[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 9 (Monday, January 14, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1746-1747]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-893]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration

(Eastern Washington Reinforcement)


Grand Coulee-Bell 500-kV Transmission Line Project

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) and notice of floodplain and wetlands involvement.

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SUMMARY: Bonneville intends to prepare an EIS on the proposed 
construction, operation, and maintenance of an 84-mile-long 500-
kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Douglas, Grant, Lincoln, and Spokane 
Counties, Washington. The new line would start at Bonneville's Bell 
Substation in Spokane, and proceed west along an existing right-of-way 
for about 84 miles, terminating at the Bureau of Reclamation's existing 
Grand Coulee Switchyard at Grand Coulee Dam. The new line would be 
built mostly on existing right-of-way, and would replace an existing 
115-kV wood pole line.
    In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain 
and wetlands environmental review requirements, Bonneville will prepare 
a floodplain and wetlands assessment as necessary to avoid or minimize 
potential harm to or within any affected floodplains and wetlands. The 
assessment will be included in the EIS being prepared for the proposed 
project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA).

DATES: Written comments on the NEPA scoping process are due to the 
address below no later than February 11, 2002. Comments may also be 
made at EIS scoping meetings to be held on January 28, 29, and 30, 
2002, at the addresses below.

ADDRESSES: Send letters with comments and suggestions on the proposed 
scope of the Draft EIS to Communications, Bonneville Power 
Administration--KC-7, PO Box 12999, Portland, Oregon, 97212. You may 
also call Bonneville's toll-free comment line at 1-800-622-4519; name 
this project, and record your complete name, address, and comments. 
Comments may also be sent to the Bonneville Internet address at 
[email protected]. To be placed on the project mail list, call 1-800-622-
4520.
    Comments may also be made at EIS scoping meetings to be held on 
Monday, January 28, 2002, 4 to 8 p.m., at Inland Northwest Wildlife 
Council Auditorium, 6116 N. Market Street, Spokane, Washington; 
Tuesday, January 29, 2002, 4 to 8 p.m., at Old Center School Building 
(Big Bend Community College), 317 Spokane Way, Grand Coulee, 
Washington; and Wednesday, January 30, 2002, 4 to 8 p.m., at Davenport 
Elementary School, 1101 7th Street, Davenport, Washington. At these 
informal open-house meetings, we will provide information, including 
maps about the project, and have several members of the project team 
available to answer questions and accept oral and written comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Korsness, Project Manager, 
Bonneville Power Administration--TNP-TPP-3, PO Box 61409, Vancouver, 
Washington, 98666-1409; toll-free telephone 1-800-282-3713; direct 
telephone 360-619-6326; or e-mail [email protected]. You may also 
contact Inez Graetzer, Environmental Coordinator, Bonneville Power 
Administration--KEC-4, PO Box 3621, Portland, Oregon 97208-3621; 
telephone 503-230-3786; fax 503-230-5699; or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed 84-mile-long 500-kV 
transmission line would replace an existing 115-kV wood pole 
transmission line that runs between Bonneville's Bell Substation in 
Spokane, Washington, and the Bureau of Reclamation's Grand Coulee 
Switchyard at Grand Coulee Dam. The new line would be located primarily 
in Bonneville's existing right-of-way corridor. It would be a single-
circuit line for the first 75 miles out of Grand Coulee Switchyard and 
a double-circuit line for the last 9 miles into Bell Substation. The 
project is needed to increase reliability and to support current and 
future demand for electricity in Washington State and the Pacific 
Northwest. The transmission line corridor between Grand Coulee 
Switchyard and Bell Substation currently contains two 115-kV 
transmission lines on wood pole structures and three 230-kV 
transmission lines on two steel lattice structures. Together, these 
transmission lines can no longer efficiently move power from generation 
sources east of Spokane to load centers west of Spokane. Replacing one 
of the 115-kV lines with a 500-kV line would relieve the restricted 
ability to transmit electrical power along this corridor, provide for 
future growth, and enhance service reliability to the community and the 
Pacific Northwest.
    This proposed project was originally considered in 1993-1994 and 
was known as the Eastern Washington Main Grid Support Project. The 
proposal at that time was to build a double-circuit line between Bell 
Substation and Grand Coulee Switchyard, with the alternative being to 
build a single-circuit line. The project was scoped with the public, 
comments were incorporated into the proposal, environmental analysis 
was done, and a draft EIS was prepared to be released to the public 
when the project was cancelled for fiscal reasons.
    Alternatives Proposed for Consideration. At this point the 
alternatives we are considering for evaluation in the EIS is the 
proposed action and the alternative of not building the line (an 
alternative we always consider). Other alternatives may be identified 
through the scoping process.
    Public Participation and Identification of Environmental Issues. 
Bonneville has established a 30-day scoping period 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. Scoping will help Bonneville ensure that 
a full range of issues related to this proposal is addressed in the 
EIS, and also will identify significant or

[[Page 1747]]

potentially significant impacts that may result from the proposed 
project.
    The potential environmental issues identified for most transmission 
projects include: land use, cultural resources, visual resources, 
sensitive plants and animals, erosion/soils, and fish and water 
resources. The scoping process will help identify the range of 
environmental issues that should be addressed in this EIS. When 
completed, the Draft EIS will be circulated for review and comment, and 
Bonneville will hold several public meetings to receive comments on the 
Draft EIS. Bonneville will consider and respond in the Final EIS to 
comments received on the Draft EIS. Bonneville's decision will be 
documented in a Record of Decision. The EIS will satisfy the 
requirements of NEPA.

    Issued in Portland, Oregon, on January 4, 2002.
Stephen J. Wright,
Acting Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-893 Filed 1-11-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P