REVISED Notice of Conditional Use Permit Public Hearing/FEIS Adequacy Appeal

Lower Snake River Wind Energy Project

CUP #012609

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Garfield County Hearing Examiner will hold an Open Record Public Hearing on the conditional use permit application for the Lower Snake River Wind Energy Project on Thursday, November 5, 2009 beginning at 9:30 AM in the Main Building at the County Fairgrounds located at 99 Fairgrounds Road, Pomeroy, WA. If the Open Record Public Hearing is not concluded in one day, a second hearing date has been reserved on Monday, November 9, 2009, beginning at 1 PM in Spinners Hall located at 7th Street and Columbia Street in Pomeroy.

The Lower Snake River Wind Energy Project includes the construction of approximately 444 wind turbines over approximately 66,350 acres of leased land located in Garfield County as well as the construction of related infrastructure such as, but not limited to, overhead and underground transmission lines, quarry sites, substations, roads, operation and maintenance facilities, laydown sites, etc.

A representative from the Bonneville Power Administration will also be present at the November 5th public hearing to answer questions regarding its environmental review for and future construction of the Central Ferry Substation within the Lower Snake River Wind Energy Project area.

Written comments on the project’s CUP application must be received by Garfield County Planning at the Garfield County Auditor’s Office, P.O. Box 278, Pomeroy, WA 99347, no later than Friday, October 30, 2009, at 5:00 PM. Written and oral comments may also be submitted at the public hearing. Comments received by the deadline listed above, as well as the comments submitted at the public hearing, will become part of the project record. Those wishing to provide oral comments at the hearing will be required to give sworn testimony.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) has been available for public review since October 7, 2009 and has an appeal period deadline ending at 5 PM on October 21, 2009. The Planning Department staff report containing proposed project conditions and plans of the proposed project will be available for review on October 29, 2009, at the Garfield County Public Works Office, 19th and Arlington, Pomeroy, WA 99347 between the hours of 6:30 am to 5 pm, Monday through Thursday. This staff report will also be posted on the County’s website at www.co.garfield.wa.us under Land Services.

An appeal has been filed on the adequacy of the project’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (“FEIS”). The Hearing Examiner will also conduct a hearing on said appeal at the above-stated time, date and location, to be followed by the public hearing on the Conditional Use Permit. Both the appeal hearing and the conditional use hearing will be recorded.

The public hearing(s) is located in a facility that is accessible to persons with disabilities. Special accommodations for persons with disabilities will be available, upon request to the Public Works Department, five (5) days prior to the public hearing. If you have questions regarding the public hearing, please call the Public Works Department at 509-843-1301 or the Zoning Official Don Brigham at 509-758-9646.

The following is Garfield County Planning's Staff Report to the Hearings Examiner: