|
Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 1
<br />230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Purpose and Need
<br /> PAGE 1-21
<br />An initial agency scoping meeting was held on February 3, 2010, in Selah. During the initial scoping
<br />period, three main alternative routes, including numerous sub-routes, were presented for public and
<br />agency review and comment:
<br />1) A northern route crossing JBLM YTC roughly parallel with the existing Pacific Power Pomona-
<br />Wanapum transmission line;
<br />2) A route that mostly crossed JBLM YTC land just inside its southern boundary; and
<br />3) A route mostly on private land, approximately one-half mile south of the JBLM YTC boundary.
<br />During the open houses the public and other agencies were given the opportunity to learn about the
<br />proposed action, regulatory processes and project details, provide comments and discuss the Project with
<br />the BLM, JBLM YTC, Project Consultants, and Pacific Power representatives.
<br />Comments were received through a variety of methods: email, comment forms collected at the scoping
<br />meetings, comments submitted at geographic information system workstations, comments submitted by
<br />mail or fax and written and verbal comments recorded by BLM, JBLM YTC, and the Project’s NEPA
<br />consultant at the scoping meetings. All comments were analyzed and assisted in defining the issues to be
<br />analyzed in the EIS. A detailed description of the scoping process and summary and analysis of the
<br />comments received from the public and agencies during the scoping period is presented in the Vantage
<br />Pomona Heights 230 kV Transmission Line Project EIS Scoping Summary Report (BLM 2010). A more
<br />detailed description of the public involvement efforts is presented in Chapter 5 Consultation and
<br />Coordination.
<br />In response to public and agency input received during the scoping period, and military aviation safety
<br />issues identified after scoping, it was necessary to eliminate certain route alternatives and to make major
<br />adjustments to the remaining route alternatives. The route alternatives eliminated from consideration are
<br />discussed in Chapter 2.0, Section 2.5.1.4 Route Alternatives Considered and Eliminated.
<br />Subsequently, Pacific Power met with elected officials, planning authorities, landowners in Yakima,
<br />Grant, and Kittitas counties, and the JBLM YTC in an effort to identify new feasible route options.
<br />Pacific Power then held open house meetings in Yakima and Mattawa on September 8 and 9, 2010,
<br />respectively, to present the newly proposed routes and obtain input from the public and agencies. After
<br />these meetings, Pacific Power further discussed its proposed new routes with the BLM and JBLM YTC
<br />and submitted amended ROW applications to both agencies in November 2013.
<br />A second scoping letter was distributed to interested individuals, groups, organizations, and agencies on
<br />January 14, 2011. The second letter was intended to provide interested parties with an update on the
<br />project status and changes, including new route alternatives that were developed as a result of the early
<br />initial scoping and comment period. The second letter was distributed to approximately 1,100 parties and
<br />requested that comments be submitted by February 4, 2011.
<br />A second scoping meeting was held on March 1, 2011 in Ellensburg. The agency scooping meeting
<br />brought together representatives and resource specialists from the BLM, JBLM YTC, USFWS,
<br />Reclamation, Pacific Power, the Yakama Nation, WDFW, WDNR, WSDOT, Grant County, Kittitas
<br />County, and BLM’s NEPA consultant (POWER). During the meeting the attendees discussed issues
<br />associated with the new route alternatives, the EIS document outline and preparation schedule, data
<br />needs, analysis methods and protocols, and schedules for biological and other resource inventories.
<br />On January 4, 2013, the BLM released the DEIS for public review and comment. The DEIS identified an
<br />Agency Preferred Alternative (Alternative D). Alternative D is 66.5 miles in length, would cross JBLM
<br />YTC on its southwest side, would cross the Wahluke Slope and BLM managed land in the Saddle
|