Notice2025-00736
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express Transmission Line Project (DOE/EIS-0554)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 17, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy Department
Abstract
The Loan Programs Office (LPO), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announces the availability of the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the proposed Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express Transmission Project (Project), and a Notice of Proposed Floodplain Action. The DEIS analyzes the impacts associated with providing potential financial assistance (a Federal loan guarantee) to Grain Belt Express, LLC, for construction and energization of the Project. This notice of availability (NOA) announces the start of the public review and comment period, as well as the dates and times for public meetings on the DEIS. After DOE LPO holds the public meetings and addresses public comments submitted during the review period, DOE LPO will publish a final environmental impact statement. Because the Project may include activities within floodplains, this NOA also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain action.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 11 (Friday, January 17, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5870-5872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00736]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
[Docket No. DOE-HQ-2023-0020]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express Transmission Line
Project (DOE/EIS-0554)
AGENCY: Loan Programs Office, Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability, request for comments, notice of
proposed floodplain action.
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SUMMARY: The Loan Programs Office (LPO), U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE), announces the availability of the draft environmental impact
statement (DEIS) for the proposed Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express
Transmission Project (Project), and a Notice of Proposed Floodplain
Action. The DEIS analyzes the impacts associated with providing
potential financial assistance (a Federal loan guarantee) to Grain Belt
Express, LLC, for construction and energization of the Project. This
notice of availability (NOA) announces the start of the public review
and comment period, as well as the dates and times for public meetings
on the DEIS. After DOE LPO holds the public meetings and addresses
public comments submitted during the review period, DOE LPO will
publish a final environmental impact statement. Because the Project may
include activities within floodplains, this NOA also serves as a notice
of proposed floodplain action.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than March 3, 2025. LPO will
hold six public meetings for the Project, four in-person and two
virtual, at the following dates and times (Central Time):
<bullet> Monday, February 10, 2025, 4-6 p.m., Dodge City Public
Library, 1001 N 2nd Ave., Dodge City, KS 67801.
<bullet> Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 4-6 p.m., Holiday Inn Express,
2175 Lincoln St., Concordia, KS 66901.
<bullet> Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 4-6 p.m. St. Joseph Museum,
Jackie Lewin Conference Roon, 3406 Frederick Ave., St. Joseph, MO
64506.
<bullet> Thursday, February 13, 2025, 4-6 p.m., La Bella Casa Event
Center, 5 South Main St., Carrollton, MO 64633.
<bullet> Virtual, Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
<bullet> Virtual, Wednesday, February 20, 2025, 4-6 p.m.
All meetings are open to the public and free to attend.
Registration for in person meetings is not required. Registration for
the virtual public meetings is required and may be completed at <a href="https://www.energy.gov/lpo/eis-0554-grain-belt-express-transmission-line">https://www.energy.gov/lpo/eis-0554-grain-belt-express-transmission-line</a>.
Meeting information will be sent to registrants via their email address
provided during registration.
ADDRESSES: The DEIS and detailed information about the Project can be
found on DOE LPO's website at: <a href="https://www.energy.gov/lpo/eis-0554-grain-belt-express-transmission-line">https://www.energy.gov/lpo/eis-0554-grain-belt-express-transmission-line</a>. Comments can be submitted in any
of the following ways:
Online via DOE LPO's website at <a href="https://www.energy.gov/lpo/eis-0554-grain-belt-express-transmission-line">https://www.energy.gov/lpo/eis-0554-grain-belt-express-transmission-line</a> or email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0448544b5b4376656d6a466168705b414d57446c752a606b612a636b72"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2e627e6171695c4f47406c4b425a716b677d6e465f004a414b00494158">[email protected]</span></a>.
Orally or in writing during any of the public meetings identified
in this NOA.
In writing submitted by mail or any other delivery service,
enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Grain Belt Express EIS'' and
addressed to Todd Stribley, NEPA Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of
Energy, Loan Programs Office--LP30, 1000 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20585.
