Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Possible Land Use Plan Amendments for Segments 8 and 9 of the Gateway West 500-kV Transmission Line Project in Idaho, 56399-56401 [2014-22408]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 182 / Friday, September 19, 2014 / Notices
Respondents: Individuals.
Number of Respondents: 8,000 per
year, on average.
Total Number of Responses: 8,000 per
year, on average.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden:
8,000 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Non-Hour
Dollar Cost: $0.
Dated: September 15, 2014.
Christine Cho,
Acting Deputy Director for Information
Resources.
[FR Doc. 2014–22440 Filed 9–18–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–4J–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[14XL LLWY9200000.L51010000.ER0000.
LVRWK09K0990.241A.00; 4500069121; IDI–
35849]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement and Possible Land Use Plan
Amendments for Segments 8 and 9 of
the Gateway West 500-kV
Transmission Line Project in Idaho
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) Idaho State Office
announces its intention to prepare a
supplemental environmental impact
statement (EIS) analyzing the potential
impacts of approving a right-of-way
(ROW) application for Segments 8 and
9 of the Gateway West 500-kilovolt (kV)
Transmission Line Project and possible
land use plan amendments. The
supplemental EIS will be prepared in
accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA). The supplemental EIS
is being prepared based on new
information described in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this notice. The BLM issued a Record of
Decision (ROD) for the project on
November 14, 2013. In that ROD, the
BLM deferred offering a ROW grant for
two of the 10 segments—Segments 8
and 9—to allow additional time for
Federal, State, and local permitting
agencies to examine additional options
regarding siting route segments and
mitigation and enhancement measures
for those segments.
DATES: This notice initiates a 30-day
public scoping period that will assist in
the preparation of a draft supplemental
EIS. Comments may be submitted in
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SUMMARY:
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writing until October 20, 2014, or 15
days after the date of the last public
scoping meeting, whichever is later.
To provide the public an opportunity
to review the proposal and project
information, the BLM expects to hold
four public meetings in Idaho
communities during the scoping period.
The BLM will announce the exact dates,
times, and locations for these meetings
at least 15 days prior to each event.
Announcements will be made by news
release to the media, newsletter
mailings, and posting on the project
Web site listed below.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
or resource information related to the
project by any of the following methods:
• Web site: https://www.blm.gov/id/st/
en/prog/nepa_register/gatewaywest.html
• Email: blm_id_gateway_west@blm.gov
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management
Idaho State Office, Gateway West
Transmission Project, 1387 South
Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Heather Feeney, BLM Boise District
Office, 3948 Development Avenue,
Boise, ID 83705; phone 208–384–3325;
or email to blm_id_gateway_west@
blm.gov. Contact Ms. Feeney if you wish
to have your name added to the project
mailing list. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
to contact Ms. Feeney during normal
business hours. The FIRS is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
message or question with the above
individual. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at:
• Bureau of Land Management, Idaho
State Office, Public Room, 1387 South
Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709,
Telephone: 208–373–3863.
• Bureau of Land Management, Boise
District Office, 3948 Development
Avenue, Boise, ID 83705, Telephone:
208–384–3300.
• Online: https://www.blm.gov/id/st/
en/prog/nepa_register/gatewaywest.html.
PacifiCorp, dba Rocky Mountain
Power, and Idaho Power (Applicants)
have submitted a ROW application to
locate 500-kilovolt (kV) electric
transmission lines on Federal lands as
part of the Gateway West Transmission
Line Project. The initial application
proposed to construct electric
transmission lines from the Windstar
Substation near the Dave Johnston
Power Plant at Glenrock, Wyoming, to
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56399
the Hemingway Substation near Melba,
Idaho, approximately 20 miles
southwest of Boise, Idaho. The original
project comprised 10 transmission line
segments with a total length of
approximately 1,000 miles. The
November 2013 ROD authorized routes
on Federal lands for Segments 1 through
7 and Segment 10 but deferred a
decision for Segments 8 and 9. The
Applicants submitted a revised project
application for Segments 8 and 9. This
notice announces that the BLM, Idaho
State Office, intends to prepare a
supplemental EIS for Segments 8 and 9
of the Gateway West Transmission Line
Project and begins the scoping process
to seek public input on new issues and
resource information related to
Segments 8 and 9, described below.
