Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings, and Notice of Floodplains and Wetlands Involvement; Northern Pass Transmission LLC, 7828-7831 [2011-3147]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 29 / Friday, February 11, 2011 / Notices
information collection, violate State or
Federal law, or substantially interfere
with any agency’s ability to perform its
statutory obligations. The Director,
Information Collection Clearance
Division, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of
Management, publishes this notice
containing proposed information
collection requests at the beginning of
the Departmental review of the
information collection. Each proposed
information collection, grouped by
office, contains the following: (1) Type
of review requested, e.g., new, revision,
extension, existing or reinstatement; (2)
Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4)
Description of the need for, and
proposed use of, the information; (5)
Respondents and frequency of
collection; and (6) Reporting and/or
Recordkeeping burden. ED invites
public comment.
The Department of Education is
especially interested in public comment
addressing the following issues: (1) Is
this collection necessary to the proper
functions of the Department; (2) will
this information be processed and used
in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate
of burden accurate; (4) how might the
Department enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be
collected; and (5) how might the
Department minimize the burden of this
collection on respondents, including
through the use of information
technology.
Dated: February 8, 2011.
Darrin A. King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance
Division, Regulatory Information
Management Services, Office of Management.
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Office of the Deputy Secretary
Type of Review: New.
Title: Race to the Top Program Review
Protocols.
OMB #: Pending.
Frequency: Monthly; Semi-Annually.
Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal
Government, State Educational
Agencies or Local Educational Agencies.
Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour
Burden:
Responses: 48.
Burden Hours: 74.
Abstract: The ARRA provides $4.3
billion for the Race to the Top Fund
(referred to in the statute as the State
Incentive Grant Fund). This is a
competitive grant program. The purpose
of the program is to encourage and
reward States that are creating the
conditions for education innovation and
reform; achieving significant
improvement in student outcomes,
including making substantial gains in
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student achievement, closing
achievement gaps, improving high
school graduation rates, and ensuring
student preparation for success in
college and careers; and implementing
ambitious plans in four core education
reform areas: (a) Adopting
internationally-benchmarked standards
and assessments that prepare students
for success in college and the
workplace; (b) building data systems
that measure student success and
inform teachers and principals in how
they can improve their practices; (c)
increasing teacher effectiveness and
achieving equity in teacher distribution;
and (d) turning around our lowestachieving schools.
The U.S. Department of Education
(the Department) will collect this data
from the 12 Race to the Top grantee
states to inform its review of grantee
implementation, outcomes, oversight,
and accountability. The Department will
use these forms to inform on-site visits,
‘‘stocktake’’ meetings with
Implementation and Support Unit
leadership at the Department, and
annual reports for individual grantees
and the grant program as a whole.
In order to allow for the program
review of the Race to the Top grantees
to occur in a timely manner, we are
committed to expediting the program
review for Race to the Top, necessitating
emergency clearance of the protocols.
Additional Information: As work on
the protocols evolved, the Department
concluded that it was more efficient and
effective to have a few common
questions that would apply to all of the
grantees. Due to this unanticipated
result of the protocol development, the
Department is requesting that the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) clear
the monitoring protocol on an
emergency basis. This is the first year of
implementation of a $4 billion dollar
program, the largest discretionary grant
program ever administered by the
Department. As a result, the program
continues to generate high public
interest both for the Department and the
Administration. Delays in finalizing this
collection would also impede our ability
to use this data to inform our technical
assistance efforts in the first year of
program implementation when support
is critical. Additionally, as it is our
intention to use much of the data
gathered through this monitoring
protocol to inform the on-site
monitoring process, delay of clearance
of this document will also hinder our
on-site monitoring process.
Copies of the proposed information
collection request may be accessed from
https://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the
‘‘Browse Pending Collections’’ link and
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by clicking on link number 4513. When
you access the information collection,
click on ‘‘Download Attachments ’’ to
view. Written requests for information
should be addressed to U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202–4537.
Requests may also be electronically
mailed to the Internet address
ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed to 202–
401–0920. Please specify the complete
title of the information collection when
making your request.
Comments regarding burden and/or
the collection activity requirements
should be electronically mailed to
ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Individuals who
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–
800–877–8339.
[FR Doc. 2011–3131 Filed 2–10–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[OE Docket No. PP–371]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement and
Conduct Public Scoping Meetings, and
Notice of Floodplains and Wetlands
Involvement; Northern Pass
Transmission LLC
Department of Energy (DOE).
Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings;
Notice of Floodplains and Wetlands
Involvement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Department of Energy
(DOE) announces its intention to
prepare an EIS pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969 to assess the potential
environmental impacts from its
proposed Federal action of granting a
Presidential permit to Northern Pass
Transmission LLC (Northern Pass or
Applicant) to construct, operate,
maintain, and connect a new electric
transmission line across the U.S.Canada border in northern New
Hampshire (NH). The EIS, Northern
Pass Transmission Line Project
Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/
EIS–0463), will address potential
environmental impacts from the
proposed action and the range of
reasonable alternatives. The U.S. Forest
Service, White Mountain National
Forest, and the Army Corps of
Engineers, New England District, are
cooperating agencies.
