[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 104 (Friday, May 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31085-31086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12316]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


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

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), has prepared a Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (FEIS) to meet its responsibilities under the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), RUS's implementing regulations, 7 CFR 
part 1794, and other applicable environmental requirements related to 
providing financial assistance for Basin Electric Power Cooperative's 
(Basin Electric) proposed Antelope Valley Station (AVS) to Neset 345-kV 
Transmission Project (Project) in North Dakota. RUS will also use the 
FEIS 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).
    The FEIS addresses the construction, operation, and maintenance of 
approximately 278 miles of new 345-kV single pole transmission line, a 
230-kV single pole transmission line, and a double circuit 345/115-kV 
transmission line, 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 described previously in the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Supplemental Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS). It also addresses comments 
received during the comment periods for the DEIS and the SDEIS. The 
overall project area encompasses parts of Dunn, McKenzie, Mercer, 
Mountrail, and Williams Counties in western North Dakota.

DATES: Written comments on the FEIS will be accepted 30 days following 
the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's environmental 
impact statement receipt notice in the Federal Register. Notices of 
Availability of FEIS will be published in the local newspapers. After a 
30-day public review period on the FEIS, RUS will prepare a Record of 
Decision for its respective action. The environmental review process is 
expected to conclude in the summer of 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To receive copies of the FEIS or 
request information on the proposed Project, the FEIS process, and RUS 
financing, contact Mr. Dennis Rankin, Engineering and Environmental 
Staff, Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Stop 
1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571, Telephone: (202) 720-1953, or email: 
[email protected]. Copies of the FEIS will be available for 
review in local libraries in the project area. Library locations will 
be published in the local papers.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. 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.
    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, 230-kV and a double circuit 345/
115-kV transmission line, 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, the high-voltage transmission 
grid in the upper Great Plains managed by Western, at several 
locations, including Western's Williston Substation.
    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 (Alternative C). 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.
    Three transmission line alternatives, two transmission line 
variations in the Little Missouri National Grasslands (LMNG), and the 
No Action alternative were evaluated. Alternative C is described above; 
Alternative D is similar to Alternative C with the primary difference 
being the construction of a double-circuit 345 kV line north of 
Killdeer for 63 miles to the Blue Substation. Alternative E is similar 
to Alternative D with the primary difference being the construction of 
two parallel 345-kV transmission lines north of Killdeer rather than a 
double-circuit line. The variations across the LMNG include double-
circuiting the 345-kV line with Western's existing 230 kV transmission 
Line. RUS has identified Alternative C as its preferred alternative 
because it best meets the purpose and

[[Page 31086]]

need and minimizes or mitigates potential impacts.
    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. RUS is responsible for completing the 
environmental review process in processing Basin Electric's 
application. RUS is serving as the lead Federal agency, as defined at 
40 CFR 1501.5, for preparation of the FEIS. Based on an interconnection 
with the Western Area Power Administration's (Western) transmission 
system, Western has, in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.6, is serving as a 
cooperating agency for the environmental review of the proposed 
Project. Western is also serving as the lead Federal agency, in 
accordance with 36 CFR 800.2(a)(2), for the Section 106 review of 
cultural resources and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Section 7 
review for threatened and endangered species. The U.S. Forest Service 
(USFS) may issue a special use permit under the Federal Land Policy 
Management Act and is also serving as a cooperating agency. Separate 
Records of Decision (RODs) will be issued by Western and the USFS for 
their respective actions. It is anticipated that the RODS will be 
issued in July 2014.
    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 the FEIS to analyze the impacts of its respective 
Federal actions and the proposed Project in accordance with the 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's NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 
1021), and RUS Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1794). 
RUS has already prepared and published a DEIS and a SDEIS which can 
both 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 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 proposed Project once the PA has 
been executed.
    This Notice of Availability also serves as a notice of proposed 
floodplain or wetland action. It is anticipated that there will be no 
effect on floodplains and wetlands by the proposed Project. The 
majority of the floodplains/wetlands crossed are associated with river 
and stream crossings and can be spanned. Some structures may be located 
in the floodplain of the Little Missouri River; however, no effects to 
the floodplain are anticipated.

James F. Elliott,
Acting Assistant Administrator, Electric Programs, USDA, Rural 
Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-12316 Filed 5-29-14; 8:45 am]
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