Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 115 / Thursday, June 14, 2001 / Notices 32339

Requests for copies of the proposed

information collection request may be

accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, or

should be addressed to Vivian Reese,

Department of Education, 400 Maryland

Avenue, SW, Room 4050, Regional

Office Building 3, Washington, DC

20202–4651. Requests may also be

electronically mailed to the internet

address OCIO_IMG_Issues@ed.gov or

faxed to 202–708–9346. Please specify

the complete title of the information

collection when making your request.

Comments regarding burden and/or the

collection activity requirements should

be directed to MONTAGUE at (202)

708–5359. Individuals who use a

telecommunications device for the deaf

(TDD) may call the Federal Information

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–

8339.

[FR Doc. 01–14952 Filed 6–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Bonneville Power Administration

Starbuck Power Project

AGENCY: Bonneville Power

Administration (BPA), Department of

Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement.

SUMMARY: This notice announces BPA’s

intention to prepare a joint National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/State

Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) EIS in

cooperation with the State of

Washington Energy Facility Site

Evaluation Council (EFSEC) for an

electrical interconnection including a

new 16-mile 500-kilovolt (kV)

transmission line and other facilities

associated with a proposed power plant.

BPA is the lead Federal agency under

NEPA and EFSEC is the lead

Washington State agency under SEPA.

The Starbuck Power Project is a 1,200-

megawatt (MW) generating station

proposed by Starbuck Power Company,

L.L.C. (SPC) that would be located near

the town of Starbuck in Columbia

County, Washington. SPC has requested

an interconnection and upgrade to

BPA’s transmission system that would

allow firm power delivery to the

wholesale power market. BPA proposes

to execute an agreement with SPC to

provide the interconnection and firm

power transmission.

ADDRESSES: To be placed on the project

mailing list, including notification of

proposed meetings, call toll-free 1–800–

622–4520, name this project, and leave

your complete name and address. To

comment, call toll-free 1–800–622–

4519; send an e-mail to the BPA Internet

address comment@bpa.gov; or send a

letter to Communications, Bonneville

Power Administration—KC–7, P.O. Box

12999, Portland, Oregon, 97212.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lou

Driessen, Project Manager, Bonneville

Power Administration—TNP–3, P.O.

Box 3621, Portland, Oregon, 97208–

3621; toll-free telephone 1–800–282–

3713; direct telephone 503–230–5525;

or e-mail lcdriessen@bpa.gov. You may

also contact Phil Smith, Environmental

Coordinator, Bonneville Power

Administration—KEC–4, P.O. Box 3621,

Portland, Oregon 97208–3621; toll-free

telephone 1–800–282–3713; direct

telephone 503–230–3294; or e-mail

pwsmith@bpa.gov. Additional

information can be found at BPA’s web

site: www.efw.bpa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS

will assess the environmental

consequences of the proposed project,

including:

• Interconnection agreement that BPA

proposes with SPC;

• Construction and operation of the

power plant;

• Construction and operation of an

approximately 200-foot, 20-inchdiameter gas line to tie into Pacific Gas

& Electric (PG&E) Gas Transmission

Northwest’s (GTN) pipeline;

• Construction and operation of an

on-site well, or in the alternative, an

approximately 6-mile long, 4-inch

diameter water supply line from the

town of Starbuck to the power plant

site;

• Construction and operation of a rail

spur near the power plant site for use

during power plant construction; and

• Construction and operation of an

interconnection consisting of a

substation and approximately 16 miles

of 500-kV transmission line from the

substation to Lower Monumental

Substation.

The power plant and the gas and

power interconnections would be

located within Columbia County,

Washington. Approximately 1 mile of

the new 500-kV transmission line would

be located in Columbia County with the

remaining 15 miles in Walla Walla

County, Washington.

Responsibility for construction and

operation of the new facilities is

principally with SPC who would build

and operate the power plant. However,

the interconnection and the new 500-kV

transmission line would be constructed

under BPA’s management, and BPA

would be responsible for the operation

and maintenance of these facilities. GTN

would build and operate the proposed

approximately 200-foot gas pipeline that

would supply fuel to the power plant.

