[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 169 (Thursday, August 31, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45489-45490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-21617]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WY-030-94-5101-00-K014; WYW-130382]


Kenetech Windpower, Wyoming Wind Energy Project, Availability of 
Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of final environmental impact statement 
(FEIS) for the Kenetech Windpower, Wyoming Wind Energy Project, Carbon 
County, Wyoming.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Wyoming State Office 
announces the availability of the FEIS for the Kenetech/PacifiCorp 
Windpower Project. A total of 1,390 wind turbines and associated 
facilities (including approximately 29 miles of 230 kV powerline) would 
be constructed on 60,619 acres of private, Federal, and State lands, 
over a 10 to 12 year development period, in Carbon County, Wyoming. BLM 
will issue a right-of-way grant under Section 501 of the Federal Land 
Policy and Management Act of 1976 for the wind energy facilities and 
powerline.
    The U.S. Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is a cooperating 
agency for this project. BPA will base a decision to purchase 25 
megawatts (Mw) of power from the project under Public Law 96-501 upon 
this analysis.

DATES: BLM and BPA will accept comments on the FEIS for 30 days 
following the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes their Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The EPA 
notice is expected to be published September 1, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Bureau of Land Management, 
Rawlins District Office, Walter E. George, Project Leader, 1300 3rd 
Street, Rawlins, WY 82301 or Bonneville Power Administration, Richard 
Stone, Environmental Specialist (ECN-3), P.O. Box 3621, Portland, OR 
97208.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
assesses the environmental consequences of the Federal approval of 
Kenetech's proposal to construct a 500 Mw windplant at two sites in 
east central Carbon County, Wyoming, in a phased approach, over a 10 to 
12 year period. The FEIS is a supplement to the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DEIS), published on January 13, 1995, and contains 
the following material:

     Incorporates by reference most of the material presented 
in the DEIS and identifies the charges to the DEIS required as a result 
of additional information.
     Public comments subsequent to publishing of the DEIS.
     The corrections and additions to the DEIS.
     Comments received on the DEIS.
     Responses to the comments.
    Forty-seven comments were received by the BLM on the DEIS. Twenty-
two supported the project, 9 provided information and did not state a 
position on the project, 3 were concerned with a potential conflict 
with coal resources, 1 expressed concern with the economic rationale 
for the project, and 13 opposed the project. The EPA, based on 
procedures they use to evaluate the adequacy of the information in an 
EIS, gave the DEIS a rating of EC-2 (Environmental Concern, 
Insufficient Information).
    No substantive changes were made to the proposed action. BLM has 
agreed to evaluate all subsequent phases under complete NEPA 
procedures. BLM also proposes the creation of a technical review 
committee whose function will be to review nomitoring data and make 
recommendation to the BLM authorized officer on further studies and 
modification to windplant facilities regarding impacts to birds and 
other wildlife.


[[Page 45490]]

    Dated: August 24, 1995.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 95-21617 Filed 8-30-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-M