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Cardinal – Hickory Creek Transmission Line Project – Iowa & Wisconsin

Dairyland Power Cooperative

Cardinal Hickory Creek Final EIS

The project consists of an approximately 125 mile 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line and associated infrastructure connecting the Hickory Creek Substation in Dubuque County, Iowa, with the Cardinal Substation in the Town of Middleton, Wisconsin (near Madison, Wisconsin). The Project also includes a new intermediate 345/138-kV substation near the Village of Montfort, Wisconsin. 

Cardinal-Hickory Creek Final Supplemental Environmental Assessment 

The Supplemental Environmental Assessment analyses nine route modifications to the preferred alternative analyzed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement and a proposed land exchange. 

Notice of Availability (NOA) of the CHC Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Final Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) October 6, 2023

CHC Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) October 6, 2023

CHC Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) October 6, 2023 

United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Finding with respect to the Rural Utilities Service’s Cardinal-Hickory Creek Supplemental Environmental Assessment 

Notice of Availability (NOA) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to the Rural Utilities Service’s supplemental environmental analysis for the Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kilovolt Transmission Line Project  February 23, 2024. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to the Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kilovolt Transmission Line Project  February 23, 2024. 

Agreement for the Exchange of Lands - Related to the Cardinal-Hickory Creek project February 23, 2024. This Acrobat PDF file is not Section 508 compliant. If you need an alternative format for this document, please contact Joseph Ranson at joseph.ranson@usda.gov. 

Land Exchange Net Benefit Analysis - Related to the Cardinal-Hickory Creek project February 23, 2024. 

The project consists of an approximately 125 mile 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line and associated infrastructure connecting the Hickory Creek Substation in Dubuque County, Iowa, with the Cardinal Substation in the Town of Middleton, Wisconsin (near Madison, Wisconsin). The Project also includes a new intermediate 345/138-kV substation near the Village of Montfort, Wisconsin.

Cardinal-Hickory Creek Supplemental Environmental Assessment 
The Supplemental Environmental Assessment analyses nine route modifications to the preferred alternative analyzed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement and a proposed land exchange. 

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit 22-1347 - National Wildlife Refuge Association, et al v. American Transmission Company LLC, et al - Opinion filed on July 19. 2023. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AGENCY: USDA-Rural Development/Rural Utilities Service
NOTICE: Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kV Transmission Line Project, Iowa and Wisconsin
The final judgment order in National Wildlife Refuge Association et al. v. Rural Utilities Service et al., (21-0096, W.D. Wis.) vacated and remanded the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for the Cardinal-Hickory Creek project. Therefore, the FEIS and ROD linked below are not currently effective and only provided for informational purposes.  
The final judgment document is available. 

Court Judgment NWRA vs RUS et al.  March 1, 2022

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AGENCY: USDA-Rural Development/Rural Utilities Service
RETRACTION: Notice of Availability and Public Review and Comment for Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kV Transmission Line Project
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is retracting the notice of the availability that was published last week for the Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345-kilovolt (kV) Transmission Line Project (C-HC Project) Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA). 

Due to the adverse ruling in National Wildlife Refuge Association, et al. v. Rural Utilities Service, et al., Case No. 3:21-cv-00096 (W.D. Wis.) the Draft Supplemental EA is not being released at this time and will not be available for public review and comment until further notice. 
 

Notice of Availability (NOA) - June 24, 2021
Environmental Assessment 

The comment period closed on July 24, 2021.
Comments received by 9 am Monday July 26, 2021 have been included in the comment review.  

Record of Decision - January 2020
Record of Decision Vacated and Remanded to Agency on March 1, 2022

 

FEIS Comment Letters ( The letters below are scanned images and are not 508 compliant)
 

Government Comments 

Organization 1

Organization 2

Late Comment 

FEIS Comments

Comments 1

Comments 2

Comments 3

Comments 4

 

Final Environmental Impact Statement – October 2019 
FEIS Vacated and Remanded to Agency on March 1, 2022

Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Volume 4

Notice of New Public Meetings in Federal Register – February 27, 2019

Notice of Extended Public Comment Period in Federal Register – February 12, 2019

Notice of Availability in Federal Register – December 7, 2018

Draft Environmental Impact Statement – November 2018

Alternatives Evaluation Study (July 2016)

Notice of Intent To Hold Public Meetings and Prepare Environmental Impact Statement (October 18, 2016)

Macro-Corridor Study (September 2016)

Alternative Crossings Analysis (April 2016)

SCOPING MEETINGS

  • Impact Statements

  • Dairyland Power Cooperative

  • Cardinal – Hickory Creek Transmission Line Project – Iowa and Wisconsin

Cardinal Hickory Creek Scoping Report

• Cardinal Hickory Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Scoping Report: Volume I          

• Cardinal Hickory Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Scoping Report-Volume II: Appendices A-B        

• Cardinal Hickory Creek 345 kV Transmission Line Project Scoping Report: Volumes III: C-I            

Scoping Comments

PUBLIC COMMENTS

• Public Comments –A                    
• Public Comments – B                   
• Public Comments – C                    
• Public Comments – D, E & F             
• Public Comments – G                    
• Public Comments – H                    
• Public Comments – I, J & K              
• Public Comments – L & M                 
• Public Comments – N, O, P & R      
• Public Comments – S1 & S2              
• Public Comments – S3 & S4              
• Public Comments – T, V, W & Z