Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Solar Millennium Amargosa Farm Road Solar Power Project, Nye County, NV, 13301-13302 [2010-6056]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 53 / Friday, March 19, 2010 / Notices you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Environmental Review The Service will conduct an environmental review to analyze the proposed action, as well as other alternatives evaluated and the associated impacts of each. The draft EIS will be the basis for the impact evaluation for each species covered and the range of alternatives to be addressed. The draft EIS is expected to provide biological descriptions of the affected species and habitats, as well as the effects of the alternatives on other resources such as vegetation, wetlands, wildlife, geology and soils, air quality, water resources, water quality, cultural resources, land use, recreation, water use, local economy, climate change, and environmental justice. Following completion of the environmental review, the Service will publish a notice of availability and a request for comments on the draft EIS and the Applicant’s permit application, which will include the draft HCP. The draft EIS and draft HCP are expected to be completed and available to the public in early to mid-2010. Thomas L. Bauer, Acting Regional Director, Region 2, Albuquerque, New Mexico. [FR Doc. 2010–5944 Filed 3–18–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 100 thousand acre-feet (TAF). A 175 TAF expansion option would expand the reservoir to 275 TAF. This expansion option would be operated for environmental water management and San Francisco Bay Area water supply reliability. A 60 TAF expansion option would expand the reservoir to 160 TAF. This second option would primarily be operated to improve Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) dry year water supply reliability and water quality. A Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register on February 20, 2009 (74 FR 7922). The written comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended on April 21, 2009. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all written comments received during the review period. DATES: Reclamation will not make a decision on the project until at least 30 days after release of the Final EIS/EIR. After a 30-day waiting period, Reclamation may complete a Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD will state the action to be implemented and will discuss all the factors leading to that decision. Copies of the Final EIS/EIR may be requested from Ms. Sharon McHale, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825; by calling 916–978–5086 (TTY 916–978– 5608); or by e-mailing smchale@usbr.gov. The Final EIS/EIR is also accessible from the following Web site: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/ nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=903. ADDRESSES: Ms. Sharon McHale at 916–978–5086, or by e-mail at smchale@usbr.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final EIS/EIR documents the direct, indirect, and cumulative physical, biological, and socioeconomic environment effects that may result from the construction and operation of the 60 TAF expansion and 175 expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir. The Final EIS/EIR documents the evaluation of four alternatives, including No Action. The primary study area includes the Los Vaqueros Reservoir watershed and associated dam and reservoir facilities, which are situated in the coastal foothills west of the Delta and east of the San Francisco Bay Area, the central and south Delta, and service areas of San Francisco Bay Area water agencies. Copies of the Final EIS/EIR are available for public review at the following locations: • Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region, Regional Library, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion, Contra Costa and Alameda Counties, CA AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (Final EIS/EIR). The Bureau of Reclamation, as the National Environmental Policy Act Federal lead agency, and the Contra Costa Water District, as the California Environmental Quality Act lead agency, have prepared the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Final EIS/EIR. Los Vaqueros Expansion is a proposed action in the August 2000 CALFED BayDelta Program Programmatic Record of Decision. The Final EIS/EIR evaluated two options for expanding Los Vaqueros Reservoir from its existing capacity of erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:14 Mar 18, 2010 Jkt 220001 PO 00000 Frm 00058 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 13301 • Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Building 67, Room 167, Denver Federal Center, 6th and Kipling, Denver, CO 80225. • Contra Costa Water District, 2411 Bisso Lane, Concord, CA 94524. • Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW., Main Interior Building, Washington, DC 20240–0001. Public hearings were held on March 23, 2009 in Sacramento, California; on March 24, 2009 in Livermore, California; on March 26, 2009 in Dublin, California; on March 31, 2009 in Concord, California; and on April 2, 2009 in Oakley, California. Public Disclosure: Before including your name, address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in any correspondence, you should be aware that your entire correspondence— including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your correspondence to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Dated: January 27, 2010. Mike Chotkowski, Acting Regional Director, Mid-Pacific Region. [FR Doc. 2010–6024 Filed 3–18–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–MN–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLNVSO3100 L5101000.ER0000 LVRWF09F8590 241A; 10–08807; MO#4500012002; TAS: 14X5017] Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Solar Millennium Amargosa Farm Road Solar Power Project, Nye County, NV AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Amargosa Farm Road Solar Power Project, Nye County, Nevada, and by this Notice is announcing the opening of the comment period. DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive written comments on the Amargosa Farm Road Solar Power Project Draft EIS E:\FR\FM\19MRN1.SGM 19MRN1 erowe on DSK5CLS3C1PROD with NOTICES 13302 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 53 / Friday, March 19, 2010 / Notices within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media news releases, or mailings. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the Amargosa Farm Road Solar Power Project Draft EIS by any of the following methods: • Web site: https://www.blm.gov/nv/st/ en/prog/energy/fasttrack_renewable.html. • E-mail: solar_millennium@blm.gov. • Fax: 702–515–5155. • Mail: Gregory Helseth, Renewable Energy Project Manager, BLM Pahrump Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130–2301. Copies of the Draft EIS for the Amargosa Farm Road Solar Power Project are available in the Southern Nevada District Office. