Bonneville Power Administration Transmission System Vegetation Management Program Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Technical Report · Fri Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/823384· OSTI ID:823384

Bonneville is responsible for maintaining a network of 24,000 kilometers (km) or 15,000 miles (mi.) of electric transmission lines and 350 substations in a region of diverse vegetation. This vegetation can interfere with electric power flow, pose safety problems for us and the public, and interfere with our ability to maintain these facilities. We need to (1) keep vegetation away from the electric facilities; (2) increase the program efficiency and consistency; (3) review herbicide use (under increased public scrutiny); and (4) maximize the range of tools we can use while minimizing environmental impact (Integrated Vegetation Management). This DEIS establishes Planning Steps for managing vegetation for specific projects (to be tiered to this EIS). In addition to No Action (current practice), alternatives are presented for Rights-of-way, Electric Yards, and Non-electric Facilities (landscaping, work yards). Four vegetation control methods are analyzed: manual, mechanical, herbicide, and biological. Also evaluated are 24 herbicide active ingredients and 4 herbicide application techniques (spot, localized, broadcast, and aerial). For rights-of-way, they consider three sets of alternatives: alternative management approaches (time-driven or establishing low-growing plant communities); alternative method packages; and, if herbicides are in a methods package, alternative vegetation selections (noxious weeds, deciduous, or any vegetation). For electric yards, one herbicide-use alternative is considered. For non-electric facilities, two method package alternatives are considered. For rights-of-way, the environmentally preferred alternative(s) would use manual, mechanical, and biological control methods, as well as spot and localized herbicide applications for noxious and deciduous plant species; the BPA-preferred alternative(s) would add broadcast and aerial herbicide applications, and would use herbicides on any vegetation. Both would factor a management approach that fosters low-growing plant communities.

• Research Organization: U.S. Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US)
• OSTI ID: 823384
• Report Number(s): DOE/EIS-0285; TRN: US200427%%341
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 20 Aug 1999
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
COMMUNITIES
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRIC POWER
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
HERBICIDES
LANDSCAPING
MANAGEMENT
PLANNING
PLANTS
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
SAFETY
EIS
BPA
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT
CA
ID
MT
OR
UT
WA
WY