Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and To Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement; Public Service Company of New Mexico

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. PP-197]

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and

To Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and Notice of Floodplain and

Wetlands Involvement; Public Service Company of New Mexico

AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement

and to conduct public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) has applied to the

Department of Energy (DOE) for a Presidential permit to construct two

transmission lines originating at the switchyard of the Palo Verde

Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS) near Phoenix, Arizona, and extending

approximately 160 miles to the south along one of three alternative

routes, where they would cross the United States (U.S.) border with

Mexico in the vicinity of Nogales, Arizona. South of the border, the

lines would extend approximately 60 miles into Mexico and terminate at

an existing substation located in the City of Santa Ana, in the Mexican

State of Sonora. The proposed transmission lines may be either

alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). DOE has determined

that the issuance of the Presidential permit would constitute a major

Federal action that may have a significant impact upon the environment

within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA). For this reason, DOE intends to prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to address reasonably foreseeable impacts from the

proposed action and reasonable alternatives.

The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to inform the public about

the proposed action, announce the plans for six public scoping meetings

in the vicinity of the proposed transmission lines, invite public

participation in the scoping process, and solicit public comments for

consideration in establishing the scope and content of the EIS. Because

the proposed project may involve an action in floodplains or wetlands,

the EIS will include a floodplains and wetlands assessment and

floodplains statement of findings in accordance with DOE regulations

for compliance with floodplains and wetlands environmental review

requirements (10 CFR Part 1022).

DATES: DOE invites interested agencies, organizations, and members of

the public to submit comments or suggestions to assist in identifying

significant environmental issues and in determining the appropriate

scope of the EIS. The public scoping period starts with the publication

of this Notice in the Federal Register and will continue until March

15, 1999. Written and oral comments will be given equal weight, and DOE

will consider all comments received or postmarked by March 15, 1999, in

defining the scope of this EIS. Comments received or postmarked after

that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

Dates for the public scoping meetings are:

1. March 8, 1999, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Nogales, Arizona

2. March 8, 1999, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Tucson, Arizona

3. March 9, 1999, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Sells, Arizona

4. March 9, 1999, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Ajo, Arizona

5. March 10, 1999, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Gila Bend, Arizona

6. March 10, 1999, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., Casa Grande, Arizona

DOE will publish additional notices of the dates, times, and

locations of the scoping meetings in local newspapers in advance of the

scheduled meetings. Any necessary changes will be announced in the

local media.

Requests to speak at a public scoping meeting(s) should be received

by Mrs. Ellen Russell at the address indicated below on or before March

3, 1999. Requests to speak may also be made at the time of registration

for the scoping meeting(s). However, persons who submitted advance

requests to speak will be given priority if time should be limited

during the meeting.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions on the scope of the EIS and

requests to speak at the scoping meeting(s) should be addressed to:

Mrs. Ellen Russell, Office of Fossil Energy (FE-27), U.S. Department of

Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0350; phone

202-586-9624, facsimile: 202-287-5736, or electronic mail at

Ellen.R[email protected].

The locations of the scoping meetings are:

1. Americana Motor Hotel, 639 North Grand Avenue, Nogales, Arizona.

2. Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, 1900 E. Speedway Boulevard,

Tucson, Arizona.

3. Council Chambers, Tohono O'odham Nation, Sells, Arizona.

4. Ajo Community Center in the E. S. Bud Walker Park, 290 5th

Street, Ajo, Arizona.

5. Gila Bend Unified School District #24, Logan Auditorium, 308 N.

Martin, Gila Bend, Arizona.

6. Francisco Grande Resort, 26000 Gila Bend Highway, Casa Grande,

Arizona.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the proposed

project or to receive a copy of the Draft EIS when it is issued,

contact Mrs. Russell at the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of

this notice.

