15718 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 

Web site at http://www.ferc.gov/docsfiling/elibrary.asp. Enter the docket 

number (P–13357) in the docket number 

field to access the document. For 

assistance, call toll-free 1–866–208– 

3372. 

Kimberly D. Bose, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. E9–7768 Filed 4–6–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6717–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Western Area Power Administration 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utility Service 

Proposed PrairieWinds Project, South 

Dakota 

AGENCIES: Western Area Power 

Administration, U.S. Department of 

Energy; Rural Utilities Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement and to 

Conduct Scoping Meetings; Notice of 

Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement. 

SUMMARY: The Western Area Power 

Administration (Western), an agency 

within the U.S. Department of Energy 

(DOE), and Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS), an agency within the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

intend to jointly prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

for the proposed PrairieWinds Project 

(Project) in South Dakota. Western is 

issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to 

inform the public and interested parties 

about the proposed Project, conduct a 

public scoping process, and invite the 

public to comment on the scope, 

proposed action, alternatives, and other 

issues to be addressed in the EIS. 

The EIS will address the construction, 

maintenance and operation of the 

proposed Project, which would include 

a 151.5-megawatt (MW) nameplate 

capacity wind-powered generating 

facility consisting of wind turbine 

generators, electrical collector lines, 

collector substation(s), transmission 

line(s), communications system, and 

service roads to access wind turbine 

sites. The EIS will also address the 

proposed interconnection with existing 

Western substations. The proposed 

Project would be located within 

portions of Brule, Aurora, and Jerauld 

counties, South Dakota or entirely 

within Tripp County, South Dakota. 

Portions of the proposed Project may 

affect floodplains and wetlands, so this 

NOI also serves as a notice of proposed 

floodplain or wetland action. Western 

and RUS will hold public scoping 

meetings near the proposed Project 

areas to share information and receive 

comments and suggestions on the scope 

of the EIS. 

DATES: Open house public scoping 

meetings will be held on April 28, 2009, 

at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites, 

1360 East Highway 44, Winner, South 

Dakota, 57580, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

CDT; and on April 29, 2009, at the 

Commerce Street Grille, 118 N. Main 

Street, Plankinton, South Dakota, 57368, 

from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. CDT. The public 

scoping period starts with the 

publication of this notice in the Federal 

Register and will continue through May 

15, 2009. To help define the scope of the 

EIS, written comments should be 

submitted through the project’s Web 

address: http://www.wapa.gov/ 

sdprairiewinds.htm, or sent by letter, 

fax, or e-mail no later than May 15, 

2009. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the 

scope of the EIS should be addressed to 

Ms. Liana Reilly, Document Manager, 

Western Area Power Administration, 

Corporate Services Office, A7400, P.O. 

Box 281213, Lakewood, Colorado 

80228–8213, fax (720) 962–7263, or sent 

by e-mail to sdprairiewinds@wapa.gov. 

Comments may also be submitted 

through the project’s Web address: 

http://www.wapa.gov/ 

sdprairiewinds.htm. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the proposed Project, the 

EIS process, and general information 

about interconnections with Western’s 

transmission system, contact Ms. Reilly 

at (800) 336–7288 or the address 

provided above. Parties wishing to be 

placed on the Project mailing list for 

future information, and to receive 

copies of the Draft and Final EIS when 

they are available, should also contact 

Ms. Reilly. 

For information on RUS financing, 

contact Mr. Dennis Rankin, Project 

Manager, Engineering and 

Environmental Staff, Rural Utilities 

Service, Utilities Program, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW., Mail Stop 

1571, Washington, DC 20250–1571, 

telephone (202) 720–1953 or e-mail 

dennis.rankin@wdc.usda.gov. 

For general information on DOE 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), 42 U.S.C. 4321–4347 review 

procedures or status of a NEPA review, 

contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, 

Director of NEPA Policy and 

Compliance, GC–20, U.S. Department of 

Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Washington, DC 20585, telephone 

(202) 586–4600 or (800) 472–2756. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western, 

an agency within DOE, markets Federal 

hydroelectric power to preference 

customers, as specified by law. These 

customers include municipalities, 

cooperatives, public utilities, irrigation 

districts, Federal and State agencies, 

and Native American Tribes in 15 

western states, including South Dakota. 

Western owns and operates about 

17,000 miles of transmission lines. 

RUS, an agency that delivers the 

USDA’s Rural Development Utilities 

Program, is authorized to make loans 

and loan guarantees that finance the 

construction of electric distribution, 

transmission, and generation facilities, 

including system improvements and 

replacements required to furnish and 

improve electric service in rural areas, 

as well as demand side management, 

energy conservation programs, and ongrid and off-grid renewable energy 

systems. 

