[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 106 (Monday, June 4, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30792-30794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-10697]


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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 meeting 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 an additional public meeting to provide the public 
opportunity to review and comment on additional and revised 
transmission line routes and the scope of the EIS. A summary of 
comments previously received during the scoping meetings held in August 
and September 2006, and meetings held in February 2007, is available 
upon request or at http://www.wapa.gov/transmission/eptp.htm.
    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 the construction, operation, and maintenance of 
approximately 1,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 
ancillary facilities, which include substations, fiber optic 
installations, 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

[[Page 30793]]

impacts of Tri-State's proposed generation 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: The public meeting will be held June 20, 2007. The meeting will 
be held between 5 and 8 p.m. The comment period will close July 5, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Miami-Yoder School, 
420 S. Rush Road, Rush, CO 80833. 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 toll-free number 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 preferred 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.
    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 environmental effects of 
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 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. Western issued a second 
notice of public meetings and additional opportunity for public review 
and comment on January 19, 2007 (72 FR 2507), and 10 public meetings 
were conducted between February 12 and 23, 2007. This notice announces 
an additional public meeting on June 20, 2007, to provide the public an 
opportunity to review and comment on additional and revised 
transmission line routes between Big Sandy Substation and Midway 
Substation, and on the scope of the EIS.

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 were made available 
to the public at the February 2007 meetings. At the February meetings, 
Western accepted comments on the routes. As a result of the comments 
received on routes between Big Sandy Substation and Midway Substation, 
Western determined that additional route refinement and public 
involvement would be beneficial to refining routes in the area. The 
route refinements will be presented at the public meeting in June. At 
the June meeting, Western seeks comments on the alternative routes and 
other issues related to scope of the EIS. Western will consider the 
comments in its analysis.
    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 evaluate the environmental effects of 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 proposes to develop coal-fired generation in Holcomb, 
Kansas, and is planning for additional generation projects. 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 as well as other past, 
present, and reasonably foreseeable projects.

Summary of Comments Received During First and Second Round Scoping

    Western prepared a summary of the comments received during the 
first round of scoping meetings. That summary is available at http://www.wapa.gov/transmission/eptp.htm.

[[Page 30794]]

Prior to the public meeting in June 2007, the comments from the 
February 2007 meetings will be available at the same internet address. 
Copies also are available on request.

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: May 23, 2007.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E7-10697 Filed 6-1-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P