[Federal Register: January 4, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 2)]
[Notices]
[Page 379-381]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04ja11-85]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
[LLWY920000.51010000.ER0000-LVRWK09K1160; WYW177893; COC72929;
UTU87238; NVN86732]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the TransWest Express 600 kV Direct Current Transmission Project in
Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada (DOE/EIS-0450), and Notice of
Potential for Land Use Plan Amendments
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Western Area Power
Administration, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State Office,
Cheyenne, Wyoming, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) analyzing the impacts of a right-of-way (ROW) application for the
TransWest Express 600-kilovolt (kV) Direct Current Transmission Project
(Project) and potential land use plan amendments. The Western Area
Power Administration (Western) is a joint lead agency with the BLM for
the EIS preparation. Western is a power-marketing agency within the
Department of Energy (DOE) and is proposing to jointly own the Project
with TransWest Express, LLC. TransWest Express, LLC is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Anschutz Corporation. The EIS will be prepared in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA).
DATES: This notice initiates a 90-day public scoping period that will
assist in the preparation of a Draft EIS. The scoping period will end
on April 4, 2011, or 15 days after the date of the last public scoping
meeting, whichever is later.
To provide the public an opportunity to review the proposal and
project information, the BLM and Western expect to hold 22 open-house
meetings at various locations in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada
during the public scoping period. The exact dates, times, and locations
for these meetings will be announced at least 15 days prior to the
event through local media, newspapers, newsletters, and posting on the
BLM Web site at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/HighDesert/
transwest.html. To be considered in the Draft EIS, comments must be
received prior to the close of the scoping period.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Project by any of the
following methods:
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, TransWest
Express Transmission Project, P.O. Box 20678, 5353 Yellowstone Road,
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003, Attention: Sharon Knowlton.
E-mail: TransWest_WYMail@blm.gov.
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/HighDesert/
transwest.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon Knowlton, BLM Project Manager;
telephone (307) 775-6124; e-mail: TransWest_WYMail@blm.gov; mailing
address: BLM, Wyoming State Office, P.O. Box 20678, Cheyenne, Wyoming
82003.
For information about Western's involvement, contact Liana Reilly,
Western NEPA Document Manager; telephone (720) 962-7253; e-mail:
reilly@wapa.gov; address: Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box
281213, Lakewood, Colorado 80228-8213.
For general information on the DOE's NEPA review procedures or on
the status of a NEPA review, contact Carol M. Borgstrom, Director of
NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, telephone (202) 586-
4600 or toll free at (800) 472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under Federal law, the BLM, the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS), and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) are each
responsible for responding to right-of-way (ROW) applications for lands
within their respective jurisdictions. Some of the land that may be
considered for this right-of-way is within the jurisdictions of the
USFS and Reclamation. The USFS and Reclamation are cooperating agencies
in the preparation of this EIS. This notice announces the beginning of
a 90-day public scoping process for the EIS.
TransWest Express, LLC has filed a ROW application with the BLM,
the USFS, and Reclamation proposing to construct, operate, maintain,
and decommission the Project. The Project consists of an overhead
transmission line extending approximately 725 miles from south-central
Wyoming crossing Colorado and Utah, with a potential interconnection at
the Intermountain Power Project near Delta, Utah, and terminating at
the Marketplace Hub in southern Nevada. This Project would include two
AC/DC converter stations,
[[Page 380]]
about 200 acres in size at each terminating point, a fiber optic
network communications system, and two ground electrode facilities,
each about 600 acres in size. When completed, this Project would
transmit about 3,000 megawatts of electricity per year generated
primarily from renewable resources at planned facilities in Wyoming.
The requested right-of-way width on Federal lands is 250 feet. The
proposal would predominantly use steel lattice towers 100 to 180 feet
in height with average spans between towers of 900 to 1,500 feet.
Temporary access roads up to 24-feet wide would be required. Temporary
workspace would be needed during construction for batch plant sites,
structure work areas and materials storage, conductor tensioning sites,
and vehicles and equipment. Proposed routes cross Federal, State and
private lands and include portions of designated utility corridors on
Federal land and parallel portions of existing overhead and underground
utilities and roadways, as well as portions of undisturbed areas.
