[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7412-7413]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3724]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Sutter Power Plant and Transmission Line Project, 
California

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 102(2) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4332, Western Area 
Power Administration (Western) intends to prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) regarding the proposal by the Calpine 
Corporation (Calpine) to construct an electric generating facility and 
associated 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, approximately 3.5 miles 
in length, known as the Sutter Power Plant (SPP). Calpine has 
approached Western concerning an interconnection with Western's 
Keswick-Elverta and Olinda-Elverta Double-Circuit 230-kV Transmission 
Line. Because of the potential for incorporating new generation into 
Western's system, along with potential changes in the existing system, 
Western has determined to prepare an EIS, in accordance with U.S. 
Department of Energy's (DOE) NEPA Implementing Procedures, 10 CFR 1021, 
Appendices D5 and 6 to Subpart D. The California Energy Commission 
(CEC) is responsible for permitting the proposed SPP. The CEC 
responsibilities are similar to those of a lead agency under the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In the spirit of the 
regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) implementing 
NEPA (40 CFR 1501.5(b)), Western and CEC will act as ``joint lead 
agencies'' for purposes of satisfying the requirements of NEPA and 
CEQA, respectively. In this notice, Western and CEC announce intentions 
to prepare an EIS and hold a public scoping meeting for the proposed 
project. Western's scoping will include notification of the public and 
Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies of the proposed action, and 
identification by the public and agencies of issues and reasonable 
alternatives to be considered in the EIS.

DATES: The scoping meeting will be Tuesday, March 3, 1998, beginning at 
10 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Veterans Memorial Community 
Building, 1425 Circle Drive, Yuba City, California, 95993. Written 
comments on the scope of the EIS for the proposed SPP should be 
received no later than May 5, 1998. Comments on the project will be 
accepted throughout the NEPA process.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you are interested in receiving 
future information or wish to submit written comments, please call or 
write Loreen McMahon, Project Manager, Western Area Power 
Administration, Sierra Nevada Customer Service Region, 114 Parkshore 
Drive, Folsom, California, 95630-4710, (916) 353-4460, FAX: (916) 985-
1930, E-mail: [email protected]. Comments may also be sent to Paul 
Richins, Project Manager, Energy Facilities Siting and Environmental 
Protection Division, California Energy Commission, 1516 Ninth Street, 
MS-15, Sacramento, California 95814, (916) 654-4074, E-mail: 
[email protected]. For general information on DOE's NEPA 
review procedures or status of a NEPA review, 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: Calpine proposes to construct the SPP on 
lands it owns north of Sacramento, California. The SPP will be a 
``merchant plant.'' SPP will not be owned by a utility nor by a utility 
affiliate selling power to its utility, nor is it supported by a long-
term power purchase agreement with a utility. The SPP will instead sell 
power on a short and mid-term basis to customers and the on-the-spot 
market. Power purchases by customers will be voluntary, and all 
economic costs will be borne by Calpine.
    The SPP project consists of a nominal 500 megawatt (MW) net 
electrical output natural gas-fired, combined cycle generating 
facility, a 230-kV switching station, and 3.5 miles of new 230-kV 
transmission line to connect with Western's Keswick-Elverta and Olinda-
Elverta Double-Circuit 230-kV Transmission Line at some point south and 
west of the plant. A new 12-mile natural gas pipeline will be 
constructed to provide fuel for the project. The 16-inch gas pipeline 
will connect to an existing Pacific Gas and Electric natural gas supply 
line located to the west of the facility site. Potable water and 
cooling water will be provided by an on-site well system that will be 
developed as part of the project. It is expected that three wells will 
be developed to provide about 3,000 gallons per minute of water that 
will be needed during peak operating conditions. Sanitary waste will be 
treated on-site. The treated and other waste water generated in the 
operation of the plant will be discharged to an existing surface 
drainage system, requiring a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination 
System Permit.
    The SPP will be located in Sutter County, California, on a portion 
of Calpine owned 77-acre parcel of land that contains a 49.5 MW 
cogeneration plant. Yuba City, California, is about 7 miles to the 
northeast; Oswald, California, is about 3.5 miles to the east; and 
Sacramento, California, is about 36 miles to the southeast of the 
proposed project site. The land surrounding the project area is 
farmland used to grow rice, walnuts, almonds, and other orchard crops.
    Western was approached by Calpine to consider providing an outlet 
for the power produced by the SPP. Since this would require Western to 
make facility additions to its existing system to incorporate 
additional power from new generation, Western is required by the DOE's 
NEPA Implementing Procedures to prepare an EIS on the potential 
environmental impacts of this proposal. Western, therefore, agreed to 
be the lead Federal Agency, as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5. However, 
because the CEC has licensing responsibilities, Western has agreed to 
be a joint lead with the CEC and to utilize their expertise in siting 
issues.
    The purpose of the CEC's Energy Facilities Siting and Environmental 
Protection Division (Division) is to ensure that needed energy 
facilities are authorized according to this process in an expeditious, 
safe, and environmentally acceptable manner. In addition, the Division 
prepares all environmental documentation for the CEC as required by 
CEQA. To attain its objectives, the Division maintains a staff of 
experts in more than 20 environmental and engineering disciplines. The 
Division's range of technical expertise allows it to perform balanced, 
totally independent evaluations of complex and controversial projects.
    Western and the CEC will carefully examine public health and 
safety,

[[Page 7413]]

environmental impacts, and engineering aspects of the proposed power 
project, including all related facilities, such as electric 
transmission and natural gas lines. The permitting process is open to 
the public and includes input from the public and all interested 
parties as well as consultations with other Federal, State, local, and 
tribal agencies. The review process was initiated when Calpine filed an 
Application for Certification (AFC) with the CEC on December 15, 1997. 
On January 21, 1998, the CEC accepted the AFC as complete which begins 
a 1-year review process. General information on the CEC facility siting 
process and the SPP can be found on the CEC's Internet web site (http:/
/www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/sutterpower). Since the project site is 
currently zoned for agricultural uses, Calpine will request Sutter 
County to permit a rezone of the 77-acre parcel to a planned 
development site, thus allowing industrial use. Western, CEC, and 
Sutter County reviews will occur concurrently.
    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the requirements of 
CEQ's NEPA implementing regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508) and DOE's NEPA 
Implementing Procedures (10 CFR 1021). Full public participation and 
disclosure are planned for the entire EIS process. It is anticipated 
that the EIS process will take 12 months and will include public 
information/scoping meetings; coordination and involvement with 
appropriate Federal, State, local, and tribal government agencies; 
public review and hearings on the published draft EIS; a published 
final EIS; a review period; and publication of a record of decision 
(ROD). Public information and scoping meetings will begin March 3, 
1998. Publication of the ROD is anticipated in the fall of 1998.

    Dated: February 5, 1998.
Michael S. Hacskaylo,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-3724 Filed 2-12-98; 8:45 am]
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