[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 123 (Friday, June 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36795-36796]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15625]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[OE Docket No. PP-398]
Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) and Announcement of Public Hearings for the Proposed
Great Northern Transmission Line (GNTL) Project
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearings.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability
of the ``Great Northern Transmission Line Project Draft Environmental
Impact Statement'' (DOE/EIS-0499) for public review and comment. DOE is
also announcing eight public hearings to receive comments on the Draft
EIS. The Draft EIS evaluates the environmental impacts of DOE's
proposed Federal action of issuing a Presidential permit to the
Applicant: Minnesota Power, a regulated utility division of ALLETE,
Inc., to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a new electric
transmission line across the U.S./Canada border in northern Minnesota.
It also addresses the potential human and environmental impacts of the
project, and possible mitigation measures, including route, alignment,
and site alternatives required for a transmission line route permit
from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission under the Minnesota
Power Plant Siting Act.
The EIS was jointly prepared by DOE with the Minnesota Department
of Commerce--Environmental Energy Review and Analysis (MN DOC-EERA)
acting as state co-lead in order to avoid duplication, and to comply
with the environmental review requirements under both federal and state
regulations. Region 5 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(USEPA), the St. Paul District Office of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE), and the Twin Cities Ecology Field Office of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are cooperating agencies in preparing
the GNTL Project EIS.
DATES: DOE invites interested Members of Congress, state and local
governments, other Federal agencies, American Indian tribal
governments, organizations, and members of the public to provide
comments on the Draft EIS during the 45-day public comment period. The
public comment period starts on June 26, 2015, with the publication in
the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of its
Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS, and will continue until August
10, 2015. Written and oral comments will be given equal weight and all
comments received or postmarked by that date will be considered by DOE
in preparing the Final EIS. Comments received or postmarked after that
date will be considered to the extent practicable.
Locations, dates, and start time for the public hearings are listed
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this NOA.
ADDRESSES: Requests to provide oral comments at the public hearings may
be made at the time of the hearing(s).
Written comments on the Draft EIS may be provided on the GNTL EIS
Web site at http://www.greatnortherneis.org/ (preferred) or addressed
to Dr. Julie A. Smith, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy
Reliability (OE-20), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585; by electronic mail to
[email protected]; or by facsimile to 202-318-7761.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Julie A. Smith at the addresses
above, or at 202-586-7668.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Joint federal-state public hearings and
information meetings will consist of the formal taking of comments with
transcription by a court reporter. The hearings will provide interested
parties the opportunity to make comments for consideration by DOE and
MN DOC-EERA in the preparation of the Final EIS.
The locations, dates, and starting times of the public hearings are
listed in the table below:
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Location Date and time Address
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Roseau Civic Center......... July 15, 2015, 11:00 121 Center Street
a.m.-3:00 p.m.. E., Roseau, MN.
Lake of the Woods School.... July 15, 2015, 6:00 236 15th Ave. SW.,
p.m.-10:00 p.m.. Baudette, MN.
Littlefork Community Center. July 16, 2015, 11:00 220 Main Street,
a.m.-3:00 p.m.. Littlefork, MN.
[[Page 36796]]
AmericInn................... July 16, 2015, 6:00 1500 Hwy. 71,
p.m.-10:00 p.m.. International
Falls, MN.
Kelliher Old School Center.. July 21, 2015, 11:00 243 Clark Ave. N.
a.m.-3:00 p.m.. (Hwy 72), Kelliher,
MN.
Bigfork School.............. July 21, 2015, 6:00 100 Huskie Blvd.,
p.m.-10:00 p.m.. Bigfork, MN.
Timber Lake Lodge........... July 22, 2015, 11:00 144 SE. 17th Street,
a.m.-3:00 p.m.. Grand Rapids, MN.
Timber Lake Lodge........... July 22, 2015, 6:00 144 SE. 17th Street,
p.m.-10:00 p.m.. Grand Rapids, MN.
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Availability of the Draft EIS Copies of the Draft EIS have been
distributed to appropriate members of Congress, state and local
government officials, American Indian tribal governments, and other
Federal agencies, groups, and interested parties. Printed copies of the
document may be obtained by contacting Dr. Smith at the above address.
Copies of the Draft EIS and supporting documents are also available for
inspection at the following locations:
Baudette Library, 110 1st Street SW., Baudette, MN
Blackduck Public Library, 72 1st Street SE., Blackduck, MN
Bovey Public Library, 402 2nd Street, Bovey, MN
Calumet Library, 932 Gary Street, Calumet, MN
Coleraine Public Library, 203 Cole Street, Coleraine
Duluth Public Library, 520 W Superior Street, Duluth, MN
Grand Rapids Public Library, 140 NE 2nd Street, Grand Rapids,
MN
Greenbush Public Library, P.O. Box 9, Greenbush, MN
International Falls Public Library, 750 4th Street,
International Falls, MN
Marble Public Library, 302 Alice Avenue, Marble, MN
Northome Public Library, 12064 Main Street, Northome, MN
Roseau Public Library, 121 Center Street E., Suite 100,
Roseau, MN
Warroad Public Library, 202 Main Avenue NE., Warroad, MN
Williams Public Library, 350 Main Street, Williams, MN
The Draft EIS is also available on the EIS Web site at http://www.greatnortherneis.org/ and on the DOE NEPA Web site at http://nepa.energy.gov/.
Issued in Washington, DC on June 18, 2015.
Eli Massey,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, National Electricity Delivery
Division, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2015-15625 Filed 6-25-15; 8:45 am]
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