Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Mohave County Wind Farm Project, AZ, 26572-26574 [2012-10749]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
26572
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 87 / Friday, May 4, 2012 / Notices
3. The quality, utility and clarity of
the information to be collected; and
4. How to minimize the information
collection burden on those who are to
respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other forms of
information technology.
Please send comments as directed
under ADDRESSES and DATES. Please
refer to OMB control number 1004–0153
in your correspondence. Before
including your address, phone number,
email 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.
The following information is provided
for the information collection:
Title: Conveyance of Federally-Owned
Mineral Interests (43 CFR part 2720).
Form: None.
OMB Control Number: 1004–0153.
Abstract: The respondents in this
information collection are owners of
surface estates who apply for underlying
Federally-owned mineral estates. The
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
needs to conduct the information
collection to determine if the applicants
are eligible to receive title to the
Federally-owned minerals lying beneath
their lands. When certain specific
conditions have been met, the United
States will convey legal title to the
Federally-owned minerals to the owner
of the surface estate.
Frequency: On occasion.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 24
annually.
Description of Respondents: Owners
of surface estates who apply for
underlying Federally-owned mineral
estates.
Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping ‘‘Hour’’ Burden: 240
hours annually.
Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’
Burden: $1,200 annually.
Jean Sonneman,
Information Collection Clearance Officer,
Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2012–10794 Filed 5–3–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–84–P
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:20 May 03, 2012
Jkt 226001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLAZC01000.L51010000.FX0000.LVRWA09
A2310; AZA 32315]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Mohave County Wind
Farm Project, AZ
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 Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the proposed Mohave County
Wind Farm Project and by this notice is
announcing the opening of the comment
period.
DATES: To ensure comments will be
considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the proposed
Mohave County Wind Farm Project
Draft EIS within 45 days following the
date the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes its Notice of
Availability in the Federal Register. The
BLM will announce dates and locations
of future meetings or hearings and any
other public involvement activities at
least 15 days in advance through public
notices, media releases, mailings, and
the BLM Web site at https://www.blm.gov
/az/st/en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.
html.
SUMMARY:
You may submit comments
related to the following Mohave County
Wind Farm Project by any of the
following methods:
• Web site: https://www.blm.gov/az/st/
en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.html.
• Email: KFO_WindEnergy@blm.gov.
• Fax: 602–417–9490.
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management,
Renewable Energy Coordination Office,
Arizona State Office, One North Central
Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, Arizona
85004–4427.
Copies of the Mohave County Wind
Farm Project Draft EIS are available in
the Arizona State Office at the above
address; in the Kingman Field Office
located at 2755 Mission Boulevard,
Kingman, Arizona 86401; and on the
above Web site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Or
to have your name added to our mailing
list, contact Jerry Crockford, BLMcontracted project manager, telephone
505–360–0473; email KFO_Wind
Energy@blm.gov; or contact Jackie
Neckels, Environmental Coordination,
telephone 602–417–9262; address
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00086
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Bureau of Land Management, Arizona
State Office, Renewable Energy
Coordination Office, One North Central
Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, Arizona
85004–4427. 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 individuals during
normal business hours. The FIRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
to leave a message or question for the
above individuals. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead
Federal agency for the Mohave County
Wind Farm Project is the BLM Kingman
Field Office. Cooperating agencies are
the Western Area Power Administration
(Western); Bureau of Reclamation—
Lower Colorado Region (Reclamation);
National Park Service—Lake Mead
National Recreation Area; Mohave
County, Arizona; Arizona Game and
Fish Department; and the Hualapai
Tribe Department of Cultural Resources.
The applicant, BP Wind Energy North
America (BPWE), applied for a right-ofway to construct, operate, maintain, and
decommission a 500-megawatt (MW)
wind farm, including turbine generators
and associated infrastructure, on
approximately 38,099 acres of land
managed by the BLM and approximately
8,960 acres of land managed by
Reclamation, totaling approximately
47,059 acres of Federal land. The project
area is located in the White Hills area
approximately 40 miles northwest of
Kingman, Arizona, approximately 9
miles south of the Colorado River, and
approximately 20 miles southeast of
Hoover Dam. A map of the proposed
project area and a legal description are
available on the BLM Web site at https://
www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/energy/
wind/mohave.html. The project is
anticipated to generate up to 500 MW of
electricity. It is proposed to consist of
up to 283 turbines, access roads, and
ancillary facilities. The turbine
generators would be selected from those
with a power output ranging from 1.5 to
3.0 MW each. To the extent possible,
existing roads would be used to reduce
potential impacts associated with the
construction of new roads. Roads would
be improved as needed, and the road
network would be supplemented with
internal access/service roads to each
wind turbine.
