Interconnection of the Proposed Hermosa West Wind Farm Project, Wyoming (DOE/EIS-0438), 2138-2140 [2010-569]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 9 / Thursday, January 14, 2010 / Notices
docket(s). For assistance with any FERC
Online service, please e-mail
FERCOnlineSupport@ferc.gov or call
(866) 208–3676 (toll free). For TTY, call
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Docket No. ER10–507–000]
ERA MA, LLC; Supplemental Notice
That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing
Includes Request for Blanket Section
204 Authorization
pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES
January 7, 2010.
This is a supplemental notice in the
above-referenced proceeding of ERA
MA, LLC’s application for market-based
rate authority, with an accompanying
rate tariff, noting that such application
includes a request for blanket
authorization, under 18 CFR Part 34, of
future issuances of securities and
assumptions of liability.
Any person desiring to intervene or to
protest should file with the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426,
in accordance with Rules 211 and 214
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214). Anyone filing a motion to
intervene or protest must serve a copy
of that document on the Applicant.
Notice is hereby given that the
deadline for filing protests with regard
to the applicant’s request for blanket
authorization, under 18 CFR Part 34, of
future issuances of securities and
assumptions of liability, is January 27,
2010.
The Commission encourages
electronic submission of protests and
interventions in lieu of paper, using the
FERC Online links at https://
www.ferc.gov. To facilitate electronic
service, persons with Internet access
who will eFile a document and/or be
listed as a contact for an intervenor
must create and validate an
eRegistration account using the
eRegistration link. Select the eFiling
link to log on and submit the
intervention or protests.
Persons unable to file electronically
should submit an original and 14 copies
of the intervention or protest to the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC
20426.
The filings in the above-referenced
proceeding are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the appropriate link in the
above list. They are also available for
review in the Commission’s Public
Reference Room in Washington, DC.
There is an eSubscription link on the
Web site that enables subscribers to
receive e-mail notification when a
document is added to a subscribed
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:36 Jan 13, 2010
Jkt 220001
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010–533 Filed 1–13–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Interconnection of the Proposed
Hermosa West Wind Farm Project,
Wyoming (DOE/EIS–0438)
AGENCY: Western Area Power
Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement and to
Conduct Scoping Meetings; Notice of
Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement.
SUMMARY: Shell WindEnergy Inc. (SWE)
applied to interconnect their proposed
300-megawatt (MW) Hermosa West
Wind Farm Project (Project) with the
Western Area Power Administration’s
(Western) existing Craig—Ault 345kilovolt (kV) transmission line in
Albany County, Wyoming. Western will
prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) on the proposal to
interconnect the Project in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (NEPA), U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) NEPA Implementing
Procedures, and the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations for implementing NEPA.
Western’s need for agency action is
precipitated by SWE’s application to
interconnect with Western’s power
transmission system. Western needs to
consider SWE’s interconnection request
under its Open Access Transmission
Service Tariff (Tariff). This EIS will
address Western’s Federal action of
interconnecting the proposed Project to
Western’s transmission system,
constructing an interconnection facility
on Western’s existing Craig—Ault
transmission line, and making necessary
system modifications to accommodate
the interconnection. By taking this
action, power generated by the proposed
Project would use Western’s
transmission system to reach the
market.
Portions of the proposed Project may
affect floodplains and wetlands, so this
Notice of Intent (NOI) also serves as a
notice of proposed floodplain or
wetland action in accordance with DOE
floodplain and wetland environmental
review requirements.
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Public scoping meetings are:
(1) January 26, 2010, from 3 p.m. to
8 p.m. in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
(2) January 27, 2010, from 3 p.m. to
8 p.m. in Laramie, Wyoming.
The public scoping period starts with
the publication of this notice and ends
on March 1, 2010. Western will consider
all comments on the scope of the EIS
received or postmarked by that date.
The public is invited to submit
comments on the proposed Project at
any time during the EIS process.
