Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Energy Gateway South 500-Kilovolt (kV) Alternating Current Transmission Line Project in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah, and Possible Land Use Plan Amendments, 18241-18243 [2011-7736]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 63 (Friday, April 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18241-18243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7736]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWY920000.51010000.ER0000.LVRWK09K1000; WYW174597; COC72909; 
UTU87237]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Energy Gateway South 500-Kilovolt (kV) Alternating Current 
Transmission Line Project in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah, and Possible 
Land Use Plan Amendments

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wyoming State 
Office intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). By 
this notice the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping process 
to solicit public comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS and 
possible plan amendments. Comments on issues may be submitted in 
writing until June 30, 2011. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping 
meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local 
media and the BLM Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/hdd/gateway_south.html. In order to be considered in the 
Draft EIS, comments must be received prior to the close of the scoping 
period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. We 
will provide additional opportunities for public participation upon 
publication of the Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to any of the plans identified in this notice by any of the 
following methods:
     Web site: https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/hdd/gateway_south.html.
     E-mail: GatewaySouth_WYMail@blm.gov.
     Mail: BLM Wyoming State Office, Energy Gateway South 
Transmission Project, P.O. Box 21550, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, 
Wyoming 82003, Attention: Tamara Gertsch.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To have your name added to our mailing 
list, contact Tamara Gertsch, National Project Manager; telephone (307) 
775-6115; address: BLM Wyoming State Office, P.O. Box 21550, Cheyenne, 
Wyoming 82003; e-mail: GatewaySouth_WYMail@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS for the Proposed Energy Gateway 
South 500-kV Alternating Current (AC) Transmission Line Project in 
Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah may address amendments to the following 
land use plans:
     Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area Resource 
Management Plan (RMP), 2004*
     Rawlins RMP, 2008
     Green River RMP, 1997
     Grand Junction RMP, 1987
     Little Snake RMP, 1989
     White River RMP, 1997

[[Page 18242]]

