[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 91 (Thursday, May 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-11557]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 12, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Bonneville Power Administration
Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement for BPA's Operational Fiber
Optics Project
AGENCY: Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), DOE.
ACTION: Notice of floodplain and wetlands involvement.
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SUMMARY: BPA proposes to upgrade the existing operational
telecommunications equipment throughout their service area (within the
states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana). This upgrade will
involve replacing existing analog radios with digital radios and fiber
optic equipment. Fiber optic cable will be strung on existing
structures or a new parallel line within BPA's existing transmission
line rights-of-way.
A site specific project has been identified for the first segment
of this proposed telecommunication upgrade. It includes installing
fiber optic cable and related equipment from BPA's Ross Substation near
Vancouver, Washington, to Franklin Substation near Pasco, Washington.
This distance is approximately 340 kilometers (217 miles). Most of the
cable will be installed on existing structures, however, in certain
areas additional poles will be needed to carry the cable when existing
towers cannot carry the additional load. The line will span both
floodplains and wetlands located in the counties of Clark, Skamania,
Klickitat, Benton, and Franklin in Washington; and Sherman, Gilliam,
Morrow, Wasco, and Umatilla counties in Oregon.
In accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain
and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR part 1022), BPA
will prepare a floodplain and wetlands assessment and will perform this
proposed action in a manner so as to avoid or minimize potential harm
to or within the affected floodplain and wetlands.
The floodplains and wetlands assessment will be included in the
environmental assessment (EA) being prepared for the proposed project
in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). A floodplain statement of findings will be included
in any finding of no significant impact that may be issued following
the completion of the environmental assessment.
DATES: Comments are due to the address below no later than May 31,
1994.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: John M. Taves--EFBG, Bonneville Power
Administration, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, Oregon, 97208-3621, phone
number 503-230-4995, fax number 503-230-3984.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This EA covers two different levels of
environmental analysis: One is the programmatic approach that would
describe future telecommunication upgrades throughout BPA's service
area and the other is a site specific analysis covering the first
segment of a proposed upgrade from BPA's Ross Substation near
Vancouver, Washington, to Franklin Substation located near Pasco,
Washington. The programmatic EA would cover a discussion of the
affected environment and a general overview of potential impacts and
possible mitigation. For each segment of BPA's system proposed for
telecommunication upgrading, a site-specific analysis would be
completed within a separate NEPA process.
The site specific portion of the EA will involve crossing the 100-
year floodplain of several major rivers and tributaries. At major river
crossings, the fiber optic cable would be placed on existing structures
so no new towers would be located in floodplains. The smaller rivers
and tributaries would be spanned using either existing towers or new
poles. The poles would not be located within a floodplain. Potential
impacts to floodplains could occur due to clearing of riparian
vegetation and improvement of access roads. However, with mitigation,
impacts would be eliminated or minimized to the fullest extent
possible. The first segment of this proposed upgrade, from Ross
Substation to Franklin Substation, will cross 100-year floodplains
associated with the following rivers/creeks (moving west to east):
Burnt Bridge Creek, Lacamas Creek, Matney Creek, Little Washougal
River, Washougal River, Rock Creek, Wind River, Little White Salmon
River, White Salmon River, Klickitat River, Fivemile Creek, Columbia
River (crossed three times), Fifteenmile Creek, Deschutes River, Fulton
Canyon Creek, Spanish Hollow Creek, John Day River, Quinton Canyon
Creek, Jones Canyon Creek, China Creek, Willow Creek, Sixmile Creek,
Umatilla River.
Permanently-flooded wetlands and small seasonal and riparian
wetlands occur in the 100-year floodplains of some of the rivers and
creeks mentioned above. Several of the larger wetlands occur in
sections 3, 9, 10, 16, & 17 in Township 2 North, Range 7 East, in
section 31 in Township 5 North, Range 27 East, and in section 15,
Township 4 North and Range 25 East. The greatest potential to affect
wetlands comes from the installation of new parallel structures or
access road improvements. Affects to wetlands could include filling
wetlands, alteration of plant communities, alteration of the hydrology,
or water quality degradation. These effects can be minimized or
eliminated by avoiding disturbance to wetlands through careful planning
and construction methods. For more specific information on floodplains
and wetlands in the project area contact Ms. Kevin Ward, Environmental
Coordinator--EFBG, Bonneville Power Administration, P.O. Box 3621,
Portland, Oregon 97208-3621, (503) 230-5511.
Maps and further information are available from BPA at the address
above.
Issued in Portland, Oregon, on May 4, 1994.
John M. Taves,
NEPA Compliance Officer, Engineering Services.
[FR Doc. 94-11557 Filed 5-11-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
