[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 182 (Friday, September 19, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56399-56401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22408]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[14XL LLWY9200000.L51010000.ER0000.LVRWK09K0990.241A.00; 4500069121;
IDI-35849]
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement and Possible Land Use Plan Amendments for Segments 8 and 9 of
the Gateway West 500-kV Transmission Line Project in Idaho
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho State Office
announces its intention to prepare a supplemental environmental impact
statement (EIS) analyzing the potential impacts of approving a right-
of-way (ROW) application for Segments 8 and 9 of the Gateway West 500-
kilovolt (kV) Transmission Line Project and possible land use plan
amendments. The supplemental EIS will be prepared in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). The
supplemental EIS is being prepared based on new information described
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice. The BLM issued
a Record of Decision (ROD) for the project on November 14, 2013. In
that ROD, the BLM deferred offering a ROW grant for two of the 10
segments--Segments 8 and 9--to allow additional time for Federal,
State, and local permitting agencies to examine additional options
regarding siting route segments and mitigation and enhancement measures
for those segments.
DATES: This notice initiates a 30-day public scoping period that will
assist in the preparation of a draft supplemental EIS. Comments may be
submitted in writing until October 20, 2014, or 15 days after the date
of the last public scoping meeting, whichever is later.
To provide the public an opportunity to review the proposal and
project information, the BLM expects to hold four public meetings in
Idaho communities during the scoping period. The BLM will announce the
exact dates, times, and locations for these meetings at least 15 days
prior to each event. Announcements will be made by news release to the
media, newsletter mailings, and posting on the project Web site listed
below.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or resource information related to
the project by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/nepa_register/gateway-west.html
Email: [email protected]
Mail: Bureau of Land Management Idaho State Office, Gateway
West Transmission Project, 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Feeney, BLM Boise District
Office, 3948 Development Avenue, Boise, ID 83705; phone 208-384-3325;
or email to [email protected].
Contact Ms. Feeney if you wish to have your name added to the project
mailing list. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339 to contact Ms. Feeney during normal business hours. The FIRS
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or
question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during
normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Documents pertinent to this proposal may be
examined at:
Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office, Public
Room, 1387 South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83709, Telephone: 208-373-3863.
Bureau of Land Management, Boise District Office, 3948
Development Avenue, Boise, ID 83705, Telephone: 208-384-3300.
Online: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/nepa_register/gateway-west.html.
PacifiCorp, dba Rocky Mountain Power, and Idaho Power (Applicants)
have submitted a ROW application to locate 500-kilovolt (kV) electric
transmission lines on Federal lands as part of the Gateway West
Transmission Line Project. The initial application proposed to
construct electric transmission lines from the Windstar Substation near
the Dave Johnston Power Plant at Glenrock, Wyoming, to the Hemingway
Substation near Melba, Idaho, approximately 20 miles southwest of
Boise, Idaho. The original project comprised 10 transmission line
segments with a total length of approximately 1,000 miles. The November
2013 ROD authorized routes on Federal lands for Segments 1 through 7
and Segment 10 but deferred a decision for Segments 8 and 9. The
Applicants submitted a revised project application for Segments 8 and
9. This notice announces that the BLM, Idaho State Office, intends to
prepare a supplemental EIS for Segments 8 and 9 of the Gateway West
Transmission Line Project and begins the scoping process to seek public
input on new issues and resource information related to Segments 8 and
9, described below. Analysis in the supplemental EIS will support a
decision on whether to approve, approve with modifications, or deny the
revised ROW application for Segments 8 and 9.
In November 2013, the BLM requested the Boise District Resource
Advisory Council (RAC) to consider issues surrounding siting Segments 8
and 9 of the Gateway West Transmission Line Project. As proposed, these
segments would traverse portions of the BLM Boise District in and
around the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area (NCA), as well as on private lands. The RAC, a
citizen-based council chartered under Section 309 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, advises and makes recommendations to the BLM on resource and
public land management issues in southwestern Idaho. The RAC formed a
subcommittee to examine options for resolving remaining issues
associated with siting Segments 8 and 9. On June 5, 2014, the RAC
provided the BLM with the report on alternative route options and
resource considerations for Segments 8 and 9. On August 8, 2014, the
Applicants formally adopted routes recommended by a majority of the
subcommittee as their proposed routes for the supplemental EIS in a
revised project application that modifies the Applicants' original
proposal. These updated proposed routes, a double-circuit design
feature (see below), and additional mitigation measures are major
components of the new information now available for public scoping.
