[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]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P