[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 2903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-897]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Interconnection of the Proposed Hyde County Wind Energy Center
Project (DOE/EIS-0461), and Proposed Crowned Ridge Wind Energy Center
Project (DOE/EIS-0462)
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Extension of Scoping Comment Period.
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SUMMARY: Western Area Power Administration (Western) published separate
Notices of Intent to prepare environmental impact statements (EISs) for
the Hyde County Wind Energy Center Project and the Crowned Ridge Wind
Energy Center Project in the Federal Register on November 30, 2010.
Both Notices of Intent specified a 45-day public scoping period, which
would end on January 14, 2011. Western received a request for an
extension of the public scoping period deadline to January 30, 2010,
due to the holidays. Western is granting that request, and by this
notice and local advertising is extending the formal scoping period to
midnight Monday, January 31, 2011.
DATES: The public scoping period commenced with the publication of the
Federal Register notices on November 30, 2010, and will, with the
extension of time, end on midnight, January 31, 2011. Western will
consider all comments on the scope of the EISs received or postmarked
by that date. The public is invited to submit comments on either
proposed project at any time during the EIS process.
ADDRESSES: Oral or written comments on the scope of either proposed
project may be mailed or e-mailed to Matt Marsh, Upper Great Plains
Regional Office, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 35800,
Billings, MT 59107-5800, e-mail [email protected], telephone (800) 358-
3415.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on the
proposed projects, the EIS process, or to receive a copy of either
Draft EIS when they are published, contact Matt Marsh at the address
above. For general information on the DOE's NEPA review process,
contact Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and
Compliance, GC-54, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0119, telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-
2756, facsimile (202) 586-7031.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NextEra Energy Resources (NextEra) applied
to interconnect its proposed 150-megawatt (MW) Hyde County Wind Energy
Center Project, located in Hyde County, South Dakota, with the
Western's existing Fort Thompson Substation in Buffalo County, South
Dakota. NextEra has also applied to interconnect its proposed 150-MW
Crowned Ridge Wind Energy Center Project with Western's existing
Watertown Substation in Codington County, South Dakota. The proposed
Project would be located in Codington and Grant counties, South Dakota.
Western is preparing separate EISs on the proposals to interconnect the
projects in accordance with NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347); DOE NEPA
Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021); and the CEQ regulations for
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508).\1\
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\1\ On October 4, 1999, DOE's Assistant Secretary for
Environmental, Safety and Health delegated to Western's
Administrator the authority to approve EISs for integrating
transmission facilities with Western's transmission grid.
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Separate Notices of Intent were published in the Federal Register
for both proposed projects on November 30, 2010 (75 FR 74040 for Hyde
County and 75 FR 74042 for Crowned Ridge). Scoping meetings were held
on December 14, 2010, in Highmore, South Dakota, for the Hyde County
Project, and on December 15, 2010, in Watertown, South Dakota, for the
Crowned Ridge Project. The Notices of Intent specified a 45-day public
scoping period, which would end on January 14, 2011. One commenter,
writing on his own behalf and that of other area landowners, has
requested an extension of the public scoping period deadline to January
30, 2011, due to the holidays. Western is granting that request, and by
this notice and local advertising is extending the formal scoping
period to midnight Monday, January 31, 2011.
Dated: January 10, 2011.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-897 Filed 1-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P