Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Chevron Energy Solutions/Solar Millennium Blythe Solar Power Plant and Proposed California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment, 51479-51480 [2010-20559]

Download as PDF sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 161 / Friday, August 20, 2010 / Notices public with an opportunity to review and comment on the Draft Supplemental EIS, the BLM will host public meetings in Crescent Valley and Battle Mountain, Nevada. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media releases, and/or mailings. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Cortez Hills Expansion Project Draft Supplemental EIS by the following methods: • Fax: (775) 635–4034 • E-mail: CortezHills_DSEIS@blm.gov • Mail: Bureau of Land Management, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 89020, ATTN: Christopher Worthington. • Web site: https://www.blm.gov/nv/st/ en/fo/battle_mountain_field.html FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Worthington, telephone (775) 635–4000; or e-mail: Christopher_Worthington@blm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM signed a Record of Decision and Plan of Operations Approval on November 12, 2008, for the Cortez Gold Mines (CGM) Cortez Hills Expansion Project, which is an expansion of an existing open-pit gold mining and processing operations in northeastern Nevada. The project entails new surface disturbance of approximately 6,633 acres, including 6,412 acres of public land administered by the BLM Battle Mountain District and 221 acres of private land owned by CGM. The Notice of Availability of the Final Cortez Hills Expansion Project EIS, Nevada, was published in the Federal Register on October 3, 2008 (73 FR 57647). On December 3, 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit partially reversed the U.S. District Court of Nevada’s denial of preliminary injunctive relief with respect to the BLM’s environmental analysis of air quality and water resource issues. The BLM subsequently elected to prepare a Supplemental EIS to refine the analysis of potential air quality effects and the dewatering mitigation effectiveness for the Cortez Hills Expansion Project. The Supplemental EIS includes these analyses. Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the above address during regular business hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, and will be published as part of the Final Supplemental EIS. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:19 Aug 19, 2010 Jkt 220001 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. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6. Gerald M. Smith, District Manager, Battle Mountain. [FR Doc. 2010–20557 Filed 8–19–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [CACA 048811, LLCAD06000, L51010000.FX0000, LVRWB09B2600] Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Chevron Energy Solutions/Solar Millennium Blythe Solar Power Plant and Proposed California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability. AGENCY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Proposed California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Chevron Energy Solutions/Solar Millennium (CESSM), LLC’s Blythe Solar Power Plant (BSPP) project and by this notice is announcing its availability. DATES: The publication of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Notice of Availability (NOA) of this Final EIS in the Federal Register initiates a 30-day public comment period. In addition, the BLM’s planning regulations state that any person who meets the conditions described in the regulations may protest the BLM’s Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS. A person who meets the conditions and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that EPA publishes its NOA in the Federal Register. The protest procedures are described in the ‘‘Dear Reader’’ letter accompanying the Proposed Plan Amendment/Final EIS. ADDRESSES: Copies of the Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS for SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 51479 the BSPP Project have been sent to affected Federal, state, and local government agencies and to other stakeholders. Copies are available for public inspection at the Palm Springs South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, California 92262. Interested persons may also review the Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS at the following Web site: https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/ fo/palmsprings/Solar_Projects/ Blythe_Solar_Power_Project.html. Submit comments on the Final EIS to Allison Shaffer, BLM Project Manager, Palm Springs South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, California 92262; or e-mail: CAPSSolarBlythe@blm.gov. All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following addresses: Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035. Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Shaffer, BLM Project Manager, telephone (760) 833–7100; address (see ADDRESSES above). