News and Events
These newsletters are also published in the center section of the Country Living Magazine.This magazine is sent to all members of Flint Hills RECA as a means of keeping you informed of business and news about "your" cooperative. If you would like to read articles from the magazine, look up recipes, or see what is happening with cooperatives in Kansas, visit kclonline.com.
FEMA PUBLIC NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY REVISED DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
for
FLINT HILLS RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
K-57 SUBSTATION CONSTRUCTION
GEARY COUNTY, KANSAS
HMGP-DR-4640-02-KS
Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared a revised Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations in order to provide federal funds to the Flint Fills Rural Electric Cooperative (Flint Hills REC), through Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM). Severe winter storms and straight- line winds and flooding throughout Kansas resulted in a Presidentially declared Major Disaster Declaration FEMA-4640-DR-KS declared on February 17, 2022. This declaration makes Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding available in accordance with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1974 (Stafford Act; 42 U.S.C. 5172), as amended.
Flint Hills REC purchased 15 acres of pastureland to build a new electric substation and associated structures, including a substation transformer with a concrete containment basin underneath, regulators, bus support structures including overhead conduit that carries/supports the conductors/wires, and protection equipment such as electronic reclosers. The GPS coordinates of the 4 corners of the project location are:
39.018864, -96.764369
39.018917, -96.761681
39.016569, -96.764203
39.016578, -96.761553
Less than 700 feet of 115kV transmission line will be constructed approximately two miles southeast of Grandview Plaza Kansas to provide the substation with a source of power. The new substation will be on a separate transmission grid and will be positioned between an existing substation in Grandview Plaza, Kansas and an existing substation near Dwight, Kansas.
FEMA prepared and published in July 2024 a Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) for the proposed project according to the requirements of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Instruction Manual on Implementation of the NEPA, Instruction Number: 023-01-001, Revision 01 (DHS Instruction 023-01); and FEMA Directive 108-1, and FEMA Instruction 108-01-1: Instruction on Implementation of the Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Responsibilities and Program Requirements (EHP Instruction). The Draft EA assessed the potential impacts of the proposed action on the human and natural environment. It evaluated alternatives for compliance with applicable environmental laws and executive orders, including the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and Executive Orders 11988 (Floodplain Management), and 11990 (Protection of Wetlands).
Consistent with Executive Order 14154 (Unleashing American Energy), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is in the process of rescinding the NEPA regulations and working with Federal agencies to revise or establish their own NEPA implementing procedures. Per CEQ Guidance, while revisions are ongoing agencies should continue to follow their existing practices and procedures implementing NEPA and can voluntary rely on the regulation in 40 CFR 1500-1508 in completing ongoing NEPA reviews (Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act, February 19, 2025). Therefore, FEMA revised the Flint Hills REC Substation EA as appropriate. There were no changes to the analysis, determinations, or project conditions.
The Flint Hills Rural Electric Cooperative K-57 Substation Construction Revised EA will be available for download from FEMA’s website at Region 7 - Environmental Documents and Public Notices | FEMA.gov. The appendices are available upon request. A copy of the EA will be posted on the website of Kansas Department of Emergency Management (KDEM). Input received during the 10-day public comment period will be documented, together with responses thereto, in a subsequent Final Environmental Assessment and FEMA decision document. In accordance with 44 CFR Part 9.12(c) this notice will also constitute a final public notice for Step 7 of the 8-Step Floodplain Analysis required by EO 11988, Floodplain Management.
The public comment period will end 10 days after the date of this publication on the FEMA website listed above. Written comments on the EA can be mailed or e-mailed to the contact below. If no substantive comments are received, the EA will become final and a Finding of No Significant Impact will be signed. Substantive comments will be addressed as appropriate in the final documents. Contact: FEMA Region 7-DR 4640, Attn: Regional Environmental Officer, Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation Branch, Mitigation Division, FEMA Region 7, 11224 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131, or via email to the FEMA Region 7 Acting Regional Environmental Officer at edward.hubert@fema.dhs.gov.
