[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 4 (Friday, January 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1730-1732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00053]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Western Area Power Administration

[DOE/EIS-0514]


Colusa-Sutter 500-Kilovolt Transmission Line Project, Colusa, 
Sutter, Yolo and Sacramento Counties, California

AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of additional public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: On December 18, 2015, Western Area Power Administration 
(WAPA), an agency of the Department of Energy (DOE), announced the 
Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the proposed 500-kilovolt 
(kV) transmission line. This proposed Project is known as the Colusa-
Sutter (CoSu) 500-kV Transmission Line Project. In that previous 
notice, WAPA described the schedule for scoping meetings and advised 
the public that comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR were due by 
February 16, 2016. On February 5, 2016, an additional notice was 
published extending the due date for comments on the scope of the EIS/
EIR to April 18, 2016. By this notice, WAPA announces additional public 
scoping meetings and reopens the period for submitting comments on the 
scope of the EIS/EIR.

DATES: WAPA will accept comments on the scope of the EIS/EIR from 
January 6, 2017 to March 7, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the proposed scope of the Draft EIS/EIR 
for this proposed Project may be mailed or emailed to Mr. Andrew M. 
Monta[ntilde]o, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Document 
Manager, Western Area Power Administration, Headquarters, P.O. Box 
281213, Lakewood, CO 80228-8213, or by email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your

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name added to our mailing list, please contact Andrew M. 
Monta[ntilde]o, at (720) 962-7253 or at the address listed above in the 
ADDRESSES section. For the most recent information and for 
announcements, please visit the Project Web site at: www.CoSuLine.com.
    For general information on DOE's NEPA review procedures or status 
of a NEPA review, contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director of NEPA 
Policy and Compliance, GC-54, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585; telephone (202) 586-4600 
or (800) 472-2756; or email: [email protected].
    For general information on the Sacramento Municipal Utility 
District (SMUD) California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review 
procedures or status of the CEQA review, please contact Ms. Kim 
Crawford, Environmental Specialist, SMUD, 6201 S. Street, Mail Stop 
H201, Sacramento, CA 95852-1830; telephone (916) 732-5063; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 18, 2015, WAPA announced the 
Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the Colusa-Sutter (CoSu) 500-kV 
Transmission Line Project (80 FR 79037). An additional notice was 
published on February 5, 2016, announcing the extension of the scoping 
period to April 18, 2016 (81 FR 6257). The EIS/EIR will examine the 
potential environmental effects of the CoSu transmission line. WAPA 
will prepare the EIS/EIR with the SMUD, the lead state agency for CEQA. 
WAPA will be the lead Federal agency under NEPA.
    WAPA and SMUD held public scoping meetings from December 2015 to 
April 2016 to gather public input on the proposed project. As a result 
of these original public scoping meetings and the scoping comments 
received, WAPA and SMUD decided to add additional project alternatives 
closer to the Sacramento area. The new study area is further described 
below.

Original Alternatives

    1. Northern Corridor Alternative: Constructing a new transmission 
line (approximately 44 miles in length) adjacent to WAPA's existing 
230-kV Olinda-O'Banion and Keswick-O'Banion double circuit transmission 
lines. The Northern Corridor Alternative would interconnect the 
existing California-Oregon Transmission Project (COTP) transmission 
line system near the existing COTP's Maxwell Series Compensation 
Substation to WAPA's CVP transmission system near the existing WAPA's 
O'Banion Substation. The new transmission line would require the 
construction of an additional substation adjacent to the existing 
Maxwell Series Compensation Substation and an additional substation 
adjacent to the existing O'Banion Substation.
    2. Southern Corridor Alternative: Constructing a new transmission 
line (approximately 27 miles in length) so that it interconnects along 
the existing COTP transmission line system approximately 8 miles 
northwest of the community of Arbuckle, California, and proceeds 
eastwardly towards the existing O'Banion Substation. The Southern 
Corridor Alternative would also require the construction of an 
additional substation adjacent to the existing COTP transmission line 
northwest of Arbuckle and an additional substation adjacent to the 
existing O'Banion Substation.
    3. Segment 1 Alternative: Approximately 9 miles in length and just 
west of the existing O'Banion Substation, this segment would provide an 
alternate north-to-south route for the Northern Corridor Alternative. 
Instead of following WAPA's existing 230-kV Olinda-O'Banion and 
Keswick-O'Banion double circuit transmission lines to the O'Banion 
substation, this segment would extend south, at a location 
approximately 30 miles from the Maxwell Substation, and then continue 
due east to connect to the O'Banion substation. Under this segment 
alternative, the new line would be located further away from the Sutter 
National Wildlife Refuge.

