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- Record of Decision Signed on Wanapa Energy Center FEIS in Oregon
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Record of Decision Signed on Wanapa Energy Center FEIS in Oregon
Media Contact:
John Redding, (208) 378-5212, 07/14/2005 11:00
Karen Blakney , kblakney@pn.usbr.gov
For Release: July 14, 2005
The Bureau of Reclamation signed a Record of Decision for actions under its jurisdiction associated with the Wanapa Energy Center Final Environmental Impact Statement. The FEIS documents the impacts of the proposed construction and operation of a 1,200 megawatt, gas-fired electrical generating plant to be located in Umatilla County, Oregon.
The proposal includes a 4.4-mile electrical transmission line to connect the plant with the Bonneville Power Administration's McNary Substation. Also proposed is a 10-mile natural gas supply pipeline to provide power plant fuel from the interstate natural gas pipeline system near Stanfield, Oregon.
Cooling water for the plant would be withdrawn from the Columbia River through an existing Port of Umatilla intake structure. The plant cooling wastewater is proposed to be discharged to Cold Springs Reservoir through a pipeline routed parallel to the natural gas pipeline. Cold Springs Reservoir is part of Reclamation's Umatilla Project.
The recently signed Record of Decision provides conditional approval for crossing of Reclamation easements and lands and for the storage and carriage of plant cooling wastewater in Reclamation facilities. It also identifies conditions which must be met prior to final approval.
The conditions include several agency actions, including a determination by the Oregon Water Resources Department that cooling wastewater may be used as irrigation water, and the issuance of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The NPDES permit is issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
After actions are taken by these agencies, Reclamation would enter into negotiations for use of excess storage and carriage capacity in Reclamation facilities and complete actions necessary to approve pipeline crossings.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs was the lead federal agency responsible for preparation of the FEIS. Reclamation and BPA were cooperating agencies based on their jurisdiction and expertise regarding specific portions of the overall proposal. In February 2005, the BIA and BPA signed Record of Decisions for portions of the project over which they have jurisdiction. Copies of Reclamation's Record of Decision may be obtained by contacting Karen Blakney at (503) 872-2839. It is also available on the internet at http://www.usbr.gov/pn/.
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