The EIS will provide the analysis to
support a Forest Service decision on
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 29 / Friday, February 11, 2011 / Notices
whether to issue a special use permit
within the White Mountain National
Forest. The Responsible Official for the
Forest Service decision is the Forest
Supervisor for the White Mountain
National Forest.
The purpose of this Notice of Intent
(NOI) is to inform the public about the
proposed action, announce plans to
conduct public scoping meetings in the
vicinity of the proposed transmission
line, and solicit public comments for
consideration in establishing the scope
of the EIS. Because the proposed project
may involve actions in floodplains and
wetlands, the draft EIS will include a
floodplain and wetland assessment as
appropriate, and the final EIS or Record
of Decision will include a floodplain
statement of findings.
DATES: The public scoping period starts
with the publication of this Notice in
the Federal Register and will continue
until April 12, 2011. Written and oral
comments will be given equal weight,
and DOE will consider all comments emailed or postmarked by April 12, 2011
in defining the scope of this EIS.
Comments e-mailed or postmarked after
the close of the comment period will be
considered to the extent practicable.
Locations, dates, and start and end
times for the public scoping meetings
are listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this NOI.
Requests to speak at one or more
public scoping meeting(s) should be
received at the address indicated below
by March 11, 2011; requests received by
that date will be given priority in the
speaking order. However, requests to
speak also may be made at the scoping
meetings.
ADDRESSES: Requests to speak at a
public scoping meeting, comments on
the scope of the EIS, and requests to be
added to the document mailing list
should be addressed to: Brian Mills,
Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy
Reliability (OE–20), U.S. Department of
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585; by
electronic mail to
Brian.Mills@hq.doe.gov; or by facsimile
to 202–586–8008. For general
information on the DOE NEPA process
contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom,
Director, Office of NEPA Policy and
Compliance (GC–54), U.S. Department
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585; by
electronic mail at askNEPA@hq.doe.gov;
or by facsimile at 202–586–7031.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information on DOE’s proposed action,
contact Brian Mills by one of the
methods listed in ADDRESSES above, or
at 202–586–8267. For general
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information on the DOE NEPA process,
contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom by one
of the methods listed in ADDRESSES
above, or at 202–586–4600, or 800–472–
2756. For information on the Forest
Service role as a cooperating agency,
contact Tiffany Benna by electronic mail
at tbenna@fs.fed.us; by phone at 603–
536–6241; by facsimile at 603–536–
3685; or by mail at 71 White Mountain
Drive, Campton, NH 03223. For
information on the Army Corps of
Engineers permit process, contact Erika
Mark at 978–318–8250; by electronic
mail at Erika.L.Mark@usace.army.mil; or
by mail at 696 Virginia Road, Concord,
MA 01742.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive
Order (E.O.) 10485, as amended by E.O.
12038, requires that a Presidential
permit be issued by DOE before electric
transmission facilities may be
constructed, operated, maintained, or
connected at the U.S. international
border. E.O. 10485 provides that a
Presidential permit may be issued after
a finding that the proposed project is
consistent with the public interest and
after favorable recommendations from
the U.S. Departments of State and
Defense. In determining consistency
with the public interest, DOE considers
the potential environmental impacts of
the proposed project under NEPA,
determines the project’s impact on
electric reliability (including whether
the proposed project would adversely
affect the operation of the U.S. electric
power supply system under normal and
contingency conditions), and considers
any other factors that DOE may find
relevant to the public interest. The
regulations implementing E.O. 10485
have been codified at 10 CFR 205.320–
205.329. DOE’s issuance of a
Presidential permit indicates that there
is no Federal objection to the project,
but does not mandate that the project be
undertaken.
On October 14, 2010, Northern Pass
applied to DOE pursuant to E.O. 10485,
for a Presidential permit to construct,
operate, maintain, and connect a highvoltage direct current (HVDC)
transmission line across the U.S.Canada border. The proposed HVDC
transmission line would be capable of
transmitting up to 1,200 megawatts
(MW) of power in either direction, i.e.,
Canada to the U.S. and U.S. to Canada.
The northern HVDC converter terminal
is proposed to be constructed at the Des
´
Cantons Substation in Quebec, Canada,
and would be connected to an HVDC
line that would run southward in
´
Quebec for approximately 45 miles
where it would cross the U.S.-Canada
border into New Hampshire. The line
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would extend south from the
international border approximately 140
miles to an HVDC converter terminal
that would be constructed in the city of
Franklin, NH. The terminal would
convert the direct current to alternating
current (AC) and allow the HVDC line
to connect to a new approximately 40mile AC line that Northern Pass
proposes to construct between the
Franklin converter station and the
existing Deerfield Substation in the
town of Deerfield, NH.
