[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 198 (Thursday, October 14, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63141-63143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-25825]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Apalachicola National Forest; Florida; City of Tallahassee 230kV
Southwestern Transmission Line
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Forest Service, Apalachicola National Forest intends
to prepare an environmental impact statement under a 3rd party
agreement with the City of Tallahassee, Florida to
[[Page 63142]]
issue a special use authorization for the construction, occupancy and
use of national forest system land for a 230kV electric transmission
line. The addition of an east-west 230kV transmission line would
connect the Hopkins--Crawfordville 230kV transmission line south of the
Tallahassee Regional Airport (near the intersection of Springhill and
Bice Roads), with the existing Substation BP-5 (southeast of the
Capital Circle S.W./Woodville Highway intersection). The proposed
transmission line would be approximately 8 miles long with
approximately 6.4 miles located within the Apalachicola National
Forest. The transmission line would parallel the existing Florida Gas
Transmission Company's natural gas lines from the Hopkins--
Crawfordville line until the forest boundary south of Substation BP-5.
Once off the forest it would parallel an existing 115kV electric
transmission line to its terminus at Substation BP-5.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by November 19, 2010 in order to be considered in the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement
is expected in April 2011. A Final Environmental Impact Statement is
expected in October 2011. A Public Workshop will be held in
Tallahassee, Florida on October 28, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Susan Jeheber-Matthews, Forest
Supervisor, National Forests in Florida, 325 John Knox Road Suite F-
100, Tallahassee, FL 32303. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to
[email protected]., or via facsimile to (850) 523-
8505.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harold Shenk, U.S. Forest Service, 57
Taff Drive, Crawfordville, FL 32327. Telephone; (850) 926-3561.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is the
electric reliability organization certified by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) to develop and enforce Reliability
Standards for the bulk power system. NERC Transmission Planning
Standards (TPL Standards 001-004) identify the mandatory planning
standards that electric utilities must follow to ensure that reliable
systems are developed that meet specified performance requirements.
The City conducts annual studies to evaluate the reliability of the
bulk transmission system under a variety of contingencies that ensure
the system meets the NERC standards. Recent studies have identified
that the existing electric transmission network needs to be modified to
ensure continued compliance with the NERC reliability planning
standards.
Absent system improvements, the reliable delivery of power from the
City's generating facilities and imported power via ties with other
utilities to all customers cannot be ensured in the future under
certain contingencies. The loss of multiple transmission lines due to a
single event on a common right of way would cause other lines on the
system to be overloaded. An additional electric transmission delivery
path from east to west was identified as the means by which the City
can maintain the ability to supply projected customer demands and
wholesale transmission services into the future as required by the NERC
Standards.
The proposed 230kV Transmission Line would provide enhanced system
benefits that will meet the NERC mandated requirements and will improve
system performance to the general public. These benefits include: (1)
Improved system reliability over a broader range of contingencies &
longer duration as a result of providing an additional delivery path
from generation sources and interconnections with other utilities to
customers; (2) improved power transfer (east to west) as a result of
the reduced losses associated with higher voltage transmission lines;
and (3) address reliability concerns regarding the ability to supply
future customer demands should one or more of the current east to west
delivery paths become unavailable due to an equipment fault or failure.
Proposed Action
The Proposed Action is to issue a special use authorization for the
construction, occupancy and use of a 230kV electric transmission line
on approximately 6.4 miles of national forest system lands on the
Apalachicola National Forest. The proposed electric transmission line
would connect the Hopkins-Crawfordville 230kV line south of the
Tallahassee Regional Airport (near the intersection of Springhill and
Bice Roads), with the existing Substation BP-5 (southeast of the
Capital Circle SW. and Woodville Highway intersection). The proposed
transmission line would be approximately 8 miles long with
approximately 6.4 miles located within the Apalachicola National
Forest.
The proposed transmission line would be located adjacent to an
existing utility corridor currently under a U.S. Forest Service Special
Use Permit with the Florida Gas Transmission Company. The proposed
transmission line would increase the existing 80 foot-wide Florida Gas
corridor by an additional 60 feet. The additional corridor would occur
within the temporary work space previously created by the Florida Gas
Transmission Company and documented in the January 11, 2010 Record of
Decision, Special Use Permit, Florida Gas Transmission Company, Phase
VIII Expansion Project. The Proposed Action would also include the
development of a new tap point on the Hopkins-Crawfordville line.
Possible Alternatives
Two additional routes were evaluated during development of the
proposed transmission line. The first alternative route follows
Springhill Road, passes through a smaller undisturbed area of the
Apalachicola National Forest, and then parallels Capital Circle SW. The
second route, consisting of a minor deviation of the first route, would
follow Springhill Road all the way to Capital Circle SW., reducing
impact to the national forest, but would not meet FAA safety
regulations (FAR Part 77) for structure height near the runway at the
Tallahassee Regional Airport.
Responsible Official
Susan Jeheber-Matthews, Forest Supervisor, 325 John Knox Road,
Suite F-100, Tallahassee, FL 32303.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Forest Service will decide whether or not to issue a special
use authorization for the construction, occupancy and use of a 230kV
electric transmission line on approximately 6.4 miles of national
forest system lands on the Apalachicola National Forest and conditions
there of.
Permits or Licenses Required
Leon County Environmental Management Permit.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, National Discharge
Elimination permit.
Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which will
guide the development of the environmental impact statement. A Public
Workshop will be held in Tallahassee, Florida on October 28, 2010
(Woodville Elementary
[[Page 63143]]
School Cafeteria, 9373 Woodville Highway, 5-7 p.m.) to provide citizens
an opportunity to learn about the project and to provide comments.
Letters requesting comments on the proposed action will be mailed to
the public involvement mailing list for the Apalachicola National
Forest and local citizens that may be affected by the project.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of
the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide
the Agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent
environmental documents.
Dated: October 7, 2010.
Susan Jeheber-Matthews,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-25825 Filed 10-13-10; 8:45 am]
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