[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 148 (Wednesday, August 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43733-43735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-12426]


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

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Eastern Plains Transmission Project, Colorado and Kansas

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement; 
floodplain and wetlands involvement; and public scoping meetings.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power 
Administration (Western) intends to prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) for its proposal to participate with Tri-State 
Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State), to construct 
the proposed Eastern Plains Transmission Project (Project). Western's 
participation with Tri-State would be in exchange for capacity rights 
on the transmission lines. These rights would provide Western with 
approximately 275 megawatts (MW) of capacity on the proposed 
transmission system. Western needs this additional transmission 
capacity to provide more economical, reliable, diverse, and flexible 
power delivery to its customers. The EIS will address the construction, 
operation, and maintenance of approximately 1,000 miles of high-voltage 
transmission lines and ancillary facilities. In addition, the EIS will 
address expansions of existing substations and construction of new 
substations, access roads, and fiber optic communication facilities.
    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures. 
Because the Project could involve action in a floodplain, the EIS will 
address floodplain and wetlands impacts under DOE regulations for 
compliance with floodplain and wetlands environmental review.

DATES: See Supplementary Information section for meeting dates and 
locations. The public scoping period will close September 30, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Written comments, questions, and information on the scope of 
the Project may be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to Mr. Jim Hartman, 
Environmental Manager, Western Area Power Administration, Rocky 
Mountain Region, P.O. Box 3700, Loveland, CO 80539; fax (970) 461-7213; 
or e-mail [email protected]. Project and contact information will also be 
updated regularly on the Project Internet site at http://www.wapa.gov/transmission/eptp.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or to request 
copies of the EIS, contact Mr. Hartman at the addresses provided or 
telephone the Project hotline toll-free at (888) 826-4710. For general 
information on DOE's NEPA review procedures or the status of a NEPA 
review, contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy 
and Compliance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0119; telephone (202) 586-4600 or 
(800) 472-2756; or fax (202) 586-7031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Need for Agency Action

    Western, as an agency within DOE, markets Federal hydro-electric 
power to preference customers, as specified by law. They include 
municipalities, cooperatives, public utility and irrigation districts, 
Federal and state agencies, and Native American tribes in 15 Western 
states, including Colorado and Kansas. Western currently lacks adequate 
transmission capability in southeastern Colorado to serve its customers 
directly. Western needs additional transmission system capacity to 
provide more economical, reliable, diverse, and flexible power delivery 
to its customers. The Project would provide Western with improved 
access to alternative resources and suppliers by expanding the capacity 
and geographic reach of the transmission system. It would increase 
Western's options for purchasing energy to meet contractual 
requirements. Enhancing and expanding transmission pathways would 
contribute to ensuring reliability of the Federal transmission system.
    Tri-State is a wholesale electric power supplier, owned by the 44 
electric cooperatives it serves. Tri-State and the member utilities 
serve customers throughout Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Wyoming. 
Tri-State's board of directors approved a resource development plan, 
which includes generation in Kansas and Colorado and construction of a 
transmission system to deliver the generation to customers. The 
transmission portion of Tri-State's resource plan presents an 
opportunity for Western to obtain transmission capacity to meet 
Western's needs.

[[Page 43734]]

    Western will prepare the EIS according to NEPA requirements, 
including the Council on Environmental Quality's NEPA Implementing 
Regulations under 40 CFR parts 1500-1508 and DOE's NEPA Implementing 
Procedures under 10 CFR part 1021. Because the Project could involve 
construction activities in floodplains and wetlands, the EIS will 
include floodplain and wetland assessments and a statement of findings, 
following DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain and wetlands 
environmental review under 10 CFR part 1022.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    Western's proposed Project activities include construction planning 
and management for approximately 1,000 miles of high voltage 
transmission lines, and acquiring rights-of-way for transmission lines, 
access roads, and other facilities. In addition to the transmission 
lines and access roads, the Project includes four new substations; 
expansions of approximately eight existing substations; and installing 
a fiber optic communications system for the transmission lines.
    Preliminary locations of transmission line corridors and new 
substations have been identified and will be presented at the public 
scoping meetings. The EIS will evaluate the effects of constructing, 
operating, and maintaining approximately 750 miles of 500-kilovolt (kV) 
transmission lines and approximately 250 miles of 230- or 345-kV 
transmission lines; constructing four new substations; expanding eight 
existing substations; installing a fiber-optic communication system for 
the transmission lines; and constructing and maintaining associated 
access roads. The Project study area includes part or all of the 
following counties in Colorado: Adams, Arapahoe, Bent, Cheyenne, 
Crowley, Elbert, El Paso, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Morgan, Otero, 
Prowers, Pueblo, Washington, and Yuma; and in Kansas: Finney, Greeley, 
Hamilton, Kearny, Logan, Scott, Sherman, Thomas, Wallace, and Wichita.
    Among the alternatives Western will address in the EIS is the no 
action alternative. Under the no action alternative, Western would not 
participate in the Project. The EIS will evaluate the environmental 
effects of constructing, operating, and maintaining the Project and 
compare them to existing conditions. Alternative transmission line 
routes and substation locations will be refined as part of the EIS 
scoping process and addressed in the EIS. Western will consider 
additional reasonable alternatives resulting from the scoping process. 
Reasonable alternatives would need to meet Western's purpose and need 
and be technically and economically viable.