ADDRESSES: Western will host public
scoping meetings at Little America
Hotel, 2800 West Lincolnway,
Cheyenne, Wyoming; and at Hilton
Garden Inn and UW Conference Center,
2229 East Grand Avenue, Laramie,
Wyoming, to provide information on the
Project and gather comments on the
proposal. Oral or written comments may
be provided at the public scoping
meetings or mailed or e-mailed to Mark
Wieringa, NEPA Document Manager,
Corporate Services Office, Western Area
Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213,
Lakewood, CO 80228–8213, e-mail
wieringa@wapa.gov, telephone (800)
336–7288.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
additional information on the proposed
Project, the EIS process, or to receive a
copy of the Draft EIS when it is
published, contact Mark Wieringa at the
addresses above. For general
information on the DOE’s NEPA review
process, contact Carol M. Borgstrom,
Director, Office of NEPA Policy and
Compliance, GC–54, U.S. Department of
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585–0119,
telephone (202) 586–4600 or (800) 472–
2756, facsimile (202) 586–7031.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western is
a Federal power marketing agency
within the DOE that markets and
delivers Federal wholesale electric
power (principally hydroelectric power)
to municipalities, rural electric
cooperatives, public utilities, irrigation
districts, Federal and State agencies,
and Native American tribes in 15
western and central States. The
proposed Project would be located
within Western’s Rocky Mountain
Region, which operates in Colorado,
most of Wyoming, and portions of
Nebraska, Kansas, Utah, and New
Mexico. SWE applied to interconnect
their proposed 300–MW Project with
Western’s existing Craig—Ault 345-kV
transmission line in Albany County,
Wyoming. The proposed Project would
be located on private and State lands; no
federally-managed land would be
affected. There are no designated
cooperating agencies at this time, but
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\14JAN1.SGM
14JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 9 / Thursday, January 14, 2010 / Notices
cooperating agencies could be identified
at a later date.
Western will prepare an EIS on the
interconnection of the proposed Project
in accordance with NEPA (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.); DOE NEPA Implementing
Procedures (10 CFR part 1021), and the
CEQ regulations for implementing
NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500–1508).1
Purpose and Need for Agency Action
Western’s need for agency action is
precipitated by SWE’s application to
interconnect with Western’s power
transmission system. Western needs to
consider SWE’s interconnection request
under Western’s Tariff, which provides
for open access to its transmission
system through an interconnection if
there is available capacity in the
transmission system. This EIS will
address Western’s Federal action of
constructing an interconnection facility
on the existing Craig—Ault transmission
line, and making necessary system
modifications to accommodate the
interconnection of SWE’s proposed
Project. Preliminary studies indicate
that the power system can accommodate
the proposed interconnection without
negatively affecting system reliability or
power deliveries to existing customers.
The transmission system may require
network and/or transmission system
upgrades as determined in the final
studies.
Proposed Action
Subject to compliance with the
provisions of the Tariff, Western
proposes to approve SWE’s
interconnection request and construct
an interconnection facility on the
Craig—Ault transmission line. By taking
this action, power generated by the
proposed Project would use Western’s
transmission system to reach the
market.
pwalker on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES
Alternatives
Western will evaluate location
options for the interconnection facility
in the vicinity of the proposed Project
along the existing Craig—Ault
transmission line. Under the no action
alternative, Western would not approve
the interconnection request, nor
construct the interconnection facility.
Applicant’s Proposed Project
SWE’s proposed Project would consist
of up to 200 wind turbine generators
with a combined total generating
capacity of up to 300 MW, located
1 On October 4, 1999, DOE’s Assistant Secretary
for Environmental, Safety and Health delegated to
Western’s Administrator the authority to approve
EISs for integrating transmission facilities with
Western’s transmission grid.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:36 Jan 13, 2010
Jkt 220001
within an 11,125-acre site in southeast
Albany County, near the towns of
Hermosa and Tie Siding. The turbines
would be located in 11 north-south
oriented strings of varying lengths, with
the strings being approximately one-half
mile apart. In addition to the turbines,
other proposed Project facilities would
include all-weather access roads to each
turbine location; underground power
collection lines linking turbines to the
Project Substation; the Project
Substation; a short high-voltage
transmission line linking the Project
Substation to Western’s transmission
system; operation and maintenance
facilities and yard; Supervisory Control
and Data Acquisition equipment and
metering equipment; and a permanent
meteorological tower. The proposed
Project Substation would likely be colocated with Western’s interconnection
facility.
While Western’s Federal action is to
consider the interconnection request
and the physical interconnection to
Western’s existing transmission system,
the EIS will also identify and review the
environmental impacts of SWE’s
proposed Project. SWE will complete
necessary coordination with State and
local agencies to permit their proposed
Project.
