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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
A proposed project will likely bring additional large electricity transmission lines down Salt Creek Canyon and across Juab Valley.
"The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Rocky Mountain Power's (PacifiCorp) right-of-way application for the Energy Gateway South Transmission Project," said Randy McKnight, city administrator.
McKnight was asked to review information regarding the environmental impact statement being prepared by BLM for Nephi City Council members at council meeting on Tuesday.
The project being proposed is a 500-kilovolt alternating current transmission line originating near Medicine Bow in south-central Wyoming and terminating near Mona in central Utah, and is proposed by PacifiCorp, doing business as Rocky Mountain Power.
"The BLM held 12 open houses," said McKnight. "One of those was in Nephi. BLM said that 231 people attended."
During the scoping period in May and early June, BLM hosted the 12 open houses throughout the project area: Baggs, Rock Springs, and Rawlins in
Wyoming; Craig, Rangely, and Grand Junction in Colorado; and Roosevelt, Fort Duchesne, Nephi, Price, Mount Pleasant, and Green River in Utah.
Comments were submitted to the BLM in comment forms, letters, and emails from diverse interests, including federal, state, and local agencies, local
governments, elected and appointed officials, as well as landowners and other citizens. BLM received 168 comment submittals resulting in 522 comments The transmission line will transport power from both renewable and thermal energy sources.
The issues derived from the comments that need to be addressed, said McKnight, in the EIS include: the project purpose and need; alternative transmission line routes; air quality and noise; water resources; vegetation and wildlife; wildland fire ecology and management; geology and soils; cultural resources; tribal concerns; visual resources; paleontological resources; land use and recreation resources.
"The BLM will address the issues which came from the comments made in response to the scoping meetings," he said.
Alternative routes affect 17 counties in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah.
"Almost all of the alternate routes proposed come down Salt Creek," said McKnight.
The project begins in south central Wyoming near Medicine Bow and traverses from northeast to southwest across northwestern Colorado to the planned Clover Substation near Mona, Utah.
Through planning studies analyzing the electrical power system, Rocky Mountain Power determined its existing system, last upgraded about 25 years ago, needs to be upgraded to ensure sufficient capacity and reliable power is
available for its customers. The project would increase capacity and service reliability for its customers in the region. When completed, the line would transmit up to 1,500 megawatts of electricity.
The EIS will disclose the effects of implementing the proposed project and the measures to reduce those effects. Also, if the proposed project does not comply with existing agency land-use plans, plans may need to be amended.
In addition to leading the preparation of the EIS and plan amendments, the BLM will lead consultations such as a government-to-government tribal
consultation (letters were sent to 33 tribes on April 1, 2011 informing them of the project and inviting them to participate).
As proposed, there would be a 500 kV alternating current overhead transmission line, a 250 foot right-of-way width, 400+ miles long. The typical self-supporting steel lattice tower structures would be 140-190 feet in height and average spans would be 1,000 to 1,500 feet apart with four to five structures per mile.
"BLM is analyzing the majority of the alternative routes presented during scoping," said McKnight.
Some segments were eliminated from further consideration because they were ineffective, technically or economically infeasible, inconsistent with management objectives for the area, remote or speculative, substantially similar in design to an alternative that is analyzed in detail.
The BLM will collect data for each of the resources and resource uses potentially affected in the project area. Then, in coordination with the cooperating agencies, the BLM will assess the impacts the project may have on each of the resources and apply measures to mitigate the impacts.
"The alternative routes will be compared, impacts reported and documented, and the findings disclosed in the Draft EIS and any plan amendments, which will be released for a 90-day public review and comment period," said McKnight.
Comments received will be analyzed and responses will be included in a Final EIS and proposed plan amendments. A minimum 30-day comment period will conclude with the issuance of a Record of Decision. The BLM would issue a right-of-way grant and the USFS would issue a special-use permit if the decision is made to approve the project.
The Scoping Report is now available on the BLM Project website at www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/ NEPA/documents/hdd/gateway_south/scoping.
html.
Also, once the Draft EIS has been released for public review, the BLM will hold open houses throughout the Project area to receive comments on the Draft EIS.
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