News Story - Idaho State Journal

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- The Bureau of Land Management announced Monday the availability of a report relating to the proposed construction of nearly 1,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines that will run from the Boise area all the way to Casper, Wyo., crossing through Power, Oneida, Bannock, Franklin and Bear Lake counties en route.

The report contains more than 200 comments provided primarily by local, state and federal agencies, identifying issues raised and suggested alternatives to the project. The report, which also includes public comments, is available online at www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/cfodocs/gateway_west.

The proposal, known as Gateway West, is a joint project between Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power to build transmission lines from the proposed Windstar substation near Glenrock, Wyo., to the proposed Hemingway substation near Melba, approximately 20 miles southwest of Boise.

Officials with Idaho Power do not expect construction of Gateway West to commence until 2012, but have been collecting input on the project that is slated to run through federal, state and private lands. Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power have applied to the BLM and USFS for right-of-way grants to construct, operate and maintain the lines.

The BLM Wyoming State Office and U.S. Forest Service Caribou-Targhee and Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests are currently preparing draft environmental impact statements, which will address Gateway West's impact on public grounds.

"I am pleased to announce the release of this scoping report and acknowledge this important step in preparing for the draft EIS," said Walter George, Gateway West project manager for the BLM. "I also encourage continued public participation on the project while we prepare the EIS."

After the DEIS is released in the spring of 2009, a 60-day comment period will follow.

This document was originally published online on Tuesday, September 09, 2008

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