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Helseth, (702) 515–5173, BLM Pahrump Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130–2301; Gregory_Helseth@blm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Solar Millennium applied to the BLM for a 4,350-acre right-of-way (ROW) on public lands to construct a concentrating solar power plant facility approximately 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, in Nye County. The project site is located in Amargosa Valley south of Highway 95. The facility is expected to operate for approximately 30 years. The proposed project would utilize solar thermal parabolic-trough technology, consisting of two 242-megawatt, drycooled power plants, and fields of solar collectors, and thermal storage tanks allowing the production of additional electricity for up to 3.5 hours after sundown. The solar field is highly modular and consists of loops, each consisting of four curved glass mirror collectors. A loop is 22 meters wide and 850 meters long. A solar field consists of 200 to 400 loops. The orientation of the collectors is north-south and the collectors track the sun from east to west during the day. The collector focuses the sun’s direct beam radiation on a receiver tube. The row of collectors has a hydraulic drive unit with sensors to track the sun’s path throughout the day. The solar energy heats a transfer fluid which cycles through a series of exchangers, ultimately generating electricity. The project’s proposed facility design includes solar fields, power blocks, buildings, a parking area, a laydown VerDate Nov<24>2008 14:14 Mar 18, 2010 Jkt 220001 area, a stormwater retention pond, and evaporating ponds. A single overhead 230-kilovolt transmission line will connect the plant to the nearby Valley Electric substation. Additional elements of the project include access roads, a water pipeline, and a bioremediation area. The Draft EIS describes and analyzes the project’s site-specific impacts on air quality; biological, including threatened and endangered species, cultural, water, geological, soil, visual, and paleontological resources; land use and special management areas; noise; public health; socioeconomics; and traffic and transportation. The Draft EIS also addresses hazards and hazardous materials holding; waste management; worker safety; fire protection; facility design engineering; efficiency; reliability; transmission system engineering; transmission line safety; and nuisance. Three alternatives were analyzed: two for different technologies, dry cooling and wet cooling, and one for no action. Alternative A, wet cooling, uses circulating water to condense lowpressure steam turbine generator exhaust steam in a shell and tube heat exchanger (condenser). Alternative A would require the consumptive use of about 4,500 acre-feet of water per year. Alternative B, dry cooling, uses an aircooled condenser that cools and condenses the low-pressure steam turbine generator exhaust steam using a large array of fans that force air over finned-tube heat exchangers arranged in an A frame bundle configuration. Alternative B would require the consumptive use of about 400 acre-feet of water per year. Alternative B is the BLM’s Preferred Alternative. Alternative C is the No Action Alternative. Scoping of the project occurred from July 13 to August 24, 2009, and was extended to October 19, 2009. A total of 151 scoping comments were submitted. The comments addressed a broad range of categories, including alternatives, project boundaries, management, and physical/natural resources. The Draft EIS addresses the following issues identified during scoping: the NEPA process (consultation/ coordination, proposal description, alternatives, connected actions, and cumulative impacts); social resources (cultural resources, visual resources, noise, land use, recreation, transportation, and socioeconomic resources); and physical/natural resources (botanical resources, water resources, paleontological resources, biological resources and earth resources). PO 00000 Frm 00059 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Please note that public comments and information submitted, including names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of persons who submit comments, will be available for public review and disclosure at the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware 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 your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Patrick Putnam, Pahrump Field Office Manager. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10. [FR Doc. 2010–6056 Filed 3–18–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLES956000–L14200000–BJ0000– LXSITRST0000] Eastern States: Filing of Plat of Survey AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of filing of plats of survey; North Carolina and Wisconsin. SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will file the plat of survey of the lands described below in the BLM–Eastern States office in Springfield, Virginia, 30 calendar days from the date of publication in the Federal Register. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management—Eastern States, 7450 Boston Boulevard, Springfield, Virginia 22153. Attn: Cadastral Survey. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These surveys were requested by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The lands surveyed are: Swain County, North Carolina The plat of survey represents the dependent resurvey of a portion of the Qualla Tract boundary in the location of Cooper Creek, Swain County, in the State of North Carolina, and was accepted June 23, 2009. Fourth Principal Meridian, Wisconsin T. 34 N., R 16 E. E:\FR\FM\19MRN1.SGM 19MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 53 (Friday, March 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13301-13302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6056]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVSO3100 L5101000.ER0000 LVRWF09F8590 241A; 10-08807; 
MO4500012002; TAS: 14X5017]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Solar Millennium Amargosa Farm Road Solar Power 
Project, Nye County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Amargosa 
Farm Road Solar Power Project, Nye County, Nevada, and by this Notice 
is announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Amargosa Farm Road Solar Power Project Draft 
EIS

[[Page 13302]]

within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM 
will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public 
involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, media news releases, or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the Amargosa Farm Road Solar 
Power Project Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
     Web site: https://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/energy/fast-track_renewable.html.
