[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 93 (Friday, May 13, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29912-29915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11371]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWY920000.51010000.ER0000.LVRWK09K1000; WYW174597; COC72909; 
UTU87237]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Energy Gateway South Transmission Project and 
Proposed Land-Use Plan Amendments

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and 
the United States Forest Service (Forest Service) announce the 
availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Energy Gateway South Transmission Project (Project) and proposed land-
use plan amendments (LUPAs). The Final EIS analyzes the potential 
environmental consequences of granting a right-of-way (ROW) to 
PacifiCorp (doing business as Rocky Mountain Power) to construct and 
operate an extra-high voltage (EHV) alternating-current (AC) 
transmission system.

DATES: BLM planning regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state that any person 
who meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest 
the BLM's Final EIS/Proposed LUPAs. A person who meets the conditions 
and files a

[[Page 29913]]

protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in 
the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS and proposed LUPAs have been sent to 
Federal, State, and local governments; public libraries in the area 
potentially affected by the proposed Project; and to interested parties 
that previously requested a copy. The Final EIS/Proposed LUPAs and 
supporting documents will be available electronically on the following 
BLM Web site: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/hdd/gateway_south.html. Copies of the Final EIS and Proposed LUPAs are 
available for public inspection at the locations identified in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. Protests on the BLM 
land-use planning process must be submitted in writing and mailed by 
July 12, 2016. To submit a protest via regular mail, send to BLM 
Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box 71383, 
Washington, DC 20004-1383. Protests submitted via overnight mail should 
be sent to BLM Director (210), Attention: Protest Coordinator, 20 M 
Street SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003. The BLM will issue its 
ROD after any protests are resolved but no earlier than 30 days after 
the Final EIS is available.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamara Gertsch, Project Manager, 
Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, P.O. Box 21150, 
Cheyenne, WY 82003; by telephone at (307) 775-6115; or email to 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at (800) 877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal 
business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to 
leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive 
a reply during normal business hours.
    For information about the Forest Service's involvement, contact 
Kenton Call, Forest Service Project Lead by telephone at (435) 691-
0768; or email to [email protected]. The Forest Service will provide 
information about its draft decisions, and details about the pre-
decisional objection process associated with the Forest Service's Draft 
ROD in its Gateway South Project Final EIS NOA to be published in the 
Federal Register at a later date.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PacifiCorp (doing business as Rocky Mountain 
Power) filed a ROW application with the BLM to construct and operate a 
500kilovolt (kV), overhead, single-circuit, alternating-current, 
transmission line beginning near Medicine Bow, Carbon County, Wyoming, 
at the Aeolus Substation, and extending south and west to the planned 
Clover Substation near Mona, Juab County, Utah, an approximate distance 
of between 400 and 540 miles (depending on the route selected). The 
proposed Project also would include rebuilding two existing 345kV 
transmission lines between the Clover and Mona Substations (in the 
existing right-of-way approximately 2-miles in length), rerouting the 
Mona to Huntington 345kV transmission line through the Clover 
Substation, constructing communication regeneration stations, two 
series compensation stations at points between Aeolus and Clover 
