[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 174 (Thursday, September 10, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46584-46585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21850]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Notice of Cancellation of the Transmission Agency of Northern 
California Transmission Project, Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Cancellation of Transmission Agency of Northern California 
Transmission Project Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency of the 
Department of Energy (DOE), is canceling preparation of the 
Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) 
for construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed 
Transmission Agency of Northern California (TANC) Transmission Project, 
which would have included building and upgrading over 600 miles of 230-
kilovolt (kV) and 500-kV transmission lines and associated equipment 
and facilities in northern California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please 
contact Mr. David Young, NEPA Document Manager, Western Area Power 
Administration, Sierra Nevada Region, 114 Parkshore Drive, Folsom, CA 
95630, telephone (916) 353-4777, fax (916) 353-4772, or e-mail 
[email protected]. For general information on DOE's NEPA review 
procedures or status of a NEPA review, contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, 
Director of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-20, U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, telephone 
(202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 23, 2009, Western issued a 
Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS/EIR for the construction, operation, 
and maintenance of the TANC Transmission Project (74 FR 8086).\1\ The 
project, as proposed, would have included building and upgrading over 
600 miles of 230-kV and 500-kV transmission lines and associated 
equipment and facilities in northern California. In its Notice of 
Intent, Western described the schedule for scoping meetings for the 
EIS/EIR, and advised the public that comments regarding the scope of 
the EIS/EIR were due by April 30, 2009. Western held all public scoping 
meetings as scheduled. Because of requests from agencies and the public 
for more time to comment, Western extended the scoping period twice, 
with a final comment closing on July 30, 2009.
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    \1\ On July 1, 1996, DOE's Assistant Secretary for 
Environmental, Safety and Health delegated to Western's 
Administrator, the authority to approve EISs for integrating main 
transmission system additions.
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    On July 15, 2009, the TANC Commission voted to terminate proceeding 
further with the environmental process and to stop development work for 
the TANC Transmission Project. On August 3, 2009, Western received 
notification from TANC, terminating its agreement with Western to 
prepare the EIS/EIR. Termination of the agreement terminates Western's 
obligation to prepare the EIS/EIR and involvement in the TANC 
Transmission Project. As a result, Western has ceased preparation of 
the EIS/EIR.


[[Page 46585]]


    Dated: August 27, 2009.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-21850 Filed 9-9-09; 8:45 am]
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