[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]


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

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.

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

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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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