[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21522-21526]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8579]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and Tahoe National Forest, CA; 
Calpeco 625 and 650 Electrical Line Upgrade Project EIS/EIS/EIR

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a joint environmental impact 
statement/report.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the USDA Forest Service (USFS), 
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU), together with the Tahoe 
Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), and the California Public Utilities 
Commission (CPUC) will prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS), EIS, and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (EIS/EIS/EIR; the 
nature of this type of document is described further below) to disclose 
the impacts associated with the following proposed action: California 
Pacific Electric Company (Calpeco) is proposing to upgrade their 
existing 625 and 650 60 kV transmission lines to 120 kV in order to 
maintain a safe and reliable electrical transmission system for the 
north Lake Tahoe area, while accommodating currently-expected normal 
growth in the area. The 650 line upgrade would involve rebuilding an 
approximately 10-mile section of transmission line from Truckee 
substation to the Kings Beach Diesel Generation Station. The majority 
of this line would be replaced within its current alignment. The 625 
line upgrade would include approximately 15 miles of line from the 
Kings Beach Switching Station to the Tahoe City Substation. A 
significant portion of the existing 625 Line would be realigned to a 
location that parallels Mount Watson Road (also called Fiberboard 
Highway), an existing National Forest System road. The USFS LTBMU is 
the lead federal agency for the preparation of this EIS in compliance 
with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and all other applicable 
laws, executive orders, regulations, and direction; the TRPA is the 
lead agency for preparation of an EIS in compliance with TRPA's Compact 
and Code of Ordinances and all other applicable laws and regulations; 
and the CPUC is the lead State of California agency for preparation of 
an EIR in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act 
(CEQA) and all other applicable laws and regulations (hence the 
document's designation as an EIS/EIS/EIR). All three agencies have 
determined that an EIS/EIS/EIR is needed in order to effectively 
analyze the proposal and evaluate impacts. In addition, the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers (USACE), as a federal cooperating agency, will be 
responsible for the scope and content of the NEPA portion of the 
environmental document as it pertains to lands within the 
jurisdictional boundaries of the agency for the project. The USFS, 
Tahoe National Forest will be responsible for the scope and content of 
the NEPA portion of the environmental document as it pertains to lands 
within the jurisdictional boundaries of that agency (outside of the 
LTBMU).
    The project is scheduled to be completed in three phases, with 
initial construction beginning as early as 2013 and the final phase 
planned for completion in 2019.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by May 10, 2012. The draft EIS/EIS/EIR is expected in January 2013 and 
the final EIS/EIS/EIR is expected in July 2013.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Calpeco 625 and 650 Electrical Line 
Upgrade Project, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, P.O. Box 5310, 
Stateline, NV 89449, Attention: Wendy Jepson. Comments may also be sent 
via email to [email protected], or via facsimile to 775-588-4527.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Rodman, Lands Officer, at 530-
543-2613 or email [email protected]. Additional project information, 
including maps, is available on the LTBMU web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/ltbmu/landmanagement/projects under Calpeco 
625 and 650 Electrical Line Upgrade Project.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 1, 2011, Calpeco purchased the 
California electric service territory from Sierra Pacific Power 
Company. The physical boundaries of the service territory include the 
California Lake

[[Page 21523]]

Tahoe Basin and extend north to Portola and Loyalton and south to 
Walker in Mono County. The service territory includes the north Lake 
Tahoe electric transmission and distribution system.
    The existing north Lake Tahoe transmission system is a loop 
comprised of a series of 60 kV and 120 kV transmission lines running 
from Truckee to Squaw Valley to Tahoe City to Kings Beach and then back 
to Truckee. The following lines comprise this loop:

 One 60 kV transmission line (609 Line) and one 120 kV 
transmission line (132 Line) from Truckee to Squaw Valley
 One 60 kV transmission line from Tahoe City to Squaw Valley 
(629 Line)
 One 60 kV transmission line from Kings Beach to Tahoe City 
(625 Line)
 One 60 kV transmission line from Truckee to Kings Beach (650 
Line)

Electrical demand in the area served by Calpeco's north Lake Tahoe 
system is the greatest during the winter months, and typically peaks 
during the week between Christmas and the New Year holidays as a result 
of electric heating and ski resort loads. During power outages in the 
north Lake Tahoe area additional, or back-up power is provided by the 
Kings Beach Diesel Generation Station, which is capable of providing 11 
MVA (mega volt-amperes \1\) of additional capacity. It is currently the 
only source of the system's ability to maintain the current maximum 
system loads while experiencing an outage on any one of the four legs 
of the system (single-contingency reliability).
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    \1\ A volt-ampere (VA) is a unit used to express the power in an 
electrical circuit and is very similar to a watt.
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Purpose and Need for Action

