Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Salt Wells Energy Projects, Churchill County, NV, 44042-44043 [2011-18331]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2011 / Notices
cumulative project impacts to determine
whether the application area is suitable
for development of the proposed project
or for an alternative development
strategy. The impact analysis is based
on resource-specific assumptions,
estimated project disturbance, and
appropriate project-specific stipulations.
The decision the BLM will make as a
result of the analysis is whether to
authorize, and under what terms and
conditions, the development, operation,
maintenance, and reclamation of a wind
farm on public lands.
The No Action Alternative would
deny PCW’s request to develop wind
energy on public lands and deny any
request to provide access to private
lands for wind development within the
application area.
Alternative 1R (the BLM preferred
alternative) considers authorizing wind
development in PCW’s application area
to accommodate 1,000 turbines. This
alternative, a revision of PCW’s original
proposed action, was submitted by the
applicant in response to issues raised
during scoping. This alternative was
developed in consideration of a
comprehensive review of information
pertaining to wildlife issues in the
project area and would require
amending the VRM decisions in the
2008 Rawlins RMP.
Alternative 2 considers authorizing
wind development to accommodate
1,000 turbines in PCW’s application
area only north of T. 18 N. to keep
development primarily within the
checkerboard land ownership pattern.
This alternative was developed in
response to concerns regarding visual
impacts to areas with high recreational
values. More restrictive Greater Sagegrouse stipulations would apply to
public lands than in the other
alternatives. This alternative would
require amending the VRM decisions in
the 2008 Rawlins RMP.
Alternative 3 considers authorizing
wind development to accommodate
1,000 turbines in the Chokecherry
portion and only the area from the
eastern half of T. 18 N., R. 88. W. to the
east of the Sierra Madre portion of
PCW’s application area. All lands would
be excluded south of T. 18. N. and the
western half of T. 18. N., R. 88 W. This
alternative was developed in response
to concerns regarding existing VRM
Class II areas as well as areas with
greater wildlife concerns. This
alternative would require amending the
VRM decisions in the 2008 Rawlins
RMP.
Alternative 4 considers no placement
of WTGs on public lands within either
the Chokecherry site or Sierra Madre
site. This alternative, however,
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considers that the BLM would provide
ROW grants to PCW for the public lands
that would allow PCW to develop wind
energy facilities on the privately-held
lands. The BLM would apply required
restrictions and timing stipulations to
public lands for requested access points.
This alternative was developed in
response to the overall concerns raised
with developing a wind farm on public
lands and the associated impacts. This
alternative would not require amending
the VRM decisions in the 2008 Rawlins
RMP. Volume II considered 12
additional alternatives but eliminated
them from detailed study. These
alternatives did not meet the purpose
and need of the proposed action, or
were incorporated into alternatives
analyzed in detail.
The purpose of this EIS is to provide
the public and decision-makers with
sufficient information to understand the
environmental consequences of
implementing the project. A recent
inventory of wilderness characteristics
determined that wilderness
characteristics are not present. If the
analysis results in the decision to
approve wind energy development,
PCW may submit up to four Plans of
Development (POD) for separate aspects
of the project including: Turbine siting
in the Chokeberry development area,
turbine siting in the Sierra Madre
development area, haul road
development throughout the project
area, and transmission lines. The sitespecific PODs would be tiered to the
analysis and decisions in the EIS and
ROD for the CCSM wind farm project.
Site-specific impacts associated with the
siting/location of individual project
components not analyzed in the EIS
would be evaluated in subsequent
NEPA analyses based on site-specific
proposals within any selected
alternative boundary. ROW grants for
these PODs, if issued, will include sitespecific terms and conditions analyzed
either in the POD NEPA documents or
in the CCSM project EIS. Following the
public comment period, the BLM will
prepare a proposed RMP Amendment/
CCSM Final EIS. The BLM will respond
to each substantive comment by making
appropriate revisions to the document
or by explaining why a comment did
not warrant a change.
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 may ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
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cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.
Donald A. Simpson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011–18274 Filed 7–21–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVC0100000
L91310000.EJ0000.LXSIGEOT0000 241A;
NVN 087795; 11–08807; MO# 4500021655;
TAS: 14X5575]
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Salt Wells Energy Projects,
Churchill County, NV
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) has prepared
a Final Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Salt Wells Energy Projects
and by this notice is announcing its
availability.
SUMMARY:
The BLM will not issue a final
decision on the proposal for at least
30 days after the date that the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes its Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Salt Wells
Energy Projects Final EIS are available
in the BLM Carson City District,
Stillwater Field Office at 5665 Morgan
Mill Road, Carson City, Nevada 89701.
