[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 212 (Wednesday, November 2, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67670-67671]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28309]



[[Page 67670]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.: Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Hold Public Scoping 
Meetings

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), intends to prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) for Basin Electric Power Cooperative's (Basin 
Electric) proposed Antelope Valley Station (AVS) to Neset Transmission 
Project (Project) in North Dakota. RUS is issuing this Notice of Intent 
(NOI) to inform the public and interested parties about the proposed 
Project, conduct a public scoping process, and invite the public to 
comment on the scope, proposed action, and other issues to be addressed 
in the EIS.
    The EIS will address the construction, operation, and maintenance 
of Basin Electric's proposed Project. The Project includes 
construction, operation and maintenance of approximately 190 miles of 
new 345-kV single pole transmission line and double circuit 345/115-kV 
transmission lines, 2 new substations, modifications to 4 existing 
substations, a 345-kV switchyard, maintenance access roads, temporary 
construction roads, river crossings, temporary construction staging 
sites, and other facilities to be described in the proposed EIS. Basin 
Electric's proposed Project would be located in portions of Billings, 
Dunn, McKenzie, Mercer, Mountrail, and Williams counties in western 
North Dakota.
    Portions of Basin Electric's proposed Project may affect 
floodplains and wetlands. This NOI also serves as a notice of proposed 
floodplain or wetland action. RUS will hold public scoping meetings to 
share information and receive comments and suggestions on the scope of 
the EIS in areas near and affected by the proposed Project.

DATES: An open-house public scoping meetings will be held on November 
15, 2011, from 4 to 7 p.m. central time at the Ernie French Center, 
North Dakota State University Williston Research Extension Office, 
14120 Highway 2, Williston, North Dakota 58801; and on November 16, 
2011, from 4 to 7 p.m. mountain time at the American Legion Hall Post 
46, 42 Central Avenue, Killdeer, North Dakota 58640. In order to be 
considered, all fax or email comments or suggestions regarding the 
appropriate scope of the EIS must be received by the end of the scoping 
period. Comments regarding the Project may be submitted in writing at 
the public scoping meeting or mailed to the RUS address provided in 
this Notice. Mailed comments must be postmarked no later than midnight 
on December 2, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be addressed 
to Mr. Dennis Rankin, Environmental Protection Specialist, USDA, Rural 
Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Stop 1571, Washington, 
DC 20250-1571, telephone: (202) 720-1953, or email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the proposed 
Project, the EIS process, and RUS financing, contact Mr. Dennis Rankin, 
Engineering and Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Mail Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571, 
telephone: (202) 720-1953, or email: [email protected]. 
Parties wishing to be placed on the Project mailing list for future 
information and to receive copies of the Draft and Final EIS when they 
are available should also contact Mr. Rankin.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS is authorized to make loans and loan 
guarantees that finance the construction of electric distribution, 
transmission, and generation facilities, including system improvements 
and replacements required to furnish and improve electric service in 
rural areas, as well as demand side management, energy conservation 
programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems. Based on 
an interconnection with the Western Area Power Administration's 
(Western) transmission system, Western has in accordance with 40 CFR 
1501.6 Cooperating agencies, requested to serve as a cooperating agency 
for the environmental review of the proposed project.
    Basin Electric is a regional wholesale electric generation and 
transmission cooperative owned and controlled by its member 
cooperatives. Basin Electric serves approximately 2.5 million customers 
covering 430,000 square miles in portions of nine states, including 
Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, 
South Dakota, and Wyoming.
    Project Description: Basin Electric has identified the need for 
additional electric transmission capacity in northwestern North Dakota 
as a result of increased demand and to meet reliability and system 
stability requirements for the region. Investigations and analyses 
conducted for the overall power delivery systems found that without 
improvements, the flow of power along existing lines may result in 
local line overloads, especially in the vicinity of Williston, North 
Dakota.
    To resolve these issues, Basin Electric is proposing to construct, 
own and operate a new 345-kV transmission line and associated 
supporting infrastructure. The entire project will consist of 
constructing approximately 190 miles of new single circuit 345-kV and 
double circuit 345/115-kV transmission lines, the construction of 2 new 
substations, modifications to 4 existing substations, a 345-kV 
switchyard, maintenance access roads, temporary construction roads, 
river crossings, temporary construction staging sites, and other 
facilities. The Project would connect to the Integrated System at 
several locations, including Western's Williston Substation. The 
proposed Project would be located in portions of Billings, Dunn, 
McKenzie, Mercer, Mountrail, and Williams counties in western North 
Dakota.
    Basin Electric has requested financial assistance for the proposed 
Project from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities 
Service (RUS). Completing the EIS is one of RUS's requirements in 
processing Basin Electric's application, along with other technical and 
financial considerations.
    In accordance with 40 CFR 1501.5(b) of the Council of Environmental 
Quality's Regulation for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the 
National Environmental Policy Act, RUS will serve as the-lead agency in 
the preparation of the EIS. Other agencies and Native American Tribes 
with jurisdiction or special expertise will be invited to participate 
as cooperating agencies per Sec.  1501.6.
    The proposed Project is subject to the jurisdiction of the North 
Dakota Public Service Commission (NDPSC), which has regulatory 
authority for siting electrical transmission facilities within the 
State. Basin Electric will submit an application for NDPSC Transmission 
Corridor and Route Permits. The NDPSC Permits would authorize Basin 
Electric to construct the proposed Project under North Dakota rules and 
regulations.
    RUS intends to prepare an EIS to analyze the impacts of its 
respective federal actions and the proposed Project in accordance with 
NEPA, as amended, CEQ's Regulation for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021), and RS