    The north Lake Tahoe electric system must be able to supply the 
maximum load at adequate voltage levels and without overloading the 
system components (``normal capacity''.) Even though the system will 
not incur maximum load levels at all times, it must be capable of 
supplying peak loads whenever they occur. The non-coincident peak 
levels are the maximum loads incurred for this particular area. 
Industry-accepted criteria also require the system to supply peak loads 
with any one component out of service. This situation is referred to as 
``reliable capacity'' and is why non-coincident peak levels are used to 
determine capacity needs.
    Calpeco is proposing the 625 and 650 Electrical Line Upgrade 
Project for the purpose of maintaining a safe and reliable transmission 
system for the north Lake Tahoe area, while accommodating currently-
expected normal growth in the area. Presently, the north Lake Tahoe 
transmission system does not have adequate single-contingency 
reliability, meaning, if one of several critical lines is lost as a 
result of an intense storm event, fire, or downed trees, a severe and 
sustained power outage could occur in the system service area. 
Currently, the 625 Line experiences the most outages in the north Lake 
Tahoe transmission system due to snow loading and downed trees. Single-
contingency reliability can be achieved by upgrading the 625 Line and 
the 650 Line to 120 kV conductors and insulators to allow greater 
capacity in each line. If one of the critical lines is lost, adequate 
capacity would be available in the remaining lines to continue 
providing service to the system. Utilizing steel poles to replace the 
existing wood poles would enhance the reliability of the lines because 
they are more resistant to damage, including from wildfire. Increasing 
the reliability and resilience of the north Lake Tahoe system would 
reduce the need to activate the Kings Beach Diesel Generation Station. 
Due to limited total annual operating hours imposed by the facility's 
permit to operate issued by the Placer County Air Pollution Control 
District, the preferred use of the Kings Beach Diesel Generation 
Station is to reserve the operating hours for multiple-contingency 
events (outages on multiple legs of the system).
    Additionally, significant portions of the 625 Line alignment have 
no established roads allowing ready access to the polesa and conductor 
(i.e., cable that carries the electricity). As a result, it is a 
challenge to repair and maintain much of the 625 Line, especially in 
the winter when heavy snow can further complicate access.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action consists primarily of an upgrade of the 625 and 
650 Lines and associated substations to 120 kV to allow the entire 
transmission loop to operate at 120 kV, allowing for a total capacity 
of 114 MVA. However, there are supporting elements to this primary 
activity. The six primary components of the proposed project are 
described below, followed by additional information on further elements 
of project implementation.

Primary Project Components

1. Removal and Reconstruction of the Existing 625 Line

    As part of the upgrade to 120 kV for the north Lake Tahoe system, 
Calpeco is proposing to reconductor (i.e., old electrical line is 
replaced with new line) and reroute the 625 Line with the objective 
that the new conductor (i.e., wire along the towers) can accommodate 
120 kV capacity and to align more closely with the existing roadways in 
the Project area. The removal of the existing 625 Line would involve 
approximately 15 miles of conductor and 341 wooden poles. The new 120 
kV 625 Line would consist of 300 steel poles and 16 miles of new 397.5 
thousand circular mil (MCM \2\) all aluminum (AA \3\) conductor within 
a new 40-foot-wide permanent right-of-way. An approximately 10-mile 
portion would generally parallel Mount Watson Road, a National Forest 
System road also known as the Fiberboard Highway. This change is 
intended to increase access for construction and maintenance 
activities.
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    \2\ MCM stands for ``thousand circular mil'', a unit of 
measurement used to express large conductor sizes. The acronym Kcmil 
is also frequently used. The first ``M'' in MCM stands for the Roman 
numeral for 1,000, the ``C'' stands for ``circular'', and the second 
``M'' stands for ``mil''. A mil is a unit of measurement equal to 
0.001 inches (i.e., one one-thousandth of an inch). MCM or Kcmil is 
an area measurement and expresses the area of a cross section of a 
cable (not a linear diameter or radius measurement). 1 MCM = 0.5067 
square millimeters. Therefore, the 397.5 MCM AA conductor used for 
the proposed project has a cross sectional area of 201.4 square 
millimeters. The diameter of this conductor is approximately 0.72 
inch.
    \3\ The term ``all aluminum conductor'' indicates that the wire/
cable carrying electricity in the conductor is made entirely of 
aluminum, as opposed to copper or some other material.
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2. Rebuild of the Existing 650 Line

    Approximately 10 miles of existing 650 Line would be rebuilt in its 
existing right-of-way and alignment. This section would consist of 
approximately 225 steel poles and 21 span-guy poles (these poles allow 
guy wires to span objects such as roads and water features). Poles 
would generally be placed 10 feet from the existing poles (which would 
be removed, as would occur for all project elements where poles are 
replaced), but in some areas new poles could be further from the 
existing poles to best support the system design. The 650 Line would be 
reconductored with 397.5 MCM AA conductor to allow transmission at a 
120 kV capacity. Although the new conductor would be installed, it 
would not be operated at 120 kV levels until all elements of the system 
are completed.