Proposed ancillary facilities include
pad-mounted transformers, an
underground 34.5-kilovolt (kV)
electrical collection system between the
turbines, distribution connector lines
(either underground or above-ground)
tying the turbine strings to either a 345-
E:\FR\FM\04MYN1.SGM
04MYN1
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 87 / Friday, May 4, 2012 / Notices
kV or a 500-kV electrical substation.
This would provide interconnection
with the regional power grid through
the substation to a new switchyard at
one of two major electric transmission
lines transecting the project area. The
lines, which are administered by
Western, are the 345-kV Liberty-Mead
line and the 500-kV Mead-Phoenix line.
Scoping was initiated with the
publication of a notice of intent in the
Federal Register on November 20, 2009,
and conducted from November 20
through January 8, 2010. Three public
meetings and an agency meeting were
held in Kingman, Dolan Springs, and
White Hills, Arizona. A supplemental
scoping period was initiated with
publication of a second notice of intent
on July 26, 2010, and concluded on
September 9, 2010. Four public scoping
meetings were held during the
supplemental scoping period; one at
each of the three original scoping
meeting communities and an additional
meeting in Peach Springs, Arizona, at
the Hualapai Tribe Cultural Center. The
BLM considered all input received from
the start of the first scoping period
(November 20, 2009) to the end of the
second scoping period (September 9,
2010).
Public and cooperating agency
concerns/comments identified the
following issues. The percentage of
comments for each issue is included in
parentheses: Biological resources (23
percent), project description (17
percent), socioeconomics (9 percent),
land use, recreation, and transportation
(8 percent), NEPA process (7 percent),
visual resources (6 percent), project
alternatives (5 percent), cumulative
effects (4 percent), noise (4 percent),
project need (3 percent), air quality (3
percent), geology and minerals (3
percent), water resources (3 percent),
cultural resources (2 percent), and
hazardous materials and safety (1
percent).
The Draft EIS considers the impacts of
the proposed action, two action
alternatives, and a no action alternative.
An updated wilderness characteristics
inventory determined that none of the
public lands in the project area have
wilderness characteristics. The
Alternative A (proposed action) windfarm site would encompass
approximately 38,099 acres of land
managed by the BLM and 8,960 acres of
land managed by Reclamation. As with
all action alternatives, project features
within the wind-farm site would
include turbines aligned within
corridors, access roads, electrical
collection system, an operations and
maintenance building, two temporary
laydown/staging areas (with temporary
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:20 May 03, 2012
Jkt 226001
batch plant operations), two substations,
and a switchyard. The number of
turbines constructed would vary
depending on the turbine type that is
installed, but Alternative A proposes
more turbines than the other
alternatives. Alternative A could
support development of a maximum of
283 turbines.
The Alternative B wind-farm site
would encompass approximately 30,872
acres of land managed by the BLM and
3,848 acres of land managed by
Reclamation. Alternative B reduces the
wind-farm site footprint and has fewer
turbines than Alternative A, with the
intent of reducing visual and noise
impacts on the Lake Mead National
Recreation Area primarily and
secondarily on private property. The
number of turbines constructed would
vary depending on the turbine type that
is installed, but Alternative B could
support development of a maximum of
208 turbines. Alternative B provides a
greater distance between the Lake Mead
National Recreation Area and the
proposed wind-farm project boundary.
The Alternative C wind-farm site would
encompass approximately 30,178 acres
of land managed by the BLM and 5,124
acres of land managed by Reclamation.
Alternative C also reduces the windfarm site footprint and has fewer
turbines than Alternative A, with the
intent of reducing visual and noise
impacts primarily on private property
and secondarily on the Lake Mead
National Recreation Area. The number
of turbines constructed would vary
depending on the turbine type that is
installed, but Alternative C could
support development of a maximum of
208 turbines. Alternative C provides a
greater distance from private land and
the proposed wind-farm project
boundary.
Alternative D is the no action
alternative, which provides a baseline
against which action alternatives can be
compared. Alternative D includes an
analysis of effects from not developing
the project. Alternative D assumes that
no actions associated with the project
would occur, and no rights-of-way or
interconnections would be granted. The
BLM-administered lands would
continue to be managed in accordance
with the Kingman Field Office Resource
Management Plan, and the Reclamationadministered lands would continue to
be managed by Reclamation. Capacity
on Western’s transmission lines would
remain available for other projects.
