[Federal Register: July 27, 2009 (Volume 74, Number =
142)]
[Notices] =20
[Page 37052-37053]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27jy09-69] =20
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLORB06000 L14300000.ER0000.241A000; HAG 9-0188]
=20
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and=20
Possible Resource Management Plan Amendments for the North Steens=20
Transmission Line Project in Harney County, OR
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Burns District Office,=20
Oregon, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and=20
to solicit public comments pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the=20
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 in response to a=20
right-of-way application filed by Echanis, LLC, for the proposed North=20
Steens Transmission Line Project. The project will involve BLM-
administered public lands, private lands, and lands administered by the=20
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge,=20
Harney County, Oregon.
DATES: This notice initiates public scoping. Scoping comments shall be=20
submitted on or before August 26, 2009.
The BLM will announce public scoping meetings to identify relevant=20
issues through local news media, newsletters, and the BLM Web site=20
(http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.ht=
ml&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns) =
at least 15 days prior to each=20
meeting. Public meetings will tentatively be held in Burns, Bend,=20
Diamond, and Frenchglen, Oregon, and other communities if the interest=20
warrants. We will provide additional opportunities for public=20
participation upon publication of the Draft EIS, including a public=20
comment period.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to the North Steens Transmission=20
Line Project Lead, BLM Burns District Office, 28910 Highway 20 West,=20
Hines, Oregon 97738; Fax (541) 573-4411; or e-mail: OR_Burns_NS_
Transmission_Line_EIS@blm.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have=20
your name added to our mailing list, contact the North Steens=20
Transmission Line Project Lead, BLM Burns District Office, 28910=20
Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738; (541) 573-4400; Fax (541) 573-
4411; or e-mail: OR_Burns_NS_Tra=
nsmission_Line_EIS@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In December 2008, Harney Electric=20
Cooperative filed a preliminary application for a right-of-way with the=20
BLM for construction, operation, maintenance, and termination of a 29-
mile long 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line that would connect the=20
Echanis Wind Energy Project with Harney Electric Cooperative's existing=20
transmission system near Diamond Junction, Oregon. The application was=20
subsequently assigned to Echanis, LLC, a subsidiary of Columbia Energy=20
Partners, LLC, who proposes to fund, construct, and oversee the initial=20
development and commissioning of the project. Upon commission, the=20
transmission line would be deeded to Harney Electric Cooperative for=20
long-term operation and maintenance as part of their electric=20
transmission and distribution system in southeast Oregon and northern=20
Nevada. The purpose of the project would be to transmit up to=20
approximately 103.5 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy from the Echanis=20
Wind Energy Project to target service areas in the Pacific Northwest.=20
The proposed transmission project would also be designed with=20
additional capacity to conduct power generated from other possible=20
renewable energy generation facilities that may be planned in the=20
future. The proposed transmission line would begin at the Echanis Wind=20
Energy Project southeast of Diamond, Oregon, on private lands, and end=20
at Harney Electric Cooperative's existing 115 kilovolt (kV) line near=20
Diamond Junction. The proposed line would cross approximately 19 miles=20
of private land, 9 miles of public land administered by the BLM, and=20
1.3 miles of land on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge managed by=20
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including a span over the Blitzen=20
Valley of approximately 1,800 feet. Echanis, LLC, proposes to utilize=20
steel structures approximately 90 to 140 feet in height with average=20
spans between towers of 700 feet. The proposed right-of-way would be=20
150 feet wide. Additional temporary work space would also be required=20
during construction for material storage, line tensioning sites, and=20
construction access.
[[Page 37053]]
The Echanis Wind Energy Project is to be located entirely within=20
private lands. A conditional use permit for the wind project was issued=20
to Columbia Energy Partners by Harney County in April 2007. Although=20
wind testing and project feasibility studies are currently ongoing on=20
private, State, and Federal lands in several areas throughout Harney=20
County, the Echanis project is the only wind energy project approved=20
for development, to date, by Harney County or any other jurisdiction.=20
Currently there are no transmission facilities available in the=20
Diamond/North Steens area to transport electrical power produced from=20
the Echanis Wind Energy Project to the existing transmission grid.
Public scoping will aid in determining relevant issues influencing=20
the scope of the environmental analysis, including alternatives, and=20
guide the process for developing the EIS. At present, the BLM has=20
identified the following preliminary issues: sage-grouse, migratory=20
birds, recreation, local and regional social/economic conditions,=20
visual resource management, and special management areas including the=20
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and=20
the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area.
An interdisciplinary approach will be used to develop the EIS in=20
order to consider the variety of resource issues and concerns=20
identified through the scoping process. Resources addressed in the EIS=20
process will include (but are not limited to) air quality, American=20
Indian traditional practices, biological soil crusts, cultural=20
heritage, fire management, fisheries, grazing management, migratory=20
birds, minerals, noxious weeds, recreation, soils, social/economic=20
values, special status species, transportation/roads, vegetation,=20
visual resources, water quality, riparian zones, wildlife, and=20
wilderness values. The BLM will analyze the proposed action and no=20
action alternatives, as well as other reasonable alternatives to the=20
proposed transmission line location, access routes, and construction/
design methods.
Authorization of this proposal may require amendments to one or=20
more Resource Management Plans (RMP). By this notice, the BLM is=20
complying with requirements in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) to notify the public of=20
potential RMP amendments, predicated on the findings of the EIS. If RMP=20
amendments are necessary, the BLM will integrate the RMP process with=20
the NEPA process for this project.
Any authorization of the project on Malheur National Wildlife=20
Refuge lands would require a formal determination by the U.S. Fish and=20
Wildlife Service that the proposal is compatible with Refuge purposes.=20
This compatibility determination would be incorporated into the NEPA=20
process for this project.
The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the NEPA analysis process=20
and preparation of the EIS. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Malheur=20
National Wildlife Refuge and Harney County have agreed to be=20
cooperating agencies in the EIS. Other potential cooperating agencies=20
identified at this time include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Bend=20
Field Office, Burns Paiute Tribe, and State of Oregon Department of=20
Fish and Wildlife. Other cooperating agencies having specific expertise=20
or interests in the project could also be invited to participate based=20
on the outcome of scoping.
You may submit comments on issues in writing to the BLM at any=20
public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the BLM using one of=20
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. Comments, including=20
the names and addresses of respondents will be available for public=20
review at the BLM Burns District Office during regular business hours=20
7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, and may=20
be published as part of the EIS. Before including your address, phone=20
number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in=20
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including=20
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available=20
at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your=20
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot=20
guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from=20
organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying=20
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or=20
businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.
(Authority: 43 CFR part 2800)
Joan Suther,
Acting Burns District Manager.
[FR Doc. E9-17780 Filed 7-24-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P