Notification is hereby given to the public that Minnkota Power Cooperative in Barnes County, North Dakota has requested funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a powerline stabilization/realignment project for transmission structures along ND Highway 1. The project is located 5.2 miles west of Valley City, structure 223 latitude: 46.907120 longitude: -98.142779 and structure 223 latitude: 46.9070389 longitude: -98.14934722. This notification is provided pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Executive Orders 11988 – Floodplain Management, and Executive Order 11990 – Wetland Protection, and Federal agency implementation procedures described in 44 C.F.R. Part 9 and FEMA Directive 108-1. Funding from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program will be utilized. The purpose of FEMA’s mitigation program is to implement cost-effective mitigation projects that will reduce the overall risk to populations and property. This project will address damage and threat to the existing transmission structures caused by the increased water level in Lake Hobart.

The project will be implemented by replacing the Hobart Lake 69kV transmission line crossing near Valley City, ND. There are two existing 69kV transmission structures that are currently inundated with water in Hobart Lake, structures 223 and 224. Both are 3 pole wood structures. Structure 223 is in mid span and structure 224 is located near the west bank. Structure 224 will be replaced with a similar 3-pole wood dead end structure moved 50ft west to get that structure out of the lake onto higher ground. Structure 223 will be replaced with a more permanent steel structure on a pile foundation. The steel pole will be built out for any future upgrades to that line or increased lake levels. Pole 223 has an existing peninsula that was built around it for maintenance access and to mitigate ice damage. That peninsula was built at a rough elevation of 1417 and is now under water. The peninsula will be raised to an elevation of 1421 for this project.

The President of the United States has issued Executive Orders that require Federal Agencies to focus attention on the environment and on human health and safety when considering the funding of an action. Executive Orders 11988 –Floodplain Management and 11990 – Wetland Protection require federal agencies to avoid to the extent possible the long and short-term adverse impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of floodplains/wetlands and to avoid direct and indirect support of floodplain/wetland development wherever there is a practicable alternative. Construction activities associated with this project are not located in a FEMA mapped floodplain. However, with this public notice, FEMA is informing the public that portions of the project construction will occur in areas of mapped wetlands. Based on the nature of the project, all practicable alternatives will result in wetlands impacts. In order to minimize impacts to wetlands, appropriate erosion and sediment control measures will be installed to control the discharge of pollutants from the construction site. Impacts to jurisdictional waters of the United States will be addressed and mitigated in compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. FEMA has also evaluated potential effects of the proposed project on endangered species, and historic properties, and determined there will be no significant impacts to these resources.

A public comment period for the proposed project described in this notice will remain open for 15 days from date of publication. If no substantive comments are received, the proposed project may proceed no sooner than 15 days after the comment period closes. Interested persons may obtain more detailed information about the proposed project by contacting Todd Joersz by email at tjoersz@nd.gov or by mail at NDDES, P.O. BOX 5511, Bismarck, ND 58504. Information may also be requested from Daniel Jones, FEMA Environmental Specialist by email at daniel.jones5@fema.dhs.gov or by mail at the Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25267, Denver, Colorado 80225.