Analysis in the supplemental EIS will
support a decision on whether to
approve, approve with modifications, or
deny the revised ROW application for
Segments 8 and 9.
In November 2013, the BLM requested
the Boise District Resource Advisory
Council (RAC) to consider issues
surrounding siting Segments 8 and 9 of
the Gateway West Transmission Line
Project. As proposed, these segments
would traverse portions of the BLM
Boise District in and around the Morley
Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey
National Conservation Area (NCA), as
well as on private lands. The RAC, a
citizen-based council chartered under
Section 309 of the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act (FLPMA) and the
Federal Advisory Committee Act,
advises and makes recommendations to
the BLM on resource and public land
management issues in southwestern
Idaho. The RAC formed a subcommittee
to examine options for resolving
remaining issues associated with siting
Segments 8 and 9. On June 5, 2014, the
RAC provided the BLM with the report
on alternative route options and
resource considerations for Segments 8
and 9. On August 8, 2014, the
Applicants formally adopted routes
recommended by a majority of the
subcommittee as their proposed routes
for the supplemental EIS in a revised
project application that modifies the
Applicants’ original proposal. These
updated proposed routes, a doublecircuit design feature (see below), and
additional mitigation measures are
major components of the new
information now available for public
scoping.
The Applicants’ proposed route for
each of the two segments has been
modified from the 2013 BLM Preferred
Route west of approximate midway
points, identified as ‘‘nodes’’ in reports
submitted by the RAC. Maps that
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 182 / Friday, September 19, 2014 / Notices
accompanied the revised project
application are available on the BLM
project Web site, listed above. For
Segment 8, the Applicants’ new
proposed route still begins at the
existing Midpoint Substation and
continues west past the communities of
Hammett and Mountain Home to the
north. However, just north of the town
of Orchard, the new proposed route for
Segment 8 diverges from the 2013 BLM
Preferred Route to generally parallel the
existing Summer Lake 500-kV
transmission line 250 feet to the south
for 5.1 miles before turning northwest,
and then crosses the existing line at
milepost 7.1.
The new proposed route for Segment
8 enters the NCA at milepost 99. The
Applicants have determined that the
separation distance between the existing
and proposed transmission lines within
the NCA could be reduced to
approximately 250 feet for a 28.7-mile
portion of Segment 8. From milepost
7.1, the new proposed route generally
parallels the existing line 250 feet to the
north for the remaining distance (30
miles) into the Hemingway Substation,
near the town of Melba. The total route
length would be 38 miles, of which 22.9
miles would be within the NCA. This
route would also require a partial
rebuild of approximately 3,000 feet of
the existing Summer Lake line. The
Applicants propose to use existing roads
near and beneath the existing 500-kV
transmission line to reduce the overall
disturbance footprint of the new line.
Rather than constructing a new access
road network for the new proposed
route for Segment 8, they would use
short spur roads from existing roads to
access the new towers.
For Segment 9, the Applicants’
updated proposed route still starts at the
proposed Cedar Hill Substation and
passes south of the communities of
Twin Falls, Castleford, and Hammett,
before diverging from the 2013 BLM
Preferred Route just east of the town of
Bruneau, and then entering the NCA at
milepost 132, north of the towns of
Grand View, Oreana, and Murphy
before terminating at the Hemingway
Substation, near the town of Melba. The
Applicants’ new proposed route
generally follows the Alternative 9G
route studied in detail in the 2013 Final
EIS. The total route length would be
68.5 miles, of which 53.8 miles would
be within the NCA. The updated
proposed route for Segment 9 would
involve constructing approximately 25.6
miles of new double-circuit 500/138-kV
transmission line using steel pole Hframe structures.
The NCA lies in the western portion
of the Gateway West project area. The
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NCA was established under Public Law
103–64, which states: ‘‘The purposes for
which the conservation area is
established, and shall be managed, are
to provide for the conservation,
protection, and enhancement of raptor
populations and habitats and the natural
and environmental resources and values
associated therewith, and of the
scientific, cultural, and educational
resources and values of the public lands
in the conservation area.’’
