[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 20, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 69664]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27861]
[[Page 69664]]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental
Impact Statement--Interconnection of the Proposed Wilton IV Wind Energy
Center Project, North Dakota (DOE/EIS-0469)
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental
Impact Statement and to Conduct a Scoping Meeting; Notice of Floodplain
and Wetlands Involvement.
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SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration (Western), an agency of the
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), intends to prepare a Supplemental
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the interconnection of
NextEra Energy Resources' proposed Wilton IV Wind Energy Center Project
(Project), Burleigh County, North Dakota. Western is issuing this
Notice of Intent (NOI) to inform the public and interested parties
about a change in the proposed Project and to invite the public to
comment on the scope, proposed action, and other issues to be addressed
in the SDEIS. Based on substantial changes to the proposed Project,
Western has made the decision to prepare an SDEIS. These changes
include the relocation of 30 planned turbine locations and 5 alternate
turbine locations in Crofte Township, and moving them as far as 12
miles north-east to Rock Hill Township. Additionally, up to 20 miles of
new overhead transmission line will be necessary to connect the Project
collector substation to the existing Wilton/Baldwin substation.
Portions of the proposed Project may affect floodplains and wetlands,
so this NOI also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain or wetland
action in accordance with DOE floodplain and wetland environmental
review requirements.
DATES: A public scoping meeting will be held on December 11, 2013, from
5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Wilton Memorial Hall, located at 105 Dakota
Avenue, Wilton, North Dakota. Local notification of this meeting has
been made through direct mailings to affected parties and by
advertising in local media to ensure a minimum of 15 days of prior
notice. The public scoping period starts with the publication of this
notice and ends on December 20, 2013. Western will consider all
comments on the scope of the SDEIS received or postmarked by that date.
However, the public is invited to submit comments on the proposed
Project at any time during the SDEIS process.
ADDRESSES: Western will host a public scoping meeting at the Wilton
Memorial Hall, located at 105 Dakota Avenue, Wilton, North Dakota, to
provide information on the Project and gather comments on the proposal.
Oral or written comments may be provided at the public scoping meeting
or mailed or emailed to Matt Marsh, Upper Great Plains Regional Office,
Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 35800, Billings, MT 59107-
5800, email [email protected], telephone (800) 358-3415.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on the
proposed Project, the SDEIS process, or to receive a copy of the SDEIS
when it is published, contact Matt Marsh at the addresses above. For
general information on the DOE's NEPA review process, contact Carol M.
Borgstrom, Director of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54, U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC
20585-0119, telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756, facsimile (202)
586-7031.
Dated: November 12, 2013.
Mark A. Gabriel,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-27861 Filed 11-19-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P