Floodplain or Wetland Involvement
Since the proposed Project may
involve action in floodplains or
wetlands, this NOI also serves as a
notice of proposed floodplain or
wetland action. The EIS will include a
floodplain/wetland assessment and
floodplain/wetland statement of
findings following DOE regulations for
compliance with floodplain and
wetlands environmental review (10 CFR
part 1022).
Environmental Issues
The location of the proposed Project
is in a sparsely populated portion of
southeastern Wyoming. Available
overview information indicates this area
has a relatively low probability of
substantial natural resources conflicts.
SWE’s siting process for the wind
turbine strings and associated facilities
considered sensitive resources, and the
proposed Project was designed to avoid
these areas. The EIS will evaluate the
level of impact Western’s proposed
action and SWE’s proposed Project
would have on environmental resources
within the 11,125-acre site, which may
lead to minor modifications in the
proposed Project to further avoid or
minimize resource impacts. While no
substantive resource conflicts have been
identified thus far, the EIS will analyze
the potential impacts on potentially
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
2139
affected environmental resources. Wind
farm projects are generally known to
have visual and noise effects, and may
affect birds and bats.
Public Participation
Interested parties are invited to
participate in the scoping process to
help define the important resources and
issues to be analyzed in depth, and to
eliminate from detailed study issues
that are not pertinent. The scoping
process will involve all interested
agencies (Federal, State, county, and
local), Native American tribes, public
interest groups, businesses, affected
landowners, and individual members of
the public.
Western will consult with affected
tribes to jointly evaluate and address the
potential effects on cultural resources,
traditional cultural properties, or other
resources important to the tribes. These
consultations will be conducted in
accordance with Executive Order 13175,
Consultation and Coordination with
Indian Tribal Governments (65 FR
67249), the President’s memorandum of
April 29, 1994, Government-toGovernment Relations with Native
American Tribal Governments (59 FR
22951), DOE-specific guidance on tribal
interactions, and applicable natural and
cultural resources laws and regulations.
Public scoping meetings will be held
as described under DATES and
ADDRESSES above. The meetings will be
informal, and attendees will be able to
speak directly with Western and SWE
representatives about the proposed
Project. The public is encouraged to
provide information and comments on
issues it believes Western should
address in the EIS. Comments may be
broad in nature or restricted to specific
areas of concern. After gathering
comments on the scope of the EIS,
Western will address issues raised in
the EIS. Comments on Western’s
proposed action and SWE’s proposed
Project will be accepted at any time
during the EIS process, and may be
directed to Western as described under
ADDRESSES above.
Western’s EIS process will include the
public scoping meetings; consultation
and coordination with appropriate
Federal, State, county, and local
agencies and tribal governments;
involvement with affected landowners;
distribution of and public review and
comment on the Draft EIS; a formal
public hearing or hearings on the Draft
EIS; distribution of a published Final
EIS; and publication of Western’s
Record of Decision in the Federal
Register.
E:\FR\FM\14JAN1.SGM
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2140
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 9 / Thursday, January 14, 2010 / Notices
Dated: January 6, 2010.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[FR Doc. 2010–569 Filed 1–13–10; 8:45 am]
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–9102–9]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
[Docket Nos. RP10–134–000; RP09–423–
000; RP09–423–002]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Columbia Gulf Transmission
Company; Notice of Technical
Conference
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
January 6, 2010.
[Docket No. CP10–12–000]
Florida Gas Transmission Company,
LLC; Notice of Staff Protest to
Proposed Blanket Certificate Activity
January 7, 2010.