For the portion of the Project from the
U.S.-Canada border to Franklin, NH,
Northern Pass proposes to construct a
single circuit ±300-kV HVDC aboveground transmission line mounted on
structures ranging from approximately
90 feet to 135 feet tall. For the AC
portion of the Project from Franklin to
Deerfield, NH, Northern Pass proposes
to construct a single circuit 345-kV AC
above-ground transmission line
mounted on structures ranging from
approximately 80 feet to 135 feet tall.
After due consideration of the nature
and extent of the proposed project,
including evaluation of the ‘‘Information
Regarding Potential Environmental
Impacts’’ section of the Presidential
permit application, DOE has determined
that the appropriate level of NEPA
review for this project is an EIS. DOE’s
proposed action is the granting of the
Presidential permit for a transmission
line to cross the international border. It
is anticipated that the transmission line
project could significantly affect the
quality of the human environment.
Notice of Floodplain and Wetland
Involvement: Because the proposed
project may involve actions in
floodplains and wetlands, in accordance
with 10 CFR part 1022, Compliance
with Floodplain and Wetland
Environmental Review Requirements, as
part of the analysis of impacts DOE will
conduct field delineation of floodplains
and wetlands along the preferred route
and alternatives, using State and Federal
protocols and consulting Federal
Emergency Management Agency Flood
Insurance Rate Maps. The EIS will
include a floodplain and wetland
assessment as appropriate, and the final
EIS or record of decision will include a
floodplain statement of findings.
The Forest Service proposed action is
the issuance of a special use permit to
Northern Pass to construct, operate, and
maintain a new electric transmission
line in the White Mountain National
Forest. The EIS will identify any
restrictions necessary to ensure the
project is consistent with applicable
Forest Plan.
Where the activity involves the
discharge of dredged or fill material into
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waters of the United States, a permit
from the Army Corps of Engineers is
required pursuant to Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344). Army
Corps of Engineers regulations provide
for concurrent decision making with
States, and combining insofar as
possible process and procedures,
including public involvement
procedures, leading to a permit
decision. The Army Corps of Engineers
General Regulatory Policies can be
found at 33 CFR part 320.
DOE invites Tribal governments and
Federal, State, and local agencies with
jurisdiction by law or special expertise
with respect to environmental issues to
be cooperating agencies with respect to
the EIS, as defined at 40 CFR part
1501.6. Cooperating agencies have
certain responsibilities to support the
NEPA process, as specified at 40 CFR
part 1501.6(b). The Forest Service,
White Mountain National Forest, and
the Army Corps of Engineers, New
England District, are cooperating
agencies.
Northern Pass describes its preferred
route for the Project in terms of three
sections, the north, central and south
section.
The north section would begin in NH
at the U.S.-Canada border and run in a
generally southerly direction through
the town of Colebrook, to the Lost
Nation Substation located in the vicinity
of the town of Northumberland; it
would require a new right-of-way
(ROW). South of Lost Nation Substation,
the line would utilize an existing ROW
through the towns of Northumberland,
Lancaster, and Whitefield to a point east
of the town of Littleton and west of the
town of Bethlehem.
The central section would run south
from that point utilizing an existing
ROW through the town of Sugar Hill
and cross the White Mountain National
Forest between the towns of Easton and
North Woodstock. The line would cross
the Appalachian Trail in the White
Mountain National Forest utilizing an
existing ROW. The line would continue
south utilizing an existing ROW through
the town of Thornton to the city of
Franklin, where the southern converter
terminal would be located.
The south section of the line would
run southeast from the Franklin
converter terminal to the Deerfield
substation utilizing an existing ROW
except near the city of Concord, where
the line would run east of the city of
Concord and require a new ROW for
approximately 8 miles before returning
to the existing ROW in the town of
Pembroke, then utilizing this existing
ROW to the Deerfield substation.
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Northern Pass has identified several
segment options to its preferred route.
These segment options occur in the
north, central and south sections of the
proposed transmission line.
North Section Segment Options
Three optional segments have been
identified for the north section. The first
is 0.5 miles longer than the preferred
route and is located east of the preferred
route primarily near the town of
Stratford. This segment option is
approximately 10.2 miles long and
deviates to the east around several
mountains to limit its visibility from the
Connecticut River Scenic Byway. This
route would cross part of the Bunnell
Working Forest, a protected
conservation area.
The second segment option for the
north section is approximately 8.6 miles
long (1 mile longer than the preferred
route). It would bypass the Cape Horn
State Forest to the west and traverse the
towns of Northumberland and
Lancaster. This option would require a
new ROW, would be more visible from
the Connecticut River Scenic Byway,
and would traverse the Potter Farm, a
privately-owned conservation area.
The third segment option for the
north section is approximately 21.1
miles long (1.8 miles longer than the
preferred route) and would bypass the
community of Whitefield, as well as an
historic site and some conservation
lands. This route would require a new
ROW over the entire 21.1 mile length
and be more visible from, and cross, the
Connecticut River Scenic Byway.
