Midway-Moxee Rebuild and Midway-Grandview Upgrade Transmission Line Project (DOE/EA-1951)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) decided to rebuild its 34-mile long Midway-Moxee transmission line and its 26-mile long Midway-Grandview transmission line. Both lines are 115-kilovolt (kV) wood-pole lines located in Benton and Yakima counties, Washington (see the project vicinity map). The lines were built in the 1940s and are deteriorating due to age and need to be rebuilt to ensure reliable electric service. In addition, the Midway-Grandview line will be upgraded to increase the electrical capacity to allow local utilities to meet increased demand for power.

For both transmission lines, the project includes replacing all wood-pole transmission line structures and conductor (wires), improving existing access roads, and creating new access if needed. Most structures will be replaced with similar size poles next to the existing location unless changes are needed for safety or to minimize potential environmental impacts. Both lines will continue to operate at 115-kV. The existing fiber optic cable on the Midway-Moxee line will be replaced and the fiber optic cable on the Midway-Grandview line will be removed and not replaced. The upgrades for the Midway-Grandview line will also include replacing some electrical equipment within the Cold Creek Substation.

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is a cooperating agency and assisted with the preparation of this draft EA, including identifying issues that were addressed in the draft EA.

CURRENT STATUS

A public scoping letter was sent for the Midway-Moxee portion of the project on February 4, 2013 and public meetings were held during scoping in Moxee, WA and Grandview, WA. A public scoping letter was sent for the Midway-Grandview portion of the project on September 27, 2013 and a public meeting was held in Grandview, WA. Comments received during the two public scoping periods were posted in their entirety on BPA's website at Midway-Moxee Rebuild and Midway-Grandview Upgrade Transmission Line comments webpage.

BPA prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to understand the potential environmental impacts of this proposal and to determine if the project would cause significant impacts that would warrant preparing an environmental impact statement. The draft EA was released for public review and comment on July 29, 2015 and a public meeting was held in Moxee, WA on August 24, 2015. Comments received on the draft EA were posted in their entirety on BPA's website at Midway-Moxee Rebuild and Midway-Grandview Upgrade Transmission Line comments webpage. The final EA provides responses to those comments as well as revisions to the EA.

Based on the analysis in the EA and because mitigation measures and best management practices would be implemented to avoid or minimize impacts, BPA has found that the project will not cause any significant impacts, and therefore, an environmental impact statement will not be prepared. BPA decided to implement the project based on the EA and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The FONSI includes a Floodplain Statement of Findings and a Mitigation Action Plan that outlines the mitigation measures that are being implemented. Construction will begin in September 2016 and will be completed in spring 2018.

CONTACT

For environmental information, contact:
Carol Leiter Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Supervisory Environmental Protection Specialist Direct line: 360-418-8608
Bonneville Power Administration - ECT-4  Email: cpleiter@bpa.gov 
P.O. Box 3621
Portland, OR 97208-3621

DOCUMENTS

FINAL EA
Public Letter (03/04/2016)
Final EA (March 2016)
FONSI and Mitigation Action Plan (02/18/2016)

DRAFT EA
Draft comments received
Public Letter  (07/29/2015)
Draft EA  (July 2015)
Comment Form  (07/29/2015)

SCOPING
Scoping comments received
Public Letter  (09/27/2013)
Project Map  (08/09/2013)
Comment Form  (09/27/2013)
Reply Card  (09/27/2013)

The project was formerly called the Midway-Moxee Transmission Line Rebuild.
The documents below were released before the project name was changed.

Scoping comments received
Public Letter  (02/04/2013)
Project Map  (12/10/2012)
Comment Form (02/04/2013)

EA Determination Memo  (12/12/2012)