[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 12 (Friday, January 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2507-2509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-703]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Eastern Plains Transmission Project, Colorado and Kansas

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings and additional opportunity for public 
review and comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power 
Administration (Western) issued a notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on August 2, 2006, for the Eastern 
Plains Transmission Project (EPTP or Transmission Project). This notice 
announces additional public meetings to provide the public opportunity 
to review and comment on additional transmission line routes and 
revised routes; the scope of the EIS; and review comments previously 
received during the scoping meetings held in August and September 2006.
    Western is proposing to participate with Tri-State Generation and 
Transmission Association, Incorporated (Tri-State) in the construction 
of the EPTP. Western's participation would be in exchange for 275 
megawatts (MW) of capacity rights on the proposed transmission lines. 
The EIS will address

[[Page 2508]]

the construction, operation, and maintenance of approximately 1,000 
miles of high-voltage transmission lines and ancillary facilities, 
which include substations, fiber optic installation, access roads, and 
construction staging areas. The EIS will discuss alternatives such as 
Western's system alternatives and the no action alternative (no Federal 
action). The EIS will analyze and present environmental impacts 
compared to the existing baseline condition in which no Transmission 
Project facilities exist. The EIS also will include analyses of the 
environmental impacts of Tri-State's proposed generation projects, and 
other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable projects in the EPTP 
area. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for meeting dates and 
locations. The comment period will close March 9, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Written comments, questions, and information on the scope of 
the EIS 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]. For persons wishing to leave voice messages, 
the toll-free number is (888) 826-4710.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or to request 
copies of the EIS, contact Mr. Hartman at the addresses provided or 
telephone the Transmission 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 (GC-20), 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, a power marketing administration within DOE, markets 
Federal hydroelectric 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's 
proposal is to participate with Tri-State in the construction of the 
Transmission Project in exchange for approximately 275 MW of capacity 
rights on the proposed transmission lines. 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 that includes the 
Transmission Project.
    Western needs to provide more economical, reliable, diverse, and 
flexible power delivery to its customers by expanding the capability 
and geographic reach of Western's existing transmission system. The 
Transmission Project would provide Western's customers with more 
economical service by allowing customers to purchase transmission 
service directly from Western rather than through other companies' 
transmission lines. Also, during low water times, the Transmission 
Project would provide Western increased access to other options for 
satisfying Western's Federal hydropower contractual allocations. In 
addition, the Transmission Project would provide a direct 
interconnection at the Midway Substation which would facilitate power 
transfer between two of Western's Federal projects, the Colorado River 
Storage Project and the Loveland Area Projects. Enhancing and expanding 
transmission pathways also would contribute to ensuring reliability of 
the Federal transmission system.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    Western is preparing the EIS on its proposal to participate with 
Tri-State in the construction of the Transmission Project. Western's 
proposed 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 
communication facilities. In addition to the transmission lines, access 
roads, and construction staging areas, the EIS will address 
environmental effects of four new substations; expansions of 
approximately eight existing substations; and installing a fiber optic 
communications system for control of the transmission lines.
    Western issued a notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS for the 
Transmission Project, on August 2, 2006, (71 FR 43733) which included 
dates, times, and locations of public scoping meetings, and 
opportunities available for the public to comment. Since the NOI was 
published, 10 public scoping meetings were conducted between August 28 
and September 14, 2006, throughout eastern Colorado and western Kansas. 
This notice announces additional public meetings in February 2007 to 
provide the public opportunity to review and comment on additional 
transmission line routes and revised routes; the scope of the EIS; and 
review comments previously received during the scoping meetings held in 
August and September 2006.

Alternative Transmission Line Routes

    During the August and September 2006 scoping meetings, Western 
presented preliminary locations of transmission line corridors and new 
substations. As a result of comments received, Western gathered 
additional data, made several route refinements, added additional 
routes, and considered alternatives, all of which will be made 
available to the public at the February 2007, meetings. At the February 
meetings, Western seeks comments on the alternative routes. In the 
draft EIS, Western will consider those additional comments in its 
analysis of the alternative routes.
    Western will address other alternatives in the EIS, including the 
no action alternative. Under the no action alternative, Western would 
not participate with Tri-State in the construction of the Transmission 
Project. The EIS will also evaluate the environmental effects of all 
the alternatives and compare them to the existing baseline condition, 
in which no Transmission Project facilities are present. Alternative 
transmission line routes and substation locations will be refined as 
part of the EIS public process and addressed in the EIS. Western will 
consider additional reasonable alternatives that are technically and 
economically viable and that would meet Western's purpose and need.

Impacts Associated With Tri-State's Generation Projects

    Tri-State, in its Resource Development Plan, proposes to develop a 
two-unit expansion of a coal-based power plant in Holcomb, Kansas, and 
is planning an additional generation project in southeastern Colorado 
(referred to as Tri-State's Colorado Power Project). Western is not a 
participant in, is not involved in, and does not have control over Tri-
State's generation projects. The EIS will evaluate the environmental 
impacts of Tri-State's generation projects as well as other past, 
present, and reasonably foreseeable projects.

[[Page 2509]]

Summary of Comments Received During First Round Scoping

    Western prepared a summary of the comments received during the 
first round of scoping meetings and will make the summary available at 
http://www.wapa.gov/transmission/eptp.htm prior to the public meetings 
in February 2007. Copies also are available upon request.

Meetings

    The dates and meeting locations are:
    1. February 12, 2007, Carroll Building, 418 Edison Street, Brush, 
CO 80723.
    2. February 13, 2007, Limon Community Building, South Room, 477 D 
Avenue, Limon, CO 80828.
    3. February 14, 2007, Burlington Education and Community Center, 
420 S. 14th Street, Old Town, Burlington, CO 80807.
    4. February 15, 2007, City Hall, Community Room, 245 W. 4th Street, 
Wray, CO 80758.
    5. February 16, 2007, Byers High School, Meeting Rooms 537/538, 444 
E. Front Street, Byers, CO 80103.
    6. February 19, 2007, Veteran's Memorial Building, 207 North Main 
Street, Lakin, KS 67860.
    7. February 20, 2007, Community Activity Building (CAB Building), 
Wallace County Fairgrounds, Sharon Springs, KS 67758.
    8. February 21, 2007, Lamar Community Building, Multi-Purpose Room, 
610 South 6th Street, Lamar, CO 81052.
    9. February 22, 2007, Hanover Junior/Senior High School, 17050 
South Peyton Highway, Colorado Springs (Hanover), CO 80928.
    10. February 23, 2007, McHarg Park Community Center, 405 Second 
Street, Avondale, CO 81022.

Each meeting will be held between 3 and 7 p.m., except for the meeting 
on February 22 at the Hanover School, which will be held between 4 and 
8 p.m.

Participation in the NEPA Process

    Persons interested in receiving future notices, Transmission 
Project information, copies of the EIS, and other information on the 
NEPA review process should contact Mr. Hartman as described under 
ADDRESSES. 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 an 
opportunity to comment on the draft EIS. The location of public 
hearings on the draft EIS will be provided in the Federal Register and 
to local media at a later date.

    Dated: January 11, 2007.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E7-703 Filed 1-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P