[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 195 (Monday, October 7, 1996)] [Notices] [Pages 52445-52448] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 96-25613] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Western Area Power Administration Notice of Availability of the Navajo Transmission Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE. ACTION: Notice of availability and notice of public hearings. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration's (Western) Colorado River Storage Project Customer Service Center (CRSP CSC) announces that the Navajo Transmission Project (NTP) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (draft EIS) is available for public review and comment. Western will hold public hearings to receive formal comments on the draft EIS according to the schedule below. The Din deg. Power Authority (DPA), an enterprise of the Navajo Nation, is proposing the construction and operation of a 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line between northwestern New Mexico and southern Nevada, called the NTP. The draft EIS describes a range of alternatives considered and the potential environmental consequences and has been prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and the DOE regulations for compliance with NEPA (10 CFR Part 1021). Western's CRSP CSC is the lead Federal agency to the NTP draft EIS. DATES: Western will accept written and oral comments during the public review period. Written comments on the draft EIS should be sent to the Project Manager by December 6, 1996, of the EPA FR Notice at the following address: Mr. Tony Morton, EIS Manager, Western Area Power Administration, Colorado River Storage Project Customer Service Center, 257 East 200 South, Suite 475, P.O. Box 11606, Salt Lake City, Utah 84147-0606, telephone 801-524-5636. Those wishing to make oral comments may do so at the scheduled public hearings. Speakers will be asked to register at the door prior to the beginning of the hearing. A court reporter will record the proceedings at each hearing. Interpreters for Navajo, Hopi or Hualapai Indians will be available at the appropriate sessions. Representatives will be responsible for recording comments and concerns of the public. Western will respond to all comments, both written and oral, in the final EIS. The hearings will be held according to the following schedule. Western intends [[Page 52446]] to conduct open house information sessions for one hour prior to each hearing session to field questions and provide information to the public. 1. Monday, October 7, 10 a.m.--Sanostee Chapter 2. Monday, October 7, 10 a.m.--Coalmine Mesa Chapter 3. Monday, October 7, 6 p.m.--Beclabito Chapter 4. Tuesday, October 8, 10 a.m.--TeecNos Pos Chapter 5. Tuesday, October 8, 6 p.m.--Red Mesa Chapter 6. Thursday, October 10, 10 a.m.--Sweet Water Chapter 7. Thursday, October 10, 6 p.m.--Mexican Water Chapter 8. Monday, October 14, 10 a.m.--Nenahnezad Chapter 9. Monday, October 14, 2 p.m.--Whippoorwill Chapter 10. Monday, October 14, 6 p.m.--Farmington, NM, Civic Center, 200 West Arrington 11. Monday, October 14, 6 p.m.--TaChee/Blue Gap Chapter 12. Tuesday, October 15, 10 a.m.--San Juan Chapter 13. Tuesday, October 15, 10 a.m.--Pinon Chapter 14. Tuesday, October 15, 6 p.m.--Hogback Chapter 15. Tuesday, October 15, 6 p.m.--Hard Rock Chapter 16. Wednesday, October 16, 10 a.m.--Shiprock Chapter 17. Wednesday, October 16, 10 a.m.--Round Rock Chapter 18. Wednesday, October 16, 6 p.m.--Cudeii Chapter 19. Wednesday, October 16, 6 p.m.--Rock Point Chapter 20. Thursday, October 17, 10 a.m.--Red Valley Chapter 21. Thursday, October 17, 10 a.m.--Chilchinbeto Chapter 22. Thursday, October 17, 6 p.m.--Cove Chapter 23. Thursday, October 17, 6 p.m.--Shonto Chapter 24. Monday, October 21, 10 a.m.--St. Michaels Chapter 25. Monday, October 21, 10 a.m.--Cameron Chapter 26. Monday, October 21, 6 p.m.--Chinle Chapter 27. Monday, October 21, 6 p.m.--Bodaway Chapter 28. Tuesday, October 22, 10 a.m.--Tselani-Cottonwood Springs Chapter 29. Tuesday, October 22, 10 a.m.--Tuba City Chapter 30. Tuesday, October 22, 6 p.m.--Rough Rock Chapter 31. Tuesday, October 22, 6 p.m.--Tonalea Chapter 32. Wednesday, October 23, 10 a.m.--Many Farms Chapter 33. Wednesday, October 23, 10 a.m.--Inscription House Chapter 34. Wednesday, October 23, 6 p.m.--Lukachukai Chapter 35. Wednesday, October 23, 6 p.m.--Kaibeto Chapter 36. Thursday, October 24, 10 a.m.--Kayenta Chapter 37. Thursday, October 24, 10 a.m.--LeChee Chapter 38. Thursday, October 24, 6 p.m.--Dennehotso Chapter 39. Thursday, October 24, 6 p.m.--Coppermine Chapter 40. Tuesday, October 29, 10 a.m.--Flagstaff, AZ, Council Chambers 41. Tuesday, October 29, 6 p.m.--Hualapai Multi-Purpose Building, Hualapai Way and Diamond Creek, Peach Springs, AZ 42. Wednesday, October 30, 10 a.m.--Dolan Springs, AZ, Chamber Bldg, Pierce Ferry Road 43. Wednesday, October 30, 6 p.m.--Boulder City, NV, Super 8 Motel, 704 Nevada Hwy 44. Thursday, October 31, 6 p.m.--Hopi Cultural Center Motel, Second Mesa Because there are so many hearings scheduled, there will be two hearings teams holding concurrent meetings throughout the project area. All chapter meetings will be held at the chapter houses on the Navajo Reservation, Arizona. ADDRESSES: The CRSP CSC maintains a mailing list of those interested in the NTP EIS. Copies of the complete draft EIS, or a summary of the document (Introduction, Purpose and Need, and Description of the Alternatives) have been distributed to all persons and groups on the EIS mailing list, according to what each person/organization previously requested. A distribution has been made to various libraries and reading rooms in the project area. Copies of the draft EIS are available for public review at the Navajo chapter houses, the offices of the cooperating agencies, and other locations listed below: Cooperating Agencies Offices Bureau of Indian Affairs, Phoenix Area Office, One North First Street, Phoenix, AZ 85001. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Area Office, 301 West Hill, Gallup, NM 87305. