[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70035-70037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28043]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the San Luis Transmission Project, Alameda, Merced, San Joaquin and 
Stanislaus Counties, California (DOE/EIS-0496)

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
and to Conduct Scoping Meetings; Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands 
Involvement.

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SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration (Western) is a power 
marketing administration within the U.S. Department of Energy. Western 
has a statutory responsibility to make the necessary arrangements to 
deliver federal power to federally authorized projects including the 
San Luis Unit (SLU), a part of the Central Valley Project (CVP). The 
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) submitted a transmission 
request to Western to interconnect several key SLU facilities to 
Western's CVP transmission system. Reclamation requested Western to 
consider various transmission service arrangements so Reclamation can 
continue to economically deliver federal water when the current 
transmission service contract with the Pacific Gas and Electric Company 
(PG&E) expires. Western must respond to Reclamation's transmission 
request consistent with Western's Open Access Transmission Tariff and 
existing laws. The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority 
(Authority), a Reclamation contractor that operates and maintains a 
part of the SLU, has a direct interest in this requested transmission 
service between Western's Tracy Substation and several key pumping and 
generating facilities of the SLU.
    Western determined an environmental impact statement (EIS) is the 
appropriate level of review under the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA). Western will prepare the EIS in accordance with NEPA, the DOE 
NEPA Implementing Procedures, and the Council on Environmental Quality 
regulations for implementing NEPA. Western will be the lead federal 
agency for the NEPA EIS review process, and Reclamation will be a 
cooperating agency. Western intends to prepare a joint EIS/
environmental impact report (EIR) for the proposed San Luis 
Transmission Project (SLTP) in coordination with the Authority. The 
Authority will be the lead agency for the California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA) EIR review process. Portions of the proposed action 
may affect floodplains and wetlands, so this Notice of Intent (NOI) 
also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action in 
accordance with DOE floodplain and wetland environmental review 
requirements.

DATES: Western invites public comments on the scope of the SLTP EIS 
during a 60-day public scoping period beginning with publication of 
this notice and ending on January 21, 2014. See Public Participation in 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for the public scoping meeting 
dates and locations.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR and requests to 
be added to the EIS/EIR distribution list may be submitted by any of 
the following methods:
     Electronic comments via the project Web site at 
www.sltpeis-eir.com.
     Email to: [email protected].
     U.S. Mail to: Mr. Donald Lash, NEPA Document Manager, 
Western Area Power Administration, 114 Parkshore Drive, Folsom, CA 
95630.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Mr. Donald Lash, NEPA 
Document Manager, Western Area Power Administration, 114 Parkshore 
Drive, Folsom, CA 95630, telephone (916) 353-4048, facsimile (916) 353-
4772, email at [email protected].
    For general information on the DOE NEPA process, contact Ms. Carol 
M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-54), 
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585, telephone (202) 586-4600, voicemail at (800) 472-2756, or email 
at [email protected].
    For information related to Reclamation's participation, contact Mr. 
Russell Grimes, Chief, Environmental Compliance and Conservation, 
Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, CA 95818, telephone (916) 978-5051, email at 
[email protected].
    For information related to the Authority's participation and the 
CEQA process, contact Ms. Frances Mizuno, General Manager, San Luis & 
Delta-Mendota Water Authority, 15990 Kelso Road, Byron, CA 94514, 
telephone (209) 832-6200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    Western is a federal power marketing administration within the DOE 
that markets and delivers federal electric power (mostly hydroelectric 
power) to federal preference customers defined to include 
municipalities, rural electric cooperatives, public utilities, 
irrigation districts, federal and state agencies, and Native American 
tribes in 15 western and central states, including California. Western 
is responsible for making the necessary arrangements to deliver federal 
power to federally authorized projects.
    Reclamation is the largest wholesaler of water in the country, 
supplying more than 31 million people, and providing one out of five 
Western farmers

[[Page 70036]]

