RCW 197-11-970 DETERMINATION OF NONSIGNIFICANCE
DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL: Columbia to Rocky Ford 230kV
Transmission Line and South Ephrata Substation.
Transmission Line Project
Grant County Public Utility District No. 2 (Grant PUD) is proposing to build a new 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line to provide capacity to deliver power to loads within Grant County. This project is also expected to increase electrical transmission reliability, and improve voltage stability performance for the service area. This primary new transmission line will extend from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Columbia Substation in Douglas County to Grant PUD's Rocky Ford Substation in Grant County. The line would be approximately 30.5 miles long and be located within Douglas County, Grant County, and the City of Ephrata. Two taps would connect this new line to the existing North Quincy Substation and the West Quincy Substation. The tap to the North Quincy Substation would extend 2.2 miles north to south and the tap to the West Quincy Substation would run 2.6 miles north to south. Both of these taps would be located within Grant County and the City of Quincy.
The proposed route was chosen through a routing study conducted by the Grant PUD in 2009 which considered socioeconomics, farming, biological resources, water resources, cultural resources, costs, future load growth and system reliability, operation and maintenance, and real estate. Two public outreach meetings were held in June 2009 to obtain input from the public on the route selection process. The preferred route is north of the other two alternative routes and follows an existing Grant PUD transmission line corridor for 19.2 miles of the alignment.
Starting at the Columbia Substation near the Columbia River (Douglas County), the line would run east paralleling several other transmission lines for 1.4 miles. The parallel lines create a narrow corridor, so single pole design would be utilized in this area. The route then heads southeast and climbs to the top of the rimrock cliff that defines the southern boundary of Moses Coulee. This section also crosses Douglas Creek which flows intermittently through Moses Coulee. At the top of the cliff, the route proceeds east to cross undeveloped land, farmland, Lynch Coulee and Baird Springs Road. Approximately 0.7 miles west of Baird Springs Road, the route starts to parallel an existing Grant PUD transmission line corridor. It follows this existing transmission line corridor for the remaining 25 miles of the line. Near mile 7.5, the route heads due east and traverses the southern slope of the Beezley Hills south of Ephrata. Between mile 22 and mile 26, the line would occupy the existing easement and would amount to double-circuiting an existing line. The use of single pole design along this existing 4-mile corridor minimizes new land disturbance and need for additional access roads. The route then heads southeast from a crossing of Road A NW in south Ephrata through rural lands to a crossing of Rocky Ford Creek and State Route 17 near the eastern end of the project.
Land disturbance related to the transmission line project would result from three primary project elements:
1)Installation and maintenance of the new power poles;
2)Construction and maintenance of the necessary access roads to the new facilities; and
3)Preparation of six temporary construction staging areas.
The project has been designed to avoid impacts to important habitats and sensitive areas. New poles have been located outside of identified wetland boundaries and stream riparian areas. Each pole area would be cleared and leveled to accommodate the structure type and construction method specified for that location. Following construction, the land would be reseeded with a regularly used hand broadcast seed mix that includes Bluebunch wheatgrass, Thickspike wheatgrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, Needle and thread grass, Sand dropseed, and Bottlebrush squirreltail. These species are native to the area and have been effective at providing erosion protection and weed abatement at other project sites with similar soils. Periodic inspections may require vehicle access to the sites, but no regular maintenance activity at each pole location is expected. The total disturbed land required to construct the line for this project has been estimated to be 11.8 acres.
The access roads required to build and maintain the new line have been minimized, wherever practicable. Because the line would parallel an existing powerline and its access road for the majority of its length, only short spur roads extending from the existing road would be required. The proposed short spur roads have been estimated to be 14-feet wide. This width can accommodate the machines that would be needed to construct and maintain the line and would limit the risk of fire that could result from dry vegetation coming in contact with hot machinery. Approximately 10.2 acres would be needed to provide the required proposed access roads.
Six temporary staging areas have been identified for this project. Staging Area 1 is located within Moses Coulee abutting Palisades Road. Staging Area 2 is located adjacent to Baird Springs Road near the alignment crossing. Staging Areas 3 and 4 are located north of Quincy adjacent to the alignment near R Road NW. Staging Area 5 is located along the alignment east of State Route 28 near Dodson Road North. Staging Area 6 is located west of State Route 28, and south of the project near South Ephrata. Each of the areas selected for staging are comprised of disturbed vacant land that is relatively flat and are located strategically to support construction of the new transmission line. Staging Area 1 and Staging Area 2 were previously used as staging areas for the construction of the existing transmission line. Staging Areas 3 and 4 have been farmed in the recent past. Staging Areas 5 and 6 were used in the past to support livestock. At each staging area, contractors would store and access materials to construct the line. Poles and other equipment would be stored at these sites and transported to the project area as they were needed. A gravel driveway would be needed at each site to accommodate the equipment traffic and a fence may be constructed to protect materials from theft. Approximately 209 acres of land would be needed to provide construction staging at the six identified sites.
Substation Project
Grant PUD is also proposing to construct a new 115 - 13.8kV substation that would be located adjacent to the transmission line corridor as it crosses Dodson Road North, adjacent to Staging Area 5, and within the City of Ephrata. The substation, known as the South Ephrata Substation, would replace the existing South Ephrata Substation located on the east side of Dodson Road North and upgrade the new substation to current Grant PUD standards. The new substation would enhance service reliability and improve employee safety. Relocating the substation would also alleviate the clearance issues associated with the new 230kV transmission line.
Land for the substation is part of a proposed property exchange with the City of Ephrata. The proposed substation site is approximately 345 feet by 330 feet (2.61 acres) in size and is relatively flat with a slight downward slope to the west. In preparation for construction, the site would be cleared of vegetation and graded to level the site. The area inside the substation yard (approximately 0.92 acres) would be covered with a layer of compacted gravel over a grounding grid to facilitate drainage and provide crews with a safe work surface. Concrete footings and foundations would be poured shortly after the site is cleared. The substation framework, support structures, and equipment would be placed on the concrete pads. Underground pathways would be installed to house electric and communication lines between the control house and equipment in the substation yard. A control house, approximately 36 feet by 20 feet, would be built within the substation yard for the electric control equipment. While the substation would be designed for two transformers, only one transformer would be installed initially. The substation yard would be enclosed within an 8-foot-tall fence for security purposes. A graveled parking area and 300-foot-long access road from Dodson Road North to the substation site would be constructed outside of the southern fence line. A new 115kV tap, approximately 440-feet-long, would connect the substation to the adjacent transmission lines.
Upon completion of construction and testing activities, the substation would be energized. All disturbed or exposed areas outside the fence line of the facility that are not graveled would be replanted with native grasses and shrubs to establish ground cover and protect the soil from erosion and noxious weeds.
PROPONENT: Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County, Washington
LOCATION OF PROPOSAL, INCLUDING STREET ADDRESS, IF ANY:
The proposed transmission line would be located in Douglas County, Grant County, and the cities of Quincy and Ephrata. The alignment would extend eastward from the Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) Columbia Substation located west of the intersection of Palisades Road and Highway 28 in Douglas County to the Grant PUD's Rocky Ford Substation located on the east side of Highway 17 near Rocky Ford Creek in Grant County. Two taps would extend southward from the transmission line; one to the West Quincy Substation and the second to the North Quincy Substation. It would be located in Township 20 North, Range 24 East, Sections 5 - 9; Township 20 North, Range 27 East, Sections 5 - 6; Township 21 North, Range 22 East, Section 21 - 23 and 25 - 26; Township 21 North, Range 23 East, Section 25 - 30; Township 21 North, Range 24 East, Sections 25 - 31 and 33; Township 21 North, Range 25 East, Sections 25 - 30; Township 21 North, Range 26 East, Sections 27 - 30 and 34 - 36; Township 21 North, Range 27 East, Section 31.
The substation would be located in the city of Ephrata, just west of Dodson Road North in Township 21 North, Range 26 EW, M, Section 28. The parcel number is 130436010.
LEAD AGENCY: Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County, Washington
The lead agency for this proposal has determined that it does not have a probable significant adverse impact on the environment. An environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required under RCW 43.21C.030 (2)(c). This decision was made after review of a completed environmental checklist and other information on file with the lead agency. This information is available to the public on request.
o There is no comment period for this DNS.
o This DNS is issued after using the optional DNS process in WAC 197-11-355. There is no further comment period on the DNS.
6 This DNS is issued under WAC 197-11-340(2); the lead agency will not act on this proposal for 14 days from the date below. Comments must be submitted by June 26, 2011 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Responsible official: J. Darrell Pock
Position/title: Project Specialist III
Phone: (509) 754-5098
Address: P.O. Box 878
30 C St. SW
Ephrata, WA 98823
Date: Signature:___________________________________
J. Darrell Pock, Project Specialist III
6 There is no agency appeal.
#06046/1714932
Pub.: June 13 & 20, 2011