Following publication of the Notice of
Availability for the Gateway West Final
EIS on April 26, 2013 (78 FR 24771), the
Applicants submitted a draft Mitigation
and Enhancement Portfolio (MEP) to the
BLM. The MEP contains proposed
mitigation, including compensatory
mitigation, and other measures intended
to enhance resources and values found
in the NCA. The Applicants presented
the draft MEP to the RAC subcommittee
and updated it in response to the
subcommittee’s final report; the MEP
has not yet been formally reviewed by
the public. The most current MEP is
considered part of the proponent’s
newly submitted plan of development
for analysis in the supplemental EIS and
is now being made available during the
scoping process as new information for
the supplemental EIS. The MEP will be
described in detail at the public scoping
meetings and is available on the project
Web site at https://www.blm.gov/id/st/
en/prog/nepa_register/gatewaywest.html.
The BLM is the lead Federal agency
for the NEPA analysis process and
preparation of the supplemental EIS.
The State of Idaho, local government
entities, and Federal agencies with
specialized expertise and/or
jurisdictional responsibilities in the area
of Segments 8 and 9 will be invited to
participate as cooperating agencies.
The purpose of public scoping is to
determine relevant issues that will
influence the scope of the
environmental analysis. The BLM will
invite and provide for full public
participation and comment on issues,
potential impacts, mitigation measures,
and alternatives associated with
granting ROWs on public lands for
segments 8 and 9 that were not
addressed in the original EIS. At
present, the BLM has identified the
following issues and concerns:
• Effects to the objects and values for
which the NCA was designated;
• Land use conflicts and
inconsistency with land use plans;
• Effects of the project on local and
regional socioeconomic conditions;
• Effects on wildlife habitat, plants,
and animals, including threatened,
endangered, and sensitive species;
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• Effects to visual resources and
existing viewsheds;
• Effects to historic and cultural
resources;
• Effects to Indian trust assets;
• Opportunities to apply mitigation
strategies for on-site, regional, and
compensatory mitigation; and
• Siting on private lands versus
public lands.
If authorized, this proposal may
require amendment of one or more BLM
land use plans (resource management
plans (RMPs) or management framework
plans (MFPs)). By this notice, the BLM
is complying with requirements
outlined in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) that the
BLM notify the public of potential
amendments to land use plans. If an
RMP or MFP amendment is necessary,
the BLM will integrate the land use
planning process with the NEPA
analysis process for this project.
If the ROWs are granted, BLM land
use plans that may be amended include
the Twin Falls MFP, the Jarbidge RMP,
the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of
Prey RMP, the Bennett Hills/
Timmerman Hills MFP and the Kuna
MFP.
The BLM will supplement the
analysis found in the Gateway West
Transmission Line Project final
environmental impact statement (FEIS)
released April 26, 2013, by analyzing
the Applicants’ updated proposed
routes for Segments 8 and 9 and no
action alternatives, as well as other
possible alternatives to the proposed
power line locations and access routes,
based on information gathered from the
public during scoping. The BLM will
use the NEPA process to identify and
disclose impacts to the above resources
not analyzed in the FEIS and any
additional issues or resources found
through the scoping process. Further,
the BLM will identify opportunities to
mitigate the impacts of siting and
building Segments 8 and 9, if granted,
by incorporating avoidance,
minimization, and compensation
measures with consideration of local
and regional conditions and
commensurate with the scope of the
impacts. In addition, opportunities for
enhancement of objects and values
within the NCA will be evaluated, in
accordance with Public Law 103–64, the
statute which established the NCA.
Preliminary planning criteria for any
RMP or MFP amendments include: (1)
FLPMA and subsequent BLM land use
plans; (2) Public Law 103–64, which
established the Snake River Birds of
Prey National Conservation Area
(officially named the Morley Nelson
Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area in Public Law 111–
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 182 / Friday, September 19, 2014 / Notices
11, the Omnibus Public Lands
Management Act of 2009); (3) The
Endangered Species Act, as amended
and (4) the analysis found in the FEIS.