Commission staff (Protestor) hereby
protests the prior notice request filed
under the provisions of Part 157,
subpart F, of the Commission’s
regulations, by Florida Gas
Transmission Company, LLC (FGT) on
October 29, 2009 in the above
referenced docket. Pursuant to its Part
157, subpart F, blanket certificate
authority, FGT proposes to replace,
upgrade, and relocate portions of the
existing St. Petersburg and Clearwater
South Laterals and Block Valve 24–10 in
the City of Clearwater, Pinellas County,
Florida. Protestor seeks to have this
prior notice request processed as a casespecific application filed under section
7(c) of the Natural Gas Act (NGA) and
Part 157, subpart A, of the
Commission’s regulations.1
Protestor notes that FGT did not
provide documentation from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to
demonstrate the Project’s compliance
with the Endangered Species Act, as
required under section 157.208(c)(9) of
the Commission’s regulations. Without
the clearance from USFWS,
environmental concerns cannot be
adequately addressed before the protest
period expires on January 8, 2010.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010–536 Filed 1–13–10; 8:45 am]
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BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
1 Section 157.205(f) provides that a protested
prior notice filing shall be treated as though it had
filed a case-specific application under NGA section
7, unless, pursuant to section 157.205(g) the
protestor withdraws its protest within 30 days after
protests were due.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
17:36 Jan 13, 2010
Jkt 220001
Take notice that Commission Staff
will convene a technical conference in
the above-referenced proceedings on
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 10 a.m.
(EST), in a room to be designated at the
offices of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street, NE.,
Washington, DC 20426.
The purpose of the technical
conference is to consider the issues
raised by Columbia Gulf Transmission
Company’s (Columbia Gulf) Incentive
Fixed Fuel filing in Docket No. RP10–
134–000 and what changes, if any,
might be necessary or appropriate.
Because Columbia Gulf’s Incentive
Fixed Fuel filing presents interrelated
issues with the Transportation
Retainage Adjustment filing in Docket
Nos. RP09–423–000 and RP09–423–002,
the technical conference will also
consider the issues raised in those
dockets that relate to the Incentive
Fixed Fuel proposal.
Commission Staff and interested
persons will have the opportunity to
discuss all of the issues raised by
Columbia Gulf’s filings. Specifically,
Columbia Gulf should be prepared to
address all the concerns raised in the
protests, and if necessary, to provide
additional technical, engineering and
operational support for its proposals.
Any party proposing alternatives to
Columbia Gulf’s proposals should also
be prepared to similarly support its
position.
FERC conferences are accessible
under section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973. For accessibility
accommodations please send an e-mail
to accessibility@ferc.gov or call toll free
(866) 208–3372 (voice) or (202) 502–
8659 (TTY), or send a fax to (202) 208–
2106 with the required
accommodations.
All interested persons are permitted
to attend. For further information please
contact Anna Fernandez at (202) 502–
6682 or e-mail Anna
Fernandez@ferc.gov.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010–516 Filed 1–13–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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Clean Air Act Operating Permit
Program; Petition for Objection to
Federal Operating Permit for American
Electric Power Service Corporation,
Southwest Electric Power Company
AGENCY: Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of final action.
SUMMARY: This document announces
that the EPA Administrator has
responded to a citizen petition asking
EPA to object to the American Electric
Power Service Corporation, Southwest
Electric Power Company (AEP)
operating permit issued by the Arkansas
Department of Environmental Quality.
Specifically, the Administrator has
partially granted and partially denied
the petition submitted by
Environmental Integrity Project, Sierra
Club and Audubon (Petitioners), to
object to the title V operating permit for
AEP to operate the John W. Turk, Jr.
power plant in Fulton, Hempstead
County, Arkansas (Turk plant).
Pursuant to section 505(b)(2) of the
Clean Air Act (Act), the petitioner may
seek judicial review of those portions of
the petition which EPA denied in the
United States Court of Appeals for the
appropriate circuit. Any petition for
review shall be filed within 60 days
from the date this notice appears in the
Federal Register, pursuant to section
307 of the Act.
ADDRESSES: You may review copies of
the final order, the petition, and other
supporting information at EPA Region 6,
1445 Ross Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202–
2733. EPA requests that if at all
possible, you contact the individual
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT section to view copies of the
final order, petition, and other
supporting information. If you wish to
examine these documents, you should
make an appointment at least 24 hours
before visiting day. The final order is
also available electronically at: https://
www.epa.gov/region07/programs/artd/
air/title5/petitiondb/petitions/
aep_turk_response2008.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard Barrett, Air Permits Section,
Multimedia Planning and Permitting
Division, EPA Region 6, 1445 Ross
Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75202–2733,
telephone (214) 665–7227, or e-mail at
barrett.richard@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Act
affords EPA a 45-day period to review,
and, as appropriate, object to operating
E:\FR\FM\14JAN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 9 (Thursday, January 14, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2138-2140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-569]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Interconnection of the Proposed Hermosa West Wind Farm Project,
Wyoming (DOE/EIS-0438)
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
and to Conduct Scoping Meetings; Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands
Involvement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Shell WindEnergy Inc. (SWE) applied to interconnect their
proposed 300-megawatt (MW) Hermosa West Wind Farm Project (Project)
with the Western Area Power Administration's (Western) existing Craig--
Ault 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Albany County, Wyoming.