Basin Electric is a regional wholesale 

electric generation and transmission 

cooperative owned and controlled by its 

member cooperatives. Basin Electric 

serves approximately 2.5 million 

customers covering 430,000 square 

miles in portions of nine states, 

including Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, 

Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North 

Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. 

PrairieWinds, SD1, Incorporated 

(PrairieWinds), is a wholly owned 

subsidiary of Basin Electric. 

Project Description 

PrairieWinds proposes to construct, 

own, operate, and maintain the South 

Dakota PrairieWinds Project, a 151.5– 

MW nameplate capacity wind-powered 

generation facility, including windturbine generators, electrical collector 

lines, collector substation(s), 

transmission line, communications 

system, and service access roads to 

access wind-turbine sites. 

There are two possible locations for 

the proposed Project. One site is located 

on about 37,000 acres about 15 miles 

north of White Lake, South Dakota, 

within Brule, Aurora, and Jerauld 

counties, South Dakota. For this 

alternative, the requested 

interconnection is with Western’s 

electric transmission system at 

Wessington Springs Substation, located 

in Jerauld County, South Dakota. The 

other site is located on about 83,000 

acres about 8 miles south of Winner, 

South Dakota, entirely within Tripp 

County, South Dakota. If this alternative 

is selected, the interconnection request 

will be with Western’s electric 

transmission system at Winner 

Substation, located in Tripp County. 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 15719 

The proposed Project is subject to the 

jurisdiction of the South Dakota Public 

Utilities Commission (SDPUC), which 

has regulatory authority for siting wind 

generation facilities and transmission 

lines within the State. PrairieWinds will 

submit an application for an Energy 

Conversion Facility Permit to the 

SDPUC. The SDPUC permit would 

authorize PrairieWinds to construct the 

proposed Project under South Dakota 

rules and regulations. Western’s Federal 

action is to consider Basin Electric’s 

interconnection request under Western’s 

Open Access Transmission Service 

Tariff and make a decision whether to 

approve or deny the interconnection 

request. If the decision is to approve the 

request, Western’s action would include 

making necessary system modifications 

to accommodate the interconnection of 

the proposed Project. PrairieWinds has 

requested financial assistance for the 

proposed Project from RUS. RUS’ 

Federal action is whether to provide 

financial assistance; accordingly, 

completing the EIS is one requirement, 

along with other technical and financial 

considerations in processing 

PrairieWind’s application. 

Western and RUS intend to prepare 

an EIS to analyze the impacts of their 

respective Federal actions and the 

proposed Project in accordance with 

NEPA, as amended, DOE NEPA 

Implementing Procedures (10 CFR 

1021), the CEQ regulations for 

implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500– 

1508), and RUS Environmental Policies 

and Procedures (7 CFR 1794). While 

Western’s and RUS’ Federal actions 

would be limited to the approval or 

denial of the interconnection request, 

any modifications to Western’s power 

system necessary to accommodate the 

interconnection, and providing financial 

assistance for the proposed Project, the 

EIS will also identify and address the 

environmental impacts of the proposed 

Project. The EIS will evaluate in detail 

the two alternatives, any other viable 

alternatives identified during the public 

scoping process, and the No Action 

Alternative. 

Regardless of the site selected, the 

proposed Project would consist of four 

main facilities: Turbines, collector 

system, roads, and transmission lines. 

PrairieWinds plans to install 101 

General Electric 1.5–MW wind turbines 

for the proposed Project within one of 

the alternative generation sites. Fifteen 

additional turbines may be installed 

within the selected site, pending future 

load, transmission availability, and 

renewable production standard 

requirements. Each generator would 

have a hub height of 262 feet and a 

turbine rotor diameter of 252 feet. The 

total height of each wind turbine would 

be 389 feet with a blade in the vertical 

position. The towers would be 

constructed of tubular steel, 

approximately 15 feet in diameter at the 

base, with internal joint flanges. The 

color of the towers and rotors would be 

standard white or off-white. During 

construction, a work/staging area at 

each turbine would include the crane 

pad and rotor assembly area. This area 

would measure about 190 feet by 210 

feet. The turbine foundations would 

typically be mat foundations (inverted 

T-foundations) or a concentric-ring-shell 

foundation. The area excavated for the 

turbine foundations would typically be 

no more than 70 feet by 70 feet 

(approximately 0.1 acre). Pad mounted 

transformers 74 inches by 92 inches by 

70 inches would be placed next to each 

turbine. In some cases, for step-andtouch voltage compliance, an area 

around a turbine may be covered in 4 

inches of gravel, river rock or crushed 

stone. 

