Notice of Intent To Prepare a Land Use Plan Amendment and an Environmental Impact Statement for the Pattern Energy Group Ocotillo Express Wind Energy Project, Imperial County, CA, 77654-77655 [2010-31139]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 238 (Monday, December 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77654-77655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31139]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA-051552, LLCAD0700 L51010000 ER0000 LVRWB10B3980]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Land Use Plan Amendment and an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Pattern Energy Group Ocotillo 
Express Wind Energy Project, Imperial County, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA); the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), 
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) El Centro Field Office and Imperial 
County, California, intend to prepare a joint Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) along with a 
proposed amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) 
Plan (1980, as amended). This notice announces the beginning of the 
scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the Draft 
EIS/EIR and possible CDCA Plan amendment. Comments may be submitted in 
writing until January 12, 2011. The date(s) and location(s) of any 
scoping meetings and site visits will be announced at least 15 days in 
advance through local media, newspapers and the BLM Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro.html. In order to be included in the 
Draft EIR/EIS, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 
scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is 
later. We will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation upon publication of the Draft EIR/EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and planning criteria 
related to the Pattern Energy Group Ocotillo Express Wind Energy 
Project Draft EIR/EIS by any of the following methods:
     Web site: https://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro.html.
     E-mail: caocotillo@blm.gov.
     Fax: (760) 337-4490.
     Mail: Cedric Perry, Project Manager, California Desert 
District (CDD), BLM, 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, 
California 92553.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the CDD or 
the BLM's California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, 
California 95825.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to the project mailing list, contact Cedric Perry, BLM 
Project Manager, telephone (951) 697-5388; address 22835 Calle San Juan 
De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553; e-mail Cedric_Perry@ca.blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Ocotillo Express, LLC has submitted an 
application for a right-of-way authorization to construct, operate, 
maintain, and decommission, an approximate 15,000-acre, 550 megawatt 
(MW) wind energy project including a substation, administration, 
operations and maintenance facilities, transmission, and temporary 
construction lay down areas. The proposed wind energy project would be 
located on BLM administered lands and a small portion on lands under 
the jurisdiction of Imperial County, approximately 5 miles west of the 
town of Ocotillo, Imperial County, California. The proposed action 
consists of the construction, operation, maintenance, and 
decommissioning of wind turbine generators and associated facilities 
necessary to successfully generate up to 550 MW of electricity. The 
project would be constructed in 2 phases: Phase I is anticipated to 
total approximately 299 MW, and Phase II is about 251 MW. A recently 
approved high-voltage transmission line known as the Sunrise Powerlink 
crosses the Ocotillo Wind Energy Project site and will facilitate 
interconnection of the proposed project and transmission of its 
renewable energy output to Southern California.
    The BLM will be the lead agency for NEPA compliance and Imperial 
County will act as the lead agency under CEQA for the project. The BLM 
has invited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to be a 
cooperating Federal agency in the preparation of the EIR/EIS because 
the proposed project may require a section 404 permit under the Clean 
Water Act. The BLM and Corps agree that establishing a cooperating 
agency relationship will create a more streamlined and coordinated 
approach in developing the Ocotillo EIR/EIS and they will be developing 
a Memorandum of Understanding for this purpose.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and will guide the process of developing the 
EIR/EIS. At present, the BLM has identified the following preliminary 
issues: air quality, biological resources, recreation, cultural 
resources, water resources, geological resources, land use, noise, 
paleontological resources, land with wilderness characteristics, public 
health, socioeconomics, soils, traffic and transportation, visual 
resources, and other issues. Authorization of this proposal would 
require an amendment of the CDCA Plan. By this notice, the BLM is 
complying with requirements in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) to notify the public of 
potential amendments to land use plans. The BLM will integrate the land 
use planning process with the NEPA process for this project.
    The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to 
satisfy the public involvement process for Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470(f)) as provided for in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3). Native American Tribal consultations will be conducted in 
accordance with policy, and Tribal concerns, including impacts on 
Indian trust assets, will be given due consideration. Federal, State, 
and local agencies, along with other stakeholders that may be 
interested or affected by the BLM's decision on this project, are 
invited to participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may 
request or be requested by the BLM to participate as a cooperating 
agency.
    Public comments, including names and street addresses of 
respondents, will be available for public review at the Bureau of Land 
Management, El Centro Field Office, 1661 South 4th Street, El Centro, 
California 92243, during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 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

[[Page 77655]]

cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.
[FR Doc. 2010-31139 Filed 12-10-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P