NEWS FROM WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 9,
2007
CONTACT: Randy Wilkerson, 720-962-7056, wilkerson@wapa.gov
OPEN HOUSE AND PUBLIC HEARING SET FOR BIG STONE II PROJECT
Lakewood, Colo.— A public hearing to receive oral comments on the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Big Stone II Power Plant and Transmission Project will be held on November 13, 2007, at 7 p.m., at the Milbank Chamber of Commerce in Milbank, S.D.
Western Area Power Administration will host a public open house prior to the hearing to field questions and provide information about the project. The open house will begin at 5 p.m., also at the Milbank Chamber of Commerce.
In May 2006, Western issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement describing the details of the proposed Big Stone II Project to construct a nominal 600-MW, coal-fired, baseload electric generating facility and associated transmission lines and substation upgrades. The primary source of water for the proposed project would be withdrawals from Big Stone Lake. As described in the Draft EIS, the proposed project also included construction of a 450-acre surface water pond as the source of back-up water. The storage pond would have been filled with water from Big Stone Lake during normal conditions and used when sufficient water could not be pumped from Big Stone Lake, such as during a drought.
New information on construction costs associated with the 450-acre back-up water pond and comments on the Draft EIS expressing concerns about wetland impacts from construction of the pond caused the project proponents to examine using groundwater as the back-up water supply for the proposed project instead of surface water.
The Supplemental Draft EIS presents and analyzes the environmental impacts of using groundwater instead of surface water for the proposed Big Stone II power plant’s back-up water supply along with different cooling alternatives. The Supplemental Draft EIS does not re-examine the impacts of those project components that have not changed. Copies of the Supplemental Draft EIS are available for public review at public libraries throughout the project area.
Western invites the public to comment specifically on the Supplemental Draft EIS during the public hearing on November 13 or in writing any time during the 45-day public review and comment period which ends on December 10, 2007.
Written comments should be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to Ms. Nancy Werdel; NEPA Document Manager, Big Stone II EIS, A7400; Western Area Power Administration; P.O. Box 281213; Lakewood, CO 80228; Fax: (720) 962-7263; E-mail: BigStoneEIS@wapa.gov
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Western Area Power Administration annually markets and transmits more than 10,000 megawatts of power from hydroelectric powerplants owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 15 western and central states. It is part of the Department of Energy.
Serving the West with Federal hydropower
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