[[Page 21524]]

3. Realignment of 650 Line Segments

    Two minor segments of the 650 Line would be removed; the segment 
originating at the Truckee Substation and the segment that currently 
connects the Brockway Substation with the Kings Beach Switching Station 
(which would be rebuilt as the Kings Beach Substation). Existing co-
located telecommunications and/or cable lines at the Truckee Substation 
would be transferred to the new poles. At the Kings Beach/Brockway 
Substations the existing poles with telecommunications/cable lines 
would be left in place and poles would be topped (the extra height that 
accommodated the 60 kV line would no longer be needed).

4. Rebuild of the Northstar Tap Into a Fold

    A ``fold'' allows for electrical service to be maintained at a 
substation in the event of an interruption in service on either side of 
the transmission line feeding it. The existing 60kV Northstar Tap would 
be rebuilt into a line fold tying into the existing terminals. This 
activity would require replacement of approximately 14 wood poles with 
steel poles and approximately 0.5 miles of 397.5 MCM AA conductor to 
allow for the line tap reconfiguration to a fold.

5. Rebuild a 1.6 Mile Section of the Existing 132 Line

    The 132 Line is an existing 120 kV line that extends from Truckee 
to Squaw Valley. In the town of Truckee, approximately 32 poles would 
be replaced and the line would be reconfigured to allow a double-
circuit configuration with the 650 Line and allow operation at 120 kV. 
The new steel poles would generally be placed 10 feet from the current 
wood pole locations.

6. Upgrade, Modification, and/or Decommissioning of Six Substations 
and/or Switching Stations

    The Northstar Substation and the Squaw Valley Substation, and the 
North Truckee Switching Station would be modified to accommodate the 
new 120 kV loop system. The Tahoe City Substation would be 
reconstructed to operate at 120 kV. The Kings Beach Switching Station 
would be rebuilt into a 120 kV substation, which would become the Kings 
Beach Substation. Additionally, the Brockway Substation would be 
decommissioned, equipment removed, and the land reclaimed. The future 
use of this land is unknown at this time. All substation and switching 
station improvements would take place within parcels owned by Calpeco, 
and except for the Kings Beach Substation, all work would occur within 
the existing fence lines of the facilities.

Other Project Components

Conductor

    In most areas where reconductoring is proposed, the new conductor 
(i.e., electrical transmission cable) would be of the same type as the 
existing conductor; specifically, 397.5 MCM AA conductor. Therefore, 
the new conductor would have the same appearance as the existing 
conductor. An approximately 8.8-mile section of the 650 line between 
Kings Beach and Martis Valley currently has aluminum core steel 
reinforced (ACSR) conductor. However, the new 397.5 MCM AA conductor 
installed as part of the project would not look appreciably different 
from the existing ACSR conductor.

Transmission Poles

    Calpeco would remove approximately 610 wood poles and replace them 
with approximately 569 new steel poles. The new poles along the 650 
Line and 132 Line would generally be located within approximately 10 
feet of the locations of existing wooden poles. However, some poles may 
be situated farther than 10 feet from the existing poles in order to 
maximize the efficiency of pole placement and to avoid sensitive 
resources or geological impediments. Some poles along the Northstar 
Fold would be relocated south of the existing Northstar Tap at a 
distance of 50 feet.
    The new steel poles would be approximately 7 to 12 feet taller than 
the existing wooden poles, which are approximately 52 feet above ground 
level. On average, pole spacing would be 300 feet apart. In areas where 
poles need additional stability, guy wires may be connected to the 
poles. Diameter of the poles would vary between 15 inches to 19 inches 
at the base for poles buried in the ground, and 3 feet to 6 feet at the 
base for self-supporting poles that would be mounted on concrete 
foundations. For the most part, telecommunication/cable lines that are 
currently co-located on the existing wooden poles would be relocated 
onto the new poles.