For general information on the DOE NEPA review process, contact:

Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-

42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,

Washington, DC 20585-0119; Phone: 202-586-4600 or leave a message at

800-472-2756; Facsimile: 202-586-7031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Need for Agency Action

Executive Order 10485, as amended by Executive Order 12038,

requires that a Presidential permit be issued by DOE before electric

transmission facilities may be constructed, connected, operated, or

maintained at the U.S. international border. The Executive Order

provides that a Presidential permit may be issued after a finding that

the proposed project is consistent with the public interest. In

determining

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consistency with the public interest, DOE considers the impacts of the

project on the reliability of the U.S. electric power system and on the

environment. The regulations implementing the Executive Order have been

codified at 10 CFR Secs. 205.320-205.329. Issuance of the permit

indicates that there is no Federal objection to the project, but does

not mandate that the project be completed.

On December 28, 1998, PNM, a regulated public utility, filed an

application for a Presidential permit with the Office of Fossil Energy

of DOE. PNM proposes to construct two transmission lines on a single

right-of-way extending approximately 160 miles from the switchyard

adjacent to the PVNGS, located approximately 30 miles west of Phoenix,

Arizona, to the U.S.-Mexico border in the vicinity of Nogales, Arizona.

South of the border, PNM would extend the lines approximately 60 miles

to the Santa Ana Substation, located in the City of Santa Ana, Sonora,

Mexico, and owned by the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), the

national electric utility of Mexico.

In its application, PNM states that it is considering designing the

transmission lines for either AC or DC operation. PNM also states in

its application that it may use a phased approach for construction;

i.e., one line might be installed initially and the second line added

some time in the future.

If the AC option is chosen, a back-to-back AC/DC/AC converter

station would be constructed within the U.S. in the vicinity of the

U.S.-Mexico border. The AC transmission line(s) would be operated at

345 kV between the PVNGS and the back-to-back converter station and at

230 kV between the converter station and CFE's Santa Ana Substation.

Each line would have an electrical transfer capability of approximately

400 megawatts (MW). If a phased approach is used, the two lines would

be constructed on two separate sets of support structures, but on the

same right-of-way. If both AC lines are constructed at the same time,

both electrical circuits would be installed on a single set of support

structures.

If the DC option is selected, an AC/DC converter station would be

installed at each end of the proposed line(s); i.e., within or near the

PVNGS in the U.S., and at the Santa Ana Substation in Mexico. If PNM

elects to use a phased approach, the DC line would initially be

operated as a mono-pole DC line (one conductor) and have a nominal

operating voltage of 400 kV, with an electrical transfer

capability of between 400 MW and 500 MW. With the addition of the

second line (second conductor), the resulting interconnection would be

upgraded to bi-pole 400 kV operation, with a transfer

capability of between 800 MW and 1000 MW.

PNM has identified three alternative corridors for construction of

the cross-border transmission lines. Each of the three proposed

alternative corridors begins at the PVNGS switchyard and is

approximately two miles wide. However, when constructed, the

transmission lines are expected to use a right-of-way of no more than

150 to 200 feet in width. The first alternative corridor extends south

from the PVNGS switchyard approximately 130 miles within the U.S. to

the U.S.-Mexico border, crossing the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range

and the western boundary of the Tohono O'odham Nation. The second

alternative corridor proceeds slightly east and south from the PVNGS

switchyard and extends approximately 160 miles within the U.S.,

crossing the middle to eastern area of the Tohono O'odham Nation. The

third alternative corridor extends southeasterly from the PVNGS

switchyard to an area south of Tucson, Arizona, where it turns south to

Nogales, Arizona. This corridor is approximately 250 miles long within

the U.S. Each of the three proposed alternative corridors would cross

approximately 25 linear miles of 100-year floodplains.

Project activities would include clearing rights-of-way and access

roads, digging tower footings, setting transmission towers, hanging

transmission wires, and modifying existing substation(s).

The PNM application, including associated maps and drawings, can be

downloaded in its entirety from the Fossil Energy web site

(www.fe.doe.gov; choose regulatory programs, then electricity

regulations, then pending proceedings). PNM states that there are no

firm contracts in place for the sale of power to Mexico using the

proposed transmission lines. Prior to commencing electricity exports to

Mexico using the proposed lines, PNM, or any other electricity

exporter, must obtain an electricity export authorization from DOE

pursuant to section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act.