Through the <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> web portal: Navigate to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and search for Docket No. DOE-HQ-2023-0020. Click
on the ``Comment'' button below the document link. Enter your
information and comment, then click ``Submit Comment.''
For more information about submitting comments, please see
``Information on Submitting Comments'' under the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION heading below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Todd Stribley, U.S. Department of
Energy, Loan Programs Office, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington,
DC 20585. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f2bea2bdadb580939b9cb0979e86adb7bba1b29a83dc969d97dc959d84"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b9f5e9f6e6fecbd8d0d7fbdcd5cde6fcf0eaf9d1c897ddd6dc97ded6cf">[email protected]</span></a>. Phone: 301-525-5944.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Grain Belt Express LLC (the ``Applicant''), applied for Federal
financial assistance via a loan guarantee from the DOE LPO under title
XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S. Code [U.S.C.] 16511-
16517), as amended. Section 1703 of title XVII (the Clean Energy
Financing Program) defines eligible projects as those that, ``avoid,
reduce, or sequester air pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of
greenhouse gases; and employ new or significantly improved technologies
as compared to commercial technologies in service in the United States
at the time the guarantee is issued'' (Pub. L. 109-58, sec. 1703(a)).
Because the Project may include activities within floodplains, this NOA
also serves as a notice of proposed floodplain action, in accordance
with 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 1022.
Proposed Action. The Federal financing provided by DOE LPO will
apply to eligible project costs that include the design, engineering,
financing, construction, startup, commissioning, and shakedown of the
Project, which includes the following elements:
<bullet> A 542-mile, overhead 600-kilovolt (kV) high-voltage
direct-current (HVDC) transmission line that would extend between Ford
County in southwestern
[[Page 5871]]
Kansas and Monroe County in northeastern Missouri (HVDC Line);
<bullet> The Tiger Connector, an approximately 36-mile, overhead
345-kV alternating-current (AC) transmission line that would extend
from the HVDC converter station in Monroe County, Missouri, to the
existing McCredie Substation, owned and operated by Associated Electric
Cooperative Incorporated, and the existing Burns Substation, owned and
operated by Ameren, in Callaway County, Missouri;
<bullet> The Ford County Interconnect, an approximately 0.2-mile,
overhead 345-kV AC transmission line located in Ford County, Kansas
that would extend from the HVDC converter station to the existing
Saddle Substation, owned and operated by ITC Great Plains;
<bullet> Two HVDC converter stations and associated infrastructure,
one located in Ford County, Kansas and one located in Monroe County,
Missouri;
<bullet> Optical regeneration facilities in support of the HVDC
Line and associated access driveways; and
<bullet> Temporary workspaces needed for construction, including
temporary access routes, workspaces around transmission structures,
pull or tension sites, multi-use construction yards, concrete batch
plants, and fly yards and helipads.
No Action Alternative. Under the No Action Alternative, DOE LPO
would not provide Federal financial support (a loan guarantee) to the
Applicant, with the assumption for the purpose of the environmental
analysis that the project would not be constructed.
