RUS (Rural Utilities Services) has hired SWCA to write an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) for the Cardinal-Creek transmission line.  SWCA held open houses in the area in November and December, and the public was invited to submit comments up until January 6, 2017.  After SWCA prepares a draft EIS, the public will have an opportunity to comment on it.

On its website, SWCA advertises its services to prospective clients as follows:

“…We’re able to rapidly pool resources in order to serve clients from our main business lines, including energy generation, oil and gas, mining, federal land management, Department of Defense, transmission, and transportation.”  http://www.swca.com/index.php/meet-swca/who-we-are

“SWCA provides complete environmental services to support all types of electric transmission projects, from routing, siting, and permitting new lines to re-build and capacity-increase projects. Faced with issues such as multi-state line crossings, the complex mix of public and private land ownership for line siting, and the visual impact of lines for communities, transmission project owners can benefit from SWCA’s proficiency with federal regulations, understanding of the legal intricacies of each state, and ability to address transmission-related environmental impacts.” http://www.swca.com/index.php/clients/industry-private/transmission