News and Events
West-wide Energy Corridor Programmatic EIS news, events, and announcements.
November 8, 2012
West-Wide Energy Corridor Litigation and Approved Settlement Agreement
On July 7, 2009 multiple organizations (Plaintiffs) filed a Complaint in the Wilderness Society, et al. v. United States Department of the Interior, et al., No. 3:09-cv-03048-JW (N.D. Cal.). The Plaintiffs raised a variety of challenges in response to the Agencies' Records of Decision.
The BLM, United States Forest Service (USFS), Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Justice worked collaboratively with the Plaintiffs to develop a settlement with specific actions to mutually resolve the challenges in the Complaint. The Agencies and Plaintiffs agreed to settle these matters without any adjudication or admission of fact or law by any party and to avoid protracted and costly litigation as well as preserve judicial resources.
The four principal components of the July 3, 2012 Settlement Agreement require the Agencies to:
- Complete an interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) addressing periodic corridor reviews;
- Update agency guidance;
- Update agency training; and
- Complete a corridor study.
April 14, 2009
Corrected Federal Register Notice for USDA Forest Service Record of Decision Now Available
A corrected version of the Federal Register Notice of Availability Record of Decision: USDA Forest Service Designation of Section 368 Energy Corridors on National Forest System Land in 10 Western States is now available for downloading or browsing online.
The Forest Service published a Notice of Availability Record of Decision in the Federal Register of March 24, 2009. The document contained an incorrect Internet address. The correct Internet address is shown in the corrected NOA.
January 15, 2009
USDA Forest Service Record of Decision Now Available
The Record of Decision: USDA Forest Service Designation of Section 368 Energy Corridors on National Forest System Land in 10 Western States is now available for downloading or browsing online. See the Agency Press Release for additional information.
January 14, 2009
Bureau of Land Management Record of Decision Now Available
The Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments/Record of Decision (ROD) for Designation of Energy Corridors on Bureau of Land Management-Administered Lands in the 11 Western States is now available for downloading or browsing online. See the Agency Press Release for additional information.
November 20, 2008
Final Programmatic EIS and Corridor Maps Available
The West-Wide Energy Corridor Final Programmatic EIS is now available for downloading and browsing online. Final PEIS maps of proposed Section 368 energy corridors and associated data are also available for browsing/downloading. For more information, see the Agencies' press release.
Map Data for Interactive Map Viewer
February 7, 2008
Figure 2.1-1 in the Draft Programmatic EIS (Chapter 2,
page 2-3) shows proposed energy corridors received
during and after the public scoping comment period for
the PEIS. Map and supporting data for Figure 2.1-1 have
been added to the West Wide Energy Corridor Draft PEIS
Interactive Map in ArcReader format.
If you have questions or need more information, contact
the Energy Corridor PEIS webmaster at
corridoreiswebmaster@anl.gov
January 11, 2007
Additional Public Meeting in Elko NV Feb. 5, 2008
The U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of
Interior Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Forest Service, and the U.S. Department
of Defense (the Agencies) will hold an additional
public meeting to obtain comments on the draft PEIS on
Tuesday, February 5, 2008, in Elko NV from 6-8PM.
The meeting will begin at 6:00 PM at the following
location:
BLM Elko Field Office
3900 E. Idaho St.
Elko NV
(775) 753-0200
Please see the Public Meetings page for additioanl important information concerning this meeting.
November 16, 2007
Draft PEIS Comment Period Open, Public Meetings Scheduled
The public comment period for the West-Wide Energy Corridor Draft Programmatic EIS is now open, and will remain open until Friday, Feb. 14, 2008. Members of the public are encouraged to participate in the West-Wide Energy Corridor Programmatic EIS process by submitting comments on the Draft Programmatic EIS.
How to Provide Comments
Members of the public may submit their comments via the
Public Comment Form on this Web site , by mail; or by fax. To learn more, visit the "
Getting Involved"
page.
The agencies will accept written comments on the Draft Programmatic EIS postmarked by Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 and electronic or faxed comments received by Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008. Comments received or postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.
Public meetings to obtain comments for the draft Programmatic EIS will be held in the eleven Western states in January-February 2008. Specific locations for the public meetings, as well as other important information about the meetings are available under Public Meetings.
See Getting Involved for more information on public participation in the EIS process.
November 16, 2007
Notice of Availability Published in Federal Register
Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Designation of Energy Corridors in Eleven Western States and Notice of Public Hearings (72 KB) published in Federal Register.
November 8, 2007
Draft Programmatic EIS and Draft Corridor Maps Available
The West-Wide Energy Corridor Draft Programmatic EIS is now available for downloading and browsing online. Draft PEIS maps of proposed Section 368 energy corridors are also available for browsing/downloading.
December 19, 2006
Agencies Issue Press Release on Additional Consideration of Comments
DOE and BLM have issued a press release announcing their decision that additional time will be needed to consider public comments as the agencies conduct an environmental review of proposed corridor locations.
Press Release: Environmental Study Will Consider Comments on Impacts of Energy Corridors on Federal Lands in the West (13 KB)
August 24, 2006
Preliminary Draft Energy Corridor Map Comments Available
Public comments received in response to publication of the preliminary draft corridor maps, including individual letters, facsimiles, and comments received electronically are now available for downloading/browsing.
