PROJECT  DESCRIPTION
BPA has been in ongoing discussions with members of the Northern Mid-Columbia Study Team (BPA, PUDs of Grant, Chelan, and Douglas counties in Washington) on how to address deficiencies in the Northern Mid-Columbia transmission system that could cause power outages. Solutions were explored that would meet each utility's electric reliability needs. These discussions led to an agreement between BPA and the three county PUDs to jointly propose and fund the Northern Mid-Columbia Joint Project (Joint Project).

The Joint Project would require Douglas PUD to design, build, own, and operate a 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line. The approximately 9-mile long line would extend from the PUD's Rapids Substation in the town of Rock Island to BPA's Columbia Substation, located approximately eight miles to the southeast. Several areas in Douglas and Chelan counties have been identified as possible routes for the transmission line but a specific alignment has not yet been determined. Both endpoints of the proposed line are in Douglas County, Washington. To interconnect the proposed line to the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS), BPA would add a bay to its existing Columbia Substation.

CURRENT STATUS
Douglas PUD and BPA will hold a public scoping meeting Wednesday, November 14, 2012, at the Douglas County PUD auditorium, located at 1151 Valley Mall Parkway in East Wenatchee, Washington. BPA and Douglas PUD staff would like to hear your ideas, discuss possible routes, and accept comments related to the scope of the environmental analysis. Because there will not be a formal presentation, attendees can come at any time between 4 and 7 p.m.

BPA will prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) to understand the potential environmental impacts of the Joint Project. The EA will analyze the potential routes that are selected (Build Alternatives) and a No Build Alternative, which assumes the project would not be constructed. The EA will describe the existing environment, anticipated impacts to natural and human resources, and mitigation measures to avoid or minimize impacts. Douglas PUD will cooperate with BPA in the preparation of the EA.  Starting this winter, BPA and Douglas PUD will begin collecting environmental data and conducting engineering surveys for the project. We expect to release the preliminary EA for public review and comment in early 2014. Based on the analysis in the final EA, BPA will either prepare a Finding of No Significant Impact and decide whether to proceed with the project, or will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement if there is the potential for significant environmental impacts.