Environmental Impact Statement
Sacramento Area Voltage Support
Western Area Power Administration, Sacramento, California

Burleson was awarded a contract from the Department of Energy (DOE) to manage this complex project involving preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for DOE's Western Area Power Administration (Western). The EIS was prepared to address the reliability and security of Western's power system. Six task orders were assigned:

  Maintenance Activities
  Public Involvement
  Draft/Final EIS/Record of Decision (ROD)
  Facilitate Meetings and Hearings
  Project Management (Scheduling and Tracking Task Orders)
  DOE Coordination and Administrative Record (AR)

Western is a federal power marketing administration, charged with the marketing of electricity generated by power plants operated by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the International Boundary
and Water Commission (IBWC). Western's transmission lines are interconnected to other Sacramento area utility transmission lines including those owned and operated by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), Redding, Roseville, Palo Alto, and Silicon Valley Power.

Burleson staff completed project management and were the primary technical authors for the EIS. Burleson coordinated the public hearings and workshops. Burleson reviewed and evaluated comments from the public, Tribes, and regulatory agencies, selected and analyzed the alternatives, and made recommendations for the selection of a preferred alternative. Burleson coordinated agency consultation with Tribes, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and local air districts. Burleson maintained the website and hotline and was responsive to all comments received about the project. Burleson also completed budget tracking for the Western project manager, provided status sheets to keep the review team on schedule, and developed action item lists for the team. The ROD was final in January 2004. The project was completed on schedule and within budget. In 2006, Burleson was awarded follow-on work for completion of a supplemental EIS and Environmental Impact Report (EIR).