Swan Lake-Lake Tyee Intertie Transmission Line, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan Area and Stikine Area, AK

SUMMARY: Ketchikan Public Utilities proposes to build and operate a 138

kV electric transmission line in Southeast Alaska between the

switchyard of the Swan Lake Hydroelectric Station on Revillagigedo

Island and the switchyard at the Lake Tyee Hydroelectric Station on the

Alaska mainland. The proposed new line would be a single-circuit 138 kV

line having three conductors and no shield wire. The proposed action

would intertie the electrical systems of Ketchikan Public Utilities,

Petersburg Municipal Power and Light, and Wrangell Municipal Light and

Power. The Notice of Intent published in the Federal Register on

Friday, January 6, 1995, (Vol. 60, No. 4, pages 2074-2076) identified

Acting District Ranger Linn Shipley, Ketchikan Ranger District,

Ketchikan Area of the Tongass National Forest as the responsible

official. It also identified the proposed line as a 115 kV line.

This revised Notice of Intent identifies two responsible officials:

the Ketchikan District Ranger, Ketchikan Area, Tongass National Forest,

and the Wrangell District Ranger, Stikine Area, Tongass National

Forest. These responsible officials have been delegated decision-making

authority for those segments of the proposed transmission line that

would traverse their respective Districts. The responsible officials

will coordinate their efforts though the Ketchikan District Ranger will

serve as primary liaison with Ketchikan Public Utilities. This revised

Notice of Intent also corrects the line voltage to 138 kV for the

proposed transmission line.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments and suggestions concerning the scope

of this project to Jimmy DeHerrera, District Ranger, Tongass National

Forest, Ketchikan Ranger District, 3031 Tongass Avenue, Ketchikan, AK

99901.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Questions about the proposal and the EIS should be directed to Bill

Angelus, EIS Liaison, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan Ranger

District, 3031 Tongass Avenue, Ketchikan, AK 99901, phone: (907) 225-

2148.

supplementary information: The Draft Environmental Impact Statement is

expected to be issued in February 1996. The comment period on the draft

environmental impact statement will be a minimum of 45 days from the

date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of

availability in the Federal Register. Subsistence hearings, as required

by Section 810 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act,

are planned during this 45-day comment period.

The Forest Services believes, at this early stage, it is important

to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public

participation in the environmental review process.

First, reviewers of draft environmental impact statements must

structure their participation in the environmental review of the

proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to the

reviewer's position and contentions.Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.

v.NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978).

Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the draft

environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised until

after completion of the final environmental impact statement may be

waived or dismissed by the courts.City of Angoon v.Hodel, 803 F.2d

1016, 1022, (9th Cir. 1986) andWisconsin Heritages, Inc. v.Harris, 490

F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980).

Because of these court rulings, it is very important that those

interested in this proposed action participate by the close of the

comment period so that substantive comments and objections are made

available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully

consider them and respond to them in the environmental impact

statement.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft

environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is

also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the

draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft

environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives

formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer

to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing

the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of

40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

Issuance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement is projected

in November 1996. The proposed transmission line would cross two

Districts on two Administrative Areas of the Tongass National Forest.

The Forest Supervisors for the Ketchikan Area and the Stikine Area have

delegated decision authority to the District Rangers for the portions

of the proposed transmission line that would cross their respective

Ranger Districts. The responsible official for the decision regarding

the segment that would cross the Ketchikan Area is the Ketchikan

District Ranger, Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan Ranger District,

3031 Tongass Avenue, Ketchika, AK 99901. The responsible official for

the decision regarding the segment that would cross the Stikine Area is

the Wrangell District Ranger, Tongass National Forest, Wrangell Ranger

District, P.O. Box 51, Wrangell, AK 99929.

Dated: December 17, 1995.

Bradley E. Powell,

Ketchikan Area Forest Supervisor.

Dated: January 9, 1996.

Abigail R. Kimbell,

Stikine Area Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 96-2377 Filed 2-5-96; 8:45 am]

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