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Truxton Canon Agency, 13067 East Highway 66, Valentine, AZ 86437. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Hopi Agency, Main Street, Keams Canyon, AZ 86034. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, 691 Scenic Drive, Page, AZ 86040. Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada Highway, Boulder City, NV 89005. Bureau of Land Management, 1235 LaPlata Highway, Farmington, NM 87401. Bureau of Land Management, 2475 Beverly Avenue, Kingman, AZ 86401. Bureau of Land Management, 4765 Vegas Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89108. Coconino National Forest, Peaks Ranger District, 5075 North Highway 89, Flagstaff, AZ 86004. Kaibab National Forest, Tusayan Ranger District, Highway 64, Admin Site, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023. Navajo Nation, Historic Preservation Office, Navajo Nation Inn Office Building, 48 West Highway 264, Window Rock, AZ 86515. Hopi Tribe, Cultural Preservation Office, Main Street, Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039. Hualapai Tribe, Office of Cultural Resources, 215 Diamond Creek Road, Peach Springs, AZ 86434. Other Locations Arizona State University, Hayden Library, Tempe, AZ 85287. Flagstaff Public Library, 300 West Aspen Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Mohave County District Library, 3269 Burbank, Kingman, AZ 86401. Mohave County Library, 1170 East Hancock Road, Bullhead City, AZ 86442. Northern Arizona University, Cline Library, Flagstaff, AZ 86011. Page Public Library, 697 Vista Avenue, Page, AZ 86040. Phoenix Public Library, 1221 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Seligman Public Library, 325 North Main Street, P.O. Box 623, Seligman, AZ 86337. University of Arizona, Main Library, Tucson, AZ 85721. Window Rock Library, Window Rock Administrative Offices, Dean Jackson's Education Center, Morgan Boulevard, Window Rock, AZ 86515. Williams Public Library, 113 South First Street, Williams, AZ 86046. Winslow Public Library, 420 West Gilmore Street, Winslow, AZ 86047. Farmington Public Library, Reference Department, 100 West Broadway, Farmington, NM 87401. University of New Mexico, Zimmerman Library, University Hill Northeast, Albuquerque, NM 87131. Gallup Public Library, 115 West Hill Avenue, Gallup, NM 87301. Boulder City Library, 539 California Avenue, Boulder City, NV 89005. Clark County Library, 1401 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Henderson Library, 55 Water Street, Henderson, NV 89015. Las Vegas Public Library, 833 North Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89101. University of Nevada-Las Vegas, James Dickerson Library, P.O. Box 7001, Las Vegas, NV 89154-7001. [[Page 52447]] West Charleston Public Library, 6301 West Charleston Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89102. Copies of the draft EIS and all supporting documents are also available for public review at Western's offices at: Colorado River Storage Project, Customer Service Center, 257 East 200 South, Suite 475, Salt Lake City, UT 84147-0606. Corporate Services Office, 1627 Cole Boulevard, Building 18, Golden, CO 80401. This information is also available at the DOE Reading Room at the following address: U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Reading Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, to submit written comments, or to request a copy or summary of the draft EIS, please call or write the CRSP CRC at the address shown above. For general information on DOE's NEPA review process, please contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance, EH-42, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A surplus of electrical generation exists in the Four Corners region of the United States but there is insufficient capacity to transmit the power west, where it could be used to meet the needs of expanding load centers in Arizona, Nevada and California. The extra-high-voltage transmission system west of Four Corners consists of one 500-kV line and two 345-kV lines owned by Arizona Public Service (APS). There are restrictions on how much capacity each of the lines west of Four Corners may carry for reasons of safety and reliability. Since 1970, attempts to construct additional lines across the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona have failed to gain approval of the Navajo Nation government. The role of the Navajo Nation in the energy industry traditionally has been that of a passive resource owner. Nonrenewable resources from the Navajo Nation lands are exported to provide fuel for power for much of the western United States. The economy and self-sufficiency of the Navajo Nation depend heavily on the export of these resources. However, the businesses associated with the energy activities are typically non- Navajo. NTP is an opportunity for the Navajo Nation to own a majority of a transmission line that would be an integral part of a regional electrical transmission system, thereby establishing a role for the Navajo in the electric industry. In 1992, DPA began studies to determine the feasibility of constructing and operating a Navajo majority-owned 500-kV transmission line that would deliver bulk electricity west from the Four Corners region of New Mexico. The project was viewed as an opportunity to provide a steady source of revenue for the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation is the second largest American Indian tribe in the United States and, according to the 1990 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, approximately 57 percent of families live below the poverty level. As NTP is currently envisioned, revenue would be generated by leasing the capacity of the transmission line to regional utilities. Annual revenues over the life of the project would provide funds to allow the Navajo Nation to invest in other long-range productive business opportunities. The amount of revenue received by the DPA would depend on its final percent of