[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 96 (Monday, May 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27056-27057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12435]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Construction and Operation of the Proposed Wellton-Mohawk 
Generating Facility, Yuma County, AZ

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western) intends to 
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) regarding the proposal 
by Dome Valley Energy Partners, LLC (Dome Valley) to construct and 
operate the Wellton-Mohawk Generating Facility (Facility) east of Yuma, 
Arizona. The EIS will also address the construction of a new natural 
gas pipeline and high-voltage transmission line upgrades and additions 
needed to support the Facility, a no-action alternative, and any action 
alternatives defined as a result of the EIS scoping process.
    Because implementing this proposal would incorporate a major new 
generation resource into Western's system, Western has determined that 
an EIS is required. Western will hold a 30-day scoping period to ensure 
that interested members of the public and Federal, State, local, and 
tribal agencies have an opportunity to provide input on the scope and 
alternatives that will be addressed in the EIS. Western also will hold 
public open-house scoping meetings in the project area during the 
scoping period.

DATES: The public scoping meetings will be held on June 3, 2003, in 
Wellton, and June 4, 2003, in Yuma. Each meeting will be held between 6 
p.m. and 9 p.m. Written comments on the scope of the EIS for the 
proposed Project should be received no later than 11:59 p.m. (Arizona 
Time) on June 30, 2003, which will be the end of the EIS scoping 
period. Comments on the project will be accepted throughout the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

ADDRESSES: The Wellton scoping meeting will be held at the Wellton 
Elementary School, 29126 San Jose Avenue in Wellton. The Yuma scoping 
meeting will be held at the Yuma Civic and Convention Center, 1440 West 
Desert Hills Drive in Yuma. Each facility is handicapped accessible. 
Comments should be addressed to Mr. John Holt, Environment Manager, 
Desert Southwest Customer Service Region, Western Area Power 
Administration, P.O. Box 6457, Phoenix, AZ 85005, fax (602) 352-2630, 
e-mail [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark Wieringa, NEPA Document 
Manager, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, 
CO 80228-8213, telephone (720) 962-7448, fax (720) 962-7263, e-mail 
[email protected]. For general information on the Department of 
Energy's NEPA review procedures or status of a NEPA review, contact 
Carol M. Borgstrom, Director of 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: The Facility would be located adjacent to 
Western's existing Ligurta Substation, approximately 25 miles east of 
Yuma, Arizona, and nine miles west of Wellton, Arizona, just north of 
Interstate Highway 8. Dome Valley proposes to construct and operate a 
natural gas-fired combined-cycle electricity generating facility, an 
associated solar collection field, and ancillary facilities in 
unincorporated Yuma County, Arizona. The proposed Facility would be 
developed in two phases. The full output of the first phase would be 
nominally rated at 260 megawatts (MW) with about 310-MW peaking 
capacity. With the second phase, the Facility would be nominally rated 
at 520 MW with peaking capacity of about 620 MW via duct burners. Each 
phase would consist of one combustion turbine, one heat recovery steam 
generator, a steam turbine, condenser, transformer, cooling towers, 
tanks, sedimentation/evaporation ponds, auxiliary boilers, an emergency 
generator, an emergency fire pump, and associated buildings. Water for 
the Facility's use, including cooling, would be provided by the 
Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District (Wellton-Mohawk) via 
the Wellton-Mohawk Canal. Associated with the Facility would be a solar 
component that would convert solar energy to thermal energy for inlet 
air-cooling. Natural gas for the Facility would be delivered via a new 
natural gas pipeline that would interconnect to a proposed or existing 
natural gas transmission line

[[Page 27057]]

near U.S. Highway 95, northwest of the Facility. The proposed natural 
gas transmission pipeline would be subject to an independent NEPA 
review as part of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing 
process. The Facility's new natural gas pipeline would parallel the 
existing Wellton-Mohawk Canal right-of-way for its full length of 12 
miles.
    The first phase of the Facility would interconnect at Western's 
Ligurta Substation. In response to Dome Valley's proposal, Western 
conducted a transmission system impact study and determined that 
upgrades and additions to the existing transmission system were needed 
to accommodate the Facility. Western's proposed actions would include 
upgrading the existing Ligurta Substation, upgrading Western's existing 
12.7-mile Ligurta to Gila transmission line, adding 75 megavolt-ampere 
transformer capacity between the 161-kilovolt (kV) side and the 69-kV 
side in Western's Gila Substation near Yuma, constructing a new 18-mile 
transmission line between the Ligurta Substation and Arizona Public 
Service's North Gila Substation north of Yuma, and interconnecting this 
line at the North Gila Substation. The new Ligurta to North Gila 
transmission line would parallel the existing Wellton-Mohawk Canal for 
most of its length. In addition, Western would require that primary and 
secondary communication systems be installed to ensure reliable 
operation of the transmission system. Because the facility would be a 
major new source of generation and electricity generated by the 
Facility would be integrated into Western's transmission system, 
Western has determined that an EIS is required in accordance with DOE's 
NEPA Implementing Procedures, 10 CFR part 1021, Subpart D, Appendix D, 
class of action D6. The EIS will address the proposed action, a no-
action alternative, and any action alternatives defined as a result of 
the EIS scoping process. Western will be the lead Federal Agency, as 
defined at 40 CFR 1501.5.
    Portions of the transmission line upgrades and additions and a 
proposed natural gas pipeline for the Facility would cross lands 
managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land 
Management, Yuma Field Office (BLM). Since BLM would require rights-of-
way grants for portions of the transmission line additions and new 
natural gas pipeline, BLM will participate as a cooperating agency in 
the preparation of the EIS.
    The proposed Facility would be located on land currently owned by 
the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). Title 
to this property would be transferred by BOR to Wellton-Mohawk. The EIS 
will address the proposed property transfer, and the BOR will 
participate in the EIS review of the project as a cooperating agency.
    Western, in consultation with the cooperating agencies, will 
carefully examine public health and safety, environmental impacts, and 
engineering aspects of the proposed Facility, the proposed transmission 
system upgrades and facilities, and the proposed natural gas pipeline. 
Even though only portions of the proposed Facility and its components 
would be addressed by Western, the BLM, or the BOR decisions, the EIS 
will address all components of the proposed Facility.
    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the 
Council on Environmental Quality's NEPA Implementing Regulations (40 
CFR parts 1500-1508) and DOE's NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR 
part 1021). Western will invite tribal, local, and State agencies with 
special expertise or jurisdiction over the Project to be cooperating 
agencies on the EIS. Full public participation, including information 
prepared in both English and Spanish, and disclosure are planned for 
the entire EIS process. It is anticipated that the EIS process will 
take about 1 year and will include public information and scoping 
meetings; consultation 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). Publication of the ROD is 
anticipated in 2004.
    The scoping meetings will be structured as open houses, and provide 
interested parties an opportunity to view Facility and EIS process 
exhibits, and provide comments to Western and cooperating agency 
representatives. The meetings will be held June 3 and 4, 2003, between 
6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Wellton Elementary School Gymnasium and the 
Yuma Civic and Convention Center, respectively. The meeting locations 
are handicapped accessible, and an interpreter for the hearing-impaired 
will be available to provide information for the hearing impaired. The 
scoping period expires on June 30, 2003.

    Dated: May 8, 2003.
Michael S. Hacskaylo,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-12435 Filed 5-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P