[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 122 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30559-30560]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15125]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Big Stone II Power Plant and Transmission Project Final
Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0377)
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western) announces the
availability of the Big Stone II Power Plant and Transmission Project
(Project) Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This Final EIS
analyzes the environmental impacts of constructing and operating the
proposed Project. Western is considering whether to grant a request to
interconnect the proposed Project with Western's transmission system at
Morris and Granite Falls substations in Minnesota, an action which
requires Western to complete modifications to these substations to
support the interconnection.\1\ The U.S.
[[Page 30560]]
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) participated as a cooperating agency in
the EIS process. USACE is considering whether to issue a permit for
Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and for Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act for construction of the proposed Project within or
across navigable waters and waters of the United States.
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\1\ As noted in Western's Notice of Intent to prepare a Big
Stone II EIS, Western became the lead agency for preparation of the
EIS because the construction of Big Stone II would incorporate a
major new generation resource into Western's power transmission
system, 70 FR 30716 (May 27, 2005).
DATES: Western and USACE will wait at least thirty days from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability for the Final
EIS published in the Federal Register before issuing decisions on the
interconnection request and permits, respectively. Western's decision
on whether or not to grant the interconnection request will be
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published in the Federal Register, once issued.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or to request
a copy of the Final EIS or the Executive Summary, please write Mr. Matt
Blevins, NEPA Document Manager, Big Stone II EIS, Western Area Power
Administration, P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, CO 80228; e-mail
[email protected], or Phone: (800) 336-7288. Please note that
printed versions will only be available for the Executive Summary and
Volumes I and II. The full Final EIS (Volumes I-IV) is available upon
request only in an electronic version.
For general information on DOE's NEPA review process, please
contact: Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and
Compliance, GC-20, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585,
(202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Otter Tail Corporation (dba Otter Tail Power
Company), Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Heartland Consumers
Power District, Montana-Dakota Utilities Company, and Western Minnesota
Municipal Power Agency (dba Missouri River Energy Services),
collectively referred to as the Co-owners, propose to develop a new
600-MW (net) baseload coal-fired electric generating power plant and
associated transmission lines and substation upgrades known as the Big
Stone II Power Plant and Transmission Project. The proposed Project
outlined in the Final EIS differs from that presented in the Big Stone
II Power Plant and Transmission Project Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (Draft EIS) issued in May 2006. Based on comments received on
the Draft EIS and revised cost estimates for constructing the proposed
make-up water storage pond presented in the Draft EIS, the Co-owners
revised their proposed Project to include the use of groundwater as a
source of make-up water, as well as other changes associated with
groundwater use. These revisions were outlined in a Supplemental Draft
EIS issued in October 2007.
The Final EIS is available in four volumes. Volume I contains the
Final EIS, which integrates the information contained in the Draft EIS
and the Supplemental Draft EIS, including revisions to the proposed
Project, as well as other revisions and minor edits made in response to
specific comments. A summary of all substantive comments received and
Western's responses are included in Volume II of the Final EIS. Volume
II also contains response papers providing additional information on
mercury emissions, renewable and wind energy, and demand side
management. All comments received on the Draft EIS and Supplemental
Draft EIS were carefully reviewed and considered in preparing the Final
EIS. Volume III contains the Appendices, and Volume IV includes a copy
of all substantive comments received on the Draft EIS and the
Supplemental Draft EIS.
Copies of the full Final EIS are available for public review at the
offices and public libraries listed below:
Public Libraries
Ortonville Public Library, 412 Second Street Northwest, Ortonville,
Minnesota.
Morris Public Library, 102 East 6th Street, Morris, Minnesota.
Granite Falls Public Library, 155 7th Avenue, Granite Falls, Minnesota.
Appleton Public Library, 322 W. Schlieman Avenue, Appleton, Minnesota.
Canby Public Library, 110 Oscar Avenue North, Canby, Minnesota.
Willmar Public Library, 410 5th Street Southwest, Willmar, Minnesota.
Kerkhoven Public Library, 208 10th Street North, Kerkhoven, Minnesota.
Benson Public Library, 200 13th Street South, Benson, Minnesota.
Grant County Public Library, 207 Park Avenue East, Milbank, South
Dakota.
Watertown Regional Library, 611 Bruhn Avenue, NE., Watertown, South
Dakota.
The Final EIS is also available at DOE Reading Rooms at the
following addresses: U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building,
Reading Room 1E-190, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20585; Western Area Power Administration, Corporate Services Office,
12155 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, Colorado 80228; and Western Area
Power Administration, Upper Great Plains Customer Service Region, South
Dakota Maintenance Office, 200 4th Street, SW., Huron, South Dakota
57350.
Decisions by Western and the USACE will be made no sooner than 30
days from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's published Notice
of Availability for the Final EIS in the Federal Register. Western is
considering whether to grant a request to interconnect the proposed
Project with Western's transmission system at Morris and Granite Falls
substations in Minnesota, an action which requires Western to complete
modifications to these substations to support the interconnection. The
USACE is considering whether to issue permits for Section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act and for Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for
construction of the proposed Project within or across navigable waters
and waters of the United States.
Dated: June 8, 2009.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-15125 Filed 6-25-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P