TRANSWESTEXPRESS

TRANSMISSIONPROJECTSeptember 2011 

Western 

BLM 

This issue of the TransWest Express Transmission Project (TWE Project) newsletter provides an update to 

project activities and the next steps in preparing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The TWE 

Project would be an approximately 725-mile-long, 600-kilovolt direct current transmission line from southcentral Wyoming to southern Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Western Area Power 

Administration (Western) are joint-lead agencies preparing the EIS. 

Public scoping completed 

The BLM and Western have 

completed the scoping 

process for the TWE Project 

EIS. The Notice of Intent 

(NOI) was published in the 

Federal Register on January 

4, 2011 notifying the public 

of the joint-lead agencies’ 

intent to prepare an EIS. 

BLM and Western hosted 

23 public scoping meetings 

throughout the project area 

in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, 

and Nevada during the 90-day public scoping period. 

A total of 622 comment submittals containing 2,319 

individual comments were received during the 

scoping period. 

Information acquired during the scoping period 

assists the joint-lead agencies in identifying the 

potential environmental issues, alternative corridors, 

and mitigation associated with developing the 

proposed TWE Project. Scoping comments were 

compiled and categorized geographically by issue 

and resource. 

After evaluating the comments, several key issues 

emerged. The following issues are general topics 

that represent the public’s major concerns about 

developing the TWE Project. 

• Concerns about corridor alternatives were related 

to avoidance of sensitive resources, public health 

and safety, and impacts to property values. 

• Concerns over potential private and public land 

use conflicts including landowner property, state 

lands, and federal special designated lands. 

• Concerns about impacts to the Greater sagegrouse, desert tortoise, other special status species, 

bird collisions as well as impacts to big game. 

• Public health and safety concerns such as the 

effects of electromagnetic fields on humans, 

increased traffic during construction, and 

co-location near existing gas lines. 

The TWE Scoping Summary report provides more 

detail about the scoping process and the comments 

received. The document is now available on the BLM 

project website at www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/ 

hdd/transwest.htm and on Western’s project website at 

ww2.wapa.gov/sites/western/recovery/Pages/TWE.aspx. 

The document also can be viewed at your local library. 

Carbon County Library Carbon County Libraries 

215 W. Buffalo Street 105 2nd Street 

Rawlins, WY 82301 Baggs, WY 82321 

Rangely Regional Library Grand County Library 

109 E. Main Street 257 E. Center 

Rangely, CO 81648 Moab, UT 84532 

Duchesne County Library Nephi Public Library 

130 S. Center St., Suite A 21 E. 100 North Street 

Duchesne, UT 84021 Nephi, UT 84648 

Richfield Public Library Cedar City Public Library 

83 E. Center Street 303 N. 100 East 

Richfield, UT 84701 Cedar City, UT 84720 

Washington County Library Moapa Town Library 

50 S. Main 1340 E. Highway 168 

St. George, UT 84770 Moapa, NV 89025 

Summerlin Library Moffat County Library 

1771 Inner Circle Drive 570 Green Street 

Las Vegas, NV 89134 Craig, CO 81625 

Rock Springs Library Uintah County Library 

400 C Street 155 E. Main 

Rock Springs, WY 82901 Vernal, UT 84078 

Mesa County Library Delta City Library 

530 Grand Ave. 76 N. 200 West 

Grand Junction, CO 81501 Delta, UT 84624 

Emery County Library Washington County Library 

145 N. 1st East 393 S. 200 East 

Castle Dale, UT 84513 Enterprise, UT 84725 

Milford Public Library Green Valley Library 

400 S. 100 West 2797 Green Valley Pkwy. 

Milford, UT 84751 Henderson, NV 89014 

Lincoln County Library 

100 Deport Ave. 

Caliente, NV 89008 

Next steps 

Alternatives for EIS analysis 

Based on public comments and consultation with 

the cooperating agencies, the BLM and Western are 

refining the alternative corridors to be analyzed 

in the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS must consider a 

reasonable range of alternatives that meet the 

applicant’s purpose and need. Environmental 

impacts of constructing, operating, and maintaining 

the project within the proposed corridor and the 

alternative corridors will be analyzed, compared, and 

presented in the Draft EIS. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

90-Day Scoping Period 

Prepare Draft EIS 

12-24 Months 

90-Day Public Review 

of Draft EIS 

Prepare Final EIS 

12-18 Months 

30-Day Availability Period 

Record of Decision 

30-Day Public Protest/Appeal 

Publish Draft EIS 

Publish Final EIS 

Public Involvement Opportunities 

September 2011 

Bureau of Land Management 

P.O. Box 20678 

Cheyenne, WY 82003 

BLM and Forest Service plan amendments 

The BLM and Western are currently identifying the BLM and 

Forest Service plan amendments that will be required for 

the TWE Project. The plan amendment NEPA process will 

occur concurrently with the Project NEPA process. The plan 

amendments will be completed in compliance with the Federal 

Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and regulations, 

policies and guidelines of the agencies requiring the plan 

amendments. Potential plan amendments will be identified in 

the Draft EIS, but will not be finalized until the final route has 

been selected. 

Preparation of the Draft EIS 

BLM and Western are currently collecting data for each 

resource that could potentially be affected in the project 

area. This information will be used to prepare the affected 

environment section of the Draft EIS. In coordination with 

the cooperating agencies, BLM and Western will assess the 

impacts that the project could have on each resource and 

apply measures to mitigate the impacts. The process will be 

documented and impacts disclosed in the Draft EIS and plan 

amendments, which will take from 12 to 24 months. The Draft 

EIS and plan amendments will be published and available 

for a 90-day public review period. The NEPA process chart 

to the right shows opportunities to provide comments and 

to participate in the NEPA process. You are encouraged to 

participate and comment on the Draft EIS during the 90-day 

public review period, which will take place approximately 12 to 

24 months from now. 

Environmental Impact 

Statement Process 

(NEPA Process) 

Publish Notice of Intent 

We are here 

Issue ROW Grant