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Big Stone II Power Plant and Transmission Project, SD and MN, DOE/EIS-0377

Supplemental Draft Enviromental Impact Statement available for review and comment


Western has prepared a Supplemental Draft Envionmental Impact Statement to analyze the changes to the proposed Big Stone II Power Plant and Transmission Project. More information about the proposed changes can be found in the Supplemental Draft EIS Notice of Availablity. The Supplemental Draft EIS is now available for public comment through February 28, 2008. You can request copies of the Supplemental Draft EIS or submit comments through the contact information below. 

About Big Stone II

The Big Stone II Project involves the construction of an approximately 600-MW, coal-fired generating facility near Milbank, in Grant County, S.D. The Big Stone II generating unit would be located next to the existing Big Stone Plant, and would require new or upgraded transmission lines in the area. Two transmission alternatives are proposed in South Dakota and Minnesota. Voltage on the proposed transmission lines would most likely be 230 kV.

In response to comments received on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Big Stone II Power Plant and Transmission Project concerning wetland impacts, and additional costs of some project components, the project proponents revised the proposed action to include the use of groundwater instead of surface water for the power plant's back-up water supply. Western determined that the use of groundwater as the back-up water supply would significantly change the environmental impacts of the proposed project as presented in the Draft EIS.

Project updates:

Contact information:
NEPA Document Manager
Big Stone II EIS, A7400
Corporate Services Office
Western Area Power Administration
P.O. Box 281213
Lakewood, CO 80228-8213
1-800-336-7288
Fax: 720-963-7263