     House Range RMP, 1987
     Warm Springs RMP, 1987
     Price RMP, 2008
     Ashley National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
(LRMP), 1986
     Manti-La Sal National Forest LRMP, 1986
     Uinta National Forest LRMP, 2003
     Medicine Bow National Forest Revised LRMP, 2003
     Wasatch-Cache National Forest LRMP, 2003
     Routt National Forest Revised LRMP, 1997
     White River National Forest Revised LRMP, 2002
    The applicant PacifiCorp, doing business as Rocky Mountain Power, 
has requested a right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct, operate, 
and maintain a 500-kV overhead transmission line that would extend 
approximately 400 miles, depending on the route selected, from south-
central Wyoming to central Utah, potentially crossing northwestern 
Colorado. The Project would include a single-circuit 500-kV AC 
transmission line beginning near Medicine Bow, in Carbon County, 
Wyoming, at the planned Aeolus Substation, and would extend south and 
west to the planned Clover Substation, near Mona, in Juab County, Utah. 
The Project also would include two series compensation stations, about 
200 acres in size, at two separate points between the planned Aeolus 
and Clover Substations to improve transport capacity and efficiency of 
the transmission line. When completed, the Project would transmit about 
1,500 megawatts of electricity generated from renewable and thermal 
sources at planned facilities in Wyoming. Possible alternative routes 
identified to date cross Federal, State, tribal, and private lands. The 
requested ROW width on Federal lands for construction and operation of 
the Project is 250 feet. The Project proponent proposes to 
predominantly use self-supporting steel lattice single-circuit towers 
from 140 to 190 feet in height with average spans between towers of 
1,000 to 1,500 feet (4 to 5 structures per mile). Permanent and 
temporary access roads a minimum of 14 feet wide would be needed for 
the Project. Temporary access roads would be needed for construction 
only. Temporary work space would be needed during construction for 
material storage, fly-yards, conductor tensioning sites, and to 
accommodate vehicles and equipment. Alternative routes currently 
identified would use portions of utility corridors on Federal lands, 
parallel portions of existing overhead and underground utilities and 
roadways, or cross undisturbed land areas.
    The BLM will respond to applications for ROWs on BLM-administered 
lands, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will respond to applications 
for ROW on lands it administers. Documents pertinent to this proposal 
may be examined at the following offices:
     BLM, Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, 
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
     BLM, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. Third Street, Rawlins, 
Wyoming 82301
     BLM, Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 N., Rock 
Springs, Wyoming 82901
     BLM, Little Snake Field Office, 455 Emerson Street, Craig, 
Colorado 81625
     BLM, White River Field Office, 220 East Market Street, 
Meeker, Colorado 81641
     BLM, Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, Grand 
Junction, Colorado 81506
     BLM, Fillmore Field Office, 35 East, 500 North, Fillmore, 
Utah 84631
     BLM, Moab Field Office, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532
     BLM, Price Field Office, 125 South, 600 West, Price, Utah 
84501
     BLM, Vernal Field Office, 170 South, 500 East, Vernal, 
Utah 84078
     BLM, Richfield Field Office, 150 East, 900 North, 
Richfield, Utah 84701
     U.S. Forest Service (Lead Forest Office), Dixie National 
Forest Office, 1789 North Wedgewood Lane, Cedar City, Utah 84721
    Pursuant to Section 368 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
15926), a Programmatic EIS was prepared by the Department of Energy for 
energy corridors in the 11 western states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, 
Montana, Wyoming, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New 
Mexico), and notice of its availability was published on November 28, 
2008 (73 FR 72521). Records of Decision (ROD) signed January 14, 2009, 
designated energy corridors and provided guidance, best management 
practices, and mitigation measures to be used where linear facilities 
are proposed crossing Federal lands. Designation of corridors does not 
require their use, nor does such designation exempt the Federal 
agencies from conducting an environmental review on each project 
therin. The Final RODs are available at the following Web site: https://corridoreis.anl.gov/eis/guide/index.cfm. The Project EIS will take into 
consideration the use of the corridors described in the Final 
Programmatic EIS. The BLM is the designated lead Federal agency for 
preparation of the EIS as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5. Agencies with legal 
jurisdiction or special expertise have been invited to participate as 
cooperating agencies in preparation of the EIS. The following agencies 
have agreed to participate as cooperating agencies: USFS; Bureau of 
Indian Affairs; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Department of Defense, 
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the States of Wyoming, Colorado, 
and Utah; Mesa, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties, Colorado; Carbon, 
Duchesne, Emery, Juab, Sanpete, and Uintah counties, Utah; and Carbon 
County, Little Snake River Conservation District, Medicine Bow 
Conservation District, Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins Conservation 
District, and Sweetwater County Conservation District, Wyoming.
    During the public scoping period, the BLM will solicit public 
comments on behalf of all cooperating agencies regarding issues, 
concerns, and opportunities that should be considered in the analysis 
of the proposed action. Comments on issues and potential impacts, or 
suggestions for additional or different alternatives may be submitted 
to the addresses listed in the ADDRESSES section above. 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 process for developing the EIS. At present, 
the BLM and cooperating agencies have identified the following 
preliminary issues:
     Socioeconomic impacts;
     Public health and safety;
     Air quality;
     Soil disturbances and erosion;
     Wildlife and vegetation, including threatened and 
endangered and sensitive species;
     Cultural resources and historical sites;
     Paleontological resources;
     Changes in visual quality and settings;
     National Scenic and Historic Trails; and
     Conflicts with other land uses and management 
prescriptions on various areas of critical environmental concern, 
scenic byways, inventoried roadless areas on National Forests, 
wilderness study areas, and wilderness characteristic lands that occur 
within the Project area.
    Authorization of this proposal may require amendment(s) of the BLM 
and USFS land use plans listed above.
    By this notice, the BLM is complying with requirements in 43 CFR 
1610.2(c) to notify the public of potential amendments to land use 
plans, predicated on the findings of the EIS. Approval of this proposal 
may also result in the amendment(s) of USFS

[[Page 18243]]

LRMPs. Pursuant to 36 CFR 219.9, the USFS notifies the public of 
potential amendments to LRMPs. If a land use plan amendment is 
necessary, the BLM and USFS would integrate the land use planning 
process as described in 43 CFR subpart 1610 and 36 CFR 219.8, 
concurrently, into the NEPA process for this Project. The plan 
amendments would comply with all applicable Federal law, regulations, 
and agency policies. The plan amendments would apply only to public 
lands managed by the BLM or USFS and would recognize all valid existing 
rights.
    Native American tribes will be consulted to identify areas, sites, 
and objects important to their cultural and religious heritage. Plan 
amendment decisions would comply with the Endangered Species Act and 
follow interagency agreements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
regarding the Section 7 consultation process. Because the proposed 
Project may involve action in floodplains or wetlands, this Notice of 
Intent also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland 
action, in accordance with Department of Energy regulations for 
Compliance with Floodplain and Wetlands Environmental Review 
Requirements at 10 CFR 1022.12(a). The EIS will include a floodplain/
wetland assessment and, if required, a floodplain/wetland statement of 
findings will be issued with the Final EIS or ROD.
    The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to 
satisfy the public involvement process for Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470(f)) as provided for in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3)). Native American tribal consultations will be conducted in 
accordance with policy, and tribal concerns will be given due 
consideration, including impacts on Indian trust assets.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or any 
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 may 
request in your comment that your personal identifying information be 
withheld from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able 
to do so.

Donald A. Simpson,
Wyoming State Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2011-7736 Filed 3-31-11; 8:45 am]
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