Department of Energy May 3, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice sets forth the schedule and summary agenda for a partially closed meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), and describes the functions of the Council. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C., App. 2.

BPA intends to prepare an EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on several proposed upgrades to its existing transmission system. The proposed upgrades would consist of a combination of reinforcements of five existing BPA substations, placement of new conductor on sections of an existing BPA transmission line, and the addition of a new series compensation substation along an existing BPA transmission line corridor. The substation reinforcements would occur at Garrison and Hot Springs substations in Montana, Dworshak and Hatwai substations in Idaho, and Bell Substation in Washington. The line reconductoring would occur on four sections, totaling 12 miles, of the Dworshak-Taft No. 1 500-kilovolt (kV) line in Montana and Idaho. The series compensation substation would be added along the Garrison-Taft 500-kV line corridor in Montana. The proposed upgrades are needed to respond to requests for long- term firm transmission service that BPA has received for the West of Garrison and West of Hatwai transmission paths. These upgrades would increase the firm east-to-west transfer capability from BPA's Garrison Substation in Western Montana to load centers west of the Cascades and to market hubs serving the entire Northwest power market. With this Notice of Intent, BPA is initiating the public scoping process for the EIS. BPA is requesting comments about potential environmental impacts that it should consider as it prepares the EIS for the proposed project. In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain and wetlands environmental review requirements, BPA will prepare a floodplain and wetlands assessment to avoid or minimize potential harm to or within any affected floodplains and wetlands. The assessment will be included in the EIS.

This notice announces an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee. 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.