The Final EIS is also available online
at:https://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/
carson_city_field.html.
DATES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Colleen Sievers, (775) 885–6000, or
e-mail: saltwells_eis@blm.gov. Persons
who use a telecommunications device
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–
800–877–8339 to contact the above
individual during business hours. The
FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week, to leave a message or question
with the above individual. You will
receive a reply during normal business
hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM
Stillwater Field Office received separate
proposed geothermal utilization plans
and applications for facilities
construction permits from Vulcan
Power Company (Vulcan) and Ormat
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mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2011 / Notices
Technologies, Inc. (Ormat), and an
electric transmission right-of-way
(ROW) application from Sierra Pacific
Power Company (SPPC), for proposed
geothermal energy projects covering a
combined area of approximately 24,152
acres in the Salt Wells area about 15
miles east of Fallon, Nevada. Vulcan
proposes the development of as many as
four geothermal power plants and
associated facilities. Ormat proposes the
development of one geothermal power
plant and associated facilities. SPPC
proposes 22 miles of above-ground
electrical transmission lines, electrical
substations, and switching stations. The
proposed facilities would be sited on a
combination of private property and
public land; the public land is managed
by the BLM and the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation (BOR). Due to similar
timing, geographic area, and type of
action, the BLM is analyzing the
proposals in one EIS. The BLM will
issue three separate Records of Decision,
one for each proposed project. The BOR
will issue its own Record of Decision for
the SPPC transmission line where the
line crosses BOR-managed lands. The
BOR would grant its own ROW for the
power line, but, under the geothermal
development regulations (43 CFR
3272.13), the BOR, as surface
management agency, would grant its
consent to development on lands it
manages and the BLM may then issue a
decision to approve the development.
The Vulcan project proposal is to
construct as many as four 30- to 60megawatt (MW) binary or dual-flash
geothermal power plants and associated
facilities at five possible locations for a
total net output of 120 MW. Each site
includes production and injection wells,
pipelines, a substation, interconnection
lines to the proposed substation, and
access roads. The Vulcan project may
require up to 46 geothermal production
and injection wells. Twenty of these
wells have been analyzed in two
previous environmental assessments
(EA): Salt Wells Geothermal Drilling EA
for Ten Drilling Wells, EA–NV–030–07–
05 (February 6, 2007), and Salt Wells
Geothermal Exploratory Drilling
Program EA for Ten Wells, DOI– BLM–
NV–C010–2009–0006–EA (April 24,
2009).
The Ormat project proposal includes
the construction and operation of a 40MW binary combination wet- and aircooled geothermal power plant, a
substation, a switching station, and an
associated transmission line between
the power plant and switching station.
These facilities would be developed on
an 80-acre private parcel. Ormat
proposes to construct up to 13 well pads
with associated pipelines and roads on
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Federal lands managed by the BOR. The
proposed well pads would be in
addition to 12 well pads previously
analyzed in the Carson Lake Geothermal
Exploration Project EA–NV–030–07–006
and authorized by the BLM on July 25,
2008. The BLM is responsible for
managing geothermal resources on BOR
lands under the regulations found at 43
CFR 3200.
The SPPC proposal includes
construction of a new substation, 22
miles of single circuit 230-kilovolt (kV)
transmission line, two 230-kV switching
stations, and two 60-kV electricity lines.
Analysis through an EIS provides for
the orderly development of commercialscale geothermal power generation
facilities, associated infrastructure, and
a transmission line in a manner that will
protect natural resources and prevent
unnecessary or undue degradation to
the public lands following NEPA and
regulations at 40 CFR 1500 et seq. In
accordance with 43 CFR 2800 and 43
CFR 3200, the BLM is authorized to
process the applications to construct,
operate, and maintain the proposed Salt
Wells Energy Projects. Title V of the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act (FLPMA) authorizes the Secretary of
the Interior (through the BLM) to grant
ROWs on public lands for the purposes
of generating and transmitting electric
energy. These projects are in
conformance with the BLM Carson City
District Office Consolidated Resource
Management Plan (2001).
In addition to the proposed actions,
the BLM analyzed the following action
alternatives. For the Vulcan project, an
alternative switching station and
interconnection 230-kV transmission
line is proposed should SPPC elect not
to build its project. For the Ormat
project, the BLM developed an
alternative to relocate specific well sites
and a portion of a pipeline to maintain
consistency with lease stipulations and
land use plan decisions to protect
riparian vegetation and surface waters
within canals. For the SPPC project, 3
alternative routes for the proposed 230kV transmission line and an alternative
examining the construction of an
additional fiber optic line to connect
communications from Highway 50 are
considered to minimize impacts to
airspace at the nearby Fallon Naval Air
Station. As required under NEPA, the
Final EIS analyzes a no-action
alternative for each of the proposed
projects.
