Department of Energy September 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a Federal power marketing administration of the Department of Energy, published a Call for 2015 Resource Pool Applications in the Federal Register (74 FR 26671, June 3, 2009) (Call for 2015 Applications). Western issued the Call for 2015 Applications pursuant to the 2004 Power Marketing Plan (Marketing Plan) for the Sierra Nevada Customer Service Region (SNR) (64 FR 34417, June 25, 1999). In the Call for 2015 Applications, Western stated that all applications were due by 4 p.m., PDT, on August 3, 2009. This notice extends the filing date for applications to 4 p.m., PDT, on October 28, 2009.

The Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy, confirmed and approved, on an interim basis, Rate Schedules JW-1-I and JW-2-F. The rates were approved on an interim basis through September 19, 2014, and are subject to confirmation and approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) on a final basis.

The Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), has decided to finance a portion of the Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. (MATL) 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line (MATL Project) in exchange for ownership of 50 megawatts (MW) of southbound capacity on the line and ownership of approximately 18 miles of transmission line. This decision is contingent on the MATL Project meeting all necessary conditions under Western's Transmission Infrastructure Program (TIP). MATL proposed to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a new 214-mile, single-circuit 230-kV electric transmission line across the U.S.-Canada border near Cut Bank, Montana, and DOE prepared the Environmental Impact Statement for the Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. (MATL) 230-kV Transmission Line (DOE/EIS-0399), herein referred to as the MATL Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), as co- lead with the State of Montana, to analyze the environmental impacts that would be associated with construction and operation of the line. The environmental mitigation measures and electric reliability conditions required by DOE's permit for the line are identified in the Record of Decision (ROD); Montana Alberta Tie Ltd. issued by DOE on November 17, 2008, (73 FR 67860), herein referred to as the first ROD.

The EIA has submitted the Uranium Data Program Forms EIA-851A, ``Domestic Uranium Production ReportAnnual,'' EIA-851Q, ``Domestic Uranium Production ReportQuarterly,'' and EIA-858, ``Uranium Marketing Annual Survey,'' to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and a three-year extension under section 3507(h)(1) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., at 3507(h)(1)).

This notice announces the availability of the ROD under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Estuary Habitat Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the State of Washington consistent with and tiered to the Fish and Wildlife Implementation Plan Environmental Impact Statement (DOE/EIS-0312, April 2003) and ROD (October 31, 2003). The NEPA ROD for the MOA is included as part of the Administrator's ROD for the MOA. BPA has decided to enter into a MOA with the State of Washington and two Federal agencies (the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) to provide for a 9-year funding commitment for Columbia River Estuary habitat projects to help strengthen populations of steelhead and salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act. The Columbia River Estuary includes the mainstem Columbia River from the mouth of the River at its confluence with the Pacific Ocean, up to Bonneville Dam, including tidally- influenced tributaries below Bonneville Dam. The Columbia River Estuary includes important habitat for all Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead species, as well as a wide variety of other fish and wildlife species. The MOA is consistent with and will work in concert with the 2008 Biological Opinion issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Fisheries for the Federal Columbia River Power System for listed salmon and steelhead. The MOA also supports BPA's implementation of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Abengoa Biorefinery Project near Hugoton, Stevens County, KS (DOE/EIS-0407D) (referred to as the ``Draft Abengoa Biorefinery EIS'' or ``Draft EIS''). This Draft EIS was prepared in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and DOE NEPA Implementing Regulations (10 CFR part 1021). The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, (USDA-RD) is a cooperating agency in preparation of the Draft Abengoa Biorefinery EIS.