[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 170 (Thursday, August 31, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53000-53001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-22302]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration


Kangley-Echo Lake Transmission Line Project

AGENCY: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

[[Page 53001]]


ACTION: Notice of scoping meeting and extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces BPA's scoping meeting for its Kangley-
Echo Lake Transmission Line Project Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) being prepared in accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA). This notice also extends the close of comment for 
scoping from the previously published April 27, 2000, to October 2, 
2000. BPA has established this scoping period during which all 
interested and affected persons and agencies are invited to comment on 
the scope of the proposed EIS. Scoping will help BPA ensure that a full 
range of issues related to the development and implementation of this 
project is addressed in the EIS, and also will identify significant or 
potentially significant impacts that may result from the project. The 
Draft EIS is scheduled to be available for review and comment next 
year.

DATES: Comments may be made at an EIS scoping meeting to be held on 
Wednesday, September 20, 2000, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the 
address below. At the informal meeting, several members of the project 
team will be available to answer questions and accept oral and written 
comments. Written comments may also be sent to the address below no 
later than Monday, October 2, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Maple Valley 
Community Center, 22010 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley, Washington. Send 
comment letters and requests to be placed on the project mailing list 
to Communications, Bonneville Power Administration--KC-7, P.O. Box 
12999, Portland, Oregon, 97212. The phone number of the Communications 
office is 503-230-3478 in Portland; toll-free 1-800-622-4519 outside of 
Portland. Comments may also be sent to the BPA Internet address: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lou Driessen, Project Manager, 
Bonneville Power Administration--TNP-3, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, 
Oregon, 97208-3621; phone number: 503-230-5525; or e-mail: 
[email protected]. You may also contact Gene Lynard, Environmental 
Project Manager, Bonneville Power Administration--KECN-4, P.O. Box 
3621, Portland, Oregon, 97208-3621; phone number: 503-230-3790; fax 
number: 503-230-5699; or e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BPA is preparing an EIS on the proposed 
construction of a transmission line in central King County, Washington. 
The new 500-kilovolt (kV) line would connect an existing transmission 
line (near the community of Kangley) with our existing Echo Lake 
Substation, a distance of about nine miles. The major reason for this 
proposal is to improve system reliability in the King County area. 
Under normal growth in demand, system instability could develop as 
early as the winter of 2002-03 with an outage of the existing Raver to 
Echo Lake 500-kV line. Another reason is to enhance the United States' 
delivery of power to Canada as required under the Columbia River Treaty 
of 1961. Several routes are being considered. Four are east of our 
existing 500-kV line that runs between the Raver and Echo Lake 
Substations, all of which cross the Cedar River Municipal Watershed. 
Three possible routes lie west of the watershed. Under all seven 
options, easements would need to be acquired for new rights-of-way and 
access roads. Once the environmental review is complete, BPA will 
decide whether and how to proceed with the project. If BPA decides to 
proceed, construction would likely begin in 2002.
    Maps and further information are available from BPA at the address 
above.

    Issued in Portland, Oregon, on August 23, 2000.
Thomas C. McKinney,
NEPA Compliance Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-22302 Filed 8-30-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P