[[Page 67671]]

Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1794).
    Because the proposed Project may involve action in floodplains or 
wetlands, this NOI also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or 
wetland action. The EIS will include a floodplain/wetland assessment 
and, if required, a floodplain/wetland statement of findings will be 
issued with the Final EIS.
    Agency Responsibilities: RUS is serving as the lead Federal agency, 
as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5, for preparation of the EIS. With this 
notice, Native American Tribes and agencies with jurisdiction or 
special expertise are invited to be cooperating agencies. Such tribes 
or agencies may make a request to RUS to be a cooperating agency by 
contacting Mr. Rankin. Designated cooperating agencies have certain 
responsibilities to support the NEPA process, as specified at 40 CFR 
1501.6(b).
    Environmental Issues: This notice is to inform agencies and the 
public of RUS' federal action, and the proposed Project, and to solicit 
comments and suggestions for consideration in preparing the EIS. To 
help the public frame its comments, this notice contains a list of 
potential environmental issues that RUS has tentatively identified for 
analysis. These issues include:
    1. Impacts on protected, threatened, endangered, or sensitive 
species of animals or plants;
    2. Impacts on avian and bat species;
    3. Impacts on land use, recreation, and transportation;
    4. Impacts on cultural resources or historic properties and tribal 
values;
    5. Impacts on human health and safety;
    6. Impacts on air, soil, and water resources (including air quality 
and surface water impacts);
    7. Visual impacts; and
    8. Socioeconomic impacts and whether there would be any 
disproportionately high and adverse impacts to minority and low-income 
populations.

This list is not intended to be all-inclusive or to imply any 
predetermination of impacts. Environmental issues associated with the 
action of RUS, and Basin Electric's proposed Project will be addressed 
separately in the EIS. RUS invites interested parties to suggest 
specific issues within these general categories, or other issues not 
included above, to be considered in the EIS.
    Public Participation: Public participation and full disclosure are 
planned for the entire EIS process. The EIS process will include open-
house public scoping meetings and a scoping comment period to solicit 
comments from interested parties; consultation and involvement with 
appropriate Federal, State, local, and tribal governmental agencies; 
public review and a hearing on the draft EIS; publication of a final 
EIS; and publication of a Record of Decision. Expected EIS completion 
date is December 2013. Additional informal public meetings may be held 
in the proposed Project areas, if public interest and issues indicate a 
need; if additional public meeting are determined to be necessary 
public notices will be published as appropriate.
    RUS will hold open-house public scoping meetings in Williston, 
North Dakota, and Killdeer, North Dakota as noted above. The time and 
locations of these meetings will be well advertised in local media 
outlets a minimum of 15 days prior to the time of the meetings. 
Attendees are welcome to come and go at their convenience and to speak 
one-on-one with Project representatives and agency staff. The public 
will have the opportunity to provide written comments at the meeting. 
In addition, attendees may provide written comments by letter, fax, 
email.
    The public scoping period begins with publication of this notice in 
the Federal Register and closes December 2, 2011. To be considered in 
defining the scope of the EIS, comments should be received by the end 
of the scoping period.

    Dated: October 27, 2011.
Mark Plank,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-28309 Filed 11-1-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P