Grand Coulee Security Response Force Upgrades Project

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the proposed federal action?

Why is the proposed federal action necessary?

What are the benefits of the proposed federal action?

How will Reclamation engage the public during the scoping period?

How will Reclamation engage Native American Tribes?

Are there cooperating agencies?

Will the proposed project affect access to the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center or any other facilities or roads open to the public?

How will the proposed federal action affect Grand Coulee Dam historical properties?

Where is Grand Coulee Dam and what is its purpose?

What is the Grand Coulee security department?

What is the proposed federal action?
The proposed federal action is to upgrade existing security components at the Grand Coulee Power Office by relocating and installing new guard stations, creating improved inspection areas, establishing additional or improved security cameras and lighting, and replacing or installing security gates, fences, and intrusion detection systems at Grand Coulee Dam facilities. The GCPO also proposes construction of new buildings, installation of utilities, and access road improvements to facilitate security department administration, badge issuance and access control functions, and support Security Response Force training.

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Why is the proposed federal action necessary?
Recent comprehensive security assessments of the Grand Coulee Power Office identified various physical security insufficiencies at Grand Coulee Dam facilities. The reviews found that Grand Coulee Dam security infrastructure no longer meets current applicable requirements and needs to be upgraded.

The need for the proposed action is to comply with Department of the Interior (444 DM 1, 444 DM 2) and Bureau of Reclamation (SLE 03-02) security requirements, modernize physical security components, minimize security risk to employees and facilities, and improve security department administrative operations, and Security Response Force capabilities.

What are the benefits of the proposed federal action?
The Grand Coulee Security Response Force Upgrades Project would update existing security components that have reached their expected service life or do not conform with current security requirements, create an integrated hardened physical perimeter around security assets and facilities, consolidate security department administrative and access control offices and functions outside of restricted areas, and upgrade and enhance Security Response Force training facilities and capacities.

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How will Reclamation engage the public during the Scoping period?
Reclamation is committed to an open and inclusive National Environmental Policy Act process. All comments will be carefully considered in our review and decision(s) on meeting the agency’s NEPA responsibilities and other applicable laws in this process. The public participates in the NEPA process by helping to identify environmental assessment issues and potential alternatives to the proposed action.

The 15-day public scoping period began on Aug.15, 2022, and will continue through Aug. 29, 2022. Reclamation will share information through a web-based virtual environment at www.virtualpublicmeeting.com/grand-coulee-srf-ea-scoping.

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How will Reclamation engage Native American Tribes?
Reclamation will offer the opportunity for Government–to–Government consultation with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Tribal representatives will be invited to actively participate in project coordination and offer expertise and tribal perspective. The Tribes have deep vested interests in the activities at Grand Coulee Dam, especially activities occurring within the boundaries of the reservation. The Tribes will be invited to participate in the process as a cooperating agency.

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Are there cooperating agencies?
Reclamation is the lead federal agency under National Environmental Policy Act for development of the Environmental Assessment. Reclamation will invite federal, state, and local agencies and Native American Tribes with jurisdiction by law or have special expertise with respect to environmental quality issues to participate as cooperating agencies. A cooperating agency is any federal, state, or local government agency or Native American Tribe that enters into a formal agreement—a memorandum of understanding—with the lead federal agency to help in the environmental analysis.

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Will the proposed project affect access to the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center or any other facilities or roads open to the public?
Washington State Highway 155 is the primary way to access the Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center and the town of Coulee Dam. Construction at key locations on WA-155 will temporarily disrupt traffic patterns for residents and visitors, but the highway will remain open. Although access to a small portion of the park and use of a few parking spaces will be unavailable, access to the visitor center and the remainder of the park will be accessible for normal visitor use. Reclamation will coordinate with Grant and Okanogan counties and the towns of Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam to minimize potential disruptions during project construction.

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How will the proposed federal action affect Grand Coulee Dam historical properties?
The Grand Coulee Security Response Force Upgrades Project Environmental Assessment will analyze the potential impacts that the proposed federal action will have on the human and natural environment, including historical properties. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act mandates that federal agencies take preservation values into consideration when a proposed federal action may affect historic properties. Reclamation plans on initiating the Section 106 review process and conducting consultation with the state historic preservation officer of the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the tribal historic preservation officer of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Through the Section 106 process, the Grand Coulee Power Office archaeologist and historian, assisted by specialized contractors, will assess potential effects that the proposed federal action might have on the historic character of Grand Coulee Dam and other cultural or archaeological sites that might still exist in areas not impacted by the dam’s construction. Reclamation will address any adverse effects with treatments that avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts or actions that retain information that might be lost due to the project as necessary.

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Where is Grand Coulee Dam and what is its purpose?
Located on the Columbia River about 90 miles northwest of Spokane, Washington, the Grand Coulee Dam is the largest power generating complex in the United States supplying power to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western Montana, and parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Canada. The Grand Coulee Dam power facility includes 33 generators in three power plants, the John W. Keys III Pump-Generating Plant, and four switchyards. The dam serves as a multipurpose facility, providing water for irrigation, hydroelectric power production, flood control, fish and wildlife conservation, and recreation.

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What is the Grand Coulee security department?
The Grand Coulee security department protects assets and power generation equipment vital to providing water and electricity to the Western United States. The security department’s Security Response Force officers conduct security operations at facilities across the Grand Coulee Dam complex. Security operations include conducting vehicle and foot patrols throughout the facilities, maintaining access control to administrative, power generation, and transmission areas, and engaging employees and visitors as they enter and exit the premises.

Grand Coulee is the location of the SRF Training Center. All SRF officers stationed at Grand Coulee, Glen Canyon, and Hoover dams are required to attend and pass the SRF Academy as part of the hiring process. Training opportunities for other federal, tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies also occurs at the training center. SRF officers are trained in multiple security related topics including firearms, defensive tactics, use of force, physical fitness, and customer service.