The Applicants' proposed route for each of the two segments has
been modified from the 2013 BLM Preferred Route west of approximate
midway points, identified as ``nodes'' in reports submitted by the RAC.
Maps that
[[Page 56400]]
accompanied the revised project application are available on the BLM
project Web site, listed above. For Segment 8, the Applicants' new
proposed route still begins at the existing Midpoint Substation and
continues west past the communities of Hammett and Mountain Home to the
north. However, just north of the town of Orchard, the new proposed
route for Segment 8 diverges from the 2013 BLM Preferred Route to
generally parallel the existing Summer Lake 500-kV transmission line
250 feet to the south for 5.1 miles before turning northwest, and then
crosses the existing line at milepost 7.1.
The new proposed route for Segment 8 enters the NCA at milepost 99.
The Applicants have determined that the separation distance between the
existing and proposed transmission lines within the NCA could be
reduced to approximately 250 feet for a 28.7-mile portion of Segment 8.
From milepost 7.1, the new proposed route generally parallels the
existing line 250 feet to the north for the remaining distance (30
miles) into the Hemingway Substation, near the town of Melba. The total
route length would be 38 miles, of which 22.9 miles would be within the
NCA. This route would also require a partial rebuild of approximately
3,000 feet of the existing Summer Lake line. The Applicants propose to
use existing roads near and beneath the existing 500-kV transmission
line to reduce the overall disturbance footprint of the new line.
Rather than constructing a new access road network for the new proposed
route for Segment 8, they would use short spur roads from existing
roads to access the new towers.
For Segment 9, the Applicants' updated proposed route still starts
at the proposed Cedar Hill Substation and passes south of the
communities of Twin Falls, Castleford, and Hammett, before diverging
from the 2013 BLM Preferred Route just east of the town of Bruneau, and
then entering the NCA at milepost 132, north of the towns of Grand
View, Oreana, and Murphy before terminating at the Hemingway
Substation, near the town of Melba. The Applicants' new proposed route
generally follows the Alternative 9G route studied in detail in the
2013 Final EIS. The total route length would be 68.5 miles, of which
53.8 miles would be within the NCA. The updated proposed route for
Segment 9 would involve constructing approximately 25.6 miles of new
double-circuit 500/138-kV transmission line using steel pole H-frame
structures.
The NCA lies in the western portion of the Gateway West project
area. The NCA was established under Public Law 103-64, which states:
``The purposes for which the conservation area is established, and
shall be managed, are to provide for the conservation, protection, and
enhancement of raptor populations and habitats and the natural and
environmental resources and values associated therewith, and of the
scientific, cultural, and educational resources and values of the
public lands in the conservation area.''
Following publication of the Notice of Availability for the Gateway
West Final EIS on April 26, 2013 (78 FR 24771), the Applicants
submitted a draft Mitigation and Enhancement Portfolio (MEP) to the
BLM. The MEP contains proposed mitigation, including compensatory
mitigation, and other measures intended to enhance resources and values
found in the NCA. The Applicants presented the draft MEP to the RAC
subcommittee and updated it in response to the subcommittee's final
report; the MEP has not yet been formally reviewed by the public. The
most current MEP is considered part of the proponent's newly submitted
plan of development for analysis in the supplemental EIS and is now
being made available during the scoping process as new information for
the supplemental EIS. The MEP will be described in detail at the public
scoping meetings and is available on the project Web site at http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/nepa_register/gateway-west.html.
The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the NEPA analysis process
and preparation of the supplemental EIS. The State of Idaho, local
government entities, and Federal agencies with specialized expertise
and/or jurisdictional responsibilities in the area of Segments 8 and 9
will be invited to participate as cooperating agencies.
