Department of Energy August 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) Chairs. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. No. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is further revising \1\ the Record of Decision (61 FR 25092; May 17, 1996) on the Environmental Impact Statement on a Proposed Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel (DOE/EIS-218, February 1996), to allow the United States to take title to spent nuclear fuel and target material from foreign research reactors located in countries of any income at locations other than the port of entry into the United States.

DOE announces its decision to issue a Presidential Permit that would authorize Generadora del Desierto SA de C.V. (GDD) to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a new double-circuit 230,000-volt (230- kV) electric transmission line across the U.S.-Mexico border into Yuma County, southeast of San Luis, Arizona. The environmental impacts that would be associated with the line were analyzed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the San Luis Rio Colorado Project (DOE/EIS- 0395, SLRC EIS). The transmission line, known as the San Luis Rio Colorado (SLRC) Project, would extend from a new gas-fired electric power plant, known as the SLRC Power Center (to be constructed by GDD approximately one mile south of the U.S.-Mexico border in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico), cross the U.S.-Mexico border, extend approximately 21 miles north, and connect to the existing Gila Substation that is owned and operated by the Western Area Power Administration (Western), an organizational element within DOE. From the Gila Substation, the line would extend an additional five miles north and connect to the existing North Gila Substation that is owned and operated by the Arizona Public Service Company (APS). In reaching this decision, DOE considered the low environmental impacts in the United States from constructing, operating, maintaining, and connecting the proposed international transmission line and from the construction and operation of the SLRC Power Center, the absence of adverse impacts to the reliability of the U.S. electric power supply system, and the absence of major issues of concern to the public. On October 12, 2007, Western issued a ROD (72 FR 58074) in which it decided to allow the proposed international transmission line and the SLRC Power Center to interconnect with Western's transmission system at the Gila Substation. DOE has prepared this ROD and Floodplain Statement of Findings in accordance with the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), DOE's NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 1021), and DOE's Compliance with Floodplain and Wetland Environmental Review Requirements (10 CFR Part 1022).

This action is to temporarily extend the existing formula rates for power, transmission, and ancillary services for the Central Valley Project (CVP), transmission service on the California-Oregon Transmission Project (COTP), transmission service on the Pacific Alternating Current Intertie (PACI), and third-party transmission service through September 30, 2011. This action also extends the Western Area Power Administration's (Western) recovery methodology of the Path 15 revenue requirement through September 30, 2011. Without this extension, formula rates for power, transmission, and ancillary services for the CVP, transmission service on the COTP, transmission service on the PACI, and third-party transmission service will expire September 30, 2009.

This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Nevada Test Site. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing revised rates for Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin ProgramEastern Division (P-SMBPED) firm electric and firm peaking power service. Current rates, under Rate Schedules P-SED-F9 and P-SED-FP9, extend through December 31, 2012, but are not sufficient to meet the P-SMBPED revenue requirements. The proposed rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expenses, and repay required investments within the allowable periods. Western will prepare and make available a brochure that provides detailed information on the proposed rates. The proposed rates, under Rate Schedules P-SED-F10 and P-SED-FP10, are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2009, and will remain in effect through December 31, 2013, or until superseded. Publication of this Federal Register notice begins the formal process for the proposed rate adjustment.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is proposing revised rates for Loveland Area Projects (LAP) firm electric service. LAP consists of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project (Fry-Ark) and the Pick- Sloan Missouri Basin Program (Pick-Sloan)Western Division, which were integrated for marketing and rate-making purposes in 1989. Current rates, under Rate Schedule L-F7, expire on December 31, 2012, but are not sufficient to meet LAP revenue requirements. The proposed rates will provide sufficient revenue to pay all annual costs, including interest expenses, and repay the required investment within the allowable period. Western will prepare and make available a brochure that provides detailed information on the proposed rates. The proposed rates, under Rate Schedule L-F8, are scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2009, and will remain in effect through December 31, 2013, or until superseded. Publication of this Federal Register notice begins the formal process for the proposed rate adjustment.