The Bonneville Power Administration has completed the final environmental impact statement (DOE/EIS-0436) for our proposed I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project. This is a significant milestone in completing our National Environmental Policy Act review process for this proposal. The environmental impact statement process included several steps that offered opportunities for the public to get involved. 

 

The environmental review process began with a Notice of Intent (74 Federal Register 52482, October 13, 2009) and a letter to the public announcing the scoping process. Scoping is an important time when the public can help BPA identify issues and provide suggestions about the project. The overall goal of the scoping process is to define the scope of issues that will be addressed, analyzed and included in the EIS. The official public scoping period closed Dec. 14, 2009, but BPA accepted public comment up through the publication of the draft EIS.

 

The draft environmental impact statement describes the proposed project and why it is needed, discusses the environmental impacts the project would create, and lists mitigation measures that would lessen or eliminate those impacts. BPA released the draft EIS on Nov. 13, 2012 for public review and comment. The official draft EIS comment period closed on March 25, 2013. BPA held drop-in sessions in December 2012, and public meetings in January and February 2013 to accept comments on the draft EIS.

 

BPA continues to consult with Native American tribal governments about the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project.

 

The Bonneville Power Administration works on a government-to-government basis with Native American tribes. As a part of the government's treaty and trust responsibilities, the government-to-government relationship was formally recognized by the federal government on Nov. 6, 2000, in Executive Order 13175. 

 

BPA will continue meet its federal requirements to consult with affected tribes after release of the EIS. BPA and tribes will continue to jointly evaluate and address the potential effects, if any, of the proposed action. These consultations will be conducted in accordance with Executive Order 13175 "Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments" (65 FR 67249), the president's memorandum of April 29, 1994, "Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments" (59 FR 22961), agency-specific guidance on tribal interactions and applicable natural and cultural resource laws and regulations (e.g., National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and Migratory Bird Treaty Act). More information is available in BPA’s Tribal Policy.

 

For more information on government-to-government consultation for this project, contact:
Tribal Account Executive Corrina Ikakoula at tribalaffairs@bpa.gov.

 

When a project could involve more than one federal or state agency, those agencies often work together during the planning and decision-making process. The agency primarily responsible for preparing the environmental impact statement is identified as the lead agency, and the other participating agencies are identified as cooperating agencies. The Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act also allow for the designation of state and local agencies and Indian tribes as cooperating agencies where appropriate.

 

BPA is the lead agency for this NEPA process. BPA continues to work with several entities as cooperating agencies, including: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the States of Washington and Oregon, the Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council and the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council, and Clark and Cowlitz counties.

 

If you have a question about the Corps' participation in the EIS, contact:
Dave Martin
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Seattle District Regulatory Branch
PO Box 3755
Seattle, WA 98124-3755
Phone: 206-764-6848
Fax: 206-764-6602

 

If you have a question about Washington's or Oregon's participation in the EIS, contact:
Stephen Posner, Manager, EFSEC
Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council

1300 South Evergreen Park Drive SW
PO Box 43172
Olympia, WA 98504-3172
Phone: 360-664-1903

 

Todd Cornett, Division Administrator
Oregon Energy Facility Siting
625 Marion St. NE
Salem, OR 97301-3737
Phone: 503-378-8328
Toll free: 800-221-8035
Fax: 503-373-7806

 

If you have a question about Clark County's participation in the EIS, contact:
Jeff Swanson, Director of Economic Development
Clark County
1300 Franklin Street
PO Box 5000
Vancouver, WA 98666-9810
Phone: 360-397-2004