ownership; right-of-way costs; lease agreements; construction, operation and maintenance costs; and availability of capacity. In addition, the development of NTP would provide short-term employment opportunities for American Indian groups during construction in a region having an unemployment rate of about 30 percent (on the Navajo Reservation). Skills and experience gained from construction jobs would be useful for future employment. After construction, it is anticipated that there may be limited opportunities for long-term employment in aspects of operation and maintenance of the transmission line. NTP is expected to contribute to an increase in the income and standard of living for the Navajo Nation. Studies conducted by DPA and Western have shown that NTP would provide the needed transfer path for bulk electrical power and increase the electrical transfer level west of the Four Corners area. The additional capacity would support the existing system and prevent or reduce damages from outages, thereby enhancing the existing transmission grid and contributing to increased reliability, efficiency, and capability in the southwestern United States. By removing the existing transmission restrictions and/or interconnecting with other regional systems in the Four Corners area, Arizona, California, and Nevada utilities would be able to increase economical transfer of seasonal surpluses of electrical generation from resources in the Rocky Mountain and Four Corners areas and they would be able to support their peak load periods by importing power from existing hydro and coal-fired generation sources in the Rocky Mountain area. Such economic purchases reduce the use of more expensive generation. More than 60 percent of Navajo Nation residences do not have electricity. Availability of electricity on the Navajo Reservation is critical to economic growth and infrastructure development of the Navajo Nation. NTP would allow Western an alternate path for firm-power deliveries across northern Arizona, thus reducing dependence and freeing capacity on Western's existing 230-kV transmission line for increased deliveries of electricity to the Kayenta and Long House Valley substations that currently provide service to the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA). That would provide NTUA with more flexibility to plan additional distribution on the Navajo Reservation. Because of vast distances between available transmission and low-density populations of consumers on Navajo Nation lands, it is not economically feasible for NTUA alone to construct a high-voltage transmission line solely to accommodate the small number of business and residential consumers in the area. Also, NTP would allow access by the utility participants to the Western Systems Coordinating Council's (WSCC) southern 500-kV transmission grid, which covers the states of New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. This would provide the opportunity for NTUA to buy less expensive power that may be available through regional and seasonal diversity, or due to the new Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) transmission open access guidelines. DPA approached Western in 1992 about participating in the proposed project. Western agreed to be the lead Federal agency for the project, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, and agreed to take the responsibility for ensuring compliance with applicable regulations of other affected agencies. On May 26, 1993, Western announced in the Federal Register its intention to prepare an EIS on NTP. Western and DPA initiated extensive public involvement in the project, which has resulted in over 40 meetings with the public, and many meetings with a variety of state, tribal, county and local agencies and representatives. The effort was assisted by the cooperating agencies, consisting of representatives from units of the National Park Service; the U.S. Forest Service; the Bureau of Land [[Page 52448]] Management; and Bureau of Indian Affairs in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada; and three Tribes (Hopi, Hualapai, and Navajo). In addition, work on a Programmatic Agreement for the purposes of compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act resulted in contacts and comments from the Historic Preservation Officers of Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona, and 14 other area tribes. This draft EIS was prepared to analyze and describe the environmental consequences of a range of alternatives. Western and DPA developed six alternatives for analysis in the draft EIS which are structured around the purpose and need. Four alternatives were removed from further analysis because they did not meet all of the requirements of the purpose and need, i.e., energy conservation and electric load management, new generation facilities, alternate transmission systems, and alternative transmission methods. The remaining two alternatives studied in depth in the EIS are identified as No Action and the Proposed Action. The Proposed Action included analysis of over 2,000 miles of routing alternatives. The draft EIS evaluates the potential impacts of the no action and proposed action alternatives on air quality, water resources (water quality and floodplain management), earth resources (geology, mineral resources, seismicity and faults, and soils and erosion potential), biological resources, paleontological resources, land use (linear features; jurisdictions; existing and future land use; and parks, preservation, and recreation), socioeconomic resources, visual resources, and cultural resources. Environmentally preferred options have been identified, however, no preferred construction route is identified in the draft EIS. A decision on the proposed action will be made after considering comments on the draft EIS. A final routing alternative will be recommended in the final EIS. Issued at Golden, Colorado, September 23, 1996. J. M. Shafer, Administrator. [FR Doc. 96-25613 Filed 10-4-96; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P