The BLM’s purpose and need for the
Mohave County Wind Farm Project is to
respond to BPWE’s application under
Title V of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (43
PO 00000
Frm 00087
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
26573
U.S.C. 1761) for a right-of-way (ROW)
grant to construct, operate, and
decommission a wind-farm site 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 BPWE for the
proposed wind project.
Reclamation’s responsibility under
the Act of Congress of June 17, 1902 (32
Stat. 388), Section 10 of the Reclamation
Project Act, 1939 (53 Stat. 1187), and 43
CFR part 429 is to respond to a request
for a ROW on Reclamation-administered
Federal land. Reclamation will decide
whether to grant the ROW for the
construction, operation, and
decommissioning of the wind-farm site
on Reclamation-administered lands.
Western’s Federal action would be to
execute an interconnection agreement
and design, construct, own, operate, and
maintain the project switchyard and
physical interconnection to the existing
transmission line under all alternatives.
The BLM will continue to use and
coordinate the NEPA public
participation requirements to assist the
agency in satisfying the public
involvement requirements under
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f)
pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
The BLM will continue to consult
with Indian tribes on a government-togovernment basis in accordance with
Executive Order 13175 and other
policies. Tribal concerns, including
impacts on Indian trust assets and
potential impacts to cultural resources,
will be given due consideration.
Federal, State, and local agencies, along
with tribes and other stakeholders that
may be interested in or affected by the
decision on this proposed project, are
encouraged to review and comment on
the Draft 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 phone number,
email 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.
E:\FR\FM\04MYN1.SGM
04MYN1
26574
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 87 / Friday, May 4, 2012 / Notices
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.
Joan B. Losacco,
Acting Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2012–10749 Filed 5–1–12; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–32–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[OR–65891, LLORB00000–L51010000–
GN0000–LVRWH09H0560; HAG–11–0331]
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Celatom Mine Expansion Project in
Harney and Malheur Counties, OR
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 Celatom Mine Expansion
Project and by this notice is announcing
its availability.
DATES: The Final EIS will be available
for public review for 30 days, beginning
on the date that the Environmental
Protection Agency’s Notice of
Availability of the Final EIS publishes
in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Notices of Availability of
the Final EIS for the Celatom Mine
Expansion Project will be mailed to
individuals, agencies, organizations, or
companies who responded to the BLM
on the Draft EIS. Compact discs of the
Final EIS are available on request from
the BLM Burns District Office, 28910
Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738,
phone (541) 573–4400, or email at
BLM_OR_BU_Celatom_EIS@blm.gov.
Interested persons may also review the
Final EIS at the following Web site:
www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/plans/
index.php.
Printed copies of the Final EIS are
available for public inspection at:
• Harney County Library, 80 West
‘‘D’’ Street, Burns, Oregon 97720.
• BLM Vale District Office, 100
Oregon Street, Vale, Oregon 97918.
• BLM Burns District Office at the
address listed above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
William Dragt, Celatom Mine Expansion
Project, telephone (541) 573–4400;
address 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines,
Oregon 97738; or email
BLM_OR_BU_Celatom_EIS@blm.gov.
Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
erowe on DSK2VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:20 May 03, 2012
Jkt 226001
Relay Service at 1 (800) 877–8339 to
contact the above individual during
normal business hours. The service 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
mining company, EP Minerals (EPM),
formally known as EaglePicher
Minerals, operates a diatomaceous earth
mining complex (Celatom Mine
Complex), approximately 50 miles east
of Burns and 60 miles west of Vale,
Oregon. The Celatom Mine Complex
currently consists of three open-pit
mines: Kelley Field (on BLMadministered land), Section 36 (on State
land), and Beede Desert (on private
land) in Harney and Malheur Counties,
Oregon.
Existing EPM mining operations on
BLM-administered land in the Celatom
Mine Complex were first described in a
Mine Plan of Operations (MPO)
submitted by EPM to the BLM in 1984.
The proposed total Celatom Mine
Complex MPO area at that time was
1,634 acres. The BLM approved the
MPO after completion of an
Environmental Assessment in 1985.
EPM stockpiles ore from the Celatom
Mine Complex on 35 acres of BLMadministered land at the Vines Hill
Stockpile Area (VHSA) approximately
14 miles west of Vale, Oregon. VHSA is
operated under a separate MPO that was
approved by the Vale District BLM in
1986. VHSA is not part of the proposed
Celatom Mine expansion being analyzed
in the current EIS.
