[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 235 (Friday, December 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63149-63151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26558]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kV Transmission Line Project

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft environmental impact 
statement; notice of public meetings; and section 106 notification to 
the public.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 
has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to meet its 
responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
environmental policies and procedures related to providing financial 
assistance

[[Page 63150]]

to Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC). Further, in accordance with 
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and 
pursuant to the regulations participation in the section 106 process 
and coordination with the National Environmental Policy Act, RUS is 
using its procedures for public involvement under NEPA to meet its 
responsibilities to solicit and consider the views of the public during 
the section 106 review for the proposed project. RUS would be providing 
financial assistance to DPC for its share in the construction of a 
proposed 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line and associated 
infrastructure connecting the Hickory Creek Substation in Dubuque 
County, Iowa, with the Cardinal Substation in the Town of Middleton, 
Wisconsin (near Madison, Wisconsin). The Project also includes a new 
intermediate 345/138-kV substation near the Village of Montfort in 
either Grant County or Iowa County, Wisconsin. The total length of the 
345- kV transmission lines associated with the proposed project will be 
approximately 125 miles. DPC and the other project participants have 
identified proposed and alternate segments and locations for 
transmission lines and associated facilities and for the intermediate 
substation. Dairyland Power Cooperative is requesting RUS to provide 
financing for its portion of the proposed project. DPC is participating 
in the proposed project with two other utilities, American Transmission 
Company LLC, and ITC Midwest LLC (Utilities).
    The purpose of the proposed project is to: Address reliability 
issues on the regional bulk transmission system, alleviate congestion 
that occurs in certain parts of the transmission system and remove 
constraints that limit the delivery of power, expand the access of the 
transmission system to additional resources, increase the transfer 
capability of the electrical system between Iowa and Wisconsin, reduce 
the losses in transferring power and increase the efficiency of the 
transmission system, and respond to public policy objectives aimed at 
enhancing the nation's transmission system and to support the changing 
generation mix. A more detailed explanation of the purpose and need for 
the project can be found in the Draft EIS.

DATES: Written comments on this Draft EIS will be accepted for 60 
calendar days following the publication of the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency's notice of receipt of the Draft EIS in the Federal 
Register. RUS will conduct six formal public meetings in the project 
area. A court reporter will be available to record agency and public 
comments.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Date                       Location                    Time                       Venue
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 22, 2019..................  Peosta, IA..........  1:00-3:00 p.m..............  Peosta Community Center,
                                                                                        7896 Burds Road, Peosta,
                                                                                        IA 52068.
January 22, 2019..................  Guttenberg, IA......  6:00-8:00 p.m..............  Guttenberg Municipal
                                                                                        Bldg., 502 First St.,
                                                                                        Guttenberg, IA 52052.
January 23, 2019..................  Cassville, WI.......  5:00-7:00 p.m..............  Cassville Middle School
                                                                                        Cafeteria, 715 E Amelia
                                                                                        St., Cassville, WI
                                                                                        53806.
January 24, 2019..................  Dodgeville, WI......  5:00-7:00 p.m..............  Dodgeville Bowl Banquet
                                                                                        Hall, 318 King St.,
                                                                                        Dodgerville, WI 53533.
January 28, 2019..................  Barneveld, WI.......  5:00-8:00 p.m..............  Deer Valley Lodge, 401
                                                                                        West Industrial Drive,
                                                                                        Barneveld, WI 53507.
January 29, 2019..................  Middleton, WI.......  5:00-8:00 p.m..............  Madison Marriott West,
                                                                                        1313 John Q. Hammonds
                                                                                        Drive, Middleton, WI
                                                                                        53562.
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ADDRESSES: A copy of the Draft EIS may be viewed online at the 
following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/cardinal-%E2%80%93-hickory-creek-transmission-line and Dairyland Power Cooperative, 3521 East Avenue 
South, La Crosse, WI 54602 and at 13 local libraries in the project 
area and the USFWS McGregor District Office in Prairie du Chien, WI.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain copies of the Draft EIS, to 
request further participation or request consulting party status under 
section 106 of the NHPA or for further information, contact: Lauren 
Cusick or Dennis Rankin, Environmental Protection Specialist, USDA, 
Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 2244, Stop 
1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571, by phone at (202) 720-1414 or email 
[email protected] or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS is the lead agency for the federal 
environmental review with cooperating and participating agencies as 
outlined in the Draft EIS. The first Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare 
an EIS and Hold Public Scoping Meeting was published in the Federal 
Register at 81 FR 71697, on October 18, 2016 to initiate a 30-day 
public scoping period. Four public scoping meetings for the EIS were 
held in the project area in October and November 2016, and the public 
comment was extended to 81 days and comments were accepted from October 
18, 2016 through January 6, 2017. On November 22, 2016 RUS published a 
second NOI announcing a second round of public scoping meetings in 
December 2017. RUS issued a Scoping Report in May 2018.
    The Draft EIS addresses the construction and operation of the 
proposed project, which, in addition to the 345-kV transmission line 
and associated infrastructure, includes the following facilities:
    a. At the existing Cardinal Substation in Dane County, Wisconsin: A 
new 345-kV terminal within the substation;
    b. At the new proposed Hill Valley Substation near the Village of 
Montfort, Wisconsin: A 10-acre facility with four 345-kV circuit 
breakers, one 345-kV shunt reactor, one 345-kV/138-kV autotransformer, 
and three 138-kV circuit breakers;
    c. At the existing Eden Substation near the village of Montfort, 
Wisconsin: Transmission line protective relaying upgrades, ground grid 
improvements, and replacement of equipment within the Eden Substation;
    d. Between the existing Eden Substation and the proposed Hill 
Valley Substation near the Village of Montfort, Wisconsin: A rebuild of 
the approximately 1-mile Hill Valley to Eden 138-kV transmission line;
    e. At the existing Wyoming Valley Substation near Wyoming, 
Wisconsin: Ground grid improvements;
    f. Between the existing Cardinal Substation and the proposed Hill 
Valley Substation: A new 50- to 53-mile (depending on the final route) 
345-kV transmission line;
    g. Between the proposed Hill Valley Substation and existing Hickory 
Creek