Central Section Segment Options
Two segment options have been
identified in the central section. The
first winds around the White Mountain
National Forest and is approximately 53
miles long. It is 13.3 miles longer than
the preferred route, and it would require
a new ROW. This route would cross the
Appalachian Trail at a location that
does not currently contain a
transmission line crossing.
The second alternative segment in the
central section leaves the existing ROW
just north of Webster Lake and goes
around the west side of the lake for 5.3
miles on a new ROW before rejoining
the existing ROW south of the Webster
Substation. This alternative is 0.1 mile
longer than the preferred route and
would be visible to residents around
Webster Lake.
South Section Segment Options
Three segment options have been
identified in the south section. The first
segment option would leave the existing
ROW north of Oak Hill Substation and
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require 5.2 miles of new ROW. This
route is 0.5 mile shorter than the
preferred route.
The second segment option in the
south section would leave the existing
ROW north of Oak Hill Substation and
run in an easterly direction on 18.6
miles of new ROW until it connects to
an existing distribution line ROW which
would require expansion to
transmission line ROW standards for
approximately 9.7 miles. This route is
1.7 miles longer than the preferred
route.
The third segment option in the south
section would utilize the existing ROW
for approximately 7.7 miles in the City
of Concord and the Town of Pembroke,
NH. It would require Federal Aviation
Administration authorization for the
location of the new transmission
structures in the vicinity of Concord
Municipal Airport.
The Northern Pass Presidential permit
application, including associated maps
and drawings, can be viewed or
downloaded in its entirety from the
project EIS Web site at https://
www.northernpasseis.us. Also available
at these same locations is the November
16, 2010, Federal Register Notice of
Receipt of Application (75 FR 69990).
Agency Purpose and Need and
Alternatives
The purpose and need for DOE’s
action is to decide whether to grant
Northern Pass the subject Presidential
permit.
Under the Action alternative, DOE
would grant the Northern Pass
application for a Presidential Permit for
the proposed international electric
transmission line.
Under the No Action alternative, DOE
would deny the Northern Pass
application for a Presidential Permit for
the proposed international electric
transmission line.
Identification of Environmental Issues
The EIS will evaluate potential
environmental, social, cultural, and
economic impacts in the U.S. from the
construction and operation of the
proposed new electric transmission line
facilities. This notice is intended to
inform agencies and the public of the
proposed project, and to solicit
comments and suggestions for
consideration in the preparation of the
EIS.
DOE intends to analyze impacts
across a number of resource areas,
including:
• Air quality (including climate
change and greenhouse gas emissions).
• Water resources and drainage.
• Geography, geology, and soils.
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• Land use.
• Threatened and endangered
species, special status species, and
related sensitive resources.
• Airspace utilization.
• Public health and safety.
• Noise.
• Natural hazards.
• Hazardous materials.
• Accidents and intentional
destructive acts.
• Cultural and historical resources.
• Recreational resources.
• Visual resources.
• Socioeconomic impacts,
community services and infrastructure.
• Environmental justice
considerations (disproportionately high
and adverse impacts to minority and
low income populations).
• Cumulative impacts (past, present,
and reasonably foreseeable future
actions).
• Irreversible and irretrievable
commitments of resources.
This list is not intended to be all
inclusive or to imply any
predetermination of impacts. DOE
invites interested parties to suggest
specific issues within these general
categories, or other issues not included
above, to be considered in the EIS.
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Scoping Process
Interested parties are invited to
participate in the scoping process, both
to help define the environmental issues
to be analyzed and to identify the range
of reasonable alternatives. Both oral and
written comments will be considered
and given equal weight by DOE,
regardless of how submitted. Written
comments can be submitted either
electronically or by paper copy; if the
latter, consider using a delivery service
because materials submitted by regular
mail are subject to security screening,
which both causes extended delay and
potential damage to the contents.
(Warped and unusable CD or DVD discs
are common.) Additionally, comments
can be submitted through the project
Web site established for preparation of
the EIS, at https://
www.northernpasseis.us. This site will
also serve as a repository for all public
documents and the central location for
announcements. Individuals may
subscribe to the ‘‘mail list’’ feature on the
project Web site in order to receive
future announcements and news
releases.
Public scoping meetings will be held
at the locations, dates, and times as
indicated below:
1. Pembroke NH, Pembroke Academy
cafeteria, 209 Academy Road, Monday,
March 14, 6–9 p.m.;
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2. Franklin NH, Franklin Opera
House, 316 Central street, Tuesday,
March 15, 6–9 p.m.;
3. Lincoln NH, The Mountain Club on
Loon, Hancock Room, 90 Loon
Mountain Road, Wednesday, March 16,
6–9 p.m.;
4. Whitefield NH, Mountain View
Grand Hotel and Resort, Presidential
Room, 101 Mountain View Road,
Thursday, March 17, 6–9 p.m.; and
5. Colebrook NH, Colebrook
Elementary School, 27 Dumont Street,
Saturday, March 19, 1–4 p.m.
