[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 159 (Friday, August 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50026-50027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-19956]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.: Notice of Intent To
Prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental
Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), intends to prepare a supplemental
draft environmental impact statement (SDEIS) for Basin Electric Power
Cooperative's (Basin Electric) proposed Antelope Valley Station (AVS)
to Neset 345-kV Transmission Project (Project) in North Dakota. RUS is
issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to inform the public and interested
parties about a change in the proposed Project and invite the public to
comment on the scope, proposed action, and other issues to be addressed
in the SDEIS.
RUS made the decision to prepare an SDEIS for the AVS Project to
evaluate significant project changes. These changes are due to an
increase in the electric load forecast for western North Dakota which
is changing the scope of the project. To accommodate this change, the
SDEIS will evaluate a new alternative for the transmission line.
The SDEIS will address the construction, operation, and maintenance
of Basin Electric's proposed Project. The Project includes
construction, operation and maintenance of approximately 275
[[Page 50027]]
miles of new 345-kV single pole transmission line (approximately 85
miles more than the project identified in the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS)), 230-kV single pole transmission line and
double circuit 345/115-kV transmission lines, 5 new substations,
modifications to 4 existing substations, maintenance access roads,
temporary construction roads, river crossings, temporary construction
staging sites, and other facilities to be described in the SDEIS. Basin
Electric's proposed Project would be located in portions of Dunn,
McKenzie, Mercer, Mountrail, and Williams counties in western North
Dakota.
Portions of Basin Electric's proposed Project may affect
floodplains and wetlands. This NOI also serves as a notice of proposed
floodplain or wetland action. RUS will hold public hearing meetings to
share information and receive comments on the SDEIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the proposed
Project, the SDEIS process, and RUS financing, contact Mr. Dennis
Rankin, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service,
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571,
telephone: (202) 720-1953, or email: [email protected].
Parties wishing to be placed on the Project mailing list for future
information and to receive copies of the SDEIS and the Final EIS when
available should also contact Mr. Rankin.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RUS is authorized to make loans and loan
guarantees that finance the construction of electric distribution,
transmission, and generation facilities, including system improvements
and replacements required to furnish and improve electric service in
rural areas, as well as demand side management, energy conservation
programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems. Based on
an interconnection with the Western Area Power Administration's
(Western) transmission system, Western has in accordance with 40 CFR
1501.6, requested to serve as a cooperating agency for the
environmental review of the proposed Project.
Basin Electric is a regional wholesale electric generation and
transmission cooperative owned and controlled by its member
cooperatives. Basin Electric serves approximately 2.5 million customers
covering 430,000 square miles in portions of nine states, including
Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota,
South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Project Description: Basin Electric has identified the need for
additional electric transmission capacity in northwestern North Dakota
as a result of increased demand and to meet reliability and system
stability requirements for the region. Investigations and analyses
conducted for the overall power delivery systems found that without
improvements, the flow of power along existing lines may result in
local line overloads, especially in the vicinity of Williston, North
Dakota.
To resolve these issues, Basin Electric is proposing to construct,
own and operate a new 345-kV transmission line and associated
supporting infrastructure. The entire Project will consist of
constructing approximately 275 miles of new single circuit 345-kV
(approximately 85 miles more than the project identified in the Draft
EIS), 230-kV and double circuit 345/115-kV transmission lines, the
construction of 5 new substations, modifications to 4 existing
substations, maintenance access roads, temporary construction roads,
river crossings, temporary construction staging sites, and other
facilities. The Project would connect to the Integrated System at
several locations, including Western's Williston Substation. The
proposed Project would be located in portions of Dunn, McKenzie,
Mercer, Mountrail, and Williams counties in western North Dakota.
Basin Electric has requested financial assistance for the proposed
Project from RUS. Completing the EIS is one of RUS's requirements in
processing Basin Electric's application, along with other technical and
financial considerations.
In accordance with 40 CFR 1501.5(b) on the Council of Environmental
Quality's Regulation for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the
National Environmental Policy Act, RUS will serve as the lead agency in
the preparation of the EIS.
The proposed Project is subject to the jurisdiction of the North
Dakota Public Service Commission (NDPSC), which has regulatory
authority for siting electrical transmission facilities within the
State. Basin Electric will submit applications for NDPSC Transmission
Corridor and Route Permits. The NDPSC Permits would authorize Basin
Electric to construct the proposed Project under North Dakota rules and
regulations.
RUS intends to prepare a SDEIS and Final EIS to analyze the impacts
of its respective federal actions and the proposed Project in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as
amended, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulation for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021), and RUS
Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 CFR part 1794). RUS has
already produced a Draft EIS which was released to the public on
December 7, 2012 and can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-AVS-Neset.html.
Because the proposed Project may involve action in floodplains or
wetlands, this NOI also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or
wetland action. The SDEIS will include a floodplain/wetland assessment
and, if required, a floodplain/wetland statement of findings will be
issued with the Final EIS.
Agency Responsibilities: RUS is serving as the lead Federal agency,
as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5, for preparation of the SDEIS. Western Area
Power Administration and the U.S. Forest Service are participating as
cooperating agencies and will be issuing decisions relevant to the
project under separate authorities.
Public Participation: Public participation and full disclosure are
planned for the entire EIS process. The EIS process has included a
scoping comment period to solicit comments from interested parties;
publication of a DEIS and public hearing and comment period;
consultation and involvement with appropriate Federal, State, local,
and tribal governmental agencies. In addition, public review and
hearings on the SDEIS will be scheduled on the fall followed by
publication of a final EIS; and publication of a Record of Decision.
Expected EIS completion date is March 2014. Additional informal public
meetings may be held in the proposed Project areas, if public interest
and issues indicate a need. If additional public meetings are
determined to be necessary public notices will be published as
appropriate.
RUS will hold open-house public hearing meetings once the SDEIS is
published. The times and locations of these meetings will be well-
advertised in local media outlets a minimum of 15 days prior to the
time of the meetings. Attendees will be welcome to come and go at their
convenience and provide written or oral comments on the Project. In
addition, attendees may provide written comments by letter, fax, email.
Dated: July 18, 2013.
Mark S. Plank,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-19956 Filed 8-15-13; 8:45 am]
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