substations to improve transport capacity and efficiency of the 
transmission line and, depending on the route selected, relocating 
approximately 2 miles of the existing Bears Ears to Bonanza 345kV 
transmission line to parallel the proposed line, off the Raven Ridge 
Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), thereby eliminating 
multiple crossings of transmission lines within a short distance. 
Equipment to accommodate the 500kV transmission line would be installed 
at the Aeolus and Clover substations. The requested ROW width would be 
250 feet for the 500kV portion of the proposed Project and 150 feet for 
the 345kV portion of the proposed Project. If the Project is approved, 
construction is projected to start in 2018.
    The proposed Project is designed to provide up to 1,500 megawatts 
of capacity to meet current and forecasted needs of Rocky Mountain 
Power's customers. The transmission line would transmit power from both 
renewable and thermal energy sources. Alternative routes considered in 
the Final EIS cross Federal, State, tribal, and private lands. Under 
Federal law, the BLM is responsible for responding to applications for 
ROW on BLM-administered lands. Similarly, under Federal law, the Forest 
Service is responsible for responding to applications for special-use 
authorizations on lands administered by the Forest Service. The BLM is 
the designated lead Federal agency for preparing the EIS as defined at 
40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1501.5. The Forest Service is 
a cooperating agency in the proposed Project based on its potential 
Federal action to issue a special use permit across Forest Service 
lands. Additional cooperating agencies include Federal, State, tribal 
and local agencies.
    In accordance with NEPA, the BLM prepared a Draft EIS in response 
to the ROW application for the proposed Project using an 
interdisciplinary approach in order to consider a variety of resource 
issues and concerns identified during internal, interagency and public 
scoping. An NOA for the Draft EIS for the Project was published by the 
EPA for the Forest Service in the Federal Register on February 21, 2014 
(79 FR 9898), initiating a 90-day public comment period. The BLM also 
published an NOA for the Draft EIS on the same date (79 FR 9916). To 
allow the public an opportunity to review information associated with 
the proposed Project and comment on the Draft EIS, the BLM conducted 12 
open-house meetings in March and April 2014 in Grand Junction, Rangely, 
and Craig, Colorado; Baggs and Rawlins, Wyoming; and Vernal, Fort 
Duchesne, Roosevelt, Green River, Price, Mount Pleasant, and Nephi, 
Utah. During the comment period, the BLM received 603 submittals from 
Federal, State, and local agencies; public and private organizations; 
and individuals, of which 301 were one version of a form letter and 126 
were a form postcard. Principal issues identified in the comments 
received by BLM included:
     Mitigation;
     Opposition to, or support for, specific route alignments; 
and
     Impacts on sensitive biological resources, including sage-
grouse and special status plant species.
    Comments received on the Draft EIS were incorporated, where 
appropriate, to clarify the analysis presented and are included in the 
Final EIS. Based on comments received on the Draft EIS, revisions were 
made to the alignment of the Agency Preferred Alternative, including 
reduced separation distance from existing transmission to reflect 
updated Western Electricity Coordinating Council guidance. In addition, 
the BLM developed a series of route variations to compare local routing 
options for segments of the Agency Preferred Alternative route.
    The Final EIS considers 12 alternative routes totaling 1,425 miles 
in detail and a No Action Alternative. Also, a series of route 
variations to compare local routing options for segments of the Agency 
Preferred Alternative route were analyzed. Under the No Action 
Alternative, the BLM ROW and the Forest Service special-use 
authorization for the proposed Project to cross Federal lands would not 
be granted and the transmission line and ancillary facilities would not 
be constructed.
    Approximately 51 miles (12 percent) of the Agency Preferred 
Alternative route is located within designated utility corridors. The 
Agency Preferred

