Wyoming State Office
| Contacts: | Beverly Gorny | |||
| 307-775-6158 |
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for
Gateway West
Transmission Line Available for Review
A draft environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing a proposed electric transmission line between Wyoming and Idaho has been released by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for public review and comment. The public has until Oct. 28 to review and comment on the draft EIS. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice of availability of the document on July 29 which started the comment period.
This project is jointly proposed by Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power, and would result in construction of nearly 1,100 miles of high voltage transmission lines across southern Wyoming and southern Idaho. The project proponents have applied to the BLM and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for right of way grants to construct, operate and maintain transmission lines from the proposed Windstar substation near Glenrock, Wyo. to the proposed Hemingway substation near Melba, Idaho, approximately 20 miles southwest of Boise.
Construction of Gateway West would add 3,000 megawatts (MW) of transmission capacity. The transmission line will serve present and future needs of customers, enhance electric system reliability and transmit electricity generated from new and existing resources, including wind.
The BLM is the lead federal agency for the National Environmental Policy Act process for this project, and is working with cooperating agencies including the USFS; National Park Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Bureau of Indian Affairs; states of Idaho and Wyoming, including the Idaho Army National Guard; Cassia, Power, and Twin Falls counties in Idaho; Carbon, Lincoln, and Sweetwater counties in Wyoming; the Saratoga-Encampment-Riverside and Medicine Bow conservation districts in Wyoming; and the City of Kuna, Idaho.
The BLM, local, and state cooperators have worked together to develop a range of reasonable alternatives to this proposed action that will be discussed during public information meetings. Those meetings are planned for: Idaho – Boise, Kuna, Murphy, Melba, Mountain Home, Twin Falls, Burley, Almo, Fort Hall, Montpelier, American Falls and Pocatello; Wyoming - Kemmerer, Rock Springs, Rawlins, and Douglas; and Jackpot, Nev. Specific dates for meetings will be announced at least two weeks in advance. All meetings will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
To submit comments and to review the draft EIS and related documents, including detailed maps, visit the project website at: www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/cfodocs/gateway_west.
Copies of the DEIS are available for public inspection during normal business hours at the following locations:
- BLM, Wyoming State Office, Public Room, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming;
- BLM, Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming;
- BLM, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. Third St., Rawlins, Wyoming;
- BLM, Rock Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191 N., Rock Springs, Wyoming;
- BLM, Kemmerer Field Office, 312 Highway 189 N., Kemmerer, Wyoming;
- BLM, Nevada State Office, Public Room, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, Nevada;
- BLM, Wells Field Office, 3900 E. Idaho St., Elko, Nevada;
- BLM Idaho State Office, Public Room, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, Idaho;
- BLM, Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, Idaho;
- BLM, Idaho Falls District Office, 1405 Hollipark Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho;
- BLM, Burley Field Office, 15 E. 200 S., Burley, Idaho;
- BLM, Twin Falls District Office, 2536 Kimberly Road, Twin Falls, Idaho;
- BLM, Shoshone Field Office, 400 W. F St., Shoshone, Idaho;
- BLM, Boise District Office, 3948 Development Ave., Boise, Idaho;
- BLM, Owyhee Field Office, 20 First Ave. W., Marsing, Idaho;
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, 2468 Jackson St., Laramie, Wyoming;
- Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, Douglas Ranger District, 2250 E. Richards St., Douglas, Wyoming;
- Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Montpelier Ranger District, 322 N. 4th St., Montpelier, Idaho; and
- Sawtooth National Forest, Minidoka Ranger District, 3650 Overland Ave., Burley, Idaho.
Copies of the DEIS will also be delivered to public libraries in project-area communities. A limited number of copies of the document will be available as supplies last. To request a copy, contact Walt George, Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, P.O. Box 20879, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003, 307-775-6116.
All comments must be postmarked by Oct. 28 and will be incorporated into the final EIS that will be used to make a final decision on the proposal.
Comments can also be made to the BLM via the project Web site at: www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/cfodocs/gateway_west, via the project E-mail address (Gateway_West_WYMail@blm.gov) or in writing to Bureau of Land Management, Gateway West Project, P.O. Box 20879, Cheyenne, WY 82003. To be most useful, public comments should be received by Oct. 28.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Wyoming State Office 5353 Yellowstone Road Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009