Identification of Environmental Issues

A purpose of this notice is to solicit comments and suggestions for

consideration in the preparation of the EIS. As background for public

comment, this notice contains a list of potential environmental issues

that DOE has tentatively identified for analysis. This list is not

intended to be all-inclusive or to imply any predetermination of

impacts. Following is a preliminary list of issues that may be analyzed

in the EIS:

(1) Socioeconomic impacts of development of the land tracts and

their subsequent uses;

(2) Impacts to protected, threatened, endangered, or sensitive

species of animals or plants, or their critical habitats;

(3) Impacts to floodplains and wetlands;

(4) Impacts to cultural or historic resources;

(5) Impacts to human health and safety;

(6) Impacts on air, soil, and water;

(7) Visual impacts;

(8) Disproportionately high and adverse impacts to minority and

low-income populations; and

(9) Environmental impacts within Mexico.

The EIS will also consider alternatives to the proposed

transmission lines, including, to the extent practicable:

(1) No Action Alternative: The EIS will analyze the impacts

associated with ``no action.'' Since the proposed action is the

issuance of a Presidential permit for the construction of the proposed

transmission lines, ``no action'' means that the permit would not be

issued. However, not issuing the permit would not necessarily imply

maintenance of the status quo. It is possible that the applicant and/or

the Mexican government may take other actions if the proposed

transmission lines are not built. The No Action Alternative will

address the environmental impacts that are reasonably foreseeable to

occur if the Presidential permit is not issued.

(2) Construction of a powerplant in the U.S. closer to the U.S.-

Mexico border with a shorter transmission line extending to the border,

an alternative concept for supplying electric power to the target

region.

Scoping Process

Interested parties are invited to participate in the scoping

process both to refine the preliminary alternatives and environmental

issues to be analyzed in depth, and to eliminate from detailed study

those alternatives and environmental issues that are not significant or

pertinent. The scoping process is intended to involve all interested

agencies (Federal, state, county, and local), public interest groups,

Native American Tribes, businesses, and members of the public.

Potential Federal cooperating agencies include the U.S. Department of

the

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Interior (including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian

Affairs, and the Fish and Wildlife Service), the U.S. Air Force, the

International Boundary and Water Commission, and the Tohono O'odham

Nation.

Public scoping meetings will be held at the locations, dates, and

times indicated above under the DATES and ADDRESSES sections. These

scoping meetings will be informal and conducted as discussions between

attendees and DOE. The DOE presiding officer will establish only those

procedures needed to ensure that everyone who wishes to speak has a

chance to do so and that DOE understands all issues and comments.

Speakers will be allocated approximately 10 minutes for their oral

statements. Depending upon the number of persons wishing to speak, DOE

may allow longer times for representatives of organizations.

Consequently, persons wishing to speak on behalf of an organization

should identify that organization in their request to speak. Persons

who have not submitted a request to speak in advance may register to

speak at the scoping meeting(s), but advance requests are encouraged.

Should any speaker desire to provide for the record further information

that cannot be presented within the designated time, such additional

information may be submitted in writing by the date listed in the DATES

section. Both oral and written comments will be considered and given

equal weight by DOE. Meetings will begin at the times specified and

will continue until all those present who wish to participate have had

an opportunity to do so.

Draft EIS Schedule and Availability

The Draft EIS is scheduled for completion by October 1999, at which

time its availability will be announced in the Federal Register and

public comments again will be solicited.

Those individuals who do not wish to submit comments or suggestions

at this time but who would like to receive a copy of the Draft EIS for

review and comment when it is issued should notify Mrs. Russell at the

address above.

The Draft EIS will be made available for public inspection at

several public libraries or reading rooms in Arizona. A notice of these

locations will be provided in the Federal Register at a later date.

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 9, 1999.

Peter N. Brush,

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.

[FR Doc. 99-3508 Filed 2-11-99; 8:45 am]

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