Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a Proposed Coal-fired Electric Power Generating Plant in Southeastern Lincoln County and Notice of Public Meetings; Nevada, 58115 [E7-20162]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 197 / Friday, October 12, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[NV–040–07–5101–ER–F336; (N–77484)]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for a Proposed Coal-fired Electric
Power Generating Plant in
Southeastern Lincoln County and
Notice of Public Meetings; Nevada
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C)
of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969, a Draft EIS has
been prepared by the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), Ely Field Office, for
the Toquop Energy Project and is now
available for comment. This document
evaluates the environmental effects from
constructing a 750-megawatt (MW) coalfired electric power generating plant
and associated features on public lands
in Lincoln County, Nevada.
DATES: The Draft EIS is now available
for comment. Copies of the Draft EIS
will be mailed to individuals, agencies,
or companies who previously requested
copies. Mailed comments on the Draft
EIS must be postmarked by December
11, 2007. Written comments on the
document should be addressed to Jane
Peterson, Project Manager/Energy,
Bureau of Land Management, Ely Field
Office, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, Nevada
89301–9408. Comments may also be
faxed to (775) 289–1910. Oral and/or
written comments may also be
presented at four public meetings. These
public meetings will be held in St.
George, Utah, and Caliente, Mesquite,
Las Vegas, and Reno, Nevada. The date,
time, and location will be made
available at least 15 days before the
meetings.
Public reading copies of the
Draft EIS will be available for reading at
the locations listed below:
—University of Nevada-Reno, Getchell
Library, Government Publication
Dept., Reno, NV 89507.
—Lincoln County Library, #63 Main St.,
Pioche, NV 89043.
—Mesquite Library, 1221 W. 1st St.,
Mesquite, NV 89027.
—Clark County Library, 1401 E.
Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89119.
—Web site: http://www.blm.gov/eis/nv/
toquop.
A limited number of copies of the
document will be available at the
following BLM offices:
—Ely Field Office, 702 North Industrial
Way, Ely, NV 89301–9408.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
ADDRESSES:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:35 Oct 11, 2007
Jkt 214001
—Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 N. Torrey
Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130.
—Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial
Boulevard, Reno, NV 89502–7147.
—Washington Office of Public Affairs,
1849 C Street, Room 406–LS,
Washington, DC 20240.
You may submit comments on the
Draft EIS by any of the following
methods:
• Mail: Jane Peterson, Project
Manager/Energy, Bureau of Land
Management, Ely Field Office, HC 33
Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301–9408.
• Fax: 775–289–1910.
Individual respondents may request
confidentiality. Before including your
address, phone number, e-mail address,
or other personal identifying
information in your comment, be
advised that your entire comment—
including your personal identifying
information—may be made publicly
available at any time. While you can ask
us in your comment to withhold from
public review your personal identifying
information, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so. All
submissions from organizations,
businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses will be
available for public inspection in their
entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brenda Linnell at the above address, or
by telephone: 775–289–1808.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft
EIS addresses alternatives to resolve the
following major issues: air quality,
visual resources, biological resources,
and socioeconomic effects. On June 15
and June 28, 2001, Toquop Energy Inc.,
filed applications for Federal Land
Policy and Management Act rights-ofway and a temporary use permit to
construct and operate a 1,100 MW gasfired power plant to be located in
southeast Lincoln County. The rights-ofway included: (1) The power plant site;
(2) gas pipeline, overhead power line,
and access road from the main road to
the power plant site; (3) a water
pipeline; (4) an access road from
Interstate 15 to the proposed project
site; (5) a water pipeline, electrical line
and well field access road running from
the proposed power plant site to a
terminus point in the proposed well
field site in the Tule Desert Area; and
(6) a well field in the Tule Desert area,
and an associated water pump station
and equalizer tank. In 2003, the BLM
prepared an EIS to examine the impacts
of this request. The EIS evaluated three
alternatives: (1) Granting the requested
rights-of-way for a northern site; and (2)
PO 00000
Frm 00070
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
58115
granting the rights-of-way for a southern
site (preferred alternative) and (3) a No
Action alternative, not granting the
requested rights-of-way. The BLM
granted Toquop Energy Inc., the rightsof-way and temporary use permit in
December 2003. The 2003 EIS
considered several project and right-ofway alternatives, including the use of
alternative fuels in lieu of a gas-fired
power plant. These alternative were
eliminated from detailed analysis in the
EIS because project economics did not
support such alternatives at the time the
EIS was issued. However, recent change
in market conditions, driven by the ever
higher and volatile prices of natural gas,
makes alternative fuels more desirable
and economically viable. The BLM has
now completed necessary studies, and
prepared a draft EIS to re-evaluate the
alternative of constructing a 750 MW
coal-fired power plant in lieu of an
1,100 MW gas-fired power plant, as well
as to analyze the proposal to grant a new
railroad right-of-way connecting the
project site to the existing Union Pacific
Railway near Leith, Nevada. The scope
of the draft EIS is limited to evaluating
the alternative of constructing a 750
MW coal plant and the new railroad
access right-of-way, and subsequent
disposal of the power plant site.
Public participation is occurring
throughout the processing of this project
application. A Notice of Intent was
published in the Federal Register on
February 21, 2006, 71 FR 8869–8870.
One round of public meetings was held.