The BLM considered the provisions of
the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and
Secretarial Orders 3283—‘‘Enhancing
Renewable Energy Development on the
Public Lands’’ and 3285A1—
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44043
‘‘Renewable Energy Development by the
Department of the Interior,’’ in the EIS.
A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS
for the Salt Wells Energy Projects,
Churchill County, Nevada, was
published in the Federal Register on
September 11, 2009 (74 FR 46787). The
BLM held one public scoping meeting
in Fallon, Nevada, on October 21, 2009.
The formal scoping period ended on
November 10, 2009. On January 28,
2011, the BLM published in the Federal
Register a Notice of Availability for the
Draft EIS for the Salt Wells Energy
Projects and initiated a 60-day public
comment period (76 FR 5198). A public
meeting on the Draft EIS was held in
Fallon, Nevada on March 3, 2011. Thirty
comment letters were received; the
responses are included in the Final EIS.
The majority of comments requested
minimizing impacts to private
landowners or additional analysis of
water resources and wildlife. Public
comments also identified potential
conflicts with the SPPC proposed action
and a conservation easement. A
cooperating agency meeting was held on
April 14, 2011 and through a
collaborative process a new alternative
was developed that modified Draft EIS
Alternative 2 by rerouting about 2 miles
of the transmission line. A third SPPC
alternative is analyzed and included in
the Final EIS.
The BLM has selected a preferred
alternative for each project. For the
SPPC project, Alternative 3 is the
preferred alternative because it was
developed through a collaborative
process that modified the route to be
compatible with surrounding land uses,
to minimize impacts to local residents,
and to address wildlife concerns. For
the Ormat project, Alternative 1 is
selected as the preferred alternative to
help protect riparian areas and
wetlands. For the Vulcan project, the
Proposed Action is selected as the
preferred alternative.
Authority: 43 CFR parts 2800 and 3200.
Teresa J. Knutson,
Manager, Stillwater Field Office, BLM Carson
City District.
[FR Doc. 2011–18331 Filed 7–20–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P
E:\FR\FM\22JYN1.SGM
22JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 141 (Friday, July 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44042-44043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18331]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVC0100000 L91310000.EJ0000.LXSIGEOT0000 241A; NVN 087795; 11-08807;
MO 4500021655; TAS: 14X5575]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Salt Wells Energy Projects, Churchill County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Salt
Wells Energy Projects and by this notice is announcing its
availability.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for at
least 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection Agency
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Salt Wells Energy Projects Final EIS are
available in the BLM Carson City District, Stillwater Field Office at
5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, Nevada 89701. The Final EIS is also
available online at:https://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colleen Sievers, (775) 885-6000, or e-
mail: saltwells_eis@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during
business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to
leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive
a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM Stillwater Field Office received
separate proposed geothermal utilization plans and applications for
facilities construction permits from Vulcan Power Company (Vulcan) and
Ormat
[[Page 44043]]
Technologies, Inc. (Ormat), and an electric transmission right-of-way
(ROW) application from Sierra Pacific Power Company (SPPC), for
proposed geothermal energy projects covering a combined area of
approximately 24,152 acres in the Salt Wells area about 15 miles east
of Fallon, Nevada. Vulcan proposes the development of as many as four
geothermal power plants and associated facilities. Ormat proposes the
development of one geothermal power plant and associated facilities.
SPPC proposes 22 miles of above-ground electrical transmission lines,
electrical substations, and switching stations. The proposed facilities
would be sited on a combination of private property and public land;
the public land is managed by the BLM and the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation (BOR). Due to similar timing, geographic area, and type of
action, the BLM is analyzing the proposals in one EIS. The BLM will
issue three separate Records of Decision, one for each proposed
project. The BOR will issue its own Record of Decision for the SPPC
transmission line where the line crosses BOR-managed lands. The BOR
would grant its own ROW for the power line, but, under the geothermal
development regulations (43 CFR 3272.13), the BOR, as surface
management agency, would grant its consent to development on lands it
manages and the BLM may then issue a decision to approve the
development.