June 23, 2006
Individual State Preliminary Draft Energy Corridor Maps Available Online
The four Federal agencies preparing to designate energy corridors on Federal lands in 11 Western states for electricity transmission and oil, natural gas and hydrogen pipelines today released individual state maps showing preliminary corridors on Federal lands. The informational maps were developed using comments received during a public scoping period in the Fall of 2005, and offer an update on progress in the identification of potential corridors and an opportunity for public comment on work to-date. Posting of these individual state maps follows posting of a West-wide map of preliminary draft corridors released June 9, 2006.
The preliminary draft state maps of potential energy corridors are now available for downloading or browsing online.
June 9, 2006
Preliminary Draft Energy Corridor Map Available Online
The four Federal agencies preparing to designate energy corridors on Federal lands in 11 Western States for electricity transmission and oil, natural gas and hydrogen pipelines today released a map showing preliminary corridors. The informational map was developed using comments received during a public scoping period in the Fall of 2005, and offers an update on progress in the identification of potential corridors and an opportunity for public comment on work to-date.
The preliminary draft map of potential energy corridors is now available for downloading or browsing online.
The agencies' press release announcing publication of the map is also available.
June 9, 2006
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Cooperating Agency Comments Available Online
Comments received on January 12, 2006 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a cooperating agency in preparation of the Programmatic EIS are now available for downloading or browsing online.
April 26, 2006
Correction for Portland Oregon Tribal Meeting
The meeting in Portland, Oregon, will be held on TUESDAY, May 9, 2006. This is a correction to the information provided in the letter sent to the Western Tribal groups on April 14, 2006, which indicated the wrong day of the week.
We apologize for any inconvenience this error may have caused.
March 3, 2006
Final Scoping Summary Report Available Online
A report entitled
Final Report: Summary of Public Scoping Comments for the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, Designation of Energy Corridors on Federal Land in the 11 Western States (DOE/EIS-0386) (244 KB) has been added to the Web site, under
Documents.
December 22, 2005
Public Scoping Comments Available Online
Public scoping comments received during the West-wide Energy Corridor Programmatic EIS scoping comment period are now available for downloading and browsing. Transcripts of the public scoping meetings are also available.
November 22, 2005
Report to Congress: Corridors and Rights-of-Way on Federal Lands Added
A report entitled
Report to Congress: Corridors and Rights-of-Way on Federal Lands (240 KB) has been added to the Web site, under
Documents.
This report was prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Energy, and the Council on Environmental Quality in response to Section 1221(b), Reports to Congress on Corridors and Rights of Way on Federal Lands, of Section 1221, Siting of Interstate Electric Transmission Facilities, in Title XII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58. Congress requested that the Secretaries of Agriculture, Energy, and Interior and the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality prepare a report identifying the following:
- All existing designated transmission and distribution corridors on federal
land;
- The status of work related to proposed transmission and distribution corridor designations under Title V of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and any impediments to completing the work;
- The number of pending applications to locate transmission facilities on federal land; and
- The number of existing transmission and distribution rights-of-way (ROWs) on federal land that will come up for renewal within the next 5-, 10-, and 15-year periods and how those renewals will be managed.
November 21, 2005
Scoping Comment Period Ends Nov. 28, 2005
The public scoping comment period for the West-Wide Energy
Corridor Programmatic EIS remains open until Nov. 28, 2005.
Members of the public are encouraged to participate in the
West-Wide Energy Corridor Programmatic EIS process by
submitting information and comments on specific issues they
believe should be addressed in the Programmatic EIS.
How to Provide Comments
Members of the public may submit their comments via the
Public Comment Form on this Web site , by
mail; or by fax. To learn more, visit the "
Getting Involved"
page.
The agencies will accept written comments on the scope of
the Programmatic EIS postmarked by November 28, 2005, and
electronic or faxed comments received by November 28, 2005.
Comments received or postmarked after that date will be
considered to the extent practicable.
September 27, 2005
West-wide Energy Corridor Programmatic EIS Public Scoping Meetings in October and November
Public scoping meetings to obtain scoping comments for the Programmatic EIS will be held at the following locations on the dates specified below.
Dates for the public scoping meetings are:
- October 25, 2005, Denver Colorado
- October 26, 2005, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- October 26, 2005, Salt Lake City, Utah
- October 27, 2005, Cheyenne, Wyoming
- October 27, 2005, Helena, Montana
- November 1, 2005, Boise, Idaho
- November 1, 2005, Sacramento, California
- November 2, 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada
- November 2, 2005, Portland Oregon
- November 3, 2005, Phoenix, Arizona
- November 3, 2005, Seattle, Washington
The actual locations of the public meetings in each city, as well as other important information about the meetings is available under Public Meetings.
See Getting Involved for information on public participation in the EIS process.
September 27, 2005
West-wide Energy Corridor Programmatic EIS Public Information Center Web Site Launched
The West-wide Energy Corridor Programmatic EIS Public Information Center Web site was launched September 27, 2005. This Web site is the online center for public information and involvement in the West-wide Energy Corridor Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Energy Corridor PEIS).
The United States Department of Energy, the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (the Agencies) will prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate issues associated with designation of energy corridors on federal lands in eleven Western states. This Web site is the online center for public information and involvement in the PEIS process.
September 27, 2005
Notice of Intent Published in Federal Register
Notice of Intent to Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and To Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement (63 KB)
published in Federal Register
Print version