(140,000) with irrigation water for 10 million acres of farmland. 
Reclamation is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric power 
in the western United States with 53 power plants that provide more 
than 40 billion kilowatt hours annually and generate nearly a billion 
dollars in power revenues. Reclamation's mission is to assist in 
meeting the increasing water demands of the West while protecting the 
environment and the public's investment in these structures. 
Reclamation emphasizes fulfilling its water delivery obligations, water 
conservation, water recycling, and reuse goals; developing partnerships 
with customers, states, and Native American tribes; and finding ways to 
address the competing needs for limited water resources.
    The Authority is a California joint powers agency, comprised of 
water agencies representing approximately 28 federal and exchange water 
service contractors within the western San Joaquin Valley, San Benito 
and Santa Clara counties. One of the primary purposes of establishing 
the Authority was to assume the operation and maintenance 
responsibilities of certain Reclamation CVP facilities, and to do so at 
an optimum level and at a lower cost than Reclamation. The Authority 
also has the mission of pursuing additional reliable water supply for 
its member districts and delivering the water with a reliable system in 
a cost efficient manner.
    In 1960, Congress authorized construction of the SLU as part of the 
CVP and also as part of the State of California Water Project. 
Reclamation owns the SLU and the State of California, Department of 
Water Resources operates the Gianelli Pump/Generation and the Dos 
Amigos Pumping Plant portion of the SLU under contract with Reclamation 
for use by both agencies. Some features are joint-use facilities of the 
federal and the state governments. The principal purpose of the federal 
portion of the SLU facilities is to furnish approximately 1.25 million 
acre-feet of water as a supplemental irrigation supply to some 600,000 
acres located in the western portion of Fresno, Kings, and Merced 
counties. Reclamation is the federal agency responsible for executing 
and managing water contracts with state water authority agencies. Since 
1965, PG&E has provided transmission service between the Tracy 
Substation and the SLU over PG&E's transmission lines. The PG&E 
contract expires on March 31, 2016. PG&E has stated it will not renew 
the existing contract under the same terms and conditions; however, 
PG&E has indicated service is available from the California Independent 
System Operator (CAISO). Such service is expected to increase 
Reclamation's costs the first year by at least $8,000,000. In 
anticipation of PG&E's termination of the contract, Reclamation 
submitted a transmission service request to Western. Reclamation 
requested Western to consider various transmission service arrangements 
so Reclamation can continue to economically deliver federal water when 
the PG&E contract expires.

2. Purpose and Need for Agency Action

    Western must respond to Reclamation's request for transmission 
service consistent with Western's Open Access Transmission Tariff and 
existing laws. Reclamation must evaluate options to economically pump, 
store, convey, and deliver federal water through the SLU. The Authority 
must continue to deliver water with a reliable system in a cost 
efficient manner.

3. Proposed Action and Alternatives

    Western proposes at a minimum to construct, own, operate, and 
maintain a new 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line about 62 miles in 
length between Western's Tracy Substation and Western's San Luis 
Substation and a new 70-kV transmission line about 5 miles in length 
between the San Luis and O'Neill Substations. Western also will 
consider other transmission construction options including: A new 500-
kV transmission line about 62 miles in length operated at 230-kV 
between Western's Tracy and San Luis Substations; a new 500-kV 
transmission line operated at 500-kV about 62 miles in length between 
the Tracy Substation and PG&E's Los Banos Substation; and a new 230-kV 
transmission line about 18 miles in length between San Luis Substation 
and Dos Amigos Substation. Western proposes to parallel existing 
transmission facilities whenever practicable.
    Additional components of the proposed project would include 
constructing new 230-kV breaker terminal bays at Western's Tracy 230-kV 
Substation or new 500-kV breaker terminal bays at the Tracy 500-kV 
Substation; new 230-kV breaker terminal bays at Western's San Luis 230-
kV Substation or new 500-kV breaker terminal bays at PG&E's Los Banos 
Substation. Western also may build new 230-kV breaker terminal bays at 
Western's Dos Amigos 230-kV Substation and a new 230/70-kV transformer 
bank and interconnection facilities at San Luis Substation.
    The proposed project would include the following facilities and 
improvements:
     Right-of-way easements for the transmission lines with a 
typical width of about 125 to 175 feet for 230-kV lines and 200 to 250 
feet for the 500-kV line.
     Tubular or lattice steel structures used to support the 
transmission lines. For the 230-kV line, structures typically would be 
between 100 and 200 feet tall depending on site-specific conditions 
while a few taller structures may be required in some locations to 
address engineering constraints. The 500-kV structures would be larger.
     Access roads, including improvements to existing roads, 
new overland access, and new unpaved temporary roads to access the 
proposed project facilities and work areas during construction and 
operation phases.
     Ancillary facilities, such as communications facilities 
(e.g., overhead fiber optic ground wires, regeneration facilities) for 
access control and protection.

Western will evaluate other potential alternatives, including obtaining 
transmission service from a local public utility or private agency, 
such as PG&E or the CAISO.
    Western will consider a no action alternative. Under the no action/
no project alternative, Western will continue to receive transmission 
service for the SLU under contract with PG&E. Under NEPA, the no 
action/no project alternative would serve as a baseline against which 
to measure the environmental effects of the proposed action 
alternatives. For purposes of impact analysis under NEPA, the 
environmental baseline consists of the existing physical conditions in 
the vicinity of the project at the time of issuance of this NOI. Other 
alternatives may be identified through the EIS scoping process.

