[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 33 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8359-8361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3147]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Construction and Operation of the Proposed White Wind Farm 
Project, Brookings County, SD

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western), U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE) intends to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) on the proposal by Navitas Energy (Navitas) to 
construct and operate the White Wind Farm Project (Project) in 
Brookings County, South Dakota. The EIS will address the construction 
and operation of the proposed Project, which includes wind turbine 
generators, access roads, collection and feeder lines, communications 
system, and a new electrical substation. Navitas has applied to Western 
to interconnect the proposed Project to Western's power transmission 
system. Western needs to grant or deny Navitas' interconnection request 
under the provisions of its General Guidelines for Interconnections. 
Western will hold a 30-day scoping period and a scoping meeting near 
the project area to ensure that interested members of the public and 
groups, and Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies have an 
opportunity to provide input on the scope of the EIS.

DATES: The open-house public scoping meeting will be held on Tuesday, 
March 1, 2005, in Hendricks, Minnesota. Written comments should be 
received no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2005, which marks the 
end of the EIS scoping period.

ADDRESSES: The open-house public scoping meeting will be held at the 
Midwest Center for Wind Energy, 2390 County Highway 1, Hendricks, 
Minnesota. The Center is located approximately 25 miles northeast of 
the City of Brookings and approximately 15 miles east of the City of 
White, just east of the South Dakota/Minnesota state line. Written 
comments should be addressed to Mr. Dirk Shulund, B0402.BL, Western 
Area Power Administration, Upper Great Plains Regional Office, P.O. Box 
35800, Billings, MT 59107-5800, telephone (406) 247-7402, fax (406) 
247-7408, e-mail [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark J. Wieringa, NEPA Document 
Manager, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, 
CO 80228-8213, telephone (720) 962-7448 or (800) 336-7288, fax (720) 
962-7263 or 7269, e-mail [email protected]. For general information on 
DOE's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review procedures or 
status of a NEPA review, contact Ms. 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: Western intends to prepare an EIS on the 
proposal by Navitas to construct and operate the Project in Brookings 
County, South Dakota, southeast of the City of White. The EIS will 
address the construction and operation of the proposed Project, which 
includes wind turbine generators, access roads, collection and feeder 
lines, a communications system, and a new electrical substation. In 
addition to the proposed action, the no-action alternative, and any 
action alternatives defined as a result of the EIS scoping process, 
will also be addressed in the EIS. The EIS process will comply with the 
NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, as amended), Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and 
DOE NEPA implementing procedures (10 CFR part 1021).
    Navitas has applied to Western to interconnect the proposed Project 
to Western's power transmission system. Western is a power marketing 
agency of

[[Page 8360]]