     E-mail: solar_millennium@blm.gov.
     Fax: 702-515-5155.
     Mail: Gregory Helseth, Renewable Energy Project Manager, 
BLM Pahrump Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, 
Nevada 89130-2301.
    Copies of the Draft EIS for the Amargosa Farm Road Solar Power 
Project are available in the Southern Nevada District Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Helseth, (702) 515-5173, BLM 
Pahrump Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 
89130-2301; Gregory_Helseth@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Solar Millennium applied to the BLM for a 
4,350-acre right-of-way (ROW) on public lands to construct a 
concentrating solar power plant facility approximately 80 miles 
northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, in Nye County. The project site is 
located in Amargosa Valley south of Highway 95. The facility is 
expected to operate for approximately 30 years. The proposed project 
would utilize solar thermal parabolic-trough technology, consisting of 
two 242-megawatt, dry-cooled power plants, and fields of solar 
collectors, and thermal storage tanks allowing the production of 
additional electricity for up to 3.5 hours after sundown.
    The solar field is highly modular and consists of loops, each 
consisting of four curved glass mirror collectors. A loop is 22 meters 
wide and 850 meters long. A solar field consists of 200 to 400 loops. 
The orientation of the collectors is north-south and the collectors 
track the sun from east to west during the day. The collector focuses 
the sun's direct beam radiation on a receiver tube. The row of 
collectors has a hydraulic drive unit with sensors to track the sun's 
path throughout the day. The solar energy heats a transfer fluid which 
cycles through a series of exchangers, ultimately generating 
electricity.
    The project's proposed facility design includes solar fields, power 
blocks, buildings, a parking area, a laydown area, a stormwater 
retention pond, and evaporating ponds. A single overhead 230-kilovolt 
transmission line will connect the plant to the nearby Valley Electric 
substation. Additional elements of the project include access roads, a 
water pipeline, and a bioremediation area.
    The Draft EIS describes and analyzes the project's site-specific 
impacts on air quality; biological, including threatened and endangered 
species, cultural, water, geological, soil, visual, and paleontological 
resources; land use and special management areas; noise; public health; 
socioeconomics; and traffic and transportation. The Draft EIS also 
addresses hazards and hazardous materials holding; waste management; 
worker safety; fire protection; facility design engineering; 
efficiency; reliability; transmission system engineering; transmission 
line safety; and nuisance.
    Three alternatives were analyzed: two for different technologies, 
dry cooling and wet cooling, and one for no action. Alternative A, wet 
cooling, uses circulating water to condense low-pressure steam turbine 
generator exhaust steam in a shell and tube heat exchanger (condenser). 
Alternative A would require the consumptive use of about 4,500 acre-
feet of water per year. Alternative B, dry cooling, uses an air-cooled 
condenser that cools and condenses the low-pressure steam turbine 
generator exhaust steam using a large array of fans that force air over 
finned-tube heat exchangers arranged in an A frame bundle 
configuration. Alternative B would require the consumptive use of about 
400 acre-feet of water per year. Alternative B is the BLM's Preferred 
Alternative. Alternative C is the No Action Alternative.
    Scoping of the project occurred from July 13 to August 24, 2009, 
and was extended to October 19, 2009. A total of 151 scoping comments 
were submitted. The comments addressed a broad range of categories, 
including alternatives, project boundaries, management, and physical/
natural resources.
    The Draft EIS addresses the following issues identified during 
scoping: the NEPA process (consultation/coordination, proposal 
description, alternatives, connected actions, and cumulative impacts); 
social resources (cultural resources, visual resources, noise, land 
use, recreation, transportation, and socioeconomic resources); and 
physical/natural resources (botanical resources, water resources, 
paleontological resources, biological resources and earth resources).
    Please note that public comments and information submitted, 
including names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of persons who 
submit comments, will be available for public review and disclosure at 
the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), 
Monday through Friday, except holidays. Before including your address, 
phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information 
in your comment, you should be aware 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 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Patrick Putnam,
Pahrump Field Office Manager.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

[FR Doc. 2010-6056 Filed 3-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P
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