Right of Way Requirements

    To accommodate construction, temporary right-of-ways would be 
required for the new 625 Line, 650 Line, Northstar Fold, and 132 Line. 
The total temporary right-of-way needed would be approximately 221 
acres. Calpeco would negotiate with landowners for temporary rights-of-
way.
    Calpeco currently holds easements from the USFS, USACE, Placer 
County, and various public and private landowners whose properties are 
crossed by the existing 625 Line, 650 Line, 132 Line, and Northstar 
Fold. The existing easements are on average 30 feet wide, but would 
need to be expanded to 40 feet for the 625 Line and 650 Line for 
operation and maintenance purposes. Calpeco would negotiate with the 
existing landowners in order to obtain a permanent easement of 40 feet 
for the new 625 Line and 650 Line. No land acquisition would be needed 
for the substation and switching station facilities because all new 
facilities would remain on existing Calpeco-owned parcels.

Construction

    Project construction would require access, staging areas, temporary 
workspace, and involve various construction methods to install new 
poles and string and tension new conductor.

Staging Areas

    Up to seven staging areas, ranging from 0.2 acre to 3.4 acres, 
would be required. The proposed staging areas are generally located in 
areas with pre-existing soil disturbance; however, some would require 
grading and vegetation removal. All locations would be fenced. Staging 
areas would be placed in the Joerger Road area near Truckee; Northstar 
Golf Course near SR 267; Kings Beach north of the Kings Beach Switching 
Station; Sawmill Flats accessed from Mount Watson Road; the Former 
Batch Plant accessed from Mount Watson Road; Fiberboard Highway 
accessed from Mount Watson Road; and Tahoe City accessed from Jackpine 
Street. Tree clearing would be required at the Kings Beach, Former 
Batch Plant, and Fiberboard Highway sites. The Tahoe City and the 
Joerger Road sites would also be used for helicopter landing areas.

Temporary Work Areas

    Transmission line construction would require numerous work areas 
for pole work, stringing sites, and crossing structures (wood poles 
with netting placed over utilities and roadways for protection during 
cable pulling). An estimated total of approximately 426 acres of 
temporary disturbance for work areas would be required including 
roughly 910 work areas for pole installation, 20 work areas for 
crossing structures, and 78 work areas for stringing sites. Each pole 
work area would require approximately 0.25 to 0.5 acre, each crossing 
structure work area would require approximately 0.25 acre,

[[Page 21525]]

and each stringing site would require a partial 300-foot diameter 
circle.
    Grading and vegetation clearing would be required at most sites. 
Work areas would typically be accessed by truck using existing roads or 
new spur roads and the transmission line right of way; however in areas 
were terrain limits access, use of all-terrain vehicles or approach on 
foot may be required. Construction at the Tahoe City Substation would 
require a temporary work area outside of the substation fence line on a 
USFS-managed parcel.

Access and Spur Roads

    Approximately six new spur roads ranging between 40 feet and 1,790 
feet in length would be required for access from existing roads to the 
transmission lines' right of way. Access roads requiring improvement 
would be graded level and would generally be 12 feet to 25 feet wide.

Helicopter Access

    Calpeco is proposing to remove the existing 625 Line by helicopter 
if overland access is not feasible. Helicopters would also be used to 
deliver and remove construction material from areas with rugged terrain 
or environmentally sensitive areas. Helicopter landing areas have been 
proposed at the Joeger Road Staging Area and Kings Beach Staging Area.

Phasing and Schedule

    The proposed action would be constructed in three phases as 
follows:
Phase 1: 650 Line Rebuild
    Phase 1 includes rebuilding/reconductoring the 650 Line, 132/650 
Line Double-Circuit, and upgrading the structures and conductor to 120 
kV capacity from Truckee to North Star, and North Star to Kings Beach. 
Phase 1 also involves rebuilding the existing 60 kV Northstar tap into 
a line fold tying into the existing terminals, and the installation of 
a transfer trip on the 609 Line and the installation of capacitor banks 
at the Tahoe City Substation to address the immediate issue of low-
voltage conditions. This phase is the most critical for system 
reliability and construction of elements of this phase could begin as 
early as fall of 2013 with the improvements completed and in operation 
in 2014.
Phase 2: Upgrade the 650 Line Terminations to 120 kV Operation
    The purpose of Phase 2 is to enable the upgraded 650 Line to 
operate at 120 kV. Phase 2 includes improvements to the North Truckee, 
Northstar and Kings Beach substations. This phase would also include 
the decommissioning of the Brockway Substation with a re-routing of the 
14.4 kV distribution feeders to the Kings Beach Substation. 
Construction of this phase is planned for completion in 2016.
Phase 3: 625 Line Reconductor and Relocation
    Phase 3 involves the rebuild of the 625 Line and improvements to 
complete the 120 kV loop. Phase 3 includes improvements to the Tahoe 
City, Kings Beach, and Squaw Valley substation. Completion of Phase 3 
would allow for the entire loop to operate at 120 kV, including the 629 
Line between Truckee and Tahoe City that had previously been upgraded 
with 120 kV facilities. Construction of this phase is planned to begin 
in 2016 with completion and operation planned for 2019.