The BLM encourages comments
concerning the Applicants’ new
proposed routes for Segments 8 and 9,
the routes previously analyzed in the
FEIS, feasible alternative locations,
possible mitigation and enhancement
measures, and any other information
relevant to the proposed action. You
may submit comments in writing to the
BLM at any public scoping meeting or
at any time by using one of the methods
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this
notice. Public scoping meetings will be
conducted in an ‘‘open house’’ format
with the BLM staff and project
Applicants available to explain project
details and gather information from
interested individuals or groups. You
should submit comments by the close of
the 30-day scoping period or 15 days
after the last public meeting, whichever
is later.
The BLM will reach out to the
consulting parties who participated in
and/or signed the Programmatic
Agreement (PA) for Segments 1–7, and
10 to assist the agency in satisfying the
public involvement requirements under
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C.
470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
The information about historic and
cultural resources within the area
potentially affected by the proposed
action will assist the BLM in identifying
and evaluating impacts to such
resources in the context of both NEPA
and Section 106 of the NHPA. The
information received will be used to
modify the PA to clearly capture the
issues and mitigation for Segments 8
and 9.
The BLM will consult with Indian
tribes on a government-to-government
basis in accordance with Executive
Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal
concerns, including impacts on Indian
trust assets and potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Federal, State, and local
agencies, along with tribes and other
stakeholders that may be interested in or
affected by the proposed action that the
BLM is evaluating, are invited to
participate in the scoping process and,
if eligible, may request or be requested
by the BLM to participate in the
development of the environmental
analysis as a cooperating agency.
All comment submittals must include
the commenter’s name and street
address. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
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your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so. The minutes and list of attendees
for each scoping meeting will be
available to the public and open for 30
days after the meeting to any participant
who wishes to clarify the views he or
she expressed.
Any persons wishing to be added to
a mailing list of interested parties can
call or write to BLM, as described in this
notice. Additional information meetings
may be conducted throughout the
process to keep the public informed of
the progress of the supplemental EIS.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR
1610.2.
Timothy M. Murphy,
BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014–22408 Filed 9–18–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCOS00000 L12200000.DF0000 14X]
Notice of Public Meetings, Southwest
Colorado Resource Advisory Council
AGENCY:
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
In accordance with the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972, the U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Southwest
Colorado Resource Advisory Council
(RAC) is scheduled to meet as indicated
below.
DATES: The Southwest Colorado RAC
meeting will be held on November 7,
2014, in Montrose, Colorado.
ADDRESSES: The Southwest Colorado
RAC meetings will be held November 7,
2014, at the Montrose Public Lands
Center, 2465 S. Townsend Ave.,
Montrose, CO 81401. The meetings will
begin at 9 a.m. and adjourn at
approximately 4 p.m. A public comment
period regarding matters on the agenda
will be held at 11:30 a.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori
Armstrong, BLM Southwest District
Manager, 970–240–5300; or Shannon
Borders, Public Affairs Specialist, 970–
240–5300; 2505 S. Townsend Ave.,
Montrose, CO 81401. Persons who use
a telecommunications device for the
SUMMARY:
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56401
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–
800–877–8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, to leave a
message or question with the above
individual. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Southwest Colorado RAC advises the
Secretary of the Interior, through the
BLM, on a variety of public land issues
in Colorado. Topics of discussion for all
Southwest Colorado RAC meetings may
include field manager and working
group reports, recreation, fire
management, land use planning,
invasive species management, energy
and minerals management, travel
management, wilderness, land exchange
proposals, cultural resource
management and other issues as
appropriate.
These meetings are open to the
public. The public may present written
comments to the RACs. Each formal
RAC meeting will also have time, as
identified above, allocated for hearing
public comments. Depending on the
number of people wishing to comment
and time available, the time for
individual oral comments may be
limited.
Ruth Welch,
BLM Colorado State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014–22356 Filed 9–18–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[MMAA 104000]
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Gulf of
Mexico (GOM), Oil and Gas Lease
Sales, Central Planning Area (CPA)
Lease Sales 235, 241, and 247
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of
the Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS).
