[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61619-61621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-24862]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Modification and Construction of Transmission Lines for the U.S. 
93 Hoover Dam Bypass Project (DOE/EIS-0352)

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) prepared an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for construction of a new segment 
of U.S. Highway 93 for the purpose of improving congestion and 
hazardous vehicle/pedestrian conflicts where the highway crosses the 
Colorado River over Hoover Dam. As a cooperating agency for the EIS, 
Western Area Power Administration (Western) proposed modifications to 
its transmission system and facilities to accommodate the construction 
of the new highway and bridge spanning the Colorado River. With this 
Record of Decision (ROD), Western is adopting the FHWA EIS and 
announcing its decision to modify its transmission system to 
accommodate the new highway segment. Western's decision for its action 
considered the environmental ramifications of the U.S. 93 Hoover Dam 
Bypass Project (Project). Western will ensure that its responsibilities 
under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and the Endangered 
Species Act (ESA) are met before the modifications are implemented.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Holt, Environment Manager, 
Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power 
Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005, telephone (602) 352-
2592, e-mail [email protected]. Copies of the EIS and the FHWA ROD are 
available from Dave Zanetell, Project Manager, Federal Highway 
Administration, 555 Zang Street, HFL-16, Lakewood, CO 80228, telephone 
(303) 716-2157. For information about the Department of Energy (DOE) 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, contact Ms. Carol M. 
Borgstrom, Director, NEPA Policy and Compliance, EH-42, U.S. Department 
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, 
telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FHWA was the lead agency for the Project EIS 
(FHWA-AZNV-EIS-98-03-01; Final dated January 2001). Western was 
designated a cooperating agency for the Project EIS by the FHWA on 
November 27, 1998. After an independent review of the Final FHWA EIS, 
Western concluded that its comments and suggestions have been satisfied 
and with this notice, is adopting the FHWA EIS for its participation in 
the Project. Western's EIS number is DOE/EIS-0352.
    The FHWA released its ROD on the Project in March 2001 and selected 
the Sugarloaf Mountain route as its preferred alternative. The 
Sugarloaf Mountain Alternative consists of construction of a new bridge 
and highway access across the Colorado River in the vicinity of Hoover 
Dam. The new bridge and highway will eliminate truck traffic and other 
through-traffic over Hoover Dam. The Project is located in Clark 
County, Nevada, and Mohave County, Arizona, and lies entirely on 
Federal lands, including the Lake Mead National Recreation Area 
(administered by the

[[Page 61620]]