The Vulcan project proposal is to construct as many as four 30- to
60-megawatt (MW) binary or dual-flash geothermal power plants and
associated facilities at five possible locations for a total net output
of 120 MW. Each site includes production and injection wells,
pipelines, a substation, interconnection lines to the proposed
substation, and access roads. The Vulcan project may require up to 46
geothermal production and injection wells. Twenty of these wells have
been analyzed in two previous environmental assessments (EA): Salt
Wells Geothermal Drilling EA for Ten Drilling Wells, EA-NV-030-07-05
(February 6, 2007), and Salt Wells Geothermal Exploratory Drilling
Program EA for Ten Wells, DOI- BLM-NV-C010-2009-0006-EA (April 24,
2009).
The Ormat project proposal includes the construction and operation
of a 40-MW binary combination wet- and air-cooled geothermal power
plant, a substation, a switching station, and an associated
transmission line between the power plant and switching station. These
facilities would be developed on an 80-acre private parcel. Ormat
proposes to construct up to 13 well pads with associated pipelines and
roads on Federal lands managed by the BOR. The proposed well pads would
be in addition to 12 well pads previously analyzed in the Carson Lake
Geothermal Exploration Project EA-NV-030-07-006 and authorized by the
BLM on July 25, 2008. The BLM is responsible for managing geothermal
resources on BOR lands under the regulations found at 43 CFR 3200.
The SPPC proposal includes construction of a new substation, 22
miles of single circuit 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, two 230-kV
switching stations, and two 60-kV electricity lines.
Analysis through an EIS provides for the orderly development of
commercial-scale geothermal power generation facilities, associated
infrastructure, and a transmission line in a manner that will protect
natural resources and prevent unnecessary or undue degradation to the
public lands following NEPA and regulations at 40 CFR 1500 et seq. In
accordance with 43 CFR 2800 and 43 CFR 3200, the BLM is authorized to
process the applications to construct, operate, and maintain the
proposed Salt Wells Energy Projects. Title V of the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act (FLPMA) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior
(through the BLM) to grant ROWs on public lands for the purposes of
generating and transmitting electric energy. These projects are in
conformance with the BLM Carson City District Office Consolidated
Resource Management Plan (2001).
In addition to the proposed actions, the BLM analyzed the following
action alternatives. For the Vulcan project, an alternative switching
station and interconnection 230-kV transmission line is proposed should
SPPC elect not to build its project. For the Ormat project, the BLM
developed an alternative to relocate specific well sites and a portion
of a pipeline to maintain consistency with lease stipulations and land
use plan decisions to protect riparian vegetation and surface waters
within canals. For the SPPC project, 3 alternative routes for the
proposed 230-kV transmission line and an alternative examining the
construction of an additional fiber optic line to connect
communications from Highway 50 are considered to minimize impacts to
airspace at the nearby Fallon Naval Air Station. As required under
NEPA, the Final EIS analyzes a no-action alternative for each of the
proposed projects.
The BLM considered 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 the EIS.
A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the Salt Wells Energy
Projects, Churchill County, Nevada, was published in the Federal
Register on September 11, 2009 (74 FR 46787). The BLM held one public
scoping meeting in Fallon, Nevada, on October 21, 2009. The formal
scoping period ended on November 10, 2009. On January 28, 2011, the BLM
published in the Federal Register a Notice of Availability for the
Draft EIS for the Salt Wells Energy Projects and initiated a 60-day
public comment period (76 FR 5198). A public meeting on the Draft EIS
was held in Fallon, Nevada on March 3, 2011. Thirty comment letters
were received; the responses are included in the Final EIS. The
majority of comments requested minimizing impacts to private landowners
or additional analysis of water resources and wildlife. Public comments
also identified potential conflicts with the SPPC proposed action and a
conservation easement. A cooperating agency meeting was held on April
14, 2011 and through a collaborative process a new alternative was
developed that modified Draft EIS Alternative 2 by rerouting about 2
miles of the transmission line. A third SPPC alternative is analyzed
and included in the Final EIS.
The BLM has selected a preferred alternative for each project. For
the SPPC project, Alternative 3 is the preferred alternative because it
was developed through a collaborative process that modified the route
to be compatible with surrounding land uses, to minimize impacts to
local residents, and to address wildlife concerns. For the Ormat
project, Alternative 1 is selected as the preferred alternative to help
protect riparian areas and wetlands. For the Vulcan project, the
Proposed Action is selected as the preferred alternative.
Authority: 43 CFR parts 2800 and 3200.
Teresa J. Knutson,
Manager, Stillwater Field Office, BLM Carson City District.
[FR Doc. 2011-18331 Filed 7-20-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P