AGENCY:
Authority: This NOA is published
pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR part
1503) implementing the provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
BOEM has prepared a Final
Supplemental EIS for proposed OCS oil
and gas Lease Sales 235, 241, and 247,
which are tentatively scheduled to be
held in March 2015, 2016, and 2017,
respectively, in the Gulf of Mexico CPA
offshore the States of Louisiana,
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 182 (Friday, September 19, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56399-56401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22408]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[14XL LLWY9200000.L51010000.ER0000.LVRWK09K0990.241A.00; 4500069121;
IDI-35849]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement and Possible Land Use Plan Amendments for Segments 8 and 9 of
the Gateway West 500-kV Transmission Line Project in Idaho
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho State Office
announces its intention to prepare a supplemental environmental impact
statement (EIS) analyzing the potential impacts of approving a right-
of-way (ROW) application for Segments 8 and 9 of the Gateway West 500-
kilovolt (kV) Transmission Line Project and possible land use plan
amendments. The supplemental EIS will be prepared in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). The
supplemental EIS is being prepared based on new information described
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. The BLM issued
a Record of Decision (ROD) for the project on November 14, 2013. In
that ROD, the BLM deferred offering a ROW grant for two of the 10
segments--Segments 8 and 9--to allow additional time for Federal,
State, and local permitting agencies to examine additional options
regarding siting route segments and mitigation and enhancement measures
for those segments.
DATES: This notice initiates a 30-day public scoping period that will
assist in the preparation of a draft supplemental EIS. Comments may be
submitted in writing until October 20, 2014, or 15 days after the date
of the last public scoping meeting, whichever is later.
To provide the public an opportunity to review the proposal and
project information, the BLM expects to hold four public meetings in
Idaho communities during the scoping period. The BLM will announce the
exact dates, times, and locations for these meetings at least 15 days
prior to each event. Announcements will be made by news release to the
media, newsletter mailings, and posting on the project Web site listed
below.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or resource information related to
the project by any of the following methods:
Web site: https://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/
neparegister/gateway-west.html
Email: blmidgatewaywest@blm.gov
Mail: Bureau of Land Management Idaho State Office, Gateway
West Transmission Project, 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Feeney, BLM Boise District
Office, 3948 Development Avenue, Boise, ID 83705; phone 208-384-3325;
or email to blmidgatewaywest@blm.gov.
Contact Ms. Feeney if you wish to have your name added to the project
mailing list. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 to contact Ms. Feeney during normal business hours. The FIRS
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or
question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during
normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Documents pertinent to this proposal may be
examined at:
Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office, Public
Room, 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709, Telephone: 208-373-3863.
Bureau of Land Management, Boise District Office, 3948
Development Avenue, Boise, ID 83705, Telephone: 208-384-3300.
Online: https://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/
neparegister/gateway-west.html.
PacifiCorp, dba Rocky Mountain Power, and Idaho Power (Applicants)
have submitted a ROW application to locate 500-kilovolt (kV) electric
transmission lines on Federal lands as part of the Gateway West
Transmission Line Project. The initial application proposed to
construct electric transmission lines from the Windstar Substation near
the Dave Johnston Power Plant at Glenrock, Wyoming, to the Hemingway
Substation near Melba, Idaho, approximately 20 miles southwest of
Boise, Idaho. The original project comprised 10 transmission line
segments with a total length of approximately 1,000 miles. The November
2013 ROD authorized routes on Federal lands for Segments 1 through 7
and Segment 10 but deferred a decision for Segments 8 and 9. The
Applicants submitted a revised project application for Segments 8 and
9. This notice announces that the BLM, Idaho State Office, intends to
prepare a supplemental EIS for Segments 8 and 9 of the Gateway West
Transmission Line Project and begins the scoping process to seek public
input on new issues and resource information related to Segments 8 and
9, described below. Analysis in the supplemental EIS will support a
decision on whether to approve, approve with modifications, or deny the
revised ROW application for Segments 8 and 9.