The scoping meetings will be
structured in two parts: first, an
informal discussion ‘‘workshop’’ period
that will not be recorded; and second,
a formal commenting session, which
will be transcribed by a court
stenographer. The meetings will provide
interested parties the opportunity to
view proposed project exhibits and
make comments. The Applicant, DOE,
and any cooperating agency
representatives will be available to
answer questions and provide
additional information to attendees to
the extent that additional information is
available at this early stage of the
proceedings.
Persons submitting comments during
the scoping process, whether orally or
in writing, will receive either paper or
electronic copies of the Draft EIS,
according to their preference. Persons
who do not wish to submit comments or
suggestions at this time but who would
like to receive a copy of the document
for review and comment when it is
issued should notify Brian Mills, as
provided above, with their paper-orelectronic preference.
DOE will summarize all comments
received in a ‘‘Scoping Report’’ that will
be available on the project Web site and
distributed either electronically to all
parties of record for whom we have an
e-mail address, or by mailing paper
copies upon request.
EIS Preparation and Schedule
Following completion of the Scoping
Report, DOE will prepare the Draft EIS,
taking into consideration comments
received during the scoping period.
DOE plans to issue the draft EIS by
the end of November 2011. After DOE
issues the draft EIS, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
will publish a notice of availability
(NOA) of the draft EIS in the Federal
Register, which will begin a minimum
45-day public comment period. DOE
will announce how to comment on the
draft EIS and will hold public hearings
during the public comment period, but
no sooner than 15 days after the notice
of availability is published. In preparing
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7831
the final EIS, DOE will respond to
comments received on the draft EIS.
DOE plans to issue the final EIS by
April 2012. No sooner than 30 days after
the EPA publishes a NOA of the final
EIS, DOE will issue its Record of
Decision regarding its action considered
in the EIS.
Dated: Issued in Washington, DC, on
February 2, 2011.
Patricia A. Hoffman,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity
Delivery and Energy Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2011–3147 Filed 2–10–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission
[Project No. 2183–080]
Grand River Dam Authority; Notice of
Application for Amendment of License
and Soliciting Comments, Motions To
Intervene, and Protests
Take notice that the following
hydroelectric application has been filed
with the Commission and is available
for public inspection:
a. Type of Application: Amendment
of License.
b. Project No: 2183–080.
c. Date Filed: December 15, 2010.
d. Applicant: Grand River Dam
Authority.
e. Name of Project: Markham Ferry
Project.
f. Location: The project is located on
the Grand River (also known as the
Neosho River) in Mayes County,
Oklahoma.
g. Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16
U.S.C. 791a–825r.
h. Applicant Contact: Gretchen
Zumwalt-Smith, General Counsel,
Grand River Dam Authority, P.O. Box
409, Vinita, OK 73401–0409. Tel: (918)
256–5545.
i. FERC Contact: Any questions on
this notice should be addressed to
Vedula Sarma at (202) 502–6190 or
vedula.sarma@ferc.gov.
j. Deadline for filing comments and or
motions: March 11, 2011.
Comments, protests, and
interventions may be filed electronically
via the Internet in lieu of paper. See 18
CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the
instructions on the Commission’s Web
site (https://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/
efiling.asp). Commenters can submit
brief comments up to 6,000 characters,
without prior registration, using the
eComment system (https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/ecomment.asp) and must
include name and contact information
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 29 (Friday, February 11, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7828-7831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3147]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[OE Docket No. PP-371]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and
Conduct Public Scoping Meetings, and Notice of Floodplains and Wetlands
Involvement; Northern Pass Transmission LLC
AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and Conduct Public Scoping Meetings; Notice of Floodplains and
Wetlands Involvement.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intention to
prepare an EIS pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
of 1969 to assess the potential environmental impacts from its proposed
Federal action of granting a Presidential permit to Northern Pass
Transmission LLC (Northern Pass or Applicant) to construct, operate,
maintain, and connect a new electric transmission line across the U.S.-
Canada border in northern New Hampshire (NH). The EIS, Northern Pass
Transmission Line Project Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-
0463), will address potential environmental impacts from the proposed
action and the range of reasonable alternatives. The U.S. Forest
Service, White Mountain National Forest, and the Army Corps of
Engineers, New England District, are cooperating agencies.
The EIS will provide the analysis to support a Forest Service
decision on
[[Page 7829]]
whether to issue a special use permit within the White Mountain
National Forest. The Responsible Official for the Forest Service
decision is the Forest Supervisor for the White Mountain National
Forest.
The purpose of this Notice of Intent (NOI) is to inform the public
about the proposed action, announce plans to conduct public scoping
meetings in the vicinity of the proposed transmission line, and solicit
public comments for consideration in establishing the scope of the EIS.
Because the proposed project may involve actions in floodplains and
wetlands, the draft EIS will include a floodplain and wetland
assessment as appropriate, and the final EIS or Record of Decision will
include a floodplain statement of findings.
DATES: The public scoping period starts with the publication of this
Notice in the Federal Register and will continue until April 12, 2011.
