[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2407-2409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00461]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.: Notice of Availability of 
a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Supplemental Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), has issued a Supplemental Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for Basin Electric Power 
Cooperative's (Basin Electric) proposed Antelope Valley Station (AVS) 
to Neset 345-kV Transmission Project (proposed Project) in North 
Dakota. RUS is issuing the SDEIS to inform the public and interested 
parties about a change in the proposed Project and invite the public to 
comment on the scope, proposed action, and other issues addressed in 
the SDEIS. RUS also will use the SDEIS to meet its responsibilities 
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 
470, and its implementing regulations, ``Protection of Historic 
Properties'' (36 CFR Part 800).
    RUS made the decision to prepare a SDEIS for the AVS Project to 
evaluate significant project changes. These changes in the scope of the 
proposed Project are due to an increase in the electric load forecast 
for western North Dakota. To accommodate this change, the SDEIS will 
evaluate additional alternatives for the siting of the transmission 
line.
    The SDEIS addresses the construction, operation, and maintenance of 
approximately 278 miles of new 345-kV single pole transmission line 
(approximately 85 miles more than the project identified in the Draft 
EIS http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-AVS-Neset.html), 230-kV single pole 
transmission line and double circuit 345/115-kV transmission lines, 4 
new substations and a switchyard, modifications to 4 existing 
substations, maintenance access roads, temporary construction roads, 
river crossings, temporary construction staging sites, and other 
facilities to be described in the SDEIS. The overall project area 
encompasses parts of Dunn, McKenzie, Mercer, Mountrail, and Williams 
counties in western North Dakota.
    Portions of Basin Electric's proposed Project may affect 
floodplains and wetlands. This NOA also serves as a notice of proposed 
floodplain or wetland action. RUS will hold a public hearing meeting to 
share information and receive comments on the SDEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the proposed 
Project, the SDEIS process, and RUS financing, contact Mr. Dennis 
Rankin, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities

[[Page 2408]]

Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 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 SDEIS and the Final EIS when 
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, requested to serve as a cooperating agency for the 
environmental review of the proposed Project. The U.S. Forest Service 
may issue a special use permit under the Federal Land Policy Management 
Act and is also serving as a cooperating agency.
    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 
to meet reliability and system stability requirements for the region 
resulting from increases in demand and load forecasts. 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 proposed Project will consist of 
constructing approximately 278 miles of new single circuit 345-kV 
(approximately 85 miles more than the project identified in the DEIS), 
230-kV and double circuit 345/115-kV transmission lines, the 
construction of 4 new substations and a switchyard, modifications to 4 
existing substations, maintenance access roads, temporary construction 
roads, river crossings, temporary construction staging sites, and other 
facilities. The proposed Project would connect to the Integrated System 
at several locations, including Western's Williston Substation. The 
proposed Project would be located in portions of Dunn, McKenzie, 
Mercer, Mountrail, and Williams counties in western North Dakota.
    The new 345-kV transmission line would start at the AVS Electric 
Generation Station located near Beulah, North Dakota, and extend west 
where it would connect with Basin Electric's existing Charlie Creek 
345-kV Substation located near Grassy Butte. The line would then extend 
north where it would connect with Basin Electric's proposed Judson 
Substation near Williston and terminate at Basin Electric's newly 
proposed Tande Substation. Additional 230-kV transmission lines would 
be constructed between the new Judson 345-kV Substation and Western's 
existing Williston Substation, between a new 345/230/115-kV substation 
referred to as the Blue Substation and Western's existing 230-kV 
transmission line, and also between the Tande 345-kV Substation and 
Basin Electric's existing Neset 230-kV Substation located near Tioga, 
North Dakota.
    Basin Electric has requested financial assistance from RUS for the 
proposed Project. Along with other technical and financial 
considerations, completing the EIS is one of RUS's requirements in 
processing Basin Electric's application.
    In accordance with 36 CFR Sec.  800.2(b)(2), Western has been 
designated as the lead agency for Section 106 review. Following 
publication of the SDEIS, Western will meet with the Section 106 review 
consulting parties, including at this time the North Dakota State 
Historic Preservation Office, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the 
Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation and the 
Killdeer Mountain Battlefield Alliance, to consider and evaluate the 
effects of the project on historic properties. Anyone wishing to 
participate in Section 106 review must submit that request in writing 
via Davie Kluth at Western Area Power Administration, Upper Great 
Plains region, P.O. Box 35800, Billings, MT 59107-5800 or via email to 
[email protected].
    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 has submitted applications to the NDPSC for 
Transmission Corridor and Route Permits. The NDPSC Permits would 
authorize Basin Electric to construct the proposed Project under North 
Dakota rules and regulations.
    RUS has prepared a SDEIS and intends to issue a Final EIS to 
analyze the impacts of its respective Federal actions and the proposed 
Project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), as amended, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulation 
for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the NEPA (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508), Department of Energy NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR 
part 1021), and RUS Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 
1794). RUS has already prepared and published a Draft EIS which was 
released to the public on December 7, 2012, and can be found on the 
internet at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-AVS-Neset.html.
    Because the Project covers a large land area and access in some 
cases has been restricted, Section 106 review will be phased in 
accordance with 36 CFR 800.4(b)(2) and 800.5(a)(3). Accordingly, 
Western will complete Section 106 review using a Programmatic Agreement 
(PA) pursuant to 36 CFR Sec.  800.14(b)(1)(ii). RUS, at the request of 
Western, will manage the development and execution of the PA. RUS may 
issue the Record of Decision for the Final EIS once the PA has been 
executed.
    Because the proposed Project may involve action in floodplains or 
wetlands, this NOA also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or 
wetland action. The SDEIS 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 SDEIS. Western Area 
Power Administration and the U.S. Forest Service are participating as 
cooperating agencies and will be issuing decisions relevant to the 
proposed Project under separate authorities. Western is also serving as 
the lead Federal agency for the Section 106 review, as defined at 36 
CFR 800.2(b)(2), and for the review of threatened and endangered 
species under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.
    Public Participation: Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.22(d)(3), it is the 
intent of RUS to use its NEPA procedures for public involvement in lieu 
of the public

[[Page 2409]]

involvement requirements of 36 CFR 800.3 through 800.7.
    RUS held public scoping meetings for the original project on 
November 15 and 16, 2011. The EIS process has included a scoping 
comment period to solicit comments from interested parties; publication 
of a DEIS with a public hearing and comment period; and consultation 
and involvement with appropriate Federal, State, local, and tribal 
governmental agencies. A Notice of Intent to prepare a SDEIS was 
published in the Federal Register on August 16, 2012 (78 FR 50026). In 
addition, there is a 45-day review/comment period beginning December 
20, 2013. RUS will hold an open-house public hearing in January 2014 
once the SDEIS is published. The time and location of the meeting will 
be well-advertised in local media outlets a minimum of 15 days prior to 
the time of the meeting. Attendees will be welcome to come and go at 
their convenience and provide written or oral comments on the proposed 
Project. In addition, attendees may provide written comments by letter, 
fax, or email to the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this notice. Subsequent to the public comment period 
on the SDEIS, RUS will respond to comments received from all parties 
and publish a Final EIS. After a 30-day public comment period on the 
Final EIS, RUS will publish a Record of Decision. The expected 
environmental project review completion date is expected to be early 
spring 2014.

    Dated: December 12, 2013.
Nivin Elgohary,
Assistant Administrator, Electric Programs, USDA, Rural Utilities 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-00461 Filed 1-13-14; 8:45 am]
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