Kenetech Windpower, Wyoming Wind Energy Project, Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement
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Kenetech Windpower, Wyoming Wind Energy Project, Availabilit
[Federal Register: August 31, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 169)] [Notices]
[Page 45489-45490]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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.
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:
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Public comments subsequent to publishing of the DEIS. <bullet> The corrections and additions to the DEIS. <bullet> Comments received on the DEIS. <bullet> Responses to the comments. Forty-seven comments were received by the BLM on the DEIS. Twentytwo 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
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