Written and oral comments will be given equal weight, and DOE will
consider all comments e-mailed or postmarked by April 12, 2011 in
defining the scope of this EIS. Comments e-mailed or postmarked after
the close of the comment period will be considered to the extent
practicable.
Locations, dates, and start and end times for the public scoping
meetings are listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this
NOI.
Requests to speak at one or more public scoping meeting(s) should
be received at the address indicated below by March 11, 2011; requests
received by that date will be given priority in the speaking order.
However, requests to speak also may be made at the scoping meetings.
ADDRESSES: Requests to speak at a public scoping meeting, comments on
the scope of the EIS, and requests to be added to the document mailing
list should be addressed to: Brian Mills, Office of Electricity
Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE-20), U.S. Department of Energy,
1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; by electronic mail
to Brian.Mills@hq.doe.gov; or by facsimile to 202-586-8008. For general
information on the DOE NEPA process contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom,
Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-54), U.S. Department
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; by
electronic mail at askNEPA@hq.doe.gov; or by facsimile at 202-586-7031.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on DOE's proposed
action, contact Brian Mills by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES
above, or at 202-586-8267. For general information on the DOE NEPA
process, contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom by one of the methods listed in
ADDRESSES above, or at 202-586-4600, or 800-472-2756. For information
on the Forest Service role as a cooperating agency, contact Tiffany
Benna by electronic mail at tbenna@fs.fed.us; by phone at 603-536-6241;
by facsimile at 603-536-3685; or by mail at 71 White Mountain Drive,
Campton, NH 03223. For information on the Army Corps of Engineers
permit process, contact Erika Mark at 978-318-8250; by electronic mail
at Erika.L.Mark@usace.army.mil; or by mail at 696 Virginia Road,
Concord, MA 01742.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive Order (E.O.) 10485, as amended by
E.O. 12038, requires that a Presidential permit be issued by DOE before
electric transmission facilities may be constructed, operated,
maintained, or connected at the U.S. international border. E.O. 10485
provides that a Presidential permit may be issued after a finding that
the proposed project is consistent with the public interest and after
favorable recommendations from the U.S. Departments of State and
Defense. In determining consistency with the public interest, DOE
considers the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project
under NEPA, determines the project's impact on electric reliability
(including whether the proposed project would adversely affect the
operation of the U.S. electric power supply system under normal and
contingency conditions), and considers any other factors that DOE may
find relevant to the public interest. The regulations implementing E.O.
10485 have been codified at 10 CFR 205.320-205.329. DOE's issuance of a
Presidential permit indicates that there is no Federal objection to the
project, but does not mandate that the project be undertaken.
On October 14, 2010, Northern Pass applied to DOE pursuant to E.O.
10485, for a Presidential permit to construct, operate, maintain, and
connect a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line across
the U.S.-Canada border. The proposed HVDC transmission line would be
capable of transmitting up to 1,200 megawatts (MW) of power in either
direction, i.e., Canada to the U.S. and U.S. to Canada. The northern
HVDC converter terminal is proposed to be constructed at the Des
Cantons Substation in Qu[eacute]bec, Canada, and would be connected to
an HVDC line that would run southward in Qu[eacute]bec for
approximately 45 miles where it would cross the U.S.-Canada border into
New Hampshire. The line would extend south from the international
border approximately 140 miles to an HVDC converter terminal that would
be constructed in the city of Franklin, NH. The terminal would convert
the direct current to alternating current (AC) and allow the HVDC line
to connect to a new approximately 40-mile AC line that Northern Pass
proposes to construct between the Franklin converter station and the
existing Deerfield Substation in the town of Deerfield, NH.
For the portion of the Project from the U.S.-Canada border to
Franklin, NH, Northern Pass proposes to construct a single circuit
300-kV HVDC above-ground transmission line mounted on
structures ranging from approximately 90 feet to 135 feet tall. For the
AC portion of the Project from Franklin to Deerfield, NH, Northern Pass
proposes to construct a single circuit 345-kV AC above-ground
transmission line mounted on structures ranging from approximately 80
feet to 135 feet tall.
After due consideration of the nature and extent of the proposed
project, including evaluation of the ``Information Regarding Potential
Environmental Impacts'' section of the Presidential permit application,
DOE has determined that the appropriate level of NEPA review for this
project is an EIS. DOE's proposed action is the granting of the
Presidential permit for a transmission line to cross the international
border. It is anticipated that the transmission line project could
significantly affect the quality of the human environment.
Notice of Floodplain and Wetland Involvement: Because the proposed
project may involve actions in floodplains and wetlands, in accordance
with 10 CFR part 1022, Compliance with Floodplain and Wetland
Environmental Review Requirements, as part of the analysis of impacts
DOE will conduct field delineation of floodplains and wetlands along
the preferred route and alternatives, using State and Federal protocols
and consulting Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate
Maps. The EIS will include a floodplain and wetland assessment as
appropriate, and the final EIS or record of decision will include a
floodplain statement of findings.