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CESSM has submitted a right of way (ROW) application to the BLM for development of the proposed BSPP project, consisting of 4 parabolic trough solar thermal power plants. The project would be built in 4 phases which are designed to generate approximately 968 megawatts (MW) of electricity at full development. The project footprint is approximately 5,950 acres of BLM-managed lands, with a proposed ROW encompassing 9,400 acres. The project site is in Riverside County, California, approximately 8 miles west of Blythe, California, 3 miles north of Highway I-10, and 1 mile north of the Blythe Regional Airport. The project includes the power generation facility, an electrical transmission line, natural gas pipeline, and an access road. A double circuit 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line would be constructed to interconnect to the Devers-Palo Verde #2 500 kV line at the Colorado River substation. Approximately 6.5 miles of this new line would be outside the project area but is included in the analysis. The new line proposes to use a 175-foot wide ROW. The BLM’s purpose and need for the NEPA analysis of the BSPP project is to respond to CESSM’s application under Title V of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1761) for a ROW grant to construct, operate, and E:\FR\FM\20AUN1.SGM 20AUN1 sroberts on DSKD5P82C1PROD with NOTICES 51480 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 161 / Friday, August 20, 2010 / Notices decommission a solar thermal electric generation facility on public lands in compliance with FLPMA, BLM ROW regulations, and other applicable Federal laws. The BLM will decide whether to approve, approve with modification, or deny a ROW grant to CESSM for the proposed BSPP project. The BLM will also consider amending the CDCA Plan in this analysis. The CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), while recognizing the potential compatibility of solar electric generation facilities on public lands, requires that all sites associated with power generation or transmission not identified in the CDCA Plan be considered through the plan amendment process. If the BLM decides to grant a ROW, the BLM would also amend the CDCA Plan as required. In the Final EIS, the BLM’s proposed action is to authorize the BSPP project and approve a CDCA Plan amendment in response to the application received from CESSM. The BLM’s preferred alternative is the proposed action. In addition to the proposed action, the BLM is analyzing the following action alternatives: (1) authorize a reconfigured 1,000–MW alternative and amend the CDCA Plan; and (2) authorize a smaller 750–MW alternative and amend the CDCA Plan. As required under NEPA, the Final EIS analyzes a no action alternative that would not require a CDCA Plan Amendment. Additionally, the Final EIS analyzes two additional no action alternatives: (1) A no action alternative which would deny the project but amend the CDCA Plan to allow other solar energy power generation projects on the project site and (2) a no action alternative which would deny the project and amend the CDCA Plan to prohibit solar energy projects on the project site. The BLM will take into consideration the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Secretarial Orders 3283 Enhancing Renewable Energy Development on the Public Lands and 3285A1 Renewable Energy Development by the Department of the Interior in responding to the BSPP application. The Final EIS evaluates the potential impacts of the project on air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, water resources, geological resources and hazards, land use, noise, paleontological resources, public health, socioeconomics, soils, traffic and transportation, visual resources, wilderness characteristics, and other resources. The Applicant has applied to the Department of Energy (DOE) for a loan guarantee under Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 05), as VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:19 Aug 19, 2010 Jkt 220001 amended by Section 406 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111–5 (the ‘‘Recovery Act’’). The DOE has entered into negotiations of a loan guarantee with the applicant, and is a cooperating agency in developing the Final EIS. An NOA for the BSPP Draft EIS/Draft CDCA Plan Amendment and California Energy Commission Staff Assessment (SA) was published by EPA in the Federal Register on March 19, 2010 (75 FR 13301). The formal 90-day comment period ended on June 16, 2010. Comments on the Draft EIS/plan amendment received from the public and internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the proposed plan amendment. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but did not significantly change proposed decisions. Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the BSPP Project may be found in the BSPP Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS ‘‘Dear Reader’’ letter and at 43 CFR 1610.5–2. E-mailed or faxed protests will not be accepted as valid protests unless the protesting party also provides the original letter by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the emailed or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM protest coordinator at (202) 912–7212, and emails to Brenda_HudgensWilliams@blm.gov. All protests, including the follow-up letter to e-mails or faxes, must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware that your entire protest—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, and 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2 and 1610.5. Thomas Pogacnik, Deputy State Director, California. [FR Doc. 