New Alternatives

    4. County Road 16 Alternative: Constructing a new transmission line 
(approximately 27 miles in length) so that it interconnects along the 
existing COTP transmission line system approximately 8 miles west of 
the community of Dufour, California, and proceeds eastwardly towards 
the existing Elverta Substation. The County Road 16 Alternative would 
also require the construction of an additional substation adjacent to 
the existing COTP transmission line northwest of Dufour and an 
additional substation adjacent to the existing Elverta Substation.
    5. Segment 2 Alternative: Approximately 9 miles in length and 6 
miles northwest of the existing Elverta Substation, this segment would 
provide an alternate west-to-east route for the County Road 16 
Alternative. This segment would extend north in a loop-like fashion, at 
a location approximately 2.5 miles north of the Sacramento 
International Airport, and then rejoin the County Road 16 Alternative 
as it continues due east to connect to the Elverta Substation. Under 
this segment alternative, the new line would be located further away 
from the Sacramento International Airport to provide sufficient 
clearance of transmission structures for airplanes.
    6. No Action Alternative: WAPA will also consider a No Action 
Alternative in the EIS/EIR. Under the No Action Alternative, for the 
purpose of establishing a baseline for impact analysis and comparison 
in the EIS/EIR, WAPA would not construct the proposed Project and the 
environmental impacts associated with construction and operation would 
not occur.

Public Participation

    The EIS/EIR process includes a public scoping period and public 
scoping meetings; publication, public review and hearing of the Draft 
EIS/EIR; publication of a Final EIS/EIR; and publication of a ROD.
    WAPA and SMUD will hold six additional public scoping meetings at 
the following times and locations:
    (1) Tuesday, January 24, 2017, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the 
Sutter Youth Organization Center, 7740 Butte House Road, Sutter, CA 
95982;
    (2) Thursday, January 26, 2017, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the 
Colusa Casino Community Room, 3770 California 45, Colusa, CA 95932;
    (3) Tuesday, January 31, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the 
Woodland Community and Senior Center Banquet Rooms, 2001 East Street, 
Woodland, CA 95776;
    (4) Tuesday, January 31, 2017, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the 
Woodland Community and Senior Center Banquet Rooms, 2001 East Street, 
Woodland, CA 95776;
    (5) Thursday, February 2, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the 
Haggin-Grant American Legion Post 521, 6700 8th Street, Rio Linda, CA 
95673; and,
    (6) Thursday, February 2, 2017, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the 
Haggin-Grant American Legion Post 521, 6700 8th Street, Rio Linda, CA 
95673.
    The meetings will be informal, and attendees will be able to speak 
directly with both WAPA and SMUD representatives about the proposed 
Project. Attendees also may provide comments at these meetings. For the 
most recent information and for announcements, please visit the Project 
Web site at: www.CoSuLine.com.
    At the conclusion of the NEPA process, WAPA will prepare a ROD. 
Persons interested in receiving future notices, proposed Project 
information, copies of the EIS/EIR, and other information on the NEPA 
review process should contact Mr. Monta[ntilde]o at

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the address listed in the ADDRESSES section.
    The purpose of the additional scoping meetings is to provide 
information about the proposed Project, review Project maps, answer 
questions, and take oral and written comments from interested parties. 
All meeting locations will be handicapped-accessible. Anyone needing 
special accommodations should contact Mr. Monta[ntilde]o to make 
arrangements.
    The public will have the opportunity to provide written comments at 
the public scoping meetings. Written comments may also be sent to Mr. 
Monta[ntilde]o by email or U.S. Postal Service mail. To help define the 
scope of the EIS/EIR, comments should be received by WAPA no later than 
March 7, 2017. WAPA will consider any comments received from April 18, 
2016 and March 7, 2017 to be timely submitted. All comments received 
during the public scoping period will be considered when developing 
project alternatives and establishing the scope of issues to be 
analyzed in the EIS/EIR.

    Dated: December 19, 2016.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2017-00053 Filed 1-5-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P