The Forest Service proposed action is the issuance of a special use
permit to Northern Pass to construct, operate, and maintain a new
electric transmission line in the White Mountain National Forest. The
EIS will identify any restrictions necessary to ensure the project is
consistent with applicable Forest Plan.
Where the activity involves the discharge of dredged or fill
material into
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waters of the United States, a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers
is required pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C.
1344). Army Corps of Engineers regulations provide for concurrent
decision making with States, and combining insofar as possible process
and procedures, including public involvement procedures, leading to a
permit decision. The Army Corps of Engineers General Regulatory
Policies can be found at 33 CFR part 320.
DOE invites Tribal governments and Federal, State, and local
agencies with jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to
environmental issues to be cooperating agencies with respect to the
EIS, as defined at 40 CFR part 1501.6. Cooperating agencies have
certain responsibilities to support the NEPA process, as specified at
40 CFR part 1501.6(b). The Forest Service, White Mountain National
Forest, and the Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, are
cooperating agencies.
Northern Pass describes its preferred route for the Project in
terms of three sections, the north, central and south section.
The north section would begin in NH at the U.S.-Canada border and
run in a generally southerly direction through the town of Colebrook,
to the Lost Nation Substation located in the vicinity of the town of
Northumberland; it would require a new right-of-way (ROW). South of
Lost Nation Substation, the line would utilize an existing ROW through
the towns of Northumberland, Lancaster, and Whitefield to a point east
of the town of Littleton and west of the town of Bethlehem.
The central section would run south from that point utilizing an
existing ROW through the town of Sugar Hill and cross the White
Mountain National Forest between the towns of Easton and North
Woodstock. The line would cross the Appalachian Trail in the White
Mountain National Forest utilizing an existing ROW. The line would
continue south utilizing an existing ROW through the town of Thornton
to the city of Franklin, where the southern converter terminal would be
located.
The south section of the line would run southeast from the Franklin
converter terminal to the Deerfield substation utilizing an existing
ROW except near the city of Concord, where the line would run east of
the city of Concord and require a new ROW for approximately 8 miles
before returning to the existing ROW in the town of Pembroke, then
utilizing this existing ROW to the Deerfield substation.
Northern Pass has identified several segment options to its
preferred route. These segment options occur in the north, central and
south sections of the proposed transmission line.
North Section Segment Options
Three optional segments have been identified for the north section.
The first is 0.5 miles longer than the preferred route and is located
east of the preferred route primarily near the town of Stratford. This
segment option is approximately 10.2 miles long and deviates to the
east around several mountains to limit its visibility from the
Connecticut River Scenic Byway. This route would cross part of the
Bunnell Working Forest, a protected conservation area.
The second segment option for the north section is approximately
8.6 miles long (1 mile longer than the preferred route). It would
bypass the Cape Horn State Forest to the west and traverse the towns of
Northumberland and Lancaster. This option would require a new ROW,
would be more visible from the Connecticut River Scenic Byway, and
would traverse the Potter Farm, a privately-owned conservation area.
The third segment option for the north section is approximately
21.1 miles long (1.8 miles longer than the preferred route) and would
bypass the community of Whitefield, as well as an historic site and
some conservation lands. This route would require a new ROW over the
entire 21.1 mile length and be more visible from, and cross, the
Connecticut River Scenic Byway.
Central Section Segment Options
Two segment options have been identified in the central section.
The first winds around the White Mountain National Forest and is
approximately 53 miles long. It is 13.3 miles longer than the preferred
route, and it would require a new ROW. This route would cross the
Appalachian Trail at a location that does not currently contain a
transmission line crossing.
The second alternative segment in the central section leaves the
existing ROW just north of Webster Lake and goes around the west side
of the lake for 5.3 miles on a new ROW before rejoining the existing
ROW south of the Webster Substation. This alternative is 0.1 mile
longer than the preferred route and would be visible to residents
around Webster Lake.
South Section Segment Options
Three segment options have been identified in the south section.
The first segment option would leave the existing ROW north of Oak Hill
Substation and require 5.2 miles of new ROW. This route is 0.5 mile
shorter than the preferred route.
The second segment option in the south section would leave the
existing ROW north of Oak Hill Substation and run in an easterly
direction on 18.6 miles of new ROW until it connects to an existing
distribution line ROW which would require expansion to transmission
line ROW standards for approximately 9.7 miles. This route is 1.7 miles
longer than the preferred route.
The third segment option in the south section would utilize the
existing ROW for approximately 7.7 miles in the City of Concord and the
Town of Pembroke, NH. It would require Federal Aviation Administration
authorization for the location of the new transmission structures in
the vicinity of Concord Municipal Airport.
The Northern Pass Presidential permit application, including
associated maps and drawings, can be viewed or downloaded in its
entirety from the project EIS Web site at https://www.northernpasseis.us. Also available at these same locations is the
November 16, 2010, Federal Register Notice of Receipt of Application
(75 FR 69990).