Western will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the
proposal to interconnect the Project in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) NEPA Implementing Procedures, and the Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA.
Western's need for agency action is precipitated by SWE's
application to interconnect with Western's power transmission system.
Western needs to consider SWE's interconnection request under its Open
Access Transmission Service Tariff (Tariff). This EIS will address
Western's Federal action of interconnecting the proposed Project to
Western's transmission system, constructing an interconnection facility
on Western's existing Craig--Ault transmission line, and making
necessary system modifications to accommodate the interconnection. By
taking this action, power generated by the proposed Project would use
Western's transmission system to reach the market.
Portions of the proposed Project may affect floodplains and
wetlands, so this Notice of Intent (NOI) also serves as a notice of
proposed floodplain or wetland action in accordance with DOE floodplain
and wetland environmental review requirements.
DATES: Public scoping meetings are:
(1) January 26, 2010, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
(2) January 27, 2010, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Laramie, Wyoming.
The public scoping period starts with the publication of this
notice and ends on March 1, 2010. Western will consider all comments on
the scope of the EIS received or postmarked by that date. The public is
invited to submit comments on the proposed Project at any time during
the EIS process.
ADDRESSES: Western will host public scoping meetings at Little America
Hotel, 2800 West Lincolnway, Cheyenne, Wyoming; and at Hilton Garden
Inn and UW Conference Center, 2229 East Grand Avenue, Laramie, Wyoming,
to provide information on the Project and gather comments on the
proposal. Oral or written comments may be provided at the public
scoping meetings or mailed or e-mailed to Mark Wieringa, NEPA Document
Manager, Corporate Services Office, Western Area Power Administration,
P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, CO 80228-8213, e-mail wieringa@wapa.gov,
telephone (800) 336-7288.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on the
proposed Project, the EIS process, or to receive a copy of the Draft
EIS when it is published, contact Mark Wieringa at the addresses above.
For general information on the DOE's NEPA review process, contact Carol
M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54,
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington,
DC 20585-0119, telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756, facsimile
(202) 586-7031.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western is a Federal power marketing agency
within the DOE that markets and delivers Federal wholesale electric
power (principally hydroelectric power) to municipalities, rural
electric cooperatives, public utilities, irrigation districts, Federal
and State agencies, and Native American tribes in 15 western and
central States. The proposed Project would be located within Western's
Rocky Mountain Region, which operates in Colorado, most of Wyoming, and
portions of Nebraska, Kansas, Utah, and New Mexico. SWE applied to
interconnect their proposed 300-MW Project with Western's existing
Craig--Ault 345-kV transmission line in Albany County, Wyoming. The
proposed Project would be located on private and State lands; no
federally-managed land would be affected. There are no designated
cooperating agencies at this time, but
[[Page 2139]]
cooperating agencies could be identified at a later date.
Western will prepare an EIS on the interconnection of the proposed
Project in accordance with NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); DOE NEPA
Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021), and the CEQ regulations for
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508).\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ On October 4, 1999, DOE's Assistant Secretary for
Environmental, Safety and Health delegated to Western's
Administrator the authority to approve EISs for integrating
transmission facilities with Western's transmission grid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Purpose and Need for Agency Action
Western's need for agency action is precipitated by SWE's
application to interconnect with Western's power transmission system.
Western needs to consider SWE's interconnection request under Western's
Tariff, which provides for open access to its transmission system
through an interconnection if there is available capacity in the
transmission system. This EIS will address Western's Federal action of
constructing an interconnection facility on the existing Craig--Ault
transmission line, and making necessary system modifications to
accommodate the interconnection of SWE's proposed Project. Preliminary
studies indicate that the power system can accommodate the proposed
interconnection without negatively affecting system reliability or
power deliveries to existing customers. The transmission system may
require network and/or transmission system upgrades as determined in
the final studies.
