Bonneville-Hood River Transmission Line Rebuild (DOE/EA-1981)

Multnomah and Hood River counties, Oregon

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has decided to proceed with the Bonneville-Hood River Transmission Line Rebuild Project. This project involves rebuilding portions of BPA’s existing Bonneville-Hood River 115-kilovolt Transmission Line between the Bonneville Powerhouse at Bonneville Dam in Multnomah County, Oregon and BPA’s existing Hood River Substation in Hood River County, Oregon. BPA will rebuild structures and replace conductor and/or hardware along about 22 miles of this existing 23-mile-long transmission line and the existing approximately 400- foot-long Cascade Locks Tap. BPA also will improve the existing access road and foot trail system that allows BPA to get to and from the Bonneville-Hood River transmission line.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

To understand the potential environmental impacts of this proposal, BPA prepared an environmental assessment (EA) that discussed the line rebuild, including three options for rebuilding a portion of the existing line at Line Mile 19, as well as a no-action alternative in which the line is not rebuilt and current maintenance practices continue. The EA also described anticipated impacts to natural and human resources and includes mitigation measures that would help avoid or minimize impacts.

The schedule for the environmental review was as follows:

Scoping comment period  March 4, 2014 through April 21, 2014
Scoping public meeting  March 20, 2014 in Hood River, Oregon
Draft EA comment period          September 29, 2016 to October 31, 2016
Draft EA public meeting          October 12, 2016 in Hood River, Oregon
Final EA  June 2018
Finding of No Significant Impact (if warranted)  June 2018
If decision to rebuild, construction start  Summer 2018
 

CURRENT STATUS

BPA issued the final EA and Finding of No Significant Impact for the project in June of 2018. BPA also issued a public letter at that time announcing its decision to proceed with the Proposed Action with Line Mile 19 Option 1, as described in the final EA. Project construction will begin in summer of 2018 and will be completed in fall/winter 2021.

CONTACT

For environmental information, contact:
Katey Grange Toll-free: 800-622-4519
NEPA Compliance Officer Direct Line: 503-230-4047
Bonneville Power Administration - ECT-4 Email: kcgrange@bpa.gov 
P.O. Box 3621
Portland, OR 97208-3621

For project information, contact:
Amanda Williams Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Project Manager Direct Line: 360-619-6634
Bonneville Power Administration - TEP-TPP-1 Email: amloran@bpa.gov 
P.O. Box 61409
Vancouver, WA 98666-1409

DOCUMENTS

SUPPLEMENT ANALYSIS
SA-01 Bonneville-Hood River Transmission Line Rebuild Project Environmental Assessment  (09/18/2020)

FINAL EA and FONSI
Final EA/Revision Sheet (June 2018)
FONSI and MAP (June 2018)
Public Letter (06/22/2018)

DRAFT EA
Draft EA comments received
Public Letter (09/29/2016)
Draft EA (09/29/2016)
Comment Form (09/29/2016)

SCOPING
Scoping comments received
Public Letter (03/04/2014)
Project Map (02/19/2014)
Comment Form (03/04/2014)