2010–20559 Filed 8–19–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–40–P PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLWY920000 L14300000.FR0000; WYW165139] Notice of Realty Action, Recreation and Public Purposes Act Classification of Public Lands in Washakie County, WY Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Realty Action. AGENCY: Under the provisions of the Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act, as amended, notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found suitable for classification for conveyance to Washakie County approximately 15 acres of public land in Washakie County, Wyoming. Washakie County proposes to use the land for a septic waste disposal site. DATES: Interested parties may submit comments regarding the proposed conveyance or classification of the lands until October 4, 2010. ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Worland Field Office, 101 South 23rd Street, Worland, Wyoming 82401; or e-mailed to vic_trickey@blm.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victor Trickey, Realty Specialist, BLM, Worland Field Office, 101 South 23rd Street, Worland, Wyoming 82401; (307) 347–5106; or e-mail vic_trickey@blm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with Section 7 of the Taylor Grazing Act, (43 U.S.C. 315f), and Executive Order No. 6910, the following described public land in Washakie County, Wyoming, has been examined and found suitable for classification for conveyance under the provisions of the R&PP Act, as amended, (43 U.S.C. 869 et seq.): SUMMARY: Sixth Principal Meridian, Wyoming T. 47 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 22, S1⁄2SE1⁄4SE1⁄4NE1⁄4, and SW1⁄4SE1⁄4NE1⁄4. The land described contains 15 acres, more or less. In accordance with the R&PP Act, Washakie County filed an application to purchase the above-described 15 acres of public land to be developed for a septic waste disposal site. The lands will accommodate the increased demand in the Worland area for sewage disposal facilities. Additional detailed information pertaining to this E:\FR\FM\20AUN1.SGM 20AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 161 (Friday, August 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51479-51480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20559]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 048811, LLCAD06000, L51010000.FX0000, LVRWB09B2600]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Chevron Energy Solutions/Solar Millennium Blythe 
Solar Power Plant and Proposed California Desert Conservation Area Plan 
Amendment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Proposed California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan 
Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Chevron 
Energy Solutions/Solar Millennium (CESSM), LLC's Blythe Solar Power 
Plant (BSPP) project and by this notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: The publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 
Notice of Availability (NOA) of this Final EIS in the Federal Register 
initiates a 30-day public comment period. In addition, the BLM's 
planning regulations state that any person who meets the conditions 
described in the regulations may protest the BLM's Proposed CDCA Plan 
Amendment/Final EIS. A person who meets the conditions and files a 
protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that EPA 
publishes its NOA in the Federal Register. The protest procedures are 
described in the ``Dear Reader'' letter accompanying the Proposed Plan 
Amendment/Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS for the 
BSPP Project have been sent to affected Federal, state, and local 
government agencies and to other stakeholders. Copies are available for 
public inspection at the Palm Springs South Coast Field Office, 1201 
Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, California 92262. Interested persons 
may also review the Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS at the 
following Web site: https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/Solar_Projects/Blythe_Solar_Power_Project.html.
    Submit comments on the Final EIS to Allison Shaffer, BLM Project 
Manager, Palm Springs South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, 
Palm Springs, California 92262; or e-mail: CAPSSolarBlythe@blm.gov.
    All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following 
addresses:
Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 
66538, Washington, DC 20035.

Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L 
Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Shaffer, BLM Project Manager, 
telephone (760) 833-7100; address (see ADDRESSES above).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CESSM has submitted a right of way (ROW) 
application to the BLM for development of the proposed BSPP project, 
consisting of 4 parabolic trough solar thermal power plants. The 
project would be built in 4 phases which are designed to generate 
approximately 968 megawatts (MW) of electricity at full development. 
The project footprint is approximately 5,950 acres of BLM-managed 
lands, with a proposed ROW encompassing 9,400 acres. The project site 
is in Riverside County, California, approximately 8 miles west of 
Blythe, California, 3 miles north of Highway I[hyphen]10, and 1 mile 
north of the Blythe Regional Airport.
