Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Calico Solar Project and Associated Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Resource Management Plan-Amendment, San Bernardino County, CA, 65650 [2010-27027]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management
• Land Management Bureau

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 206 (Tuesday, October 26, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 65650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-27027]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 49537, LLCAD08000, L51030000, FX0000, LVRAM109AA03]


 Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Calico 
Solar Project and Associated Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Resource Management Plan-Amendment, San Bernardino 
County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD) for a right-of-way (ROW) lease/grant to 
Calico Solar Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) for the Calico Solar 
Project (formerly SES Solar One) and an associated Amendment to the 
California Desert Conservation Area Resource Management Plan (CDCA 
Plan). The Calico Solar Project is located in San Bernardino County, 
California. The Secretary of the Interior signed the ROD on October 20, 
2010, which constitutes the final decision of the Department. The ROD 
and the Approved Plan Amendment are effective immediately.

DATES: These decisions are effective immediately upon publication of 
this notice.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available upon request from the Field 
Manager, Barstow Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 2601 Barstow 
Road, Barstow, California 92311 or at the following Web site: https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/fasttrack/calico/fedstatus.html or 
https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/solar_one_calico.html. Copies 
of the ROD are also available for public inspection at the Barstow 
Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Stobaugh, National Project 
Manager, by telephone: 775-861-6478; mail: BLM Nevada State Office, 
P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006; or e-mail: Jim_Stobaugh@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: After extensive environmental analysis; 
consultation and collaboration with Federal, state, and local agencies; 
consideration of public comments; and application of relevant Federal 
laws and policies, the BLM has decided to offer Calico Solar LLC a ROW 
lease/grant for the construction, operation, maintenance, and 
decommissioning of the 663.5 megawatt (MW), 4,604-acre Calico Solar 
Project, including related project facilities and access roads across 
public lands administered by the BLM. In association with this ROW 
lease/grant, the BLM is also amending the CDCA Plan to allow for the 
siting of a solar energy power plant on the proposed project site. The 
ROW lease/grant authorizes the use of public lands for the project for 
a term of 30 years, and the lease/grant is renewable. A temporary use 
permit authorizes the use of public lands for construction of temporary 
access roads and construction space for a term of 3 years and is also 
subject to renewal. The amendment of the CDCA Plan will allow for the 
siting of the Calico Solar Project and related facilities, including 
26,450 SunCatcher solar dishes, a 230-kilovolt (kV) Calico Substation 
and 2-mile, 230-kv transmission line, and other project facilities 
through incorporation of the Calico Solar Project into the Energy 
Production and Utility Corridors Element of the CDCA Plan. The BLM's 
decision authorizes issuance of a ROW lease/grant to Calico Solar LLC 
for the Modified Agency Preferred Alternative. The Agency Preferred 
Alternative is within the scope of alternatives that were analyzed in 
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) issued in August 2010. 
Modifications to the Agency Preferred Alternative have been made since 
publication of the Final EIS as the result of additional agency 
consultation and in response to public comments. The Environmental 
Protection Agency published a Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final 
EIS in the Federal Register on August 6, 2010 (75 FR 47620). 
Publication of the NOA for the Final EIS initiated a 30-day protest 
period for the proposed amendment to the CDCA Plan. At the close of the 
protest period on September 7, 2010, five protests were received and 
resolved. Detailed information on the protests may be found on the BLM 
Washington Office Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/planning/protest_resolution.html. The proposed amendment to the CDCA 
Plan was not modified as a result of the protest resolution. 
Simultaneously with the protest period, the California Governor's 
Office conducted a 30-day consistency review of the proposed CDCA Plan 
amendment/Final EIS to identify any inconsistencies with state or local 
plan, policies or programs. The California Governor's office did not 
identify inconsistencies between the proposed amendment to the CDCA 
Plan/Final EIS. As a result of the above and additional consultation 
with jurisdictional regulatory agencies, the 6,215-acre, 850-MW Agency 
Preferred Alternative for the Calico Solar Project was modified to 
include: (1) A project footprint reduced from 6,215 acres to 4,604 
acres; (2) generation capacity reduced from 850-MW (34,000 SunCatchers) 
to 663.5-MW (26,540 SunCatchers); and (3) construction of Phase 1 
subdivided into phase 1a and 1b. The authorized ROW lease/grant 
includes all of the above modifications.
    Because this decision is approved by the Secretary of the Interior, 
it is not subject to administrative appeal (43 CFR 4.410(a)(3)).

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6.

Robert V. Abbey,
Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-27027 Filed 10-25-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P