The purpose of public scoping is to determine relevant issues that
will influence the scope of the environmental analysis. The BLM will
invite and provide for full public participation and comment on issues,
potential impacts, mitigation measures, and alternatives associated
with granting ROWs on public lands for segments 8 and 9 that were not
addressed in the original EIS. At present, the BLM has identified the
following issues and concerns:
Effects to the objects and values for which the NCA was
designated;
Land use conflicts and inconsistency with land use plans;
Effects of the project on local and regional socioeconomic
conditions;
Effects on wildlife habitat, plants, and animals,
including threatened, endangered, and sensitive species;
Effects to visual resources and existing viewsheds;
Effects to historic and cultural resources;
Effects to Indian trust assets;
Opportunities to apply mitigation strategies for on-site,
regional, and compensatory mitigation; and
Siting on private lands versus public lands.
If authorized, this proposal may require amendment of one or more
BLM land use plans (resource management plans (RMPs) or management
framework plans (MFPs)). By this notice, the BLM is complying with
requirements outlined in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) that the BLM notify the
public of potential amendments to land use plans. If an RMP or MFP
amendment is necessary, the BLM will integrate the land use planning
process with the NEPA analysis process for this project.
If the ROWs are granted, BLM land use plans that may be amended
include the Twin Falls MFP, the Jarbidge RMP, the Morley Nelson Snake
River Birds of Prey RMP, the Bennett Hills/Timmerman Hills MFP and the
Kuna MFP.
The BLM will supplement the analysis found in the Gateway West
Transmission Line Project final environmental impact statement (FEIS)
released April 26, 2013, by analyzing the Applicants' updated proposed
routes for Segments 8 and 9 and no action alternatives, as well as
other possible alternatives to the proposed power line locations and
access routes, based on information gathered from the public during
scoping. The BLM will use the NEPA process to identify and disclose
impacts to the above resources not analyzed in the FEIS and any
additional issues or resources found through the scoping process.
Further, the BLM will identify opportunities to mitigate the impacts of
siting and building Segments 8 and 9, if granted, by incorporating
avoidance, minimization, and compensation measures with consideration
of local and regional conditions and commensurate with the scope of the
impacts. In addition, opportunities for enhancement of objects and
values within the NCA will be evaluated, in accordance with Public Law
103-64, the statute which established the NCA.
Preliminary planning criteria for any RMP or MFP amendments
include: (1) FLPMA and subsequent BLM land use plans; (2) Public Law
103-64, which established the Snake River Birds of Prey National
Conservation Area (officially named the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds
of Prey National Conservation Area in Public Law 111-
[[Page 56401]]
11, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009); (3) The
Endangered Species Act, as amended and (4) the analysis found in the
FEIS.
The BLM encourages comments concerning the Applicants' new proposed
routes for Segments 8 and 9, the routes previously analyzed in the
FEIS, feasible alternative locations, possible mitigation and
enhancement measures, and any other information relevant to the
proposed action. You may submit comments in writing to the BLM at any
public scoping meeting or at any time by using one of the methods
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Public scoping meetings
will be conducted in an ``open house'' format with the BLM staff and
project Applicants available to explain project details and gather
information from interested individuals or groups. You should submit
comments by the close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the
last public meeting, whichever is later.
The BLM will reach out to the consulting parties who participated
in and/or signed the Programmatic Agreement (PA) for Segments 1-7, and
10 to assist the agency in satisfying the public involvement
requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The
information about historic and cultural resources within the area
potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources in the context of
both NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA. The information received will be
used to modify the PA to clearly capture the issues and mitigation for
Segments 8 and 9.
The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the
proposed action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate
in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by
the BLM to participate in the development of the environmental analysis
as a cooperating agency.
All comment submittals must include the commenter's name and street
address. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so. The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days after the
meeting to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she
expressed.
Any persons wishing to be added to a mailing list of interested
parties can call or write to BLM, as described in this notice.
Additional information meetings may be conducted throughout the process
to keep the public informed of the progress of the supplemental EIS.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.
Timothy M. Murphy,
BLM Idaho State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-22408 Filed 9-18-14; 8:45 am]
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