[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 249 (Friday, December 28, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67235-67236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-31920]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration


Mercer Ranch Power Project

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

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

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SUMMARY: This notice announces BPA's intention to prepare a joint 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/State Environmental Policy Act 
(SEPA) EIS in cooperation with the State of Washington Energy Facility 
Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) for an electrical interconnection with 
a proposed power plant. BPA is the lead Federal agency under NEPA and 
EFSEC is the lead Washington State agency under SEPA. The Mercer Ranch 
Power Project is an 800-megawatt (MW) generating station proposed by 
Mercer Ranch Power LLC (MRP) that would be located between the 
communities of Paterson and Roosevelt in Benton County, Washington. MRP 
has requested an interconnection to BPA's transmission system that 
would allow power delivery to customers in the Pacific Northwest. A 
switchyard will be constructed to integrate power from the generating 
station into the Federal Columbia River Transmission System (FCRTS). 
BPA proposes to execute an agreement with MRP to provide the 
interconnection and transmission of power.

ADDRESSES: To be placed on the project mailing list, including 
notification of proposed meetings, call toll-free 1-800-622-4520, name 
this project, and leave your complete name and address. To comment, 
call toll-free 1-800-622-4519; send an e-mail to the BPA Internet 
address [email protected]; or send a letter to Communications, Bonneville 
Power Administration--KC-7, P.O. Box 12999, Portland, Oregon, 97212.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Donald L. Rose, Bonneville Power 
Administration--KEC-4, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, Oregon, 97208-3621; 
toll-free telephone 1-800-282-3713; direct telephone 503-230-3796; or 
e-mail [email protected]. Additional information can be found at BPA's web 
site, www.bpa.gov; and EFSEC's web site, www.efsec.wa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will assess the environmental 
consequences of the proposed project, including:
     The proposed interconnection agreement with MRP;
     The construction and operation of the power plant;
     The construction and operation of less than one-half mile 
of natural gas pipeline to tie into Northwest Pipeline Corporation 
(NWP) pipeline;
     The construction and operation of an interconnection to 
the FCRTS consisting of:
     Approximately one-half mile of 500-kilovolt (kV) 
transmission line; and
     A new 500-kV switchyard (Crow Butte) linking the Mercer 
Ranch Power Project to one or more BPA 500-kV transmission lines.
    Later this winter, one or more EIS scoping meetings will be held by 
BPA, EFSEC, and MRP to provide information on the project and 
associated BPA transmission interconnection and upgrades and to 
identify topics to be addressed in the EIS. A 45-day comment period 
will be announced, during which affected landowners, concerned 
citizens, special interest groups, local governments, and any other 
interested parties are invited to comment on the scope of the proposed 
EIS. A 30-day notice of the meeting(s), including time and location, 
will be provided to interested persons. At the meeting(s), BPA and 
EFSEC will answer questions and accept oral and written comments.
    Receiving comments from interested parties will ensure BPA and 
EFSEC address the full range of issues and potentially significant 
impacts related to the proposed project in the EIS. When completed, the 
Draft EIS will be

[[Page 67236]]

circulated for review and comment. BPA and EFSEC will hold at least one 
public comment meeting on the Draft EIS. BPA and EFSEC will consider 
and respond in the Final EIS to comments received on the Draft EIS.
    Proposed Action. MRP proposes to construct the Mercer Ranch Power 
Project, a new power plant in southwestern Benton County, Washington. 
The proposed capacity of the plant is nominally 800 MW, which brings 
the project under the jurisdiction of the Energy Facility Site 
Evaluation Council (EFSEC) for the State of Washington.
    The MRP generating facility will be designed for a life of 40 
years. The project is proposed to be constructed as a merchant plant 
for electric power generation, with generated power routed to the 
FCRTS.
    The new power plant will be located on a site consisting of 
approximately 40 acres, adjacent to approximately 9,000 acres of 
irrigated cropland owned by Mercer Ranches, Inc. This site is located 
in unincorporated Benton County, near the border with Klickitat County. 
It is approximately 12 miles west of the unincorporated town of 
Paterson, Washington; 17 miles east of the unincorporated town of 
Roosevelt; and 2.5 miles north of the Columbia River. The project site 
is approximately 500 feet above sea level and 245 feet above the normal 
Columbia River elevation.
    The sole fuel for the power generation facility will be pipeline-
quality natural gas. Gas transportation services will be provided by 
the NWP natural gas transmission pipeline, which runs through the plant 
site. It is anticipated that the natural gas tie-in pipeline will be 
constructed and owned by MRP since it will be on land owned by MRP.
    The power plant will include three individual generating units. 
Each unit will consist of one General Electric PG7241FA combustion 
turbine generator (CTG), one triple pressure reheat type Heat Recovery 
Steam Generator (HRSG) with natural gas supplementary firing 
capabilities, and one reheat Steam Turbine Generator (STG). The CTGs 
and the HRSG supplemental firing system will burn only natural gas. 
Additional equipment dedicated to each unit will include generator 
step-up transformers, electrical distribution gear, and all associated 
ancillary equipment. The plant will also use air-cooling technologies 
for condensing low-pressure steam. Water for plant operations will come 
from the Columbia River via existing surface water rights.
    The Mercer Ranch power project would deliver electricity to the 
regional power grid through an interconnection to one or more BPA 500-
kV transmission line near the plant. The interconnection and proposed 
upgrade to the transmission grid would include less than one-half mile 
of new 500-kV transmission line (approximately 2 to 3 towers) and a 
switchyard (Crow Butte) consisting of up to eight bays to be located 
east of Dead Canyon. The switchyard would connect the power plant to 
the existing Ashe-Slatt #1 transmission line and may intertie to the 
Ashe-Marion #2 500-kV transmission line and the proposed John Day-
McNary 500-kV transmission line.
    Responsibility for construction and operation of the power plant is 
principally with MRP. MRP would construct and own the interconnecting 
500-kV transmission line. BPA would construct and operate the 
switchyard.
    Process to Date. BPA is the lead Federal agency for the joint NEPA/
SEPA EIS, and EFSEC is the lead Washington State agency. EFSEC has 
already held open houses introducing the MRP Project to interested 
parties in Benton County. MRP will prepare an Application for Site 
Certification and submit it to EFSEC in January 2002. The application 
will address the MRP Project in detail. BPA and EFSEC will conduct 
joint scoping meetings after receipt and preliminary review of the 
initial submission.
    Alternatives Proposed for Consideration. Alternatives thus far 
identified for evaluation in the EIS are (1) the proposed actions, and 
(2) no action. Other alternatives may be identified through the scoping 
process.
    Identification of Environmental Issues. EFSEC will prepare an EIS 
consistent with its responsibilities under Chapter 80.50 of the Revised 
Code of Washington and Chapter 197-11 of the Washington Administrative 
Code. BPA must make a decision whether to construct the proposed 
switchyard and interconnect the proposed power plant to the regional 
transmission grid. Therefore, BPA and EFSEC intend to prepare a joint 
NEPA/SEPA EIS addressing both the power plant and the associated 
electric power interconnection and transmission facilities. The 
principal issues identified thus far for consideration in the Draft EIS 
are (1) air quality impacts, (2) aesthetic and visual impacts, (3) 
socio-economic impacts, (4) wetlands and wildlife habitat impacts, (5) 
water quality impacts, and (6) cultural resource impacts. These issues, 
together with any additional significant issues identified through the 
scoping process, will be addressed in the EIS.

    Issued in Portland, Oregon, on December 18, 2001.
Stephen J. Wright,
Acting Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-31920 Filed 12-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-U