Existing EPM mining operations on
private and State land in the Project
Area, VHSA, and EPM’s mill on private
land approximately 7 miles west of Vale
operate under current county and State
permits. During preparation of this EIS,
EPM is authorized to continue
operations within the Project Area on
BLM-administered land as approved by
BLM in 1985, at the VHSA as approved
by the BLM in 1986, and on private and
State lands permitted by county and
State agencies.
In 2008, EPM submitted a new MPO
to the BLM for operations on 12,640
acres consisting of 1,280 acres of State
of Oregon land, 1,680 acres of private
land, 8,080 acres of BLM land, and
1,600 acres of split estate land patented
under the Stock Raising Homestead Act
with 320 acres owned by EPM.
The proposed MPO area includes
mining operations on 1,131 acres of
BLM-administered lands. The 1,131
acres of BLM-administered land would
be disturbed through portions of the 50year lifespan of the mine. Exploration,
PO 00000
Frm 00088
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
sampling and monitoring will occur on
250 acres of public lands. The
exploration and sampling disturbances
would last for 1–3 years and then be
reclaimed. Monitoring sites will remain
active for the 50-year lifespan of the
mine.
The remaining 11,259 acres in the
MPO area lies between and south of the
active and proposed mines. Under the
MPO this area will be largely
undisturbed by mining activities except
some of the 250 acres of exploration,
sampling, and monitoring may occur in
this area. Exact locations will be
determined at a later date. Except as
needed to provide for safety, this area
also remains open to most other
multiple use activities.
Due to the size of the proposed
operations, the BLM determined
preparation of an EIS is necessary to
comply with the requirements of NEPA.
The EIS analyzes proposed activities on
BLM-administered land and cumulative
effects from proposed activities on
State-administered and private land,
within the project boundary. This Final
EIS analyzes EPM’s proposed MPO as
well as mitigation measures necessary to
prevent unnecessary or undue
degradation under 43 CFR part 3809.
The proposed operations associated
with the project include:
(1) Expanding operations: At the Kelly
Field area, expand mining operations to
72.5 acres on BLM-administered land;
in Section 36 expand mining operations
on State-administered land; and, at
Puma claims, expand operations on
private land to 5 acres;
(2) Developing new mining operations
on BLM-administered land on 225 acres
at Hidden Valley, 462.5 acres in North
Kelly Field, 50 acres in Section 25, and
286 acres in Eagle; and, at Beede Desert,
constructing two new roads to connect
Hidden Valley and Section 36 and
Hidden Valley north to Eagle; and
(3) Drilling water quality monitoring
wells and conducting exploratory
drilling on 200 acres of BLMadministered land, development
drilling, sampling, trenching, and bulk
sampling on 50 acres of BLMadministered land within the project
boundary. Exploration and subsequent
trenching and bulk sampling would be
conducted to delineate boundaries of
known ore reserves and to explore for
new deposits. These activities could
occur on BLM-administered lands
anywhere within the Project Area.
Activities under the Proposed Action,
including final reclamation, would be
conducted over the course of
approximately 50 years. The proposed
expansion of mining operations and
development of new mining operations
E:\FR\FM\04MYN1.SGM
04MYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26572-26574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10749]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLAZC01000.L51010000.FX0000.LVRWA09A2310; AZA 32315]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Mohave County Wind Farm Project, AZ
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 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed
Mohave County Wind Farm Project and by this notice is announcing the
opening of the comment period.
DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the proposed Mohave County Wind Farm Project Draft
EIS within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
The BLM will announce dates and locations of future meetings or
hearings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days
in advance through public notices, media releases, mailings, and the
BLM Web site at https://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.html.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the following Mohave
County Wind Farm Project by any of the following methods:
Web site: https://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.html.
Email: KFO_WindEnergy@blm.gov.
Fax: 602-417-9490.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Renewable Energy
Coordination Office, Arizona State Office, One North Central Avenue,
Suite 800, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-4427.
Copies of the Mohave County Wind Farm Project Draft EIS are available
in the Arizona State Office at the above address; in the Kingman Field
Office located at 2755 Mission Boulevard, Kingman, Arizona 86401; and
on the above Web site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Or to have your name added to our
mailing list, contact Jerry Crockford, BLM-contracted project manager,
telephone 505-360-0473; email KFO_WindEnergy@blm.gov; or contact
Jackie Neckels, Environmental Coordination, telephone 602-417-9262;
address Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office, Renewable
Energy Coordination Office, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800,
Phoenix, Arizona 85004-4427. 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 individuals
during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7
days a week, to leave a message or question for the above individuals.
