PR 50 05
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
THURSDAY, May 19, 2005
Contact:
Ed Mosey |
, BPA (503)-230-5131
Federal agencies scope proposed submarine cable
May 24 open house to launch environmental process
PORT ANGELES, Wash. -
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that it will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Sea Breeze Pacific Juan de Fuca Cable, LP's proposed Port Angeles-Juan de Fuca High Voltage Direct Current Transmission Project. A public scoping meeting to explain the EIS process and take comments is scheduled for Tuesday, May 24, in Port Angeles, Wash.
The scoping meeting, which will follow an "open house" format, will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at Peninsula College, Room J47, 1502 E. Lauridsen Boulevard. Representatives of DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OEDER) and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will be there to answer questions about the EIS, which is being prepared to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The two federal agencies are separate organizational units within DOE, each with approval responsibilities for the proposed project. Because the proposal entails a transmission line across an international border with the United States, OEDER must decide whether to issue a Presidential Permit for the project. Because the project proposes to interconnect with the Pacific Northwest transmission system, BPA must decide whether to enter an agreement that would allow this interconnection.
Sea Breeze Pacific proposes to construct a direct-current electric transmission line from the Victoria area in British Columbia to Port Angeles. The project would involve installing a submarine cable under the strait, as well as underground cable at Port Angeles. A substation also would be built to convert direct current from the cable to alternating current and connect the system to the Northwest grid.
"We are interested in hearing the public's comments regarding the proposed project to help us establish the scope of the environmental analysis in the EIS," said
Mark Korsness, project manager, of BPA. "Federal agency representatives will be on hand at the open house to respond to questions and take comments about the EIS, and Olympic Converter, LP representatives will be present to explain the proposed project."
BPA, on behalf of DOE, will lead the public involvement process for the EIS. Scoping comments may be submitted at the May 24 scoping meeting or at any time during the EIS scoping period, which ends on June 8, 2005. Comments may be emailed to: comment@bpa.gov or mailed to:
Bonneville Power Administration
Communications - KC
PO Box 12999
Portland, OR 97212
Submitted for distribution on 05-19-2005 at 4:47 PM
| 
BPA News