In November 2013, the BLM requested the Boise District Resource
Advisory Council (RAC) to consider issues surrounding siting Segments 8
and 9 of the Gateway West Transmission Line Project. As proposed, these
segments would traverse portions of the BLM Boise District in and
around the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area (NCA), as well as on private lands. The RAC, a
citizen-based council chartered under Section 309 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, advises and makes recommendations to the BLM on resource and
public land management issues in southwestern Idaho. The RAC formed a
subcommittee to examine options for resolving remaining issues
associated with siting Segments 8 and 9. On June 5, 2014, the RAC
provided the BLM with the report on alternative route options and
resource considerations for Segments 8 and 9. On August 8, 2014, the
Applicants formally adopted routes recommended by a majority of the
subcommittee as their proposed routes for the supplemental EIS in a
revised project application that modifies the Applicants' original
proposal. These updated proposed routes, a double-circuit design
feature (see below), and additional mitigation measures are major
components of the new information now available for public scoping.
The Applicants' proposed route for each of the two segments has
been modified from the 2013 BLM Preferred Route west of approximate
midway points, identified as ``nodes'' in reports submitted by the RAC.
Maps that
[[Page 56400]]
accompanied the revised project application are available on the BLM
project Web site, listed above. For Segment 8, the Applicants' new
proposed route still begins at the existing Midpoint Substation and
continues west past the communities of Hammett and Mountain Home to the
north. However, just north of the town of Orchard, the new proposed
route for Segment 8 diverges from the 2013 BLM Preferred Route to
generally parallel the existing Summer Lake 500-kV transmission line
250 feet to the south for 5.1 miles before turning northwest, and then
crosses the existing line at milepost 7.1.
The new proposed route for Segment 8 enters the NCA at milepost 99.
The Applicants have determined that the separation distance between the
existing and proposed transmission lines within the NCA could be
reduced to approximately 250 feet for a 28.7-mile portion of Segment 8.
From milepost 7.1, the new proposed route generally parallels the
existing line 250 feet to the north for the remaining distance (30
miles) into the Hemingway Substation, near the town of Melba. The total
route length would be 38 miles, of which 22.9 miles would be within the
NCA. This route would also require a partial rebuild of approximately
3,000 feet of the existing Summer Lake line. The Applicants propose to
use existing roads near and beneath the existing 500-kV transmission
line to reduce the overall disturbance footprint of the new line.
Rather than constructing a new access road network for the new proposed
route for Segment 8, they would use short spur roads from existing
roads to access the new towers.
For Segment 9, the Applicants' updated proposed route still starts
at the proposed Cedar Hill Substation and passes south of the
communities of Twin Falls, Castleford, and Hammett, before diverging
from the 2013 BLM Preferred Route just east of the town of Bruneau, and
then entering the NCA at milepost 132, north of the towns of Grand
View, Oreana, and Murphy before terminating at the Hemingway
Substation, near the town of Melba. The Applicants' new proposed route
generally follows the Alternative 9G route studied in detail in the
2013 Final EIS. The total route length would be 68.5 miles, of which
53.8 miles would be within the NCA. The updated proposed route for
Segment 9 would involve constructing approximately 25.6 miles of new
double-circuit 500/138-kV transmission line using steel pole H-frame
structures.
The NCA lies in the western portion of the Gateway West project
area. The NCA was established under Public Law 103-64, which states:
``The purposes for which the conservation area is established, and
shall be managed, are to provide for the conservation, protection, and
enhancement of raptor populations and habitats and the natural and
environmental resources and values associated therewith, and of the
scientific, cultural, and educational resources and values of the
public lands in the conservation area.''
Following publication of the Notice of Availability for the Gateway
West Final EIS on April 26, 2013 (78 FR 24771), the Applicants
submitted a draft Mitigation and Enhancement Portfolio (MEP) to the
BLM. The MEP contains proposed mitigation, including compensatory
mitigation, and other measures intended to enhance resources and values
found in the NCA. The Applicants presented the draft MEP to the RAC
subcommittee and updated it in response to the subcommittee's final
report; the MEP has not yet been formally reviewed by the public. The
most current MEP is considered part of the proponent's newly submitted
plan of development for analysis in the supplemental EIS and is now
being made available during the scoping process as new information for
the supplemental EIS. The MEP will be described in detail at the public
scoping meetings and is available on the project Web site at https://
www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/neparegister/gateway-west.html.