Connected and Cumulative Actions

    Western will evaluate connected and cumulative actions in the EIS. 
Connected actions are defined under 40 CFR 1508.25(a)(1) as, ``* * * 
closely related * * * [that] (i) Automatically trigger other actions 
which may require environmental impact statements; (ii) Cannot or will 
not proceed unless other actions are taken previously or 
simultaneously; [or] (iii) Are interdependent parts of a larger action 
and depend on the larger action for their justification.'' Western has 
determined that connected actions for the Project include activities 
associated with the construction, maintenance, and operation of the 
proposed transmission line and ancillary facilities, including eight 
substation expansions, four new substations, associated access roads, 
and fiber optic communications facilities.
    Cumulative actions are defined in 40 CFR 1508.25(a)(2) as those, 
``* * * which when viewed with other proposed actions have cumulatively 
significant impacts. * * * '' Western has determined that cumulative 
actions for the Project include Tri-State's proposed generation 
projects as well as other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable 
projects.

Identification of Environmental Issues

    Western invites interested agencies, Tribes, organizations, and 
members of the public to submit comments or suggestions to assist in 
identifying the appropriate scope of the EIS. The following list of 
potential environmental issues has preliminarily been identified for 
inclusion in the EIS. This list is designed to help the public frame 
its comments:
    1. Effects on protected, threatened, endangered, or sensitive 
species of animals or plants; or their critical habitats;
    2. Effects on other biological resources;
    3. Effects on land use, recreation, and transportation;
    4. Effects on floodplains and wetlands;
    5. Effects on cultural or historic resources and Tribal values;
    6. Effects on human health and safety (including military, 
civilian, and agricultural aviation safety);
    7. Effects on air, soil, and water resources;
    8. Effects on agricultural operations;
    9. Effects on visual resources; and
    10. Effects on socioeconomic resources and disproportionately high 
and adverse impacts on minority and low-income groups.
    This list is not intended to be all-inclusive or to imply 
predetermination of impacts. Western invites interested parties to 
suggest specific issues within these general categories or other issues 
not included above for consideration in the EIS.

Scoping Process

    With this Notice of Intent, Western invites public participation in 
the EIS scoping process and solicits public comments to help establish 
the scope and content of the EIS. Scoping will allow Western to obtain 
information that will refine the preliminary Project alternatives; 
identify environmental issues to be considered in the EIS; and help 
eliminate, from detailed study, those alternatives and issues that are 
not feasible or relevant. To be assured consideration, all comments on 
the scope of the EIS must be received by the end of the scoping period.

Meetings

    The dates and meeting locations are:
    1. August 28, 2006, Carroll Building, 418 Edison Street, Brush, CO 
80723.
    2. August 29, 2006, City Hall, Community Room, 245 W. 4th Street, 
Wray, CO 80758.
    3. August 30, 2006, Limon Community Building, North Room, 477 D 
Avenue, Limon, CO 80828.
    4. August 31, 2006, Holiday Inn-Denver International Airport, 
Breckenridge Ballroom, 15500 East 40th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80239.
    5. September 5, 2006, Lorraine High School/Community Center, 301 E. 
Iowa Avenue, Fountain, CO 80817.
    6. September 6, 2006, Pueblo Convention Center, Fortino Grand Hall 
C-West, 320 Central Main Street, Pueblo, CO 81003.
    7. September 11, 2006, Burlington Education and Community Center, 
420 S. 14th Street, Old Town, Burlington, CO 80807.
    8. September 12, 2006, Community Activity Building (CAB Building), 
Wallace County Fairgrounds, Sharon Springs, KS 67758.
    9. September 13, 2006, Lamar Community Building, Multi-Purpose 
Room, 610 South 6th Street, Lamar, CO 81052.
    10. September 14, 2006, Veteran's Memorial Building, 207 North Main 
Street, Lakin, KS 67860.
    The time for each scoping meeting is 3 to 8 p.m. The meetings will 
be in an informal, ``open house'' format. No formal presentations are 
planned for the scoping meetings. The meetings are designed to provide 
interested parties

[[Page 43735]]

the opportunity to receive information on the Project and the NEPA 
process, ask questions, and provide input and feedback through written 
and oral comments. All meeting locations are wheelchair accessible. Any 
individual needing special accommodations should contact Mr. Hartman.

Participation in the NEPA Process

    Western invites interested Tribes and Federal, state, and local 
agencies with jurisdiction or special expertise to be cooperating 
agencies on the EIS. Request to be a cooperating agency by contacting 
Mr. Hartman. Designated cooperating agencies have certain 
responsibilities to support the NEPA process, as specified under 40 CFR 
1501.6(b).
    Persons interested in receiving future notices, project 
information, copies of the EIS, and other information on the NEPA 
review process should contact Mr. Hartman. The EIS (choice of summary 
or full document) will be available in printed and electronic (compact 
disc) formats.
    Western anticipates the Draft EIS will be available summer 2007, 
with a Final EIS available spring 2008. A Record of Decision is 
expected to be issued spring 2008. The public will be provided 
opportunities to review progress on the identification of transmission 
line corridors and routes during public workshops, which will be 
scheduled after public scoping and prior to preparation of the Draft 
EIS. The location of additional public meetings and hearings will be 
provided in the Federal Register and/or to local media at a later date.

    Dated: July 21, 2006.
Michael S. Hacskaylo,
Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E6-12426 Filed 8-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P