Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and a Resource Management Plan Amendment, and Notice of Segregation for the Proposed First Solar South Project Near Primm in Clark County, NV, 54483-54484 [2011-22345]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 170 (Thursday, September 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54483-54484]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-22345]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVS0100.L51010000.ER0000.LVRWF1104100; NVN-085801, NVN-088592, NVN-
089530, and NVN-090050; MO 4500022828; TAS: 14X5017]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement and a Resource Management Plan Amendment, and Notice of 
Segregation for the Proposed First Solar South Project Near Primm in 
Clark County, NV

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 Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Las Vegas 
Field Office (LVFO), will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and a proposed amendment to the Las Vegas Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) for a proposed solar energy project located on 
public lands in Clark County, Nevada. Publication of this notice 
initiates the scoping process to solicit public comments and identifies 
issues for both actions. Publication of this notice also serves to 
segregate the identified lands from appropriation under the public land 
laws, including location under the Mining Law, but not the Mineral 
Leasing Act or the Materials Act, subject to valid existing rights.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. Comments on 
issues may be submitted in writing until October 31, 2011. The date(s) 
and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 
days in advance through local news media and the BLM Web site at: 
https://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.html. A temporary segregation of 
the lands identified herein is effective immediately upon publication 
of this notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted by the following methods:
     E-mail: SilverStateSouthEIS@blm.gov.
     Fax: (702) 515-5010, attention Gregory Helseth.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Las Vegas Field Office, 
Attn: Gregory Helseth, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 
89130-2301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Helseth, Renewable Energy 
Project Manager, at (702) 515-5173; or e-mail at 
SilverStateSouthEIS@blm.gov. Please also contact Gregory Helseth to 
have your name added to the mailing list. 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 normal 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: Silver State Solar, LLC, has submitted a 
right-of-way (ROW) application for the construction, operation, 
maintenance, and termination of a solar energy generation facility on 
13,043 acres of public land east of Primm, Nevada. The ROW application 
is assigned BLM case number NVN-089530. This application expands on ROW 
application NVN-085801. The proposed solar energy project would consist 
of photovoltaic panels and related ROW appurtenances, including a 
substation and switchyard facilities, and would produce about 400 
megawatts of electricity.
    The Supplemental EIS will address new information associated with 
NVN-089530 and update as necessary the consideration of NVN-085801, 
which was analyzed in the Final EIS for the Silver State Solar Energy 
Project. The Record of Decision signed October 12, 2010 for the Silver 
State Solar Energy Project did not authorize all phases of application 
NVN-085801.
    Approval of ROW application NVN-089530 will require amendment of 
the October 1998 Las Vegas RMP in order to address proposed changes in 
land and resource use within the Jean Lake/Roach Lake Special 
Recreation Management Area (SRMA). The purpose of the public scoping 
process is to determine relevant issues that will influence the scope 
of the environmental analysis, including alternatives, and guide the 
process for developing the Supplemental EIS. At present, the BLM has 
identified the following preliminary issues: Impacts to threatened and 
endangered species, visual resources, recreation and off-highway 
vehicle use; and socioeconomic and cumulative impacts. The Supplemental 
EIS will analyze the site-specific impacts on air quality, biological 
resources, cultural resources, special designations (SRMA), water 
resources, geological resources and hazards, hazardous materials 
handling, land and airspace use, noise, paleontological resources, 
public health, socioeconomics, soils, traffic and transportation, 
visual resources, wilderness characteristics, waste management, worker 
safety, and fire protection; as well as facility-design engineering, 
efficiency, reliability, transmission-system engineering, transmission 
line safety, and nuisance issues.
    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 utilize 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. Tribal 
concerns will be given due consideration, including impacts on Indian 
trust assets. Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as 
individuals or organizations that may be interested in 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.
    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.

[[Page 54484]]

    Segregation of Lands: An Interim Rule, published in the Federal 
Register (76 FR 23198) on April 26, 2011, amended the BLM regulations 
found in 43 CFR parts 2090 and 2800 to provide provisions to allow the 
BLM to temporarily segregate from the operation of the public land 
laws, by publication of a Federal Register notice, public lands 
included in a pending solar energy generation ROW application in order 
to promote the orderly administration of the public lands. Upon 
segregation under the Interim Rule, such lands will not be subject to 
appropriation under the public land laws, including location under the 
Mining Law of 1872 (but not the Mineral Leasing Act or the Materials 
Act), subject to valid existing rights, for a period of up to 2 years.
    This segregation is warranted to allow for the orderly 
administration of the public lands to facilitate the development of 
valuable renewable resources and to avoid conflicts between renewable 
energy generation and mining claims. This temporary segregation does 
not affect valid existing rights in mining claims located before this 
segregation notice. Licenses, permits, cooperative agreements, or 
discretionary land use authorizations of a temporary nature which would 
not impact lands identified in this notice may be allowed with the 
approval of an authorized officer of the BLM during the segregative 
period.
    The lands segregated under this Notice are legally described as 
follows:

Mount Diablo Meridian

T. 26 S., R. 59 E.,
    Sec. 13, Lots 1 to 8, inclusive;
    Sec. 14;
    Sec. 23 E\1/2\;
    Sec. 24, Lots 1 to 16, inclusive;
    Secs. 25 and 26;
    Sec. 27, SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 34, Lot 1, E\1/2\, portion of all public lands east of ROW 
CC0360 Union Pacific Railroad;
    Secs. 35 and 36.
T. 27 S., R. 59 E.,
    Sec. 1, Lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, 
and S\1/2\;
    Sec. 2, Lots 1 to 4, inclusive, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\, 
and S\1/2\;
    Sec. 3, Lot 1, Lot 2, Lot 3, Lot 4, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/
4\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, and 
SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\;
    Sec. 9, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, 
NE\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, and NE\1/4\NW\1/
4\SE\1/4\, portion of public lands east of ROW CC0360 Union Pacific 
Railroad;
    Sec. 10, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NE\1/4\, and S\1/2\;
    Secs. 11 to 15, inclusive;
    Sec. 22, Lots 2 to 13, inclusive, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/
4\, and NW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Secs. 23 and 24;
    Sec. 25, N\1/2\;
    Sec. 26, Lots 2 to 13, inclusive, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/
4\, and NW\1/4\SW\1/4\;
    Sec. 27, Lots 4 to 6, inclusive.

    The area described contains 13,043.20 acres, more or less, in 
Clark County, Nevada.

    The BLM intends to resurvey T. 27 S., R. 59 E., sec. 3, lots 1 
through 3. The description will be replaced for those lands upon final 
approval of the official plat of survey. The segregation of lands 
identified in this notice will not exceed 2 years from the date of 
publication. Termination of the segregation, as provided in the Interim 
Rule, is the date that is the earliest of the following: Upon issuance 
of a decision by the authorized officer granting, granting with 
modifications, or denying the application for a ROW; automatically at 
the end of the 2 year segregation; or upon publication of a Federal 
Register notice of termination of the segregation. Upon termination of 
segregation of these lands, all lands subject to this segregation will 
automatically reopen to appropriation under the public land laws.

    Authority: 43 CFR 2800 and 2090.

Robert B. Ross Jr.,
Las Vegas Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. 2011-22345 Filed 8-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P