[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 86 (Thursday, May 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26275-26276]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10673]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Bonneville Power Administration; Montana-to-Washington 
Transmission System Upgrade Project EIS

AGENCY: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Department of Energy 
(DOE).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) and notice of floodplain and wetlands involvement.

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SUMMARY: BPA intends to prepare an EIS in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on several proposed upgrades to its 
existing transmission system. The proposed upgrades would consist of a 
combination of reinforcements of five existing BPA substations, 
placement of new conductor on sections of an existing BPA transmission 
line, and the addition of a new series compensation substation along an 
existing BPA transmission line corridor. The substation reinforcements 
would occur at Garrison and Hot Springs substations in Montana, 
Dworshak and Hatwai substations in Idaho, and Bell Substation in 
Washington. The line reconductoring would occur on four sections, 
totaling 12 miles, of the Dworshak-Taft No. 1 500-kilovolt (kV) line in 
Montana and Idaho. The series compensation substation would be added 
along the Garrison-Taft 500-kV line corridor in Montana.
    The proposed upgrades are needed to respond to requests for long-
term firm transmission service that BPA has received for the West of 
Garrison and West of Hatwai transmission paths. These upgrades would 
increase the firm east-to-west transfer capability from BPA's Garrison 
Substation in Western Montana to load centers west of the Cascades and 
to market hubs serving the entire Northwest power market.
    With this Notice of Intent, BPA is initiating the public scoping 
process for the EIS. BPA is requesting comments about potential 
environmental impacts that it should consider as it prepares the EIS 
for the proposed project.
    In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain 
and wetlands environmental review requirements, BPA will prepare a 
floodplain and wetlands assessment to avoid or minimize potential harm 
to or within any affected floodplains and wetlands. The assessment will 
be included in the EIS.

DATES: Written scoping comments are due no later than June 18, 2012, 
and can be submitted at the addresses below. Verbal and written 
comments may also

[[Page 26276]]

be made at the EIS scoping meetings that will be held at the locations 
listed below.

ADDRESSES: Send letters with comments and suggestions on the proposed 
scope of the Draft EIS, and requests to be placed on the project 
mailing list, to Bonneville Power Administration, Public Affairs 
Office--DKE-7, P.O. Box 14428, Portland, OR 97293-4428, or by fax to 
(503) 230-4019. You also may call BPA's toll free comment line at (800) 
622-4519 and leave a message (please include the name of this project); 
or submit comments online at www.bpa.gov/comment. BPA will also post 
all comment letters received in their entirety on BPA's Web site at 
www.bpa.gov/comment.
    On May 22, 2012, a scoping meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 
7:00 p.m. at the Lewiston Community Center, 1424 Main Street, Lewiston, 
Idaho 83501. On May 23, 2012, a scoping meeting will be held from 5:00 
p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Linwood Elementary School, 906 West Weile 
Avenue, Spokane, Washington 99208. On June 12, 2012, a scoping meeting 
will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Missoula Fire 
Department (Station 4), 3011 Latimor Street, Missoula, Montana 59808. 
And lastly, on June 13, 2012, a scoping meeting will be held from 5:00 
p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the St. Regis School, 6 Tiger Street, St. Regis, 
Montana 59866.
    At these informal open-house style meetings, BPA will provide maps 
and other information about the project and have members of the project 
team available to answer questions and accept oral and written 
comments. You may stop by anytime during the open house.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew M. Monta[ntilde]o, 
Environmental Protection Specialist, Bonneville Power Administration--
KEC-4, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, Oregon 97208-3621; toll-free telephone 
1-800-282-3713; direct telephone 503-230-4145; or email 
[email protected]. You may also contact Amit Sinha, Project Manager, 
Bonneville Power Administration--TEP-3, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, Oregon 
97208-3621; toll-free telephone 1-800-282-3713; direct telephone 360-
619-6178; or email [email protected]. Additional information can be found 
at BPA's project Web site at www.bpa.gov/go/M2W.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2010, BPA conducted a Network Open Season 
(NOS) process to help manage its list of reque``''sts for long-term 
transmission service. During the NOS process, utilities and power 
generators (including wind generators and power marketers) requested 
the use of BPA's transmission system to transmit their power. To 
determine if BPA could offer the service requested, BPA studied the 
transmission system and identified where existing capacity was 
available and where the system needed upgrades. The studies found that 
there was not enough available transmission capacity to accommodate all 
requests for long-term service from the west side of its Garrison 
Substation in Western Montana to load centers west of the Cascades. 
Wind generation facilities built and proposed in the region have 
greatly increased the amount of power being produced in Montana seeking 
load and markets in the Northwest. Further studies revealed that 
reinforcing the BPA Network at strategic locations on the Garrison-
Taft, Taft-Dworshak and Taft-Bell, Hatwai-Lower Granite, and Grand 
Coulee-Bell sections would allow BPA to accommodate the requests for 
transmission service in this area.
    BPA must respond to these requests for transmission service under 
its Open Access Transmission Tariff. This tariff, which is generally 
consistent with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's pro forma 
open access tariff, has procedures that provide access to BPA's 
transmission system for all eligible customers, consistent with all BPA 
requirements (including the availability or development of sufficient 
transmission capacity) and subject to an environmental review under 
NEPA. The proposed Montana-to-Washington Transmission System Upgrade 
Project, formerly known as the Colstrip Upgrade Project or ``CUP 
West,'' would respond to these requests for transmission service.
    BPA will prepare an EIS under NEPA to assist the agency as it 
decides whether to perform these proposed transmission system upgrades. 
The EIS will study two alternatives: The proposed system upgrades and a 
No Action Alternative in which BPA would not upgrade its system and not 
be able to provide the requested transmission service. BPA will be the 
lead agency for preparation of the EIS. Cooperating agencies for the 
EIS may be identified as the proposed project proceeds through the NEPA 
process.
    Public Participation and Identification of Environmental Issues. 
The potential environmental issues identified for most transmission 
line projects include land use, socioeconomics, cultural resources, 
visual resources, electric and magnetic fields, sensitive plants and 
animals, soil erosion, wetlands, floodplains, and fish and water 
resources. BPA has established a 45-day scoping period during which 
tribes, affected landowners, concerned citizens, special interest 
groups, local and federal governments, and any other interested parties 
are invited to comment on the scope of the proposed EIS, including the 
environmental impacts to be evaluated. Scoping will help BPA ensure 
that a full range of issues related to this proposal is addressed in 
the EIS, and also will identify significant or potentially significant 
impacts that may result from the proposed project. When completed, the 
Draft EIS will be circulated for review and comment, and BPA will hold 
public meetings to hear comments. The Draft EIS is expected to be 
published in the fall of 2013. BPA will consider and respond to 
comments received on the Draft EIS in the Final EIS. The Final EIS is 
expected to be published in fall of 2014. BPA's decision will be 
documented in a Record of Decision that will follow the Final EIS.

    Issued in Portland, Oregon, on April 23, 2012.
Stephen J. Wright,
Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-10673 Filed 5-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P