Under Section 402 of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act
(Recovery Act), 42 U.S.C. 16421a, Public Law 111-5, 123 Stat. 141, Div
A, Title IV, 402 (2009) (adding Section 301 to the Hoover Power Plant
Act of 1984, Pub. L. 98-381, Title III, 301), Western may borrow funds
from the United States Treasury to construct, finance, facilitate,
plan, operate, maintain, and/or study construction of new or upgraded
electric power transmission lines and related facilities with at least
one terminus in Western's marketing area, that deliver or facilitate
the delivery of power from renewable resources constructed or
reasonably expected to be constructed after the date of enactment of
the Recovery Act. Western is proposing to participate as a joint owner
in the Project and as part of that proposal, Western is evaluating
obtaining the ROWs necessary for those portions of the Project on
private and State lands. Western may also apply for ROW grants over
part of the Federal land and if this occurs, TransWest Express would
concurrently modify its application to describe the remaining portions
of the Federal land.
Actions that result in a change in the scope of resource uses,
terms and conditions, and decisions of Federal agency land use plans
may require amendment of those plans. Approval of this proposal may
result in the amendment(s) of USFS Land Management Plans (LMPs) and BLM
Resource Management Plans (RMPs). Because of the congestion in the Las
Vegas, Nevada area an alternative may be considered that would require
a National Park Service (NPS) Management Plan amendment to implement.
As required by 43 CFR 1610.2(c), the BLM notifies the public of
potential amendments to RMPs and, pursuant to 36 CFR 219.9, the USFS
notifies the public of potential amendments to LMPs. Any authorizations
and actions proposed for approval in the EIS will be evaluated to
determine if they conform to the decisions in the referenced land use
plans. If amendments are needed, the BLM and the USFS would integrate
the land-use planning process as described in 43 CFR part 1610 and 36
CFR 219.8, respectively, with this EIS process as they proceed with
NEPA compliance for the proposed Project. If the BLM or the USFS
determine that plan amendments are necessary, compliance with NEPA for
any land use plan amendments would occur simultaneously with the
consideration of the Project.
The BLM plans that may be amended include the Colorado Canyons
National Conservation Area RMP, the Rawlins RMP, the Rock Springs RMP,
the Kemmerer RMP, the Grand Junction RMP, the Glenwood Springs RMP, the
Little Snake RMP, the White River RMP, the Cedar-Beaver-Garfield-
Antimony RMP, the House Range RMP, the Warm Springs RMP, the Kanab RMP,
the Moab RMP, the Price RMP, the Richfield RMP, the St. George RMP, the
Vernal RMP, Beaver Dam Wash Area of Critical Environmental Concern RMP,
the Ely RMP, the Caliente RMP, and the Las Vegas RMP. The USFS Plans
that may be amended include the Ashley National Forest Plan, the White
River National Forest Revised Plan, the Dixie National Forest Plan, the
Fishlake National Forest Plan, the Manti-La Sal National Forest Plan,
the Uinta National Forest Plan, the Humboldt National Forest Plan, and
the Toiyabe National Forest Plan. The NPS Plan that may be considered
for amendment is the Lake Mead National Recreation Area Lake Management
Plan. Only the BLM may amend a BLM RMP; only the USFS may amend a
Forest Plan; and only the NPS may amend a National Park Service Plan.
The NPS is not a formal cooperator in this EIS so any plan amendment
process it may undertake would be considered separately.
A Programmatic EIS was prepared by the Department of the Interior
and the Department of Energy for energy corridors in 11 western States
and completed in January 2009. The Records of Decision for this EIS
designated energy transmission corridors and provided guidance, best
management practices, and mitigation measures to be used for any power
lines proposed to be constructed within the corridors. The Project
proposes to use the corridors identified in the ROD to the maximum
extent possible. No BLM plan amendments will be needed if the right-of-
way remains within designated corridors.
The BLM and Western are joint lead agencies for this EIS as defined
at 40 CFR 1501.5. Agencies with jurisdiction by law or special
expertise have been invited to participate as cooperating agencies in
preparation of the EIS. The following agencies have agreed to
participate as cooperating agencies: The USFS, Intermountain Region;
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division; Reclamation,
Lower Colorado Region; the U.S. Navy Region Southwest; the States of
Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada; Garfield, Mesa, Moffat, and Rio-
Blanco counties in Colorado; Beaver, Duchesne, Emery, Juab, Millard,
Piute, Sanpete, Uintah, Wasatch, and Washington counties in Utah;
Lincoln and Clark counties in Nevada and the Little Snake River
Conservation District, Medicine Bow Conservation District, Saratoga-
Encampment-Rawlins Conservation District, and Sweetwater County
Conservation District, Wyoming. The Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, the
Moapa Band of Paiute, and the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe are also
cooperating agencies.
