NoCapX 2020 and United Citizen Action Network have requested that public comments on the CapX 2020 Bemidji-Grand Rapids transmission line be open until at least September 7, 2010, which is one week after the FEIS is due to be released.
Request for Public Comment to September 7, 2010
Please contact Judge Lipman, by email preferably, and ask that the Public Comment period be extended:
Eric Lipman                 eric.lipman@state.mn.us
Administrative Law Judge
Office of Administrative Hearings
P.O. Box 64620
St. Paul, MN 55164-0620
I’m still digging around in theCapX 2020 Bemidji-Grand Rapids transmission line docket. What I’m finding is disturbing — at first the state process, Certificate of Need (07-1222) and Routing (07-1327), were a joint proceeding.
To view the entire dockets, go to www.puc.state.mn.us and then “Search eDockets” and search for 07-1222 (CoN) or 07-1327 (Routing). Remember that the Energy Facilities Permitting site for the Bemidji-Grand Rapids is NOT the official site, it’s the PUC eDockets site, as above!
And a part of that is the joint Minnesota/Commerce and federal/Rural Utilities Service EIS.  Look what happened — on PUC initiative, the state joint process was bifurcated, which eliminated the RUS from the need equation. Very slick… First the PUC says to MOES, “hey, this Certificate of Need is simple and the Routing is a mess, so separate them out,” and MOES says, “sure, WTF!” and then MOES issues first the scope for the Certificate of Need “Environmental Report” which is nothing… and then MOES issues the scope for the Routing Environmental Impact Statement.” Read carefully the “Agency Comments” below, which were first made public, filed in the PUC’s eDockets, A YEAR AND A HALF after they were filed with MOES. These federal agency comments were filed before the state’s bifurcation to limit the scope of the EIS, the EPA comments, read them carefully, those were filed in September, 2008!
Feb 10, 2009 PUC Burl Haar to Commerce Bill Glahn
Feb 12, 2009 Commerce Bill Glahn to PUC Burl Haar
March 3, 2009 Scoping Decision – ER – Glahn separates CoN & Routing Environmental Review
March 31, 2009 Scoping Decision – Routing EIS
April 20. 2010 MOES files agency comments from 2008
RUS Notice of Availability of DEIS – Federal Register March 3, 2010
The FEIS still isn’t out, and the end of last week, ALJ Lipman issued a
revised scheduling order:
Fourth Prehearing Order – July 28, 2010
… replacing this Third Prehearing Order March 16, 2010
And here’s the specifics:
Do you see anything there about Public Comment after the EIS? Under the terms of the Third Prehearing Order, Public Comment closed May 3, 2010, and the Final EIS wasn’t even out yet! Oh… my…
So NoCapX 2020 and United Citizens Action Network have requested Public Comment be open until September 7, 2010.
Request for Public Comment to September 7, 2010
We’ve asked for at least a week after the FEIS is released, and if it’s not available on September 2, as scheduled, for a week after it is available to the public.
Again, please contact Judge Lipman, by email preferably, and ask that the Public Comment period be extended:
Eric Lipman                 eric.lipman@state.mn.us
Administrative Law Judge
Office of Administrative Hearings
P.O. Box 64620
St. Paul, MN 55164-0620