Agency Purpose and Need and Alternatives
The purpose and need for DOE's action is to decide whether to grant
Northern Pass the subject Presidential permit.
Under the Action alternative, DOE would grant the Northern Pass
application for a Presidential Permit for the proposed international
electric transmission line.
Under the No Action alternative, DOE would deny the Northern Pass
application for a Presidential Permit for the proposed international
electric transmission line.
Identification of Environmental Issues
The EIS will evaluate potential environmental, social, cultural,
and economic impacts in the U.S. from the construction and operation of
the proposed new electric transmission line facilities. This notice is
intended to inform agencies and the public of the proposed project, and
to solicit comments and suggestions for consideration in the
preparation of the EIS.
DOE intends to analyze impacts across a number of resource areas,
including:
Air quality (including climate change and greenhouse gas
emissions).
Water resources and drainage.
Geography, geology, and soils.
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Land use.
Threatened and endangered species, special status species,
and related sensitive resources.
Airspace utilization.
Public health and safety.
Noise.
Natural hazards.
Hazardous materials.
Accidents and intentional destructive acts.
Cultural and historical resources.
Recreational resources.
Visual resources.
Socioeconomic impacts, community services and
infrastructure.
Environmental justice considerations (disproportionately
high and adverse impacts to minority and low income populations).
Cumulative impacts (past, present, and reasonably
foreseeable future actions).
Irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources.
This list is not intended to be all inclusive or to imply any
predetermination of impacts. DOE invites interested parties to suggest
specific issues within these general categories, or other issues not
included above, to be considered in the EIS.
Scoping Process
Interested parties are invited to participate in the scoping
process, both to help define the environmental issues to be analyzed
and to identify the range of reasonable alternatives. Both oral and
written comments will be considered and given equal weight by DOE,
regardless of how submitted. Written comments can be submitted either
electronically or by paper copy; if the latter, consider using a
delivery service because materials submitted by regular mail are
subject to security screening, which both causes extended delay and
potential damage to the contents. (Warped and unusable CD or DVD discs
are common.) Additionally, comments can be submitted through the
project Web site established for preparation of the EIS, at https://www.northernpasseis.us. This site will also serve as a repository for
all public documents and the central location for announcements.
Individuals may subscribe to the ``mail list'' feature on the project
Web site in order to receive future announcements and news releases.
Public scoping meetings will be held at the locations, dates, and
times as indicated below:
1. Pembroke NH, Pembroke Academy cafeteria, 209 Academy Road,
Monday, March 14, 6-9 p.m.;
2. Franklin NH, Franklin Opera House, 316 Central street, Tuesday,
March 15, 6-9 p.m.;
3. Lincoln NH, The Mountain Club on Loon, Hancock Room, 90 Loon
Mountain Road, Wednesday, March 16, 6-9 p.m.;
4. Whitefield NH, Mountain View Grand Hotel and Resort,
Presidential Room, 101 Mountain View Road, Thursday, March 17, 6-9
p.m.; and
5. Colebrook NH, Colebrook Elementary School, 27 Dumont Street,
Saturday, March 19, 1-4 p.m.
The scoping meetings will be structured in two parts: first, an
informal discussion ``workshop'' period that will not be recorded; and
second, a formal commenting session, which will be transcribed by a
court stenographer. The meetings will provide interested parties the
opportunity to view proposed project exhibits and make comments. The
Applicant, DOE, and any cooperating agency representatives will be
available to answer questions and provide additional information to
attendees to the extent that additional information is available at
this early stage of the proceedings.
Persons submitting comments during the scoping process, whether
orally or in writing, will receive either paper or electronic copies of
the Draft EIS, according to their preference. Persons who do not wish
to submit comments or suggestions at this time but who would like to
receive a copy of the document for review and comment when it is issued
should notify Brian Mills, as provided above, with their paper-or-
electronic preference.
DOE will summarize all comments received in a ``Scoping Report''
that will be available on the project Web site and distributed either
electronically to all parties of record for whom we have an e-mail
address, or by mailing paper copies upon request.
EIS Preparation and Schedule
Following completion of the Scoping Report, DOE will prepare the
Draft EIS, taking into consideration comments received during the
scoping period.
DOE plans to issue the draft EIS by the end of November 2011. After
DOE issues the draft EIS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) will publish a notice of availability (NOA) of the draft EIS in
the Federal Register, which will begin a minimum 45-day public comment
period. DOE will announce how to comment on the draft EIS and will hold
public hearings during the public comment period, but no sooner than 15
days after the notice of availability is published. In preparing the
final EIS, DOE will respond to comments received on the draft EIS.
DOE plans to issue the final EIS by April 2012. No sooner than 30
days after the EPA publishes a NOA of the final EIS, DOE will issue its
Record of Decision regarding its action considered in the EIS.
Dated: Issued in Washington, DC, on February 2, 2011.
Patricia A. Hoffman,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy
Reliability.
[FR Doc. 2011-3147 Filed 2-10-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