Proposed Action

The Starbuck Power Project would be

a natural-gas-fired combined-cycle

combustion turbine power plant with a

nominal generating capacity of

approximately 1,200 MW. The plant site

would be located on approximately 50

acres of a 100-acre site that is zoned for

industrial use and which is located

approximately 6 miles northwest of

Starbuck, Washington, on property

under option and owned by the BAR–

Z Ranch, a Washington Corporation.

Natural gas would be burned in a gas

turbine engine, in which the expanding

gases from combustion would turn the

turbine’s rotor, driving a generator to

produce electrical energy. Hot exhaust

from the gas turbine would be used to

boil water, using a heat recovery steam

generator (HRSG). Steam produced by

the HRSG turns a steam turbine, which

would connect to another generator,

producing additional electrical energy.

The Starbuck Power Project would

consist of two complete and separate

combined cycle power blocks (or

‘‘islands’’) and associated support

facilities. In summary, each block would

consist of two gas combustion turbine

generators, two HRSGs, one steam

turbine generator, and one air-cooled

condenser.

Water would be required to generate

steam, as well as for sanitary uses. The

proposed power plant would require an

average water consumption rate of less

than 500,000 gallons per day (gpd). SPC

proposes to use an on-site well. As an

alternative, the project has secured an

option to purchase 100 gallons per

minute (gpm), or up to 144,000 gpd, of

water from the town of Starbuck’s

existing water right. With this

alternative, an approximately 5-mile

water pipeline would be constructed

from the town of Starbuck to the project

site. SPC proposes to locate this line

within an abandoned railroad right-ofway that parallels SR–261 from

Starbuck to just south of the project site.

SPC proposes that project wastewater

and storm water be collected in

retention and infiltration ponds located

at the south end of the property.

The proposed Starbuck Power Project

would deliver electricity to the regional

power grid through an interconnection

and a new 500-kV transmission line

paralleling the existing Lower

Monumental-Little Goose No. 1 and No.

2 transmission lines. BPA would also

modify the existing Lower Monumental

Substation.

32340 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 115 / Thursday, June 14, 2001 / Notices

Process to Date

BPA is the lead Federal agency for the

joint NEPA/SEPA EIS, and EFSEC is the

lead Washington State agency. EFSEC

has already held open houses

introducing the Starbuck Power Project

to interested parties in Columbia County

and the surrounding area. Subsequent to

these meetings, BPA determined that a

new 500-kV transmission line was

necessary for firm power delivery on the

existing transmission system. SPC will

prepare an Application for Site

Certification and submit it to EFSEC in

July 2001. This initial application will

address the Starbuck Power Project in

detail. BPA and EFSEC will conduct

joint scoping meetings after receipt and

preliminary review of the initial

submission.

Alternatives Proposed for

Consideration

Alternatives thus far identified for

evaluation in the EIS are (1) the

proposed actions, (2) use of the town’s

well and a proposed water pipeline as

an alternative to the on-site well, and (3)

no action. Other alternatives may be

identified through the scoping process.

Identification of Environmental Issues

EFSEC will prepare an EIS consistent

with its responsibilities under Chapter

80.50 of the Revised Code of

Washington and Chapter 197–11 of the

Washington Administrative Code. BPA

has determined in a System Impact

Study requested by SPC that, for firm

transmission service, the construction of

16 miles of 500-kV transmission line

may be required. Such an action triggers

a need for BPA to prepare an EIS.

Therefore, BPA and EFSEC intend to

prepare a joint NEPA/SEPA EIS

addressing both the power plant and the

associated electric power

interconnection and transmission

facilities. The principal issues identified

thus far for consideration in the Draft

EIS are (1) air quality impacts, (2)

aesthetic and visual impacts, (3) socioeconomic impacts including

transportation impacts, (4) wetlands and

wildlife habitat impacts, (5) cultural

resource impacts, (6) water supply and

quality impacts, (7) health and safety

impacts, and (8) noise impacts from

plant operation. These issues, together

with any additional significant issues

identified through the scoping process,

will be addressed in the EIS. BPA will

also use the EIS and NEPA process to

address historic preservation and

cultural resource issues under Section

106 of the National Historic

Preservation Act.