    The project includes the power generation facility, an electrical 
transmission line, natural gas pipeline, and an access road. A double 
circuit 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line would be constructed to 
interconnect to the Devers-Palo Verde 2 500 kV line at the 
Colorado River substation. Approximately 6.5 miles of this new line 
would be outside the project area but is included in the analysis. The 
new line proposes to use a 175-foot wide ROW.
    The BLM's purpose and need for the NEPA analysis of the BSPP 
project is to respond to CESSM's application under Title V of FLPMA (43 
U.S.C. 1761) for a ROW grant to construct, operate, and

[[Page 51480]]

decommission a solar thermal electric generation facility on public 
lands in compliance with FLPMA, BLM ROW regulations, and other 
applicable Federal laws. The BLM will decide whether to approve, 
approve with modification, or deny a ROW grant to CESSM for the 
proposed BSPP project. The BLM will also consider amending the CDCA 
Plan in this analysis. The CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), while 
recognizing the potential compatibility of solar electric generation 
facilities on public lands, requires that all sites associated with 
power generation or transmission not identified in the CDCA Plan be 
considered through the plan amendment process. If the BLM decides to 
grant a ROW, the BLM would also amend the CDCA Plan as required.
    In the Final EIS, the BLM's proposed action is to authorize the 
BSPP project and approve a CDCA Plan amendment in response to the 
application received from CESSM. The BLM's preferred alternative is the 
proposed action. In addition to the proposed action, the BLM is 
analyzing the following action alternatives: (1) authorize a 
reconfigured 1,000-MW alternative and amend the CDCA Plan; and (2) 
authorize a smaller 750-MW alternative and amend the CDCA Plan.
    As required under NEPA, the Final EIS analyzes a no action 
alternative that would not require a CDCA Plan Amendment. Additionally, 
the Final EIS analyzes two additional no action alternatives: (1) A no 
action alternative which would deny the project but amend the CDCA Plan 
to allow other solar energy power generation projects on the project 
site and (2) a no action alternative which would deny the project and 
amend the CDCA Plan to prohibit solar energy projects on the project 
site. The BLM will take into consideration the provisions of the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005 and Secretarial Orders 3283 Enhancing Renewable 
Energy Development on the Public Lands and 3285A1 Renewable Energy 
Development by the Department of the Interior in responding to the BSPP 
application.
    The Final EIS evaluates the potential impacts of the project on air 
quality, biological resources, cultural resources, water resources, 
geological resources and hazards, land use, noise, paleontological 
resources, public health, socioeconomics, soils, traffic and 
transportation, visual resources, wilderness characteristics, and other 
resources.
    The Applicant has applied to the Department of Energy (DOE) for a 
loan guarantee under Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 
05), as amended by Section 406 of the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5 (the ``Recovery Act''). The 
DOE has entered into negotiations of a loan guarantee with the 
applicant, and is a cooperating agency in developing the Final EIS.
    An NOA for the BSPP Draft EIS/Draft CDCA Plan Amendment and 
California Energy Commission Staff Assessment (SA) was published by EPA 
in the Federal Register on March 19, 2010 (75 FR 13301). The formal 90-
day comment period ended on June 16, 2010. Comments on the Draft EIS/
plan amendment received from the public and internal BLM review were 
considered and incorporated as appropriate into the proposed plan 
amendment. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, 
but did not significantly change proposed decisions.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the BSPP Project may be found in the BSPP Proposed CDCA Plan 
Amendment/Final EIS ``Dear Reader'' letter and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. E-
mailed or faxed protests will not be accepted as valid protests unless 
the protesting party also provides the original letter by either 
regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the protest 
period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the e-mailed or 
faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full 
consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance 
notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM 
protest coordinator at (202) 912-7212, and e-mails to Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov. All protests, including the follow-up letter to e-
mails or faxes, must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate 
address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above.
    Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other 
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, and 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2 and 
1610.5.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, California.
[FR Doc. 2010-20559 Filed 8-19-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P
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