DOE that markets Federal electric power to municipalities, public 
utilities, and Native American tribes. Western offers capacity on its 
transmission system to deliver electricity when such capacity is 
available, under Western's Open Access Transmission Service Tariff (63 
FR 5376). The Tariff substantively complies with the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission Final Orders No. 888 and 888A, which are intended 
to ensure non-discriminatory transmission system access. Western needs 
to grant or deny Navitas' interconnection request under the provisions 
of its General Guidelines for Interconnections.
    Navitas is proposing to construct the Project, an approximately 
200-megawatt (MW) wind turbine generation project, in a 31-square mile 
project area in Brookings County, South Dakota. The project area is 
surrounded by a 1-mile buffer zone, which would be included in the 
environmental analysis, for a total of approximately 55.5 square miles. 
The project area is located immediately southeast of the City of White 
and approximately 10 miles northeast of the City of Brookings, 
predominantly in Sherman Township, just west of the South Dakota/
Minnesota state line.
    The project area is mostly rural cropland, with some grazing land 
in rougher topography. Navitas has identified National Wetland 
Inventory wetlands and 100-year floodplains within the project area; 
these would be considered avoidance areas when siting the wind 
generators and supporting facilities. Each wind turbine would involve 
the permanent disturbance of an average of 0.5 acre. The proposed 
Project would be constructed entirely on private land.
    The proposed Project would consist of up to 102 wind turbine 
generators on single pole structures, each rated at 2 MW. The turbines 
would have three blades, each 38 to 42 meters long, and would revolve 
at up to 18 revolutions per minute. The structures would each be 70 to 
100 meters high and 4 to 5 meters in diameter at the base. The wind 
turbines would be installed on a concrete base, and each would have a 
pad-mounted transformer near the base. Lighting in accordance with U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service and Federal Aviation Administration 
requirements would be provided. There would be a class 5 all-weather 
gravel access road constructed to each turbine location, located along 
existing fence lines to the extent possible. The wind turbines would be 
connected by overhead feeder lines, underground power collection 
circuits, and a communications network. The underground collector 
circuits, comprised of three cables, would be buried to a depth that 
would not interfere with farming operations.
    Siting of the wind turbine generators has not been completed, but 
would be designed to optimize wind and land resources in the area while 
minimizing environmental impacts to the extent practicable. Local 
zoning requirements would be complied with, including setbacks from 
residences, roads and existing transmission and distribution lines. 
Navitas has acquired lease options within the 31-square mile project 
area sufficient to support the 200-MW Project. Spacing of the wind 
turbines would also be determined by localized wind conditions and 
topography, turbine technology, and desired east-west spacing of three 
rotor diameters and north-south spacing of six rotor diameters. Navitas 
would like to begin construction in Spring 2006; the life of the 
proposed Project is anticipated to be a minimum of 20 years.
    Power generated by the Project would be delivered to a new Navitas 
substation, which would be constructed immediately adjacent to 
Western's existing White Substation. This new substation would occupy 
up to 11 acres of land. White Substation is located in the southeast 
corner of the project area. Navitas has applied to Western to 
interconnect the proposed Project to Western's power transmission 
system at White Substation.
    Because interconnection of the proposed Project would incorporate a 
major new generation resource into Western's power transmission system, 
Western has determined that an EIS is required under DOE NEPA 
implementing procedures, 10 CFR part 1021, Subpart D, Appendix D, class 
of action D6. Western will be the lead Federal agency for preparing the 
EIS, as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5. Since the proposed Project would be 
constructed entirely on private land, there are no Federal or state 
land management agencies with jurisdiction. Western will invite 
Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction by law or 
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to be 
cooperating agencies on the EIS, as defined at 40 CFR 1501.6. Such 
agencies may also make a request to Western to be a cooperating agency. 
Designated cooperating agencies have certain responsibilities to 
support the NEPA process, as specified at 40 CFR 1501.6(b).
    Full public participation and disclosure are planned for the entire 
EIS process. Western anticipates the EIS process will take about one 
year, and will include the open-house public scoping meeting; 
consultation and involvement with appropriate Federal, State, local, 
and tribal governmental agencies; public review and a hearing on the 
published draft EIS; a published final EIS; a review period; and 
publication of a Record of Decision expected in early 2006. Additional 
informal public meetings may be held in the project area if public 
interest and issues indicate a need. Western may also mail newsletters 
to the project mailing list to communicate Project status and 
developments.
    Western will hold a 30-day scoping period to ensure that interested 
members of the public and groups, and Federal, state, local, and tribal 
agencies have an opportunity to provide input on the scope of the 
process and the alternatives that will be addressed in the EIS. Western 
will also hold a public open-house scoping meeting near the project 
area during the scoping period. The purpose of the scoping meeting will 
be to provide information about the proposed Project, answer questions, 
and take verbal and written comments from interested parties.
    The open-house public scoping meeting will be held at the Midwest 
Center for Wind Energy, 2390 County Highway 1, Hendricks, Minnesota, on 
Tuesday, March 1, 2005. Members of the public and representatives of 
groups, Federal, state, local and tribal agencies are welcome to attend 
anytime between 5 and 8 p.m. The Center is located approximately 25 
miles northeast of the City of Brookings and approximately 15 miles 
east of the City of White, just east of the South Dakota/Minnesota 
state line. The Center has displays and other information on the 
development of wind energy projects which attendees may find useful. 
Attendees will have the opportunity to view proposed Project and NEPA 
process displays and other information. The open-house scoping meeting 
will be very informal, with Western and Navitas representatives 
available for one-on-one discussions with attendees. Written comments 
may be left with one of Western's representatives at the scoping 
meeting, or may be provided by e-mail or U.S. Postal Service mail to 
Western. Written comments should be sent to the address provided above. 
Comments on Project scoping and alternatives will be due before the 
scoping period expires on March 31, 2005, but comments on other aspects 
of the proposed Project will be accepted and considered throughout the 
NEPA process.


[[Page 8361]]


    Dated: February 8, 2005.
Michael S. Hacskaylo,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-3147 Filed 2-17-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P