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Alternative route is co-located with existing transmission lines for a 
distance of 116 miles (28 percent) of the total length of 416 miles. 
The Agency Preferred Alternative route crosses 231 miles of Federal; 
1.6 miles of tribal; 48 miles of State; and 135 miles of private land.
    In Wyoming, the Agency Preferred Alternative route exits the Aeolus 
Substation in the utility corridor designated by Wyoming Executive 
Order 2011-5 for the protection of sage-grouse, continuing to the 
southwest where it crosses Interstate 80 approximately 10 miles east of 
Sinclair, Wyoming. The Agency Preferred Alternative route continues 
west on the southern side of Interstate 80 (approximately 3 to 5 miles 
south) for approximately 57 miles. The Agency Preferred Alternative 
route then parallels Wamsutter Road (on the east side of the road) 
south for approximately 15 miles. At that point, the Agency Preferred 
Alternative route continues southwest crossing Flat Top Mountain and 
continues toward the Wyoming and Colorado border, approximately 22 
miles west of Baggs, Wyoming.
    The Agency Preferred Alternative route continues south/southwest 
into Colorado and through the Sevenmile Ridge area, where it crosses 
the Little Snake River, the western edge of the Godiva Rim, and 
Colorado State Highway 318 in an area approximately 10 miles northwest 
of Maybell, Colorado. The Agency Preferred Alternative route continues 
south crossing the Yampa River 5 miles northeast of Cross Mountain 
Gorge to a point near U.S. Highway 40 approximately 12 miles southwest 
of Maybell. At that point, the Agency Preferred Alternative parallels 
U.S. Highway 40 for approximately 3 miles before continuing west to 
avoid crossing the Tuttle Ranch Conservation Easement and to minimize 
crossing of the Cross Mountain Ranch Conservation Easement. The route 
crosses the Deerlodge Road entrance to the Dinosaur National Monument 
on a State of Colorado parcel before continuing roughly south to 
parallel the Bonanza to Bears Ears 345kV and the Hayden to Artesia 
138kV transmission lines south of U.S. Highway 40. The route terminates 
at a point approximately 22 miles east of Dinosaur, Colorado, and 
crosses 1.8 miles of the Cross Mountain Ranch Conservation Easement. 
From this point, the Agency Preferred Alternative route continues to 
parallel the Bears Ears to Bonanza 345kV and the Hayden to Artesia 
138kV transmission lines to the west toward the Colorado/Utah border. 
The Agency Preferred Alternative route continues to follow the Bears 
Ears to Bonanza 345kV transmission line southwest toward the Bonanza 
Power Plant. The Agency Preferred Alternative route then continues 
west/southwest following an underground pipeline through an area where 
the Uinta Basin hookless cactus and clay reed-mustard occurs (Federally 
listed plant species) and crossing the Green River approximately 8 
miles north of Sand Wash boat launch, continuing west toward the 
western end of the Tavaputs Plateau. In the plateau, the Agency 
Preferred Alternative route traverses through Argyle Ridge for 
approximately 12 miles dropping southwest toward U.S. Highway 191, 
following the highway through Indian Canyon for approximately 2 miles; 
it then crosses the highway heading west/northwest into the Emma Park 
area (approximately 11 miles north of Helper, Utah) toward Soldier 
Summit for a distance of approximately 21 miles avoiding sage-grouse 
leks/habitat to the south and the Reservation Ridge Scenic Backway 
(designated by the Forest Service) to the north. The Agency Preferred 
Alternative route continues west toward U.S. Highway 6 and parallels 
the Spanish Fork to Carbon 138kV transmission line northwest for 
approximately 25 miles. The Agency Preferred Alternative route 
continues paralleling the Bonanza to Mona 345kV transmission line 
toward Thistle, Utah, turning south and crosses U.S. Highway 89 near 
Birdseye, Utah, continuing south/southwest to a point approximately 5 
miles north of Fountain Green, Utah. The Agency Preferred Alternative 
route continues to parallel the Bonanza to Mona 345kV transmission line 
west through Salt Creek Canyon, south of Mount Nebo, toward Nephi, 
Utah, and the Clover Substation.
    The Agency Preferred Alternative route was identified by the BLM in 
coordination with the Forest Service and other cooperating agencies 
using criteria based key resource concerns and issues, regulation and 
policy, and Council of Environmental Quality regulations for 
determining significance. The criteria used include the following:
     Maximizes use of existing designated utility corridors by 
locating within the corridors or paralleling existing linear utility 
ROWs.
     Avoids or minimizes impacts on resources that are 
regulated by law, after consideration of proposed Project design 
features and agency best management practices. This includes impacts on 
greater sage-grouse.
     Avoids potential impacts and minimizes unavoidable impacts 
on resources that may not be regulated by law.
     Reduces the need for plan amendments through conformance 
to land-use plans.
     Avoids or minimizes proximity to private residences and 
residential areas, thereby addressing concerns with public health and 
safety, aesthetics, property values, visual effects, and other 
concerns.
     Minimizes use of private lands, assuming natural resource 
impacts are more or less similar.
    Copies of the Final EIS are available for public review during 
normal business hours at the following locations:
     BLM, Wyoming State Office, Public Reading Room, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009;
     BLM, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 North Third Street, 
Rawlins, Wyoming 82301;
     BLM Colorado State Office, Public Reading Room, 2850 
Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7093;
     BLM, Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, Grand 
Junction, Colorado 81506;
     BLM, Little Snake Field Office, 455 Emerson Street, Craig, 
Colorado 81625;
     BLM, White River Field Office, 220 East Market Street, 
Meeker, Colorado 81641;
     BLM Utah State Office, Public Reading Room, 440 West 200 
South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101-1345;
     BLM, Fillmore Field Office, 35 East 500 North, Fillmore, 
Utah 84631;
     BLM, Moab Field Office, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532;
     BLM, Price Field Office, 125 South 600 West, Price, Utah 
84501;
     BLM, Salt Lake Field Office, 2370 South Decker Lake 
Boulevard, West Valley City, Utah 84119;
     BLM, Richfield Field Office, 150 East 900 North, 
Richfield, Utah 84701;
     BLM, Vernal Field Office,170 South 500 East, Vernal, Utah 
84078; and
     Forest Service (Lead Forest Office), Ashley National 
Forest Supervisor's Office, 355 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal, Utah 
84078.
    Agency Decisions on the Proposed Project: Based on the 
environmental analysis in the Final EIS, the BLM Wyoming State Director 
will render a decision for the portion of the project which affect 
public land. The Forest Service will issue a separate decision specific 
to National Forest System land.
    As the lead agency, the BLM has coordinated and utilized the NEPA 
comment process to satisfy the public