Availability of the DEIS: The DEIS and associated information are
available on DOE LPO's website at: <a href="https://www.energy.gov/lpo/eis-0554-grain-belt-express-transmission-line">https://www.energy.gov/lpo/eis-0554-grain-belt-express-transmission-line</a>. If you require a digital copy on
a flash drive or paper copy, LPO will provide one upon request, if
supplies are available. You may request a flash drive or paper copy of
the DEIS by contacting DOE LPO at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c38f938c9c84b1a2aaad8186afb79c868a9083abb2eda7aca6eda4acb5">[email protected]</a>. Hard
copies of the DEIS are available for review at the following libraries:
<bullet> Dodge City Public Library, 1001 N 2nd Ave, Dodge City, KS
67801
<bullet> Southwest Kansas Library System, 100 Military Ave Suite
210, Dodge City, KS 67801
<bullet> Frank Carlson Library, 702 Broadway, Concordia, KS 66901
<bullet> Learning Resource Center, 2221 Campus Dr., Concordia, KS
66901
<bullet> Great Bend Public Library, 1409 Williams St., Great Bend,
KS 67530
<bullet> Hays Public Library 1205 Main St., Hays, KS 67601
<bullet> Manhattan Public Library, 629 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan, KS
66502
<bullet> Kansas City Public Library, 6242 Swope Pkwy, Kansas City,
MO 64130
<bullet> Mid-Continent Woodneath, 8900 NE Flintlock Rd., Kansas
City, MO 64157
<bullet> Little Dixie Regional Library, 111 N. 4th St., Moberly, MO
65270
<bullet> Little Dixie Regional Library, 102 E Library St.,
Huntsville, MO 65259
<bullet> St. Joseph Public Library, 927 Felix Street, St., Joseph,
MO 64501
<bullet> East Hills Library, 502 N Woodbine Rd., St., Joseph, MO
64506
<bullet> Carnegie Branch Library, 316 Massachusetts St., St.
Joseph, MO 64504
<bullet> Carrollton Public Library, 1 North Folger St., Carrollton,
MO 64633
<bullet> Trails Regional Library, 203 E Kelling Ave., Waverly, MO
64096
Cooperating Agencies: The following 4 Federal agencies participated
as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the DEIS: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service,
and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation was a participating agency.
Information on Submitting Comments: LPO requests data, comments,
information, analysis, or suggestions relevant to the environmental
analysis in the DEIS from the public; affected Federal, tribal, state,
and local governments, agencies and offices; the scientific community;
industry; or any other interested party. DOE LPO does not consider
anonymous comments. To promote informed decision-making, comments
should be as specific as possible and should provide as much detail as
necessary to meaningfully and fully inform DOE LPO on why the issues
raised are important to the consideration of potential environmental
effects and/or the alternatives to the proposed action.
Please include your name and address as part of your comment. DOE
LPO makes your comments, including your name and address, available for
public review. You may request that DOE LPO withhold your name,
address, or any other personally identifiable information (PII)
included in your comment from the public record; however, DOE LPO
cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. If you wish your name,
address, or other PII to be withheld, you must state your request
prominently in a cover letter and explain the harm that you fear from
its disclosure, such as unwarranted privacy invasion, embarrassment, or
injury. Even if LPO withholds your information in the context of this
notice, your comment is subject to the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) and any relevant court orders. If your comment is requested
under FOIA or relevant court order, your information will only be
withheld if a determination is made that one of the FOIA exemptions to
disclosure applies or if the relevant court order is challenged. Such a
determination will be made in accordance with DOE's FOIA regulations
and applicable law.
Please label privileged or confidential information as ``Contains
Confidential Information,'' and consider submitting such information as
a separate attachment. Information that is not labeled as privileged or
confidential may be regarded by DOE LPO as suitable for public release.
Consistent with Section 304 of the National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 307103(a)), DOE LPO is required to withhold the
location, character, or ownership of historic resources if it
determines that disclosure may, among other things, risk harm to the
historic resources or impede the use of a traditional religious site by
practitioners. Tribal entities should designate information that falls
under Section 304 of NHPA as confidential.
All submissions from organizations or businesses and from
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses will be made available for public
inspection in their entirety.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq. (National Environmental Policy
Act, as amended) and 40 CFR 1501.9 and 1503.1.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on January 8,
2025, by Todd Stribley, NEPA Compliance Officer, Loan Programs Office,
pursuant to delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That
document with the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For
administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of
the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the
document in electronic format for publication as an official document
of DOE. This administrative process in no way alters the legal effect
of this document upon publication in the Federal Register.
[[Page 5872]]
Signed in Washington, DC, on January 10, 2025.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2025-00736 Filed 1-16-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
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