Each wind turbine would be 

interconnected with underground 

power and communications cables, 

identified as the collector system. This 

system would be used to route the 

power from each turbine to a central 

collector substation(s) where the 

electrical voltage would be stepped up 

from 34.5 kilovolt (kV) to 230-kV. The 

collector substation(s) would be 

enclosed in a fence with dimensions 

about 350 feet by 140 feet. The 

underground collector system would be 

placed in one trench or two parallel 

trenches and connect each of the 

turbines to a central collector 

substation. The estimated trench length, 

including parallel trenches, is 317,000 

feet (60 miles). 

The fiber optic communication lines 

for the proposed Project would be 

installed in the same trenches as the 

underground electrical collector cables 

and connect each turbine to a proposed 

operations and maintenance (O&M) 

building and collector substation(s). It is 

anticipated that a 5,500-square foot (50 

feet by 110 feet) O&M building would be 

built within the vicinity of the collector 

substation. The final location would be 

determined in consultation with future 

operations personnel. 

New access roads would be built to 

facilitate both construction and 

maintenance of the turbines. This road 

network would be approximately 70 

miles of new and/or upgraded roads. 

These roads would be designed to 

minimize length and construction 

impact. Initially, turbine access roads 

would be built to approximately 25-feet 

wide, to accommodate the safe 

operation of construction equipment. 

Upon completion of construction, the 

turbine access roads would be reclaimed 

and narrowed to an extent allowing for 

the routine maintenance of the facility. 

Existing roads, including state and 

county roads and section line roads, 

would also be improved to aid in 

servicing the turbine sites. 

Approximately 30 to 40 miles of new 

turbine access roads would be built and 

25 to 35 miles of existing roads would 

be used and, where appropriate, 

improved. 

Under one alternative, a new 230-kV 

transmission line would be required to 

deliver the power from the collector 

substation(s) to a new 230-kV Western 

interconnection point at the existing 

Wessington Springs Substation. The 

Wessington Springs Substation is 

located approximately 9 to 12 miles 

from the proposed collector 

substation(s). The proposed line would 

be built using wood or steel H-frame 

(two pole) structures or steel single-pole 

structures. The structures would be 

about 85 to 95 feet high and span about 

800 feet. 

The other alternative site, near 

Winner, would require 34.5-kV to 115- 

kV collector substation(s) as well as a 

115-kV transmission line to 

interconnect to Western’s existing 115- 

kV Winner Substation. Other facilities 

would be similar to those described for 

the proposed Project. Because the 

proposed Project may involve action in 

floodplains or wetlands, this NOI also 

serves as a notice of proposed 

floodplain or wetland action, in 

accordance with DOE regulations for 

Compliance with Floodplain and 

Wetlands Environmental Review 

Requirements at 10 CFR 1022.12(a). The 

EIS will include a floodplain/wetland 

assessment and, if required, a 

floodplain/wetland statement of 

findings will be issued with the Final 

EIS or Western’s and RUS’ Records of 

Decision. 

Agency Responsibilities 

Western and RUS are serving as colead Federal agencies, as defined at 40 

CFR 1501.5, for preparation of the EIS. 

With this notice, Native American 

Tribes and agencies with jurisdiction or 

special expertise are invited to be 

cooperating agencies. Such tribes or 

agencies may make a request to Western 

to be a cooperating agency by contacting 

Western’s NEPA Document Manager. 

Designated cooperating agencies have 

certain responsibilities to support the 

NEPA process, as specified at 40 CFR 

1501.6(b). 

15720 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 7, 2009 / Notices 

Environmental Issues 

This notice is to inform agencies and 

the public of Western’s and RUS’ 

Federal actions, and the proposed 

Project, and to solicit comments and 

suggestions for consideration in 

preparing the EIS. To help the public 

frame its comments, this notice contains 

a list of potential environmental issues 

that Western and RUS have tentatively 

identified for analysis. These issues 

include: 

1. Impacts on protected, threatened, 

endangered, or sensitive species of 

animals or plants; 

2. Impacts on avian and bat species; 

3. Impacts on land use, recreation, 

and transportation; 

4. Impacts on cultural or historic 

resources and tribal values; 

5. Impacts on human health and 

safety; 

6. Impacts on air, soil, and water 

resources (including air quality and 

surface water impacts); 

7. Visual impacts; and 

8. Socioeconomic impacts and 

disproportionately high and adverse 

impacts to minority and low-income 

populations. 

This list is not intended to be allinclusive or to imply any 

predetermination of impacts. 

