Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and To Conduct Public Scoping Meetings and Notice of Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement; Montana Alberta Tie, Ltd.

The Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intention to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) and to conduct public scoping meetings on an application for a Presidential permit to construct a new international transmission line that crosses the U.S.-Canada international border in northwest Montana. The EA will be prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and applicable regulations, including DOE NEPA implementing regulations at 10 CFR part 1021. Montana Alberta Tie, Ltd., (MATL) has applied to DOE's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) for a Presidential permit to construct a 230,000-volt (230-kV) electric transmission line across the U.S. border with Canada, and to the State of Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for a Linear Facilities construction permit. The proposed transmission line would originate at a new substation to be constructed northeast of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, cross the U.S.-Canada international border, and terminate north of Great Falls, Montana, at an existing 230-kV substation owned by NorthWestern Energy (NWE). The total length of the proposed transmission line would be 203 miles, with approximately 126 miles constructed inside the U.S. DOE and the State of Montana have decided to cooperate on the preparation of an EA that would be used for their respective planning and decisionmaking processes. With this Notice of Intent, DOE and the Montana DEQ invite public participation in the EA scoping process and solicit pubic comments for consideration in establishing the scope and content of the EA. Because the proposed project may involve an action in a floodplain or wetland, the EA will include a floodplain and wetlands assessment and floodplain statement of findings in accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with floodplain and wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR part 1022). The Montana DEQ must issue a certification pursuant to section 401 of the Federal Clean Water Act that any project-related activities will comply with water quality standards and issue permits for any discharges of pollutants to State waters.