Vantage Pomona Heights

NEPA Document Collection for: Vantage Pomona Heights
EIS

Environmental Impact Statement for the Vanage to Pomona Heights 230kV Transmission Line Project

Proposed Action

Pacific Power proposes to construct, operate, and maintain a new 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from Pacific Power's Pomona Heights substation located just east of Selah, Washington, in Yakima County, to the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Vantage Substation located just east of the Wanapum Dam in Grant County, Washington. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the lead federal agency responsible for the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) that will address the potential effects of the Vantage to Pomona Heights 230-kV Transmission Project. BPA is a cooperating agency on the EIS, and our decision is whether or not to interconnect the line. The project would cross private lands, and federal lands managed by the BLM, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Army - Joint Base Lewis McChord-Yakima Training Center (JBLM-YTC), as well as State of Washington land administered by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

The existing Pacific Power Pomona Heights substation and the BPA Vantage substation would be upgraded with installation of new equipment to interconnect the new 230-kV transmission line to the regional electric grid. As proposed by Pacific Power, most of the transmission line would be constructed on H-Frame wood structures between 65 and 90 feet tall. In developed or agricultural areas, single-wood or steel monopole structures between 80 and 110 feet tall would be used. Route alternatives for the proposed transmission line cross lands in Benton, Grant, Kittitas, and Yakima counties in Washington State.

Conditions of Approval

Final EIS not yet released; ROD not issued.

Data Completion Notes

Resource Analysis Chart Updated May 2016.

A complete record of project files can be found on the BLM website at: http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/plans/vph230/

Documents

EA/EIS Report:

• Vantage-Pomona SupplementalDEIS.pdf
• Vantage-Pomona Appendix-a1-maps.pdf
• Vantage-Pomona Appendix-a2-maps.pdf
• Vantage-Pomona Appendices-b-e.pdf
• Supplemental EIS

 

Resource Analysis

Resource	Not Present	Present, Not Affected	Present, Potentially Affected	Not Indicated	Comment	Applicant Proposed Mitigation	Agency Imposed Mitigation

Vegetation "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Wildlife Resources "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Access and Transportation "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Recreation "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

CloseWithin the standard limits of structure design, single pole and H-frame structures will be located so as to span or avoid sensitive features, and to preserve recreational uses. Avoidance measures may include structure micro-siting, placing access roads and structures at the edge of park boundaries, spanning features, placing structures outside of use areas or the realigning of access roads and ROW centerline.

Visual Resources "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

CloseTo minimize visual impacts to sensitive views and within standard engineering practices and to the extent feasible, the final locations of transmission structures would be adjusted to avoid locations that place the structures in the middle of the line of sight toward important views from residences, roads, trails and other key observation areas. At highways, trails, canyons or other sensitive feature crossings, structures shall be placed at the maximum feasible distance from the crossing within standard structure design, and in conformance with engineering and Pacific Power requirements to reduce visual impacts and potential impacts on recreation values and functions, and to increase safety at these locations.

Environmental Justice "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Social Values "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Cultural Resources "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Native American Concerns "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Fire Resources "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Water Quality "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Geology and Minerals "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.

Soils "NEPA_Resource_Analysis" is not in the list of possible values (Not Present, Present, Not Affected, Present, Potentially Affected, Not Indicated) for this property.