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involvement for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(16 U.S.C. 470f), as provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Ongoing 
consultation with American Indian tribes will continue in accordance 
with policy. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets, 
will be given due consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, as 
well as other stakeholders interested or affected by the decisions on 
this proposed Project, are invited to respond to this notice.
    BLM Land-use Plan Amendments and the Protest Process: Depending on 
the route alternative, potential LUPAs proposed by the BLM are needed 
for the portions of the proposed Project crossing public land that do 
not conform to the respective land use plan. These include the 
following:
     Converting utility corridors from underground use only to 
allow aboveground utilities;
     Modifying BLM visual resource management classifications; 
and
     Widening portions of a utility corridor designated in a 
land-use plan to include the Project ROW.
    The BLM is proposing seven LUPAs where the Agency Preferred 
Alternative route is not in conformance with the existing land-use 
plans.
    All proposed LUPAs would comply with applicable Federal laws and 
regulations and can apply only to Federal lands and mineral estate 
administered by the BLM.

 Rawlins Resource Management Plan (RMP): One amendment for 
visual resource management
 Little Snake RMP: One amendment for visual resource management
 Pony Express RMP (Salt Lake Field Office): One amendment to 
establish a new utility corridor
 Price RMP: One amendment to widen a portion of an existing 
utility corridor
 Vernal RMP: Three amendments for visual resource management
    Instructions for filing a protest with the BLM Director regarding 
the proposed land-use plan amendments may be found in the ``Dear 
Reader'' letter of the Final EIS and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. All protests 
must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth 
in the ADDRESSES section above. Emailed protests will not be accepted 
as valid protests unless the protesting party also provides the 
original letter by either regular mail or overnight delivery postmarked 
by the close of the protest period. Under these conditions, the BLM 
will consider the email as an advance copy and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance 
notification, please direct emails to [email protected].
    Before including your phone number, email address, or other 
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 
that your entire protest--including personal identifying information--
may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask the BLM 
in your protest to withhold your personal identifying information from 
public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Larry Claypool,
Acting Wyoming State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-11371 Filed 5-12-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P