[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 169 (Thursday, August 31, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45489-45490]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-21617]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WY-030-94-5101-00-K014; WYW-130382]
Kenetech Windpower, Wyoming Wind Energy Project, Availability of
Final Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of final environmental impact statement
(FEIS) for the Kenetech Windpower, Wyoming Wind Energy Project, Carbon
County, Wyoming.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Wyoming State Office
announces the availability of the FEIS for the Kenetech/PacifiCorp
Windpower Project. A total of 1,390 wind turbines and associated
facilities (including approximately 29 miles of 230 kV powerline) would
be constructed on 60,619 acres of private, Federal, and State lands,
over a 10 to 12 year development period, in Carbon County, Wyoming. BLM
will issue a right-of-way grant under Section 501 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 for the wind energy facilities and
powerline.
The U.S. Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is a cooperating
agency for this project. BPA will base a decision to purchase 25
megawatts (Mw) of power from the project under Public Law 96-501 upon
this analysis.
DATES: BLM and BPA will accept comments on the FEIS for 30 days
following the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes their Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The EPA
notice is expected to be published September 1, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Bureau of Land Management,
Rawlins District Office, Walter E. George, Project Leader, 1300 3rd
Street, Rawlins, WY 82301 or Bonneville Power Administration, Richard
Stone, Environmental Specialist (ECN-3), P.O. Box 3621, Portland, OR
97208.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
assesses the environmental consequences of the Federal approval of
Kenetech's proposal to construct a 500 Mw windplant at two sites in
east central Carbon County, Wyoming, in a phased approach, over a 10 to
12 year period. The FEIS is a supplement to the Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS), published on January 13, 1995, and contains
the following material:
Incorporates by reference most of the material presented
in the DEIS and identifies the charges to the DEIS required as a result
of additional information.
Public comments subsequent to publishing of the DEIS.
The corrections and additions to the DEIS.
Comments received on the DEIS.
Responses to the comments.
Forty-seven comments were received by the BLM on the DEIS. Twenty-
two supported the project, 9 provided information and did not state a
position on the project, 3 were concerned with a potential conflict
with coal resources, 1 expressed concern with the economic rationale
for the project, and 13 opposed the project. The EPA, based on
procedures they use to evaluate the adequacy of the information in an
EIS, gave the DEIS a rating of EC-2 (Environmental Concern,
Insufficient Information).
No substantive changes were made to the proposed action. BLM has
agreed to evaluate all subsequent phases under complete NEPA
procedures. BLM also proposes the creation of a technical review
committee whose function will be to review nomitoring data and make
recommendation to the BLM authorized officer on further studies and
modification to windplant facilities regarding impacts to birds and
other wildlife.
[[Page 45490]]
Dated: August 24, 1995.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 95-21617 Filed 8-30-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-M