Possible Alternatives

    The EIS/EIS/EIR will evaluate alternatives at an equal level of 
detail. The alternatives likely to be evaluated generally include: (1) 
A No Action Alternative; (2) the Proposed Action; (3) the Proposed 
Action, but rebuilding the 625 line in its current location with a 40-
foot access road; and (4) the Proposed Action, but use of a double-
circuit line for the 625 and 650 Lines east of SR 267. Additional 
alternatives may be identified that address significant issues brought 
forward by agencies or the public during the scoping process.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The USFS LTBMU, TRPA, and CPUC will be joint lead agencies in 
accordance with 40 CFR 1505.1(b) and are responsible for the 
preparation of the EIS/EIS/EIR. The USACE will be a cooperating agency 
responsible for ensuring compliance with the scope and content of the 
NEPA portion of the joint EIS/EIS/EIR as it pertains to lands within 
the jurisdictional boundaries of the agency.

Responsible Official

    The USFS responsible officials for the preparation of the EIS/EIS/
EIR are Nancy Gibson, Forest Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin Management 
Unit, and Tom Quinn, Forest Supervisor, Tahoe National Forest.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor for the LTBMU and the Forest Supervisor for 
the Tahoe National Forest will decide whether to approve the proposed 
action, an alternative to the proposed action, or take no action to 
allow the upgrade of the Calpeco 625 and 650 transmission lines and any 
related facilities on National Forest System lands managed by the USFS 
within their respective jurisdictions. Once the decision is made, the 
USFS will publish a record of decision to disclose the rationale for 
project approval, approval of an alternative, or denial of approval.

Permits or Licenses Required

 USFS Special Use Authorization and compliance with Section 7 
of the Endangered Species Act and Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act
 USACE Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Individual or 
Nationwide Permit
 TRPA Project Permit
 CPUC Permit to Construct
 California Department of Fish and Game
[ssquf] Section 1602 Streambed Alteration Agreement and
[ssquf] Section 2081 Incidental Take Permit
 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Timber 
Harvest Plan (for trees removed during project construction)
 California State Water Resources Control Board
[ssquf] Water Quality Order No. 99-08--National Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Stormwater Discharges 
associated with construction activity
[ssquf] Water Quality Order No. 2003-0003--Statewide General Waste 
Discharge Requirements for discharges to land with a low threat to 
water quality.
 Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board,
[ssquf] Section 401 Water Quality Certification,
[ssquf] Board Order No. R6T-2007-0008--Waiver of Waste Discharge 
Requirements Related to Timber Harvest and Vegetation Management 
Activities,
[ssquf] Board Order No. R6T-2005-2007--Waste Discharge Requirements and 
NPDES General Permit No. CAG616002
[ssquf] Board Order No. R6T-2008-0023--Renewed Waste Discharge 
Requirements and NPDES General Permit for Limited Threat Discharges to 
Surface Waters
 California Department of Transportation Encroachment Permit
 Placer County and Nevada County Special Use Permits/
Modification to Existing Special Use Permit
 Placer County Air Pollution Control District Permit to 
Construct and Permit to Operate
 Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District Permit to 
Construct and Permit to Operate

[[Page 21526]]

 Town of Truckee Encroachment Permit

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Two public 
scoping meetings will be conducted to provide federal, state, and local 
agencies, and individuals and organizations with the opportunity to 
learn more about the proposed action and to express oral comments about 
the content of the EIS/EIS/EIR, in addition to this opportunity to 
submit written comments. The scoping meetings will be held at the 
following times and locations:

Meeting on April 17, 2012 beginning at 6 p.m. at the North Tahoe Event 
Center, 8318 North Lake Boulevard, Kings Beach, CA 96143
Meeting on April 19, 2012 beginning at 6 p.m. at the Truckee Ranger 
District offices, 10811 Stockrest Springs Road, Truckee, CA 96161

    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of 
the EIS/EIR/EIR. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the 
close of the comment period and should clearly articulate the 
reviewer's concerns and contentions.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered, however.

    Dated: April 3, 2012.
Nancy J. Gibson,
Forest Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
    Dated: March 30, 2012.
Tom Quinn,
Forest Supervisor, Tahoe National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2012-8579 Filed 4-9-12; 8:45 am]
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