Public Participation

After July 2001, one or more EIS

scoping meetings will be held, and a 45-

day comment period will be announced,

during which affected landowners,

concerned citizens, special interest

groups, local governments, and any

other interested parties are invited to

comment on the scope of the proposed

EIS. A 30-day notice of the meeting(s),

including time and location, will be

provided to interested persons. At the

meeting(s), BPA and EFSEC will answer

questions and accept oral and written

comments.

Receiving comments from interested

parties will assure that BPA and EFSEC

address in the EIS the full range of

issues and potentially significant

impacts related to the proposed project.

When completed, the Draft EIS will be

circulated for review and comment, and

BPA and EFSEC will hold at least one

public comment meeting on the Draft

EIS. BPA and EFSEC will consider and

respond in the Final EIS to comments

received on the Draft EIS.

Issued in Portland, Oregon, on June 4,

2001.

Stephen J. Wright,

Acting Administrator and Chief Executive

Officer.

[FR Doc. 01–14989 Filed 6–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission

[Docket No. CP01–377–000]

Dominion Transmission, Inc.; Notice of

Application

June 8, 2001.

Take notice that on May 30, 2001,

Dominion Transmission, Inc (DTI), 445

West Main Street, Clarksburg, West

Virginia 26301, filed an application

seeking authorization to continue

operation of a storage well and related

facilities pursuant to Section 7(b) of the

Natural Gas Act (NGA) and Part 157

Commission’s Rules and Regulations.

DTI states that the purpose of the

application is to obtain authorization to

continue the operation of the UW–124

storage well and related facilities

located in the North Summit Storage

Pool at DTI’s North Summit Storage

Field, all as more fully set forth in the

amendment which is open to the public

for inspection.

DTI states that the issuance of a

certificate of public convenience and

necessity for the UW–124 well will

allow more efficient and reliable

operations by DTI and will avoid

additional costs to DTI’s customers. DTI

also requests that intermediate decision

procedures be omitted, pursuant to

Rules 801 and 802 of the Commission’s

Rules of Practice and Procedure. This

application may be viewed on the web

at: www.rimswebl.ferc.us/

rims.q∼rp2∼ilnto (call 202–208–222 for

assistance).

Any questions regarding the

application should be directed to Sean

R. Sleigh, Certificates Manager,

Dominion Transmission, Inc., 445 West

Main Street, Clarksburg, WV 26301, at

(304) 627–3462.

There are two to become involved in

the Commission’s review of this project.

First, any person wishing to obtain legal

status by becoming a party to the

proceedings for this project should, on

or before June 29, 2001, file with the

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,

888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC

20426, a motion to intervene or a protest

in accordance with the requirements of

the Commission’s Rules of Practice and

Procedure (18 CFR 385.214 or 385.211)

and the Regulations under the NGA (18

CFR 157.10). A person obtaining party

status will be placed on the service list

maintained by the Secretary of the

Commission and will receive copies of

all documents filed by the applicant and

by all other parties. A party must submit

14 copies of filing made with the

Commission and must mail a copy to

the applicant and to every other party in

the proceeding. Only parties to the

proceeding can ask for court review of

Commission order in the proceeding.

However, a person does not have a

intervene in order to have comments

considered. The second way to

participate is by filing with the

Secretary of the Commission, as soon as

possible, an original and two copies of

comments in support of or in opposition

to this project. The Commission will

consider these comments in

determining the appropriate action to be

taken, but the filing of a comment alone

will not serve to make the filer a party

to the proceeding. The Commission’s

rules require that persons filing

comments in opposition to the project

provide copies of their protests only to

the party or parties directly involved in

the protest.

Persons who wish to comment only

on the environmental review of this

project should submit an original and

two copies of their comments to the

Secretary of the Commission.

Environmental commenters will be

placed on the Commission’s

environmental mailing list, will receive

copies of the environmental documents,

and will be notified of meetings