The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the NEPA analysis process
and preparation of the supplemental EIS. The State of Idaho, local
government entities, and Federal agencies with specialized expertise
and/or jurisdictional responsibilities in the area of Segments 8 and 9
will be invited to participate as cooperating agencies.
The purpose of public scoping is to determine relevant issues that
will influence the scope of the environmental analysis. The BLM will
invite and provide for full public participation and comment on issues,
potential impacts, mitigation measures, and alternatives associated
with granting ROWs on public lands for segments 8 and 9 that were not
addressed in the original EIS. At present, the BLM has identified the
following issues and concerns:
Effects to the objects and values for which the NCA was
designated;
Land use conflicts and inconsistency with land use plans;
Effects of the project on local and regional socioeconomic
conditions;
Effects on wildlife habitat, plants, and animals,
including threatened, endangered, and sensitive species;
Effects to visual resources and existing viewsheds;
Effects to historic and cultural resources;
Effects to Indian trust assets;
Opportunities to apply mitigation strategies for on-site,
regional, and compensatory mitigation; and
Siting on private lands versus public lands.
If authorized, this proposal may require amendment of one or more
BLM land use plans (resource management plans (RMPs) or management
framework plans (MFPs)). By this notice, the BLM is complying with
requirements outlined in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) that the BLM notify the
public of potential amendments to land use plans. If an RMP or MFP
amendment is necessary, the BLM will integrate the land use planning
process with the NEPA analysis process for this project.
If the ROWs are granted, BLM land use plans that may be amended
include the Twin Falls MFP, the Jarbidge RMP, the Morley Nelson Snake
River Birds of Prey RMP, the Bennett Hills/Timmerman Hills MFP and the
Kuna MFP.
The BLM will supplement the analysis found in the Gateway West
Transmission Line Project final environmental impact statement (FEIS)
released April 26, 2013, by analyzing the Applicants' updated proposed
routes for Segments 8 and 9 and no action alternatives, as well as
other possible alternatives to the proposed power line locations and
access routes, based on information gathered from the public during
scoping. The BLM will use the NEPA process to identify and disclose
impacts to the above resources not analyzed in the FEIS and any
additional issues or resources found through the scoping process.
Further, the BLM will identify opportunities to mitigate the impacts of
siting and building Segments 8 and 9, if granted, by incorporating
avoidance, minimization, and compensation measures with consideration
of local and regional conditions and commensurate with the scope of the
impacts. In addition, opportunities for enhancement of objects and
values within the NCA will be evaluated, in accordance with Public Law
103-64, the statute which established the NCA.
Preliminary planning criteria for any RMP or MFP amendments
include: (1) FLPMA and subsequent BLM land use plans; (2) Public Law
103-64, which established the Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area (officially named the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds
of Prey National Conservation Area in Public Law 111-
[[Page 56401]]
11, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009); (3) The
Endangered Species Act, as amended and (4) the analysis found in the
FEIS.
The BLM encourages comments concerning the Applicants' new proposed
routes for Segments 8 and 9, the routes previously analyzed in the
FEIS, feasible alternative locations, possible mitigation and
enhancement measures, and any other information relevant to the
proposed action. You may submit comments in writing to the BLM at any
public scoping meeting or at any time by using one of the methods
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Public scoping meetings
will be conducted in an ``open house'' format with the BLM staff and
project Applicants available to explain project details and gather
information from interested individuals or groups. You should submit
comments by the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the
last public meeting, whichever is later.
The BLM will reach out to the consulting parties who participated
in and/or signed the Programmatic Agreement (PA) for Segments 1-7, and
10 to assist the agency in satisfying the public involvement
requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The
information about historic and cultural resources within the area
potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources in the context of
both NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA. The information received will be
used to modify the PA to clearly capture the issues and mitigation for
Segments 8 and 9.
The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the
proposed action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis
as a cooperating agency.
All comment submittals must include the commenter's name and street
address. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so. The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days after the
meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she
expressed.
Any persons wishing to be added to a mailing list of interested
parties can call or write to BLM, as described in this notice.
Additional information meetings may be conducted throughout the process
to keep the public informed of the progress of the supplemental EIS.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.
Timothy M. Murphy,
BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-22408 Filed 9-18-14; 8:45 am]
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