National Park Service) and the Hoover Dam Reservation Area 
(administered by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation). The Sugarloaf 
Mountain Alternative crosses the Colorado River about 1,500 feet 
downstream from Hoover Dam and requires construction of approximately 
2.2 miles of highway approach in Nevada, a 1,700-foot-long bridge, and 
a 1.1-mile highway approach in Arizona. The EIS addresses the effects 
of the Project, including modification of Western's transmission 
system.
    Western has decided to modify the current transmission system 
configuration including substation terminal work, and remove the 
Arizona and Nevada (A&N) Switchyard to accommodate the new highway 
segment and bridge. Modifications to Western's transmission system will 
occur in two phases. The modifications for the first phase include: (a) 
Rebuilding approximately 2.6 (total) miles of the Hoover-Mead No. 6 
(single circuit) and No. 7 (double circuit) 230-kilovolt (kV) 
Transmission Lines (removing electrical equipment, conductors, overhead 
ground wires; replacing lattice steel structures with steel poles; and 
installing conductors, overhead ground wire, insulators, and 
miscellaneous transmission line hardware); (b) Removing conductors and 
overhead ground wires and insulator assemblies for approximately 1.2 
(total) miles of the existing Arizona-Nevada Circuits 11 and 12 230-kV 
Transmission Lines between the Hoover Dam to the A&N Switchyard; (c) 
Constructing approximately 0.3 miles of single circuit 230-kV 
transmission line connecting Southern California Edison Circuit No. 10 
to the A&N Switchyard and to the Hoover Dam Power Plant; and (d) 
Modifying transmission line connections at the Hoover Dam Power Plant 
yard and A&N Switchyard to accommodate the new configurations. Terminal 
work will include replacing surge arresters and associated steel 
supports. Other first phase modifications may be required based on 
final design. Phase one would be complete by spring 2003.
    Modifications for the second phase include the removal of the A&N 
Switchyard and the upgrade of the Hoover-Mead transmission line. The 
impacts of the removal of the A&N Switchyard were evaluated as part of 
the EIS. The removal of the A&N Switchyard will dictate upgrades to 
existing transmission lines that connect at the switchyard and run to 
the Mead substation (Hoover-Mead Transmission Line Upgrade). The need 
for this transmission line upgrade was part of the transmission 
reconfiguration options evaluated in the Final EIS, but since the final 
configuration was dependent upon the FHWA's decision, this upgrade was 
not fully evaluated in the EIS. Phase two is scheduled for completion 
in spring 2004.
    The FHWA determined that the Sugarloaf Mountain Alternative is the 
environmentally preferable alternative and evaluated the social, 
economic, and environmental impacts to the affected area in the EIS. 
Where the impact from Western's action was addressed as a subset of the 
overall Project impacts, the EIS serves as Western's environmental 
review. For the Hoover-Mead Transmission Line Upgrade, where the 
impacts from Western's action were not addressed pending final Project 
design, Western will prepare a separate Environmental Assessment (EA). 
Western will complete the EA, including cultural and endangered species 
consultations, prior to its implementation.
    The EIS impact analysis concluded that, with mitigation measures, 
most impacts from the Project would not be significant. There would be 
significant unavoidable visual impacts to several historic properties 
and Traditional Cultural Properties (TCPs), including the Hoover Dam 
National Historic Landmark and the Gold Strike Canyon and Sugarloaf 
Mountain TCPs. Other historic sites or features would be affected or 
potentially affected by the Project, including some elements of the 
transmission system not owned by Western (the Nevada State Switchyard, 
the Metropolitan Water District Switchyard, and the Southern California 
Edison Switchyard), as well as the transmission towers and lines in 
Arizona and Nevada and the A&N Switchyard that would be affected by 
Western's action. The FHWA has consulted with the State Historic 
Preservation Office, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and 
Native American tribes. A Programmatic Agreement (PA) and treatment 
plan was developed for avoidance, minimization, and mitigation of 
adverse effects to historical and cultural properties. Western is a 
signatory to the PA. The FHWA is required to complete historic 
documentation of facilities affected by the Project as described in the 
PA. Western will ensure that its responsibilities under the NHPA are 
met before its action is implemented.
    There will be no air, noise, land use, or socioeconomic impacts 
stemming from phase one of Western's action. For the Project as a 
whole, there will be no long-term impacts to air quality. Noise levels 
would be elevated during construction due to construction traffic and 
blasting. Some recreational activities would be restricted during 
construction for safety purposes, but there are no long-term impacts to 
the general uses of the area. Since the Project area is located in a 
currently unpopulated area, no minority or low-income groups live in 
the area; therefore, no disproportionately high and adverse human 
health or environmental effects on minority and low-income groups is 
anticipated.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a Biological Opinion for 
the Project, which determined that the Project is not likely to 
adversely affect the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), razorback 
sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), southwestern willow flycatcher (Empodonax 
traillii extimus), bonytail chub (Gila elegans), or Devil's Hole 
pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis), which are federally listed endangered 
species. The Sugarloaf Mountain Alternative may affect the desert 
tortoise, a Federally-listed threatened species. The Biological Opinion 
provides mitigation to avoid harm to the desert tortoise. Western will 
ensure that its responsibilities under the ESA are met before the 
transmission line modifications are implemented.
    Other species of concern affected by the Project include the desert 
bighorn sheep (Ovis canidensis nelsoni), banded Gila monster (Heloderma 
suspectum cinctum), Yuma puma (mountain lion) (Felis concolor growni), 
and bicolored penstemon (Penstemon bicolor ssp. roseus). Western is 
adopting the mitigation measures in the Final EIS and the terms and 
conditions identified in the FHWA Biological Opinion for reducing 
impacts to these species.
    While the Colorado River itself is in an area subject to flooding, 
the Project area is considered to be in an area of minimal or moderate 
risk of flooding. There are no wetlands in the Project area. 
Construction impacts to water quality will primarily be from runoff 
from new cut and fill slopes and construction roads. Western 
construction activities may impact water quality; therefore, it is 
adopting mitigation measures specified in the EIS to minimize these 
impacts.
    The A&N Switchyard will be removed as part of Western's phase two 
action. The site may contain soil contaminated with polychlorinated 
biphenyls (PCBs). Prior to any construction activities, contaminated 
soil will be identified, removed, and properly disposed of in 
accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and other 
applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements.

[[Page 61621]]

Description of Alternatives

    Construction of the FHWA preferred alternative will require removal 
and modification of Western's transmission system. Western evaluated 
seven preliminary electrical transmission reconfiguration options as 
part of the EIS. All options require removal of existing spans and 
towers and construction of new spans. Three of the options would 
require removal of the existing A&N Switchyard and replacing a single-
phase circuit with a double-phase circuit to the Mead Substation (phase 
two). Additionally, the Sugarloaf Mountain Alternative requires a 
realignment of two of the Hoover-Mead transmission lines to accommodate 
the new highway alignment.
    Western determined the best engineering approach for the phase one 
and two modifications discussed above based on an evaluation of the 
electrical conditions on the transmission lines and switchyards and 
current transmission line construction and electrical standards.
    The No Action Alternative was evaluated in the EIS and found to not 
meet the Project purpose and need.

Mitigation Measures

    The Final EIS identified mitigation measures needed to reduce the 
impacts of the Project. The specific measures are discussed in the FHWA 
ROD on pages 22 to 35 and in Chapter 3 of the EIS. Western is adopting 
those measures that are applicable to its action and will issue a 
Mitigation Action Plan (MAP) prior to any construction activities that 
will address the adopted and standard mitigation measures. Some of the 
measures include restricting vehicular traffic to existing access roads 
or public roads, recontouring and reseeding disturbed areas, 
environmental awareness training for all construction and supervisory 
personnel, and mitigation of radio and television interference 
generated by transmission lines. Long-term operations of the 
transmission line will follow Western's standard operating procedures 
and will not be affected by this action. The mitigation that applies to 
the construction of the new lines and the upgrading of the existing 
lines includes the following provisions:
    1. Protection of the desert tortoise and banded Gila monster 
through compliance with the FHWA Biological Opinion.
    2. Protection of Cultural and Historical resources as signators to 
the Programmatic Agreement.
    3. Adoption of mitigation measures as specified in the FWHA EIS.
    4. Monitor actions for compliance with Western's standard 
mitigation measures.
    This ROD has been prepared in accordance with Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508) and DOE Procedures for Implementing NEPA (10 CFR part 1021). 
Upon approval, the MAP will be made available.

    Dated: September 20, 2002.
Michael S. Hacskaylo,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-24862 Filed 9-30-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P