[[Page 63151]]

Substation: A new 50- to 70-mile (depending on the final route) 345-kV 
transmission line;
    h. At the Mississippi River in Cassville, Wisconsin: A rebuild and 
possible relocation of the existing Mississippi River transmission line 
crossing to accommodate the new 345-kV transmission line and 
Dairyland's 161-kV transmission line, and which would be capable of 
operating at 345-kV/345-kV but will initially be operated at 345-kV/
161-kV;
    1. depending on the final route and the Mississippi River crossing 
locations:
    i. A new 161-kV terminal and transmission line protective relaying 
upgrades within the existing Nelson Dewey Substation in Cassville, 
Wisconsin;
    ii. a replaced or reinforced structure within the Stoneman 
Substation in Cassville, Wisconsin;
    iii. multiple, partial, or complete rebuilds of existing 69-kV and 
138-kV transmission lines in Wisconsin that would be collocated with 
the new 345-kV line;
    i. At the existing Turkey River Substation in Dubuque County, Iowa: 
Two 161-/69-kV transformers, four 161-kV circuit breakers, and five 69-
kV circuit breakers; and
    j. At the existing Hickory Creek Substation in Dubuque County, 
Iowa: A new 345-kV terminal within the existing Hickory Creek 
Substation.
    Among the alternatives addressed in the Draft EIS is the No Action 
alternative, under which the proposed project would not be undertaken. 
Additional alternatives addressed in the Draft EIS include six action 
alternatives connecting the Cardinal Station in Wisconsin with the 
Hickory Creek Station in Iowa. RUS has carefully studied public health 
and safety, environmental impacts, and engineering aspects of the 
proposed project.
    RUS used input provided by government agencies, private 
organizations, and the public in the preparation of the Draft EIS. RUS 
will prepare a Final EIS that considers all comments received on the 
Draft EIS. Following the 30 calendar day comment period for the Final 
EIS, RUS will prepare a Record of Decision (ROD). Notices announcing 
the availability of the Final EIS and the ROD will be published in the 
Federal Register and in local newspapers.
    In accordance with section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act and its implementing regulation, ``Protection of 
Historic Properties'' (36 CFR part 800) and as part of its broad 
environmental review process, RUS must take into account the effect of 
the proposed project on historic properties. Pursuant to 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3), RUS is using its procedures for public involvement under 
NEPA to meet its responsibilities to solicit and consider the views of 
the public during section 106 review. Any party wishing to participate 
more directly with RUS as a ``consulting party'' in section 106 review 
may submit a written request to the RUS contact provided in this 
notice.
    The proposed project involves unavoidable impacts to wetlands and 
floodplains; this Notice of Availability also serves as a statement of 
no practicable alternatives to impacts on wetlands and floodplains, in 
accordance with Executive Orders 11990 and 11988, respectively.
    Any final action by RUS related to the proposed project will be 
subject to, and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant Federal, 
State and local environmental laws and regulations, and completion of 
the environmental review requirements as prescribed in the RUS 
Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1970).

    Dated: November 8, 2018.
Christopher A. McLean,
Assistant Administrator, Electric Programs, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-26558 Filed 12-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-15-P