Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Blackhawk to Heybourne Transmission Line Project, Nevada, 55128 [E8-22336]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management
• Land Management Bureau

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 55128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22336]



[[Page 55128]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV030-08-1430-ER; 08-08807; TAS: 14X1109]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Blackhawk to Heybourne Transmission Line Project, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carson City District 
Office, Carson City, Nevada, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for Sierra Pacific Power Company's Blackhawk to 
Heybourne Transmission Line Project which will run through Storey, 
Lyon, Carson City and Douglas counties. This notice announces the 
beginning of the scoping process and solicits input on the 
identification of issues.

DATES: The BLM will accept comments until October 31, 2008. The BLM 
will announce public scoping meetings through local news media, 
mailings, and the BLM Web site https://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_
city_field.html at least 15 days prior to each meeting.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to:
     BLM Carson City District Office, Attn: Blackhawk EIS 
Project Manager, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV 89701.
     Fax: (775) 885-6147.
     E-mail: blackhawkeis@blm.gov.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Carson 
City District Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and to have 
your name added to the Blackhawk EIS mailing list, call Mark Struble, 
(775) 885-6107; or e-mail blackhawkeis@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Carson City District Office will 
prepare an EIS for the Blackhawk to Heybourne Transmission Line Project 
(Project) to analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts 
resulting from construction of a new 120 kV electrical transmission 
line and two new substations proposed in a right-of-way (ROW) 
application submitted by Sierra Pacific Power Company. The proposed 
Project includes the construction of approximately 34 miles of an 
electrical 120 kV transmission line through four counties in Nevada, 
beginning at the proposed new Blackhawk Substation in Storey County. 
From the proposed Blackhawk Substation four new 120 kV transmission 
lines would run parallel, crossing U.S. Highway 50, for approximately 
four miles where two of the lines would fold into an existing 
transmission line north of the Carson River. From that point the 
remaining two lines would continue southwest, crossing the Carson 
River, and running eight miles to the existing Dayton Substation in 
Lyon County. From the Dayton Substation one transmission line would run 
south over two miles, then west approximately six miles, parallel with 
existing lines to the existing Brunswick Substation in Carson City. 
From the Brunswick Substation the transmission line parallels existing 
powerlines straight south for approximately seven miles to the existing 
Prison Hill Substation in Carson City. At this point the line would 
parallel an existing line south for less than a mile before turning 
west for approximately three and a half miles in a new corridor through 
a saddle in Hot Springs Mountain and across the Douglas County water 
treatment facility, then south for approximately one mile paralleling 
an existing line and terminating at the proposed new Heybourne 
Substation in Douglas County. The proposed transmission line runs 
parallel with existing transmission lines along all but the first four 
miles in Storey and Lyon counties and three and a half miles in Douglas 
County. The BLM will work closely with interested parties to identify 
the best possible alternatives and management decisions that will take 
into account local, regional, and national needs and concerns.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the EIS process. The EIS will address 
issues brought forth through scoping and will be evaluated by an 
interdisciplinary team of BLM and other agency specialists. A range of 
alternatives and mitigating measures will be considered to evaluate and 
minimize environmental impacts and to assure that the proposed actions 
do not result in undue or unnecessary degradation of public lands. 
Federal, State, and local agencies and other individuals or 
organizations that may be interested in or affected by the BLM decision 
on the Blackhawk to Heybourne Transmission Line Project are urged to 
participate in the EIS process. It is important that those interested 
in the proposed activities participate in the scoping and commenting 
processes of the EIS. Written comments may be provided to the BLM at 
the public scoping meetings or may be submitted to the BLM using one of 
the methods listed in the Addresses section above. Comments will be 
accepted until October 31, 2008.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.


    (Authority: 43 CFR part 2804)Dated: September 11, 2008.
Patrick Gubbins,
Manager, Carson City District Office.
 [FR Doc. E8-22336 Filed 9-23-08; 8:45 am]
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