Proposed Action
Subject to compliance with the provisions of the Tariff, Western
proposes to approve SWE's interconnection request and construct an
interconnection facility on the Craig--Ault transmission line. By
taking this action, power generated by the proposed Project would use
Western's transmission system to reach the market.
Alternatives
Western will evaluate location options for the interconnection
facility in the vicinity of the proposed Project along the existing
Craig--Ault transmission line. Under the no action alternative, Western
would not approve the interconnection request, nor construct the
interconnection facility.
Applicant's Proposed Project
SWE's proposed Project would consist of up to 200 wind turbine
generators with a combined total generating capacity of up to 300 MW,
located within an 11,125-acre site in southeast Albany County, near the
towns of Hermosa and Tie Siding. The turbines would be located in 11
north-south oriented strings of varying lengths, with the strings being
approximately one-half mile apart. In addition to the turbines, other
proposed Project facilities would include all-weather access roads to
each turbine location; underground power collection lines linking
turbines to the Project Substation; the Project Substation; a short
high-voltage transmission line linking the Project Substation to
Western's transmission system; operation and maintenance facilities and
yard; Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition equipment and metering
equipment; and a permanent meteorological tower. The proposed Project
Substation would likely be co-located with Western's interconnection
facility.
While Western's Federal action is to consider the interconnection
request and the physical interconnection to Western's existing
transmission system, the EIS will also identify and review the
environmental impacts of SWE's proposed Project. SWE will complete
necessary coordination with State and local agencies to permit their
proposed Project.
Floodplain or Wetland Involvement
Since the proposed Project may involve action in floodplains or
wetlands, this NOI also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or
wetland action. The EIS will include a floodplain/wetland assessment
and floodplain/wetland statement of findings following DOE regulations
for compliance with floodplain and wetlands environmental review (10
CFR part 1022).
Environmental Issues
The location of the proposed Project is in a sparsely populated
portion of southeastern Wyoming. Available overview information
indicates this area has a relatively low probability of substantial
natural resources conflicts. SWE's siting process for the wind turbine
strings and associated facilities considered sensitive resources, and
the proposed Project was designed to avoid these areas. The EIS will
evaluate the level of impact Western's proposed action and SWE's
proposed Project would have on environmental resources within the
11,125-acre site, which may lead to minor modifications in the proposed
Project to further avoid or minimize resource impacts. While no
substantive resource conflicts have been identified thus far, the EIS
will analyze the potential impacts on potentially affected
environmental resources. Wind farm projects are generally known to have
visual and noise effects, and may affect birds and bats.
Public Participation
Interested parties are invited to participate in the scoping
process to help define the important resources and issues to be
analyzed in depth, and to eliminate from detailed study issues that are
not pertinent. The scoping process will involve all interested agencies
(Federal, State, county, and local), Native American tribes, public
interest groups, businesses, affected landowners, and individual
members of the public.
Western will consult with affected tribes to jointly evaluate and
address the potential effects on cultural resources, traditional
cultural properties, or other resources important to the tribes. These
consultations will be conducted in accordance with Executive Order
13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments (65
FR 67249), the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, Government-to-
Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments (59 FR
22951), DOE-specific guidance on tribal interactions, and applicable
natural and cultural resources laws and regulations.
Public scoping meetings will be held as described under DATES and
ADDRESSES above. The meetings will be informal, and attendees will be
able to speak directly with Western and SWE representatives about the
proposed Project. The public is encouraged to provide information and
comments on issues it believes Western should address in the EIS.
Comments may be broad in nature or restricted to specific areas of
concern. After gathering comments on the scope of the EIS, Western will
address issues raised in the EIS. Comments on Western's proposed action
and SWE's proposed Project will be accepted at any time during the EIS
process, and may be directed to Western as described under ADDRESSES
above.
Western's EIS process will include the public scoping meetings;
consultation and coordination with appropriate Federal, State, county,
and local agencies and tribal governments; involvement with affected
landowners; distribution of and public review and comment on the Draft
EIS; a formal public hearing or hearings on the Draft EIS; distribution
of a published Final EIS; and publication of Western's Record of
Decision in the Federal Register.
[[Page 2140]]
Dated: January 6, 2010.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2010-569 Filed 1-13-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
