019-Attachment-C-2021-087-WCMO-CX.pdf

Attachment C

Categorical Exclusion Determination

89503223QWA000534

CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION DETERMINATION

Western Area

Power Administration

Rocky Mountain Region

Proposed Action Title: Western Colorado Maintenance Office Communication Site and Facility

Herbicide Treatments

Location: Chaffee, Custer, Dolores, El Paso, Fremont, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Jackson, La Plata, Lake, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Miguel, and

Summit Counties, Colorado; San Juan County, New Mexico; Daggett and Uintah

Counties, Utah; Lincoln and Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming

Project Number: 2021-087

Expiration Date: December 31, 2023

A. PROPOSED ACTION DESCRIPTION:

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), Rocky Mountain Region (RMR), proposes to conduct routine herbicide application for vegetation management in the spring and fall, as necessary, at the communication sites and facilities listed below. Herbicide will be applied by backpack sprayer or custom vehicle-mounted sprayer. All weeds will be treated within WAPA’s property boundaries and rights-of-way (ROWs) on lands managed by the Bureau of Land

Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Navajo Nation (NAV), State of Colorado

(CO), and US Forest Service (USFS). Treatment areas will be accessed using existing access routes; no road maintenance or new road construction is authorized.

Facility Name Facility Type FID County State

Land

Management

Agency

Animas River Substation ANM La Plata Colorado N/A

Bears Ears Substation BEA Moffat Colorado CO

Big Mesa Communication

Site

BMS Gunnison Colorado BLM

Blue Mesa Switchyard BM Gunnison Colorado BLM

Blue Ridge Communication

Site

BLR Grand Colorado USFS

Brush Creek Tap Substation BCK Uintah Utah BLM

Cahone Pumping Plant CNE Dolores Colorado BOR

Canon West Substation CCW Fremont Colorado N/A

Cathedral Bluff Communication

Site

CAB Rio Blanco Colorado BLM

Cedar Mountain Communication

Site

CMT Moffat Colorado BLM

Cliff Ridge Communication

Site

CLI Uintah Utah BLM

Cow Point Communication

Site

CWP Montezuma Colorado BLM

CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION DETERMINATION - Project Number: 2021-087

Craig

Maintenance

Facility

Service Center CRM Moffat Colorado N/A

Curecanti Substation CCI Montrose Colorado N/A

Deer Peak Communication

Site

DPK Custer Colorado USFS

Dove Creek Pumping Plant DOV Dolores Colorado BOR

Fairview Pumping Plant FRV Montezuma Colorado BOR

Flaming Gorge Switchyard FGE Daggett Utah USFS

Flaming Gorge Communication

Site

FGC Daggett Utah USFS

Fontenelle Camp Communication

Site

FNP Lincoln Wyoming BOR

Fontenelle Switchyard FON Lincoln Wyoming BOR

Four Corners Communication

Site

FCM San Juan New Mexico NAV

Granby Pumping

Plant

Switchyard GPP Grand Colorado BOR

Granby Substation GRB Grand Colorado BLM

Great Cut Pumping Plant GCT Montezuma Colorado BOR

Green Mountain Communication

Site

GMM Summit Colorado USFS

Green Mountain Switchyard GM Summit Colorado BOR

Green River Communication

Site

GNR Sweetwater Wyoming BLM

Grizzly Ridge Communication

Site

GRZ Uintah Utah USFS

Hayden Communication

Site, Pole Yard, and Substation

HDN Routt Colorado N/A

Kremmling Substation KRM Grand Colorado BLM

Midway Substation MID El Paso Colorado N/A

Monarch Communication

Site

MNK Chaffee Colorado USFS

Moncisco Communication

Site

MCO San Juan New Mexico NAV

Montrose Substation MTR Montrose Colorado N/A

Mount Elbert Substation MTE Lake Colorado BOR

North Park Substation NOP Jackson Colorado N/A

Oak Creek Tap OCR Routt Colorado N/A

Pinion Hill Communication

Site

PNN Chaffee Colorado N/A

Pleasant View Pumping Plant PTV Montezuma Colorado BOR

Poncha Switchyard PON Chaffee Colorado N/A

Raspberry Creek Communication

Site

RBC Montrose Colorado USFS

Rifle Communication

Site

RFM Garfield Colorado N/A

Rifle Substation RFL Garfield Colorado N/A

Ruin Canyon Pumping Plant RUC Montezuma Colorado BOR

Salida Substation SLA Chaffee Colorado N/A

Sandrock Communication

Site

SDR San Miguel Colorado BLM

Sheeps Knob Communication

Site

SHK Montrose Colorado BLM

Shiprock Substation SHR San Juan New Mexico BLM

Silt Pumping Plant SLT Garfield Colorado BOR

Skito Metering Station SKO Gunnison Colorado N/A

Sunlight Peak Communication

Site

SUN Garfield Colorado BLM

Table Mountain Communication

Site

TBM Grand Colorado USFS

Towaoc Power Plant TOA Montezuma Colorado BOR

Tyzack Substation TYZ Uintah Utah BOR

Vernal Communication

Site and

Substation

VNL Uintah Utah N/A

Waterflow Substation WTF San Juan New Mexico BLM

Willow Creek Switchyard WCR Grand Colorado N/A

B. STIPULATIONS PERTAINING TO PROPOSAL:

1) If the scope of work of this project changes, RMR’s Environment Department must be contacted to determine whether additional environmental review is required.

