BLM finalizes EIS alternatives for Gateway West plan

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced the proposed and alternate routes that will be analyzed in the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Gateway West Transmission Line Project.

The BLM identified these routes using information from the scoping period in the summer of 2008, comments received, cooperating agency input, and by applying evaluation criteria that examined the opportunities and constraints of various routes.

The next opportunity for formal public comment will be the 90-day public comment period following the release of the draft EIS in the summer of 2010. The BLM will hold public meetings during the draft EIS comment period across Idaho and Wyoming.

Map shows some of the routes that will be considered in the final Environmental Impact Statement of the Gateway West proposal.

"The BLM listened to public comments and cooperating agencies to ensure that communities and groups shared their ideas to help us make better decisions," said Don Simpson, the BLM's decision maker for the project.

Tom Dyer, Idaho state director, praised state and local elected officials for raising constituent issues associated with siting the transmission line route. "We appreciate the efforts of Idaho's elected officials to work with us to develop alternatives for the environmental impact statement. The draft EIS will allow all interested citizens to compare proposed routes and provide constructive input to the BLM and other authorizing authorities, enabling us to make informed decisions. We encourage participation by all groups interested in the NEPA process."

The proposed project is jointly proposed by Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power. It would build nearly 1,150 miles of high voltage transmission lines across southern Wyoming and southern Idaho. The project proponents have applied to the BLM and USFS for right-of-way grants to construct, operate and maintain transmission lines from the proposed Windstar substation near Glenrock, Wyo., to the proposed Hemingway substation near Melba, approximately 20 miles southwest of Boise.

An interactive map is available on the BLM's Web site detailing these routes: www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/cfodocs/gateway_west. Detailed route information is also available on the web site in the updated Siting Study and Scoping Report.

The impacts on Elmore County can be found on the Segment 8 map.

Segment 8 is in southwestern Idaho, north of the Snake River, crossing Lincoln, Gooding, Elmore, Ada and Canyon counties. The segment will consist of a single circuit 500 kV transmission line on steel lattice structures. In addition to the proposed route, there are four alternatives.

Proposed

Proposed by Ada County and the City of Kuna to avoid residential and urban conflicts. It parallels the PacifiCorp Summer Lake to Midpoint 500kV transmission line 1,500 feet to the south. The project proponents will continue to work with BLM to ensure the Army National Guard (ANG) training mission is not impacted.

8-A -- Alternative

Proposed to follow an existing utility corridor to the maximum extent possible, reducing impacts to big game crucial winter range, Visual Resource Management (VRM) Class II and III areas and historic trail buffer.

8-B - Alternative

Originally the proposed route, now an alternative due to landowner, City of Kuna and Ada County government concerns.

C-C - Alternative

A small extension connecting Segment 8B to the proposed route. Developed to avoid a planned community in the Mayfield area.

8-D - Alternative

A variation to the proposed route identified by the proponents. It would locate the project on an existing or rebuilt portion of the Summer Lake to Midpoint 500 kV Line for 4.3 miles and relocate the existing line north and parallel to Gateway West to eliminate any impact to the Army National Guard (ANG) training area.