4. Notice of Floodplain or Wetlands Involvement

    Floodplains and wetlands may be in the project area. Since the 
proposal may involve action in floodplains or wetlands, Western is 
providing this notice of proposed floodplain or wetland action. The EIS 
will include an assessment of impacts to floodplains and wetlands. If 
needed, Western would prepare a floodplain statement of findings 
following DOE regulations for compliance with floodplains and wetlands 
environmental review requirements.

[[Page 70037]]

5. Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues

    Western proposes to analyze potential short-term environmental 
impacts, such as those from construction, and potential long-term 
environmental impacts of operating and maintaining the transmission 
line. DOE's guidance for the preparation of an EIS recommends the use 
of a sliding-scale approach when evaluating environmental impacts. This 
approach would focus the analysis and discussion of impacts on 
significant environmental issues in proportion to the level of the 
potential impacts. Western identified the following preliminary list of 
impact areas for evaluation in the EIS:

 Land Use, Recreation, and Visual Resources
 Water Use and Water Quality
 Surface Water Features including Rivers, Floodplains, and 
Wetlands
 Fish, Wildlife, and Vegetation, including Critical Habitat
 Socioeconomics
 Environmental Justice
 Historic and Cultural Resources
 Geology, Soil, and Mineral Resources
 Human Health and Electric and Magnetic Fields
 Construction-Related Impacts, including Access, Traffic, and 
Noise

    This list is not intended to be all-inclusive or to imply a 
predetermination of impacts. Western invites interested stakeholders to 
suggest specific issues, including possible mitigation measures, within 
these general categories, or other categories not included above, to be 
considered in the EIS.

6. Public Participation

    The purpose of the scoping process is to identify alternatives and 
potential environmental impacts that Western should analyze in the EIS. 
Western will hold two public scoping meetings at the following dates, 
locations, and times to provide the public with an opportunity to 
present comments, ask questions, and discuss the scope of the San Luis 
Transmission Project EIS/EIR with Western, Reclamation, and the 
Authority.
     Wednesday, January 8, 2014, 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at Tracy 
Transit Center, 50 East Sixth Street, Tracy, CA 95376.
     Thursday, January 9, 2014, 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at Hotel 
Mission De Oro, 13070 South Highway 33, Santa Nella, CA 95322.
    Western also will announce the public scoping meetings in local 
news media and by posting on the project environmental Web site at 
www.sltpeis-eir.com and on the DOE NEPA Web site at http://energy.gov/nepa/Public-comment-opportunities at least 15 days before the meeting.
    The scoping meetings will be conducted as informal open house 
meetings to facilitate discussions between project officials and the 
public, and to allow interested people to attend as their schedules 
allow. The public will have the opportunity to view maps and project 
information and present comments on the scope of the SLTP EIS. 
Representatives from Western, Reclamation, and the Authority will be 
available to answer questions and provide additional information to 
meeting attendees.
    In addition to providing comments at the public scoping meetings, 
stakeholders may submit written comments as described in the ADDRESSES 
section. Western will consider all comments postmarked or received 
during the public scoping period identified in the DATES section.
    Western will coordinate with appropriate federal, state, and local 
agencies, and potentially affected Native American tribes during the 
preparation of the EIS/EIR. Agencies with legal jurisdiction or special 
expertise are invited to participate as cooperating agencies in 
preparation of the EIS, as defined in 40 CFR 1501.6. Designated 
cooperating agencies have responsibilities to support the NEPA process, 
as specified in 40 CFR 1501.6(b). Western will contact tribes and 
inform them of the planned EIS. Government-to-government consultations 
will be conducted in accordance with Executive Order 13175, 
Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments (65 FR 
67249); the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, Government-to-
Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments (59 FR 
22951); DOE-specific guidance on tribal interactions; and applicable 
natural and cultural resources laws and regulations.
    Western expects to publish the draft EIS by the end of 2014. The 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will publish a Notice of 
Availability of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register, which will begin 
a minimum 45-day public comment period. Western will announce how to 
comment on the Draft EIS and will hold at least one public hearing 
during the comment period. People who would like to receive a copy of 
the Draft EIS should submit a request as provided in the ADDRESSES 
section. For those requesting to be added to the distribution list, you 
are encouraged to download the EIS and other documents from the above 
Web site; however, if you prefer to be mailed a copy, please specify 
the format of the EIS that you would like to receive (CD or printed) 
and a preference for either the complete EIS or the Summary only.
    Western will maintain information about the process including 
documents, meeting information, and important dates on the project Web 
site given above. The EIS and other project information will be 
available for download from the project Web site. Please visit the 
project Web site for current information.

    Dated: November 7, 2013.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-28043 Filed 11-21-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P