Comments presented throughout the
process have been considered and used
in developing this draft EIS.
Jack Tribble,
Acting Assistant Field Manager,
Nonrenewable Resources.
[FR Doc. E7–20162 Filed 10–11–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AK–910–1310PP–ARAC]
Notice of Public Meeting, Alaska
Resource Advisory Council
Bureau of Land Management,
Alaska State Office, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Alaska
Resource Advisory Council will meet as
E:\FR\FM\12OCN1.SGM
12OCN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 197 (Friday, October 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 58115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20162]
[[Page 58115]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[NV-040-07-5101-ER-F336; (N-77484)]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for a Proposed Coal-fired Electric Power Generating
Plant in Southeastern Lincoln County and Notice of Public Meetings;
Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, a Draft EIS has been prepared by the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM), Ely Field Office, for the Toquop Energy
Project and is now available for comment. This document evaluates the
environmental effects from constructing a 750-megawatt (MW) coal-fired
electric power generating plant and associated features on public lands
in Lincoln County, Nevada.
DATES: The Draft EIS is now available for comment. Copies of the Draft
EIS will be mailed to individuals, agencies, or companies who
previously requested copies. Mailed comments on the Draft EIS must be
postmarked by December 11, 2007. Written comments on the document
should be addressed to Jane Peterson, Project Manager/Energy, Bureau of
Land Management, Ely Field Office, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, Nevada 89301-
9408. Comments may also be faxed to (775) 289-1910. Oral and/or written
comments may also be presented at four public meetings. These public
meetings will be held in St. George, Utah, and Caliente, Mesquite, Las
Vegas, and Reno, Nevada. The date, time, and location will be made
available at least 15 days before the meetings.
ADDRESSES: Public reading copies of the Draft EIS will be available for
reading at the locations listed below:
--University of Nevada-Reno, Getchell Library, Government Publication
Dept., Reno, NV 89507.
--Lincoln County Library, 63 Main St., Pioche, NV 89043.
--Mesquite Library, 1221 W. 1st St., Mesquite, NV 89027.
--Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89119.
--Web site: http://www.blm.gov/eis/nv/toquop.
A limited number of copies of the document will be available at the
following BLM offices:
--Ely Field Office, 702 North Industrial Way, Ely, NV 89301-9408.
--Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV
89130.
--Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, NV 89502-7147.
--Washington Office of Public Affairs, 1849 C Street, Room 406-LS,
Washington, DC 20240.
You may submit comments on the Draft EIS by any of the following
methods:
Mail: Jane Peterson, Project Manager/Energy, Bureau of
Land Management, Ely Field Office, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301-9408.
Fax: 775-289-1910.
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. Before including
your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal
identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire
comment--including your personal identifying information--may be made
publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to
withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from
organizations, businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves
as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses will be
available for public inspection in their entirety.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Linnell at the above address,
or by telephone: 775-289-1808.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft EIS addresses alternatives to
resolve the following major issues: air quality, visual resources,
biological resources, and socioeconomic effects. On June 15 and June
28, 2001, Toquop Energy Inc., filed applications for Federal Land
Policy and Management Act rights-of-way and a temporary use permit to
construct and operate a 1,100 MW gas-fired power plant to be located in
southeast Lincoln County. The rights-of-way included: (1) The power
plant site; (2) gas pipeline, overhead power line, and access road from
the main road to the power plant site; (3) a water pipeline; (4) an
access road from Interstate 15 to the proposed project site; (5) a
water pipeline, electrical line and well field access road running from
the proposed power plant site to a terminus point in the proposed well
field site in the Tule Desert Area; and (6) a well field in the Tule
Desert area, and an associated water pump station and equalizer tank.
In 2003, the BLM prepared an EIS to examine the impacts of this
request. The EIS evaluated three alternatives: (1) Granting the
requested rights-of-way for a northern site; and (2) granting the
rights-of-way for a southern site (preferred alternative) and (3) a No
Action alternative, not granting the requested rights-of-way. The BLM
granted Toquop Energy Inc., the rights-of-way and temporary use permit
in December 2003. The 2003 EIS considered several project and right-of-
way alternatives, including the use of alternative fuels in lieu of a
gas-fired power plant. These alternative were eliminated from detailed
analysis in the EIS because project economics did not support such
alternatives at the time the EIS was issued. However, recent change in
market conditions, driven by the ever higher and volatile prices of
natural gas, makes alternative fuels more desirable and economically
viable. The BLM has now completed necessary studies, and prepared a
draft EIS to re-evaluate the alternative of constructing a 750 MW coal-
fired power plant in lieu of an 1,100 MW gas-fired power plant, as well
as to analyze the proposal to grant a new railroad right-of-way
connecting the project site to the existing Union Pacific Railway near
Leith, Nevada. The scope of the draft EIS is limited to evaluating the
alternative of constructing a 750 MW coal plant and the new railroad
access right-of-way, and subsequent disposal of the power plant site.
Public participation is occurring throughout the processing of this
project application. A Notice of Intent was published in the Federal
Register on February 21, 2006, 71 FR 8869-8870. One round of public
meetings was held. Comments presented throughout the process have been
considered and used in developing this draft EIS.
Jack Tribble,
Acting Assistant Field Manager, Nonrenewable Resources.
[FR Doc. E7-20162 Filed 10-11-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P