural Development (RD) has made a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to a request for possible financing assistance to Kingbrook Rural Water System for the construction of the 2017 Improvements in Clark, Beadle, Brookings, Hamlin, Kingsbury, Lake, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, and Sanborn counties of South Dakota.
FURTHER INFORMATION: To obtain copies of the EA and FONSI, or for further information, contact: Dana Kleinsasser, State Environmental Coordinator, at 1(605)352-1157. The EA and FONSI are also available for public review per request.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed project consists of approximately 160 miles of pipeline, new pump stations for users on the fringes of the KBRW system, upgrades to existing booster pumping stations on core pipelines, additional source and treatment capacity, and additional water storage in the system. Alternatives considered by RD and Kingbrook Rural Water System include: No action; Alternative pipe routes (New Connections); Other reliability improvement options (Capacity and Reliability); Repurpose the Arlington Booster Station (Booster Station Upgrade); Increase production at the Bruce Water Treatment Plant (Bruce WTP Upgrade); Expand the Badger Station (Badger Station Upgrade); Replace current pumps at Badger Station (Badger Station Upgrade). The alternatives are discussed in the Kingbrook Rural Water Systems, Inc.’s. 2017 Improvements EA. RD has reviewed and approved the EA for the proposed project.
The availability of the EA for public review was first announced on or before November 28, 2017 via notice in the following newspaper(s): Miner County Pioneer (Miner County), Hamlin County Republican (Hamlin County), Arlington Sun (Kingsbury County), DeSmet News (Kingsbury County), Lake Preston Times (Kingsbury County), Volga Tribune (Brookings County), Brookings Register (Brookings County), Huron Daily Plainsman (Beadle County), Clark County Courier (Clark County), Montrose Herald (McCook County), Madison Daily Leader (Lake County), Argus Leader (Minnehaha County), Moody County Enterprise (Moody County), Sanborn Weekly Journal (Sanborn County). A 20-day comment period was announced in the newspaper notice(s). The EA was also available for public review at the USDA Rural Development office as well as Kingbrook Rural Water System office. No comments have been received.
Based on its EA, commitments made by Kingbrook Rural Water System, and 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. The proposed project will have no adverse effect on resources listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Agency has also concluded that the proposed project is not likely to affect federally listed threatened and endangered species or designated critical habitat thereof. The proposed project would not disproportionately affect minority and/or low-income populations.
No other potential significant impacts resulting from the proposed project have been identified. Therefore,  RD has determined that this FONSI fulfills its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR §§ 1500-1508), and USDA Rural Development’s Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR Part 1970) for its action related to the project.
RD is satisfied that the environmental impacts of the proposed project have been adequately addressed. RD’s federal action would not result in significant impacts to the quality of the human environment, and as such it will not prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for its action related to the proposed project.
Dated: December 19, 2016.