Environmental issues associated with 

Western’s action, RUS’ action, and 

PraireWinds’ proposed Project will be 

addressed separately in the EIS. Western 

and RUS invite interested parties to 

suggest specific issues within these 

general categories, or other issues not 

included above, to be considered in the 

EIS. 

Public Participation 

Public participation and full 

disclosure are planned for the entire EIS 

process. The EIS process will include 

public scoping open house meetings 

and a scoping comment period to solicit 

comments from interested parties; 

consultation and involvement with 

appropriate Federal, State, local, and 

tribal governmental agencies; public 

review and a hearing on the draft EIS; 

publication of a final EIS; and 

publication of separate Records of 

Decision by Western and RUS, currently 

anticipated in 2010. Additional informal 

public meetings may be held in the 

proposed Project areas, if public interest 

and issues indicate a need. 

The public scoping period begins 

with publication of this notice in the 

Federal Register and closes May 15, 

2009. The purpose of the scoping 

meetings is to provide information 

about Western’s Federal action, RUS’s 

Federal action, and the proposed 

Project, display maps, answer questions, 

and take written comments from 

interested parties. 

Western and RUS will hold open 

house public scoping meetings in 

Plankinton, South Dakota and Winner, 

South Dakota as noted above. Attendees 

are welcome to come and go at their 

convenience and to speak one-on-one 

with Project representatives and agency 

staff. The public will have the 

opportunity to provide written 

comments at the meeting. In addition, 

attendees may provide written 

comments by letter, fax, e-mail, or 

through the project’s Web address. 

To be considered in defining the 

scope of the EIS, comments should be 

received by the end of the scoping 

period. Anonymous comments will not 

be accepted. 

Dated: March 30, 2009. 

Timothy J. Meeks, 

Administrator. 

Dated: March 26, 2009. 

Mark S. Plank, 

Director, Engineering and Environmental 

Staff, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. E9–7813 Filed 4–6–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

[FRL–8789–8; EPA–HQ–OEI–2007–1152] 

Amendment to the Toxic Substances 

Control Act Confidential Business 

Information Records Access System, 

EPA–20 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the provisions of 

the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), 

the Office of Pollution Prevention and 

Toxics is giving notice that it proposes 

to amend the ‘‘Toxic Substance Control 

Act Confidential Business Information 

Records Access System’’ to 

‘‘Confidential Business Information 

Tracking System (CBITS)’’ to correct the 

official name of the system of record 

notice (SORN), system location and 

system manager. 

DATES: Persons wishing to comment on 

this system of records notice must do so 

by May 18, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– 

2007–1152, by one of the following 

methods: 

• http://www.regulations.gov: Follow 

the online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• E-mail: oei.docket@epa.gov 

• Fax: 202–566–1752. 

• Mail: OEI Docket, Environmental 

Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 

1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., 

Washington, DC 20460. 

• Hand Delivery: OEI Docket, EPA/ 

DC, EPA West Building, Room B102, 

1301 Constitution Ave., NW., 

Washington, DC. Such deliveries are 

only accepted during the Docket’s 

normal hours of operation and special 

arrangements should be made for 

deliveries of boxed information. 

Instructions: Direct your comments to 

Docket ID No. EPA–HQ–OEI–2007– 

1152. EPA’s policy is that all comments 

received will be included in the public 

docket without change and may be 

made available online at http:// 

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided, unless 

the comment includes information 

claimed to be Confidential Business 

Information (CBI) or other information 

for which disclosure is restricted by 

statute. Do not submit information that 

you consider to be CBI or otherwise 

protected through http:// 

www.regulations.gov. The http:// 

www.regulations.gov Web site is an 

‘‘anonymous access’’ system, which 

means EPA will not know your identity 

or contact information unless you 

provide it in the body of your comment. 

If you send an e-mail comment directly 

to EPA without going through http:// 

www.regulations.gov your e-mail 

address will be automatically captured 

and included as part of the comment 

that is placed in the public docket and 

made available on the Internet. If you 

submit an electronic comment, EPA 

recommends that you include your 

name and other contact information in 

the body of your comment and with any 

disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA 

cannot read your comment due to 

technical difficulties and cannot contact 

you for clarification, EPA may not be 

able to consider your comment. 

Electronic files should avoid the use of 

special characters, any form of 

encryption, and be free of any defects or 

viruses. For additional information 

about EPA’s public docket visit the EPA 

Docket Center homepage at http:// 

www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm. 

Docket: All documents in the docket 

are listed in the http:// 

www.regulations.gov index. Although 

listed in the index, some information is 

not publicly available, e.g., CBI or other 

information for which disclosure is 

restricted by statute. Certain other 

material, such as copyrighted material, 

will be publicly available only in hard 

copy. Publicly available docket 

materials are available either