During the public scoping period, the BLM and Western will solicit
public comments on behalf of all cooperating agencies regarding issues,
concerns, and opportunities that should be considered in the analysis
of the proposed action. Comments on issues and potential impacts, or
suggestions for additional or different alternatives may be submitted
to the addresses listed in the ADDRESSES section. Documents pertinent
to the ROW application for the project may be examined at:
BLM, Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road,
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009.
BLM, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. Third Street, Rawlins,
Wyoming 82301.
BLM, Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway. 191 N., Rock
Springs, Wyoming 82901.
BLM, Little Snake Field Office, 455 Emerson Street, Craig,
Colorado 81625.
BLM, White River Field Office, 220 East Market Street,
Meeker, Colorado 81641.
BLM, Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, Grand
Junction, Colorado 81506.
BLM, Cedar City Field Office, 176 D.L. Sargent Drive,
Cedar City, Utah 84721.
[[Page 381]]
BLM, Fillmore Field Office, 35 East, 500 North, Fillmore,
Utah 84631.
BLM, Kanab Field Office, 318 North, 100 East, Kanab, Utah
84741.
BLM, Moab Field Office, 82 E. Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532.
BLM, Price Field Office, 125 South, 600 West, Price, Utah
84501.
BLM, Richfield Field Office, 150 East, 900 North,
Richfield, Utah 84701.
BLM, St. George Field Office, 345 East Riverside Drive,
Saint. George, Utah 84790.
BLM, Salt Lake Field Office, 2370 South, 2300 West, Salt
Lake City, Utah 84119.
BLM, Vernal Field Office, 170 South, 500 East, Vernal,
Utah 84078.
BLM, Egan Field Office, 702 North Industrial Way, HC33,
Ely, Nevada 89301.
BLM, Caliente Field Office, U.S. Highway. 93, Building.
1, Caliente, Nevada 89008.
BLM, Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive,
Las Vegas, Nevada 89130.
USFS (Lead Forest Office), Dixie National Forest Office,
1789 North Wedgewood Lane, Cedar City, Utah 84721.
Your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you may
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
The public scoping will help determine relevant issues that can
influence the scope of the environmental analysis, alternatives, and
the process for developing the EIS. The BLM and the USFS, other
agencies, cooperators, and individuals have preliminarily identified
the following issues that will be addressed in the EIS: Socioeconomic
impacts; public health and safety; plant and animal species (including
special and sensitive status species, desert tortoise and sage-grouse);
cultural resources and historic sites; visual intrusions; lands with
wilderness characteristics; national scenic and historic trails; wild
and scenic rivers; and inventoried roadless areas on National Forests.
Public meetings will also be held during the scoping period. The
BLM staff, Western staff, and Project proponents will be available at
the public meetings to explain Project details and gather information
from interested individuals or groups. The USFS and other cooperating
agencies are expected to participate in the public meetings. The BLM,
Western, and cooperating agencies will also provide additional
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Draft
EIS.
Because the proposed Project may involve activities and
construction in floodplains or wetlands, this NOI also serves as a
notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action, in accordance with DOE
regulations for Compliance with Floodplain and Wetlands Environmental
Review Requirements, 10 CFR 1022.12(a). The EIS will include a
floodplain/wetland assessment and, if required, a floodplain statement
of findings will be issued with the Final EIS or in the RODs issued by
Western, the BLM, and the USFS, if any.
The BLM and Western will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting
process to satisfy the public involvement process for Section 106 of
the National Historic Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 470f, as provided for
in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Consultation with Native American Tribes will be
conducted in accordance with applicable policies, and Tribal concerns,
including impacts on Indian trust assets, will be given due
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with other
stakeholders that may be interested or affected by the BLM, USFS, or
Western's decisions on the project are invited to participate in the
scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the
BLM and Western to participate as a cooperating agency.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator, Western Area Power Administration.
Donald A. Simpson,
Wyoming State Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-33180 Filed 1-3-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P