[Federal Register: January 14, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 1746-1747]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14ja02-42]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Bonneville Power Administration
(Eastern Washington Reinforcement)
Grand Coulee-Bell 500-kV Transmission Line Project
AGENCY: Bonneville Power Administration (Bonneville), Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and notice of floodplain and wetlands involvement.
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SUMMARY: Bonneville intends to prepare an EIS on the proposed
construction, operation, and maintenance of an 84-mile-long 500-
kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Douglas, Grant, Lincoln, and Spokane
Counties, Washington. The new line would start at Bonneville's Bell
Substation in Spokane, and proceed west along an existing right-of-way
for about 84 miles, terminating at the Bureau of Reclamation's existing
Grand Coulee Switchyard at Grand Coulee Dam. The new line would be
built mostly on existing right-of-way, and would replace an existing
115-kV wood pole line.
In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain
and wetlands environmental review requirements, Bonneville will prepare
a floodplain and wetlands assessment as necessary to avoid or minimize
potential harm to or within any affected floodplains and wetlands. The
assessment will be included in the EIS being prepared for the proposed
project in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA).
DATES: Written comments on the NEPA scoping process are due to the
address below no later than February 11, 2002. Comments may also be
made at EIS scoping meetings to be held on January 28, 29, and 30,
2002, at the addresses below.
ADDRESSES: Send letters with comments and suggestions on the proposed
scope of the Draft EIS to Communications, Bonneville Power
Administration--KC-7, PO Box 12999, Portland, Oregon, 97212. You may
also call Bonneville's toll-free comment line at 1-800-622-4519; name
this project, and record your complete name, address, and comments.
Comments may also be sent to the Bonneville Internet address at
comment@bpa.gov. To be placed on the project mail list, call 1-800-622-
4520.
Comments may also be made at EIS scoping meetings to be held on
Monday, January 28, 2002, 4 to 8 p.m., at Inland Northwest Wildlife
Council Auditorium, 6116 N. Market Street, Spokane, Washington;
Tuesday, January 29, 2002, 4 to 8 p.m., at Old Center School Building
(Big Bend Community College), 317 Spokane Way, Grand Coulee,
Washington; and Wednesday, January 30, 2002, 4 to 8 p.m., at Davenport
Elementary School, 1101 7th Street, Davenport, Washington. At these
informal open-house meetings, we will provide information, including
maps about the project, and have several members of the project team
available to answer questions and accept oral and written comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Korsness, Project Manager,
Bonneville Power Administration--TNP-TPP-3, PO Box 61409, Vancouver,
Washington, 98666-1409; toll-free telephone 1-800-282-3713; direct
telephone 360-619-6326; or e-mail makorsness@bpa.gov. You may also
contact Inez Graetzer, Environmental Coordinator, Bonneville Power
Administration--KEC-4, PO Box 3621, Portland, Oregon 97208-3621;
telephone 503-230-3786; fax 503-230-5699; or e-mail isgraetzer@bpa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed 84-mile-long 500-kV
transmission line would replace an existing 115-kV wood pole
transmission line that runs between Bonneville's Bell Substation in
Spokane, Washington, and the Bureau of Reclamation's Grand Coulee
Switchyard at Grand Coulee Dam. The new line would be located primarily
in Bonneville's existing right-of-way corridor. It would be a single-
circuit line for the first 75 miles out of Grand Coulee Switchyard and
a double-circuit line for the last 9 miles into Bell Substation. The
project is needed to increase reliability and to support current and
future demand for electricity in Washington State and the Pacific
Northwest. The transmission line corridor between Grand Coulee
Switchyard and Bell Substation currently contains two 115-kV
transmission lines on wood pole structures and three 230-kV
transmission lines on two steel lattice structures. Together, these
transmission lines can no longer efficiently move power from generation
sources east of Spokane to load centers west of Spokane. Replacing one
of the 115-kV lines with a 500-kV line would relieve the restricted
ability to transmit electrical power along this corridor, provide for
future growth, and enhance service reliability to the community and the
Pacific Northwest.
This proposed project was originally considered in 1993-1994 and
was known as the Eastern Washington Main Grid Support Project. The
proposal at that time was to build a double-circuit line between Bell
Substation and Grand Coulee Switchyard, with the alternative being to
build a single-circuit line. The project was scoped with the public,
comments were incorporated into the proposal, environmental analysis
was done, and a draft EIS was prepared to be released to the public
when the project was cancelled for fiscal reasons.
Alternatives Proposed for Consideration. At this point the
alternatives we are considering for evaluation in the EIS is the
proposed action and the alternative of not building the line (an
alternative we always consider). Other alternatives may be identified
through the scoping process.
Public Participation and Identification of Environmental Issues.
Bonneville has established a 30-day scoping period during which
affected landowners, concerned citizens, special interest groups, local
governments, and any other interested parties are invited to comment on
the scope of the proposed EIS. Scoping will help Bonneville ensure that
a full range of issues related to this proposal is addressed in the
EIS, and also will identify significant or
[[Page 1747]]
potentially significant impacts that may result from the proposed
project.
The potential environmental issues identified for most transmission
projects include: land use, cultural resources, visual resources,
sensitive plants and animals, erosion/soils, and fish and water
resources. The scoping process will help identify the range of
environmental issues that should be addressed in this EIS. When
completed, the Draft EIS will be circulated for review and comment, and
Bonneville will hold several public meetings to receive comments on the
Draft EIS. Bonneville will consider and respond in the Final EIS to
comments received on the Draft EIS. Bonneville's decision will be
documented in a Record of Decision. The EIS will satisfy the
requirements of NEPA.
Issued in Portland, Oregon, on January 4, 2002.
Stephen J. Wright,
Acting Administrator and Chief Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 02-893 Filed 1-11-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P