2) This Categorical Exclusion expires on December 31, 2023. If all project work has not been completed by the expiration date, or if the need for an environmental compliance extension is anticipated, RMR’s Environment Department must be contacted for an updated environmental review.

3) Pesticide and herbicide applicators must meet all state licensing requirements and must follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines. Applicators must use only EPA-registered pesticides and herbicides that are approved for the intended use and location and must follow all applicable label directions.

4) To prevent the transport of non-native and invasive plants and animals, including noxious weeds and aquatic nuisance species, work crews must pressure wash vehicle undercarriages when refilling water tanks between herbicide treatments.

5) Any injured or orphaned birds and all observed active nests must be immediately reported to

RMR Environment at (970) 593-8803 or (970) 342-6462. Any dead birds must be reported to

RMR Environment within twenty-four (24) hours of discovery. Additional documentation, such as photographs and GPS coordinates, may be requested to support RMR’s reporting requirements to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

6) If any cultural resources are inadvertently discovered during implementation of the proposed action, work within 100 feet of the discovery area must halt immediately, and an RMR

Archaeologist must be contacted immediately at (970) 302-4753 or (970) 286-3523. Work in the area of discovery must not resume until notification to proceed is provided by an RMR

Archaeologist.

7) If any possible human remains are inadvertently discovered during implementation of the proposed action, work within 100 feet of the discovery area must halt immediately, and an

RMR Archaeologist must be notified immediately at (970) 302-4753 or (970) 286-3523

(no later than 24 hours from the time of discovery). A reasonable effort must be made to protect the remains from looting and/or further damage. Work in the area of discovery must not resume until notification to proceed is provided by an RMR Archaeologist.

8) Activities involving the use of fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, or other petroleum products must comply with RMR’s Spill Response Plan (SRP).

C. NUMBER AND TITLE OF THE CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION BEING APPLIED:

(See text in 10 CFR 1021, Subpart D.)

B1.3 Routine maintenance

D. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS 10 CFR 1021.410 (b): (See full text in regulation)

The proposed action fits within a class of actions that is listed in Appendix A or B of 10 CFR

1021.

To fit within the classes of actions listed in Appendix B, a proposal must be one that would not:

(1) threaten a violation of applicable statutory, regulatory, or permit requirements for environment, safety, and health, or similar requirements of the Department of Energy (DOE) or Executive Orders;

(2) require siting and construction or major expansion of waste storage, disposal, recovery, or treatment facilities (including incinerators), but the proposal may include categorically excluded waste storage, disposal, recovery, or treatment actions or facilities; (3) disturb hazardous substances;

pollutants; contaminants; or Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act (CERCLA)-excluded petroleum and natural gas products that preexist in the environment such that there would be uncontrolled or unpermitted releases; (4) have the potential to cause significant impacts on environmentally sensitive resources, including, but not limited to, those listed in paragraph B(4) of 10 CFR 1021, Subpart D, Appendix B; (5) involve genetically engineered organisms, synthetic biology, governmentally designated noxious weeds, or invasive species, unless the proposed activity would be contained or confined in a manner designed and operated to prevent unauthorized release into the environment and conducted in accordance with applicable requirements, such as those of the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Institutes of Health.

There are no extraordinary circumstances related to the proposal that may affect the significance of the environmental effects of the proposal.

The proposal has not been improperly segmented, and the proposal is not connected to other actions with potentially significant impacts, is not related to other proposed actions with cumulatively significant impacts, and is not precluded by 40 CFR 1506.1 or 10 CFR 1021.211.

E. DETERMINATION:

Based on my review of information conveyed to me and in my possession (or attached) concerning the proposed action, as NEPA Compliance Officer (as authorized under DOE Order 451.1B), I have determined that the proposed action fits within the specified class(es) of action, the other regulatory requirements set forth above are met, and the proposed action is hereby categorically excluded from further NEPA review.

Signature and Date

James Wood

NEPA Compliance Officer

Rocky Mountain Region

Western Area Power Administration

Prepared by:

Andrea Severson, Natural Resource Specialist

William Ankele, Archaeologist