Midway-Moxee Transmission Line Rebuild Project
The following comments were submitted in response to the open comment period described below.
Comments are numbered consecutively as they are received. Breaks in the number sequence result when comments are deleted because they
were submitted in error or have inappropriate content (such as SPAM). If you do not see your comment two business days after
you submit it, please contact (800) 622-4519.
BPA proposes to completely rebuild the Midway-Moxee 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Benton and Yakima Counties, Washington. This 34-mile long transmission line is owned and operated by BPA. It begins at the BPA Midway Substation and ends at the BPA Moxee Substation in Moxee, Wash., about five miles east of Yakima. The rebuilt transmission line would continue to operate at 115-kV.
Rebuilding this transmission line would enable BPA to continue providing reliable electric power to local utilities. The rebuild is needed because the transmission line, which was built in the early 1940s, is old; the existing wood pole structures and electrical wires (conductors) show normal deterioration due to age. Some existing access roads would need to be improved to provide construction access and some new access roads may be needed to reach structures for which BPA currently does not have adequate access.
Beginning in spring 2013, BPA employees or contractors will conduct background research, field studies, coordination and consultation to learn more about the project area environment and the potential impacts of this proposed project. BPA will prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to assess the potential environmental impacts of the proposed work and identify ways to reduce these impacts. The preliminary EA is expected to be available for public review and comment in late 2013 or early 2014.
Feedback we receive during the public comment period will be used to help develop the EA. In addition we will have at least one public meeting to provide information on the project and take questions and comments. The first meeting will be held in Moxee, Wash., Wednesday, Feb. 20.
BPA will provide details about the meeting at www.bpa.gov and on the project website.
For More Information:
http://www.bpa.gov/goto/MidwayMoxee
Close of comment: 3/8/2013
- MMTR13 0001 -
Gurtler
Please have your environmental studies look at the ground to be dug up and where lines will cross above property/underground.
Will this line be above my home or property: Where will the actual line run? Above or below ground?
How long will this project take? Will traffice be interrupted? Which roads will be utilized for company vehicles? Will they be left in the community along with equipment?
- MMTR13 0002 -
Merkle/Zirkle Fruit CompanyI want to get the used poles to install a wind screen around our cherry blocks. Please call me. I appreciate it. Thanks
- MMTR13 0003 -
Gilbert/Quatro Plumas, LLCMy name is Sean Gilbert and I co-own Quatro Plumas, LLC, which is an orchard that the Midway-Moxee project will affect. I found your email address at efw.bpa.gov.
While I don’t have any specific environmental concerns, I want to make sure that the new line doesn’t tighten our roadways that we use for accessing our orchards. Will we have input into the survey portion of the project?
Also, most of the year the traffic is very light on that orchard, but beginning August 20th and ending November 20th there can be heavy orchard traffic, can you time the project to be completed outside of that timeframe?
Thank you for your time. Cheers, Sean
- MMTR13 0004 -
Klingle
Phone comments from Mr. John Klingle, Friday February 15:
- Could BPA and PP&L to rebuild our line as a double circuit monopole in a shared corridor?
- How big is the conductor compared to the old one?
- How big of an upgrade is the Rebuild Project?
- MMTR13 0005 -
Unknown
Phone comment received from a landowner who lives near the transmission line, Friday, February 8:
- Is this project about a new transmission line?
- What is the location of this transmission line?
- What time of year would construction start?
- Would construction affect agricultural activities, such as the September hop harvest?
- Duffield Road is a dirt road so concerns that dust could be an issue.
- There is one red tail hawk nesting in the area near Duffield Road.
- Landowner walks her dog along the transmission line right-of-way.
- MMTR13 0006 -
Carroll/Yakima County Planning
Yakima County Roads Division will require permits for oversized vehicles that travel county roads during the construction and maintenance of the transmission line.
Yakima County Planning Division would comment on the environmental review when developed.
- MMTR13 0007 -
VariousAttached are the comments received at the Public Meeting held in Moxee, WA on February 20, 2013.
View Attachment
- MMTR13 0008 -
Honner/Bureau of Land ManagementPlease have your environmental studies look at: In addition to the planned surveys, please specifically look at: T & E Species Ferruginous Hawk presence Sage Grouse leks Townsends Ground Squirrel presence All BLM Special Status and Sensitive Species found on the Interagency Special Status / Sensitive Species List (ISSSSP) website. Attached is a list of know species in the area which can be used as the expected species to occur, however the surveys should not be limited to this list alone. Evaluation and consideration of the visual impacts The BLM is requesting that all surveys and findings be available for our records including any GPS shapefiles. I need more information about: A Plan of Development is needed with specific information, for example any new ground disturbance anticipated, equipment to be used, the type of poles to be used, new pole locations in relationship to the old pole locations, the process of removing old poles, storage of equipment and supplies, the process of restring wire from old to new poles, staging and lay down areas, hazardous materials use and/or disposal, road utilization and improvement, etc. Attached is a Plan of Development for a Power Line for guidelines. I have these other comments: Any cultural surveys on BLM managed lands performed by a contractor must apply for an ARPA permit. The survey must cover the APE and be a Class III survey in 30 meter or less transects according to WA DAHP. Spokane District, Bureau of Land Management 1103 N. Fancher Road Spokane Valley, Washington 99212 Heidi Lee Honner, Realty Specialist (509) 536-1216
- MMTR13 0009 -
Ritter/WDFWview attached document
View Attachment
- MMTR13 0010 -
MartinezIn Section ___(personal information)____ you could remove 3 H structures or 6 poles and install 5 THPA 115 kV poles. Also, do job after harvest, preferably when ground is frozen.
- MMTR13 0012 -
Clear/State of Washington Department of Ecologyview attached document
View Attachment
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