Grain Belt Express Transmission Line Project Environmental Impact Statement
Welcome to the Summer 2023 update for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). A short explanation of the purpose of this EIS follows below, and a full introduction to the EIS and the Grain Belt Express Transmission Line Project can be found here. In addition to reviewing this site, please sign up for our mailing list for information and updates.
This EIS is being prepared by the US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (DOE LPO) to help guide decision-making on whether to approve a request for a loan guarantee from Grain Belt Express LLC to construct the Grain Belt Express Transmission Line Project (referred to throughout as the “Project”), a 542-mile transmission line from Ford County, Kansas, to Monroe County, Missouri. The Project also includes other supporting infrastructure, including the proposed Tiger Connector, a transmission line that extends 36 miles from Monroe County to Callaway County that would establish a connection to the electric grid in Missouri.
DOE LPO must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to assess and disclose the effects of its decisions on the human environment. This includes requirements set forth in laws and regulations, and includes integration with several other statutes (e.g., the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act). To learn more about the DOE LPO, the EIS, and the Project, please read our EIS introduction here.
This EIS is being prepared by the US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (DOE LPO) to guide decision-making on whether to approve a request for a loan guarantee from Grain Belt Express LLC to construct the Grain Belt Express Transmission Line Project (referred to throughout as the “Project”), a transmission line from Ford County, Kansas, to Monroe County, Missouri, along with other supporting infrastructure.
DOE LPO must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to assess and disclose the effects of its decisions on the human environment. This includes requirements set forth in laws and regulations, and includes integration with several other statutes (e.g., the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act). To learn more about the DOE LPO, the EIS, and the Project, please read our EIS introduction here.
This is the second update since the EIS began. The first update, published in January 2023 and still available on the EIS website, introduced readers to the Grain Belt Express EIS and announced the opportunities to participate in and provide comments during the scoping process for the EIS. In this update, we discuss what we heard from scoping participants and look at ongoing efforts to prepare the EIS.
What We Heard
The scoping process was designed to provide agencies, stakeholders, and the public with information about the proposed Project and the opportunity to comment on specific topics, locations, and concerns that they would like to see studied and addressed in the EIS. Scoping activities for the Grain Belt Express EIS included four in-person open houses, two in Kansas (Dodge City and Great Bend) and two in Missouri (Moberly and St. Joseph), in addition to two virtual public meetings. A range of materials was also posted here. A variety of methods were provided for interested stakeholders to submit comments on the proposed Project.
DOE LPO requested data, comments, information, analysis, or suggestions relevant to the Proposed Action (a loan guarantee to construct the Project) from the public; affected federal, Tribal, State, and local governments, agencies, and offices; the scientific community; industry; or any other interested party. Specifically, DOE LPO requested information on the following topics:
- Potential effects that could occur to biological resources.
- Potential effects that could occur on physical resources and conditions including air quality, soils, water quality, floodplans, wetlands, and other waters of the United States.
- Potential effects that could occur on socioeconomic and cultural resources, including environmental justice and Native American tribal resources.
- Proposed measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any adverse effects.
- Information on other current or planned activities in, or in the vicinty of, the Proposed Action and their possible impacts.
- Other information relevant to the Proposed Action and its impacts on the human environment.
The four open houses and two virtual public meetings were attended by 129 community members, not including those who participated but chose not to sign in. Materials and recordings posted online received over a thousand additional views. Across all means—by mail, phone, email, in person, and online—156 comments were submitted before the February 28, 2023, deadline.
The DOE LPO and the EIS team has reviewed every comment received. We have categorized each comment by topic, including topics that correspond to the resources to be addressed in the EIS. The comments often covered multiple topics or resources and were frequently associated with potential effects on agricultural land and operations. As examples, comments expressed concerns related to potential effects from the loss of farmland, interference with farming equipment, and soil compaction from construction and maintenance.
Other commonly raised topics included:
- Limitations on land uses that could potentially result from the Project’s construction and operation
- Consideration of alternatives to the Project as currently proposed
- History of the Project, including previous routing studies and past interaction with landowners
- Concerns about the Project’s proposed route and infrastructure placement
- Potential impacts on wildlife; social, economic, and community resources; geology and soils; health and safety; and vegetation
For a detailed description of the scoping process and a full list of comments received, the scoping report is available here.
Topics/Resources to be Addressed in the EIS:
- Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
- Geology, Soils, and Paleontology
- Water Resources
- Noise
- Vegetation
- Wildlife
- Cultural Resources
- Transportation and Access
- Land Use
- Recreation
- Environmental Justice
- Public Health & Safety
- Visual Resources
- Social, Economic, and Community Resources
Topics/Resources to be Addressed in the EIS:
- Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
- Geology, Soils, and Paleontology
- Water Resources
- Noise
- Vegetation
- Wildlife
- Cultural Resources
- Transportation and Access
- Land Use
- Recreation
- Environmental Justice
- Public Health & Safety
- Visual Resources
- Social, Economic, and Community Resources
Draft EIS Update
The DOE LPO and the EIS team have been compiling technical information related to the affected environment in the Project area to assess the potential impacts from the Project’s construction and operation. This analysis process includes review of the comments received during the scoping process. Comments submitted during the scoping process help us to identify significant resource concerns and potential mitigation measures to be analyzed in the EIS. They also may provide additional information that might not be readily available elsewhere.
DOE LPO anticipates continued coordination with other entities, including federal and state agencies, Federally Recognized tribes, and non-governmental organizations with an interest in the Project throughout the EIS process.
Next Steps
The DOE LPO and the EIS team would like to thank everyone who participated in and provided comments during the scoping process. Community members and other interested parties are welcome to review materials shared during scoping on the EIS website, where contact information for the EIS team is provided for questions and comments. DOE LPO will provide additional opportunities for engagement and public comment following the release of the Draft EIS currently scheduled for early 2024.