You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead Federal agency for the Mohave
County Wind Farm Project is the BLM Kingman Field Office. Cooperating
agencies are the Western Area Power Administration (Western); Bureau of
Reclamation--Lower Colorado Region (Reclamation); National Park
Service--Lake Mead National Recreation Area; Mohave County, Arizona;
Arizona Game and Fish Department; and the Hualapai Tribe Department of
Cultural Resources.
The applicant, BP Wind Energy North America (BPWE), applied for a
right-of-way to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a 500-
megawatt (MW) wind farm, including turbine generators and associated
infrastructure, on approximately 38,099 acres of land managed by the
BLM and approximately 8,960 acres of land managed by Reclamation,
totaling approximately 47,059 acres of Federal land. The project area
is located in the White Hills area approximately 40 miles northwest of
Kingman, Arizona, approximately 9 miles south of the Colorado River,
and approximately 20 miles southeast of Hoover Dam. A map of the
proposed project area and a legal description are available on the BLM
Web site at https://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.html.
The project is anticipated to generate up to 500 MW of electricity. It
is proposed to consist of up to 283 turbines, access roads, and
ancillary facilities. The turbine generators would be selected from
those with a power output ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 MW each. To the
extent possible, existing roads would be used to reduce potential
impacts associated with the construction of new roads. Roads would be
improved as needed, and the road network would be supplemented with
internal access/service roads to each wind turbine.
Proposed ancillary facilities include pad-mounted transformers, an
underground 34.5-kilovolt (kV) electrical collection system between the
turbines, distribution connector lines (either underground or above-
ground) tying the turbine strings to either a 345-
[[Page 26573]]
kV or a 500-kV electrical substation. This would provide
interconnection with the regional power grid through the substation to
a new switchyard at one of two major electric transmission lines
transecting the project area. The lines, which are administered by
Western, are the 345-kV Liberty-Mead line and the 500-kV Mead-Phoenix
line.
Scoping was initiated with the publication of a notice of intent in
the Federal Register on November 20, 2009, and conducted from November
20 through January 8, 2010. Three public meetings and an agency meeting
were held in Kingman, Dolan Springs, and White Hills, Arizona. A
supplemental scoping period was initiated with publication of a second
notice of intent on July 26, 2010, and concluded on September 9, 2010.
Four public scoping meetings were held during the supplemental scoping
period; one at each of the three original scoping meeting communities
and an additional meeting in Peach Springs, Arizona, at the Hualapai
Tribe Cultural Center. The BLM considered all input received from the
start of the first scoping period (November 20, 2009) to the end of the
second scoping period (September 9, 2010).
Public and cooperating agency concerns/comments identified the
following issues. The percentage of comments for each issue is included
in parentheses: Biological resources (23 percent), project description
(17 percent), socioeconomics (9 percent), land use, recreation, and
transportation (8 percent), NEPA process (7 percent), visual resources
(6 percent), project alternatives (5 percent), cumulative effects (4
percent), noise (4 percent), project need (3 percent), air quality (3
percent), geology and minerals (3 percent), water resources (3
percent), cultural resources (2 percent), and hazardous materials and
safety (1 percent).
The Draft EIS considers the impacts of the proposed action, two
action alternatives, and a no action alternative. An updated wilderness
characteristics inventory determined that none of the public lands in
the project area have wilderness characteristics. The Alternative A
(proposed action) wind-farm site would encompass approximately 38,099
acres of land managed by the BLM and 8,960 acres of land managed by
Reclamation. As with all action alternatives, project features within
the wind-farm site would include turbines aligned within corridors,
access roads, electrical collection system, an operations and
maintenance building, two temporary laydown/staging areas (with
temporary batch plant operations), two substations, and a switchyard.
The number of turbines constructed would vary depending on the turbine
type that is installed, but Alternative A proposes more turbines than
the other alternatives. Alternative A could support development of a
maximum of 283 turbines.
The Alternative B wind-farm site would encompass approximately
30,872 acres of land managed by the BLM and 3,848 acres of land managed
by Reclamation. Alternative B reduces the wind-farm site footprint and
has fewer turbines than Alternative A, with the intent of reducing
visual and noise impacts on the Lake Mead National Recreation Area
primarily and secondarily on private property. The number of turbines
constructed would vary depending on the turbine type that is installed,
but Alternative B could support development of a maximum of 208
turbines. Alternative B provides a greater distance between the Lake
Mead National Recreation Area and the proposed wind-farm project
boundary. The Alternative C wind-farm site would encompass
approximately 30,178 acres of land managed by the BLM and 5,124 acres
of land managed by Reclamation. Alternative C also reduces the wind-
farm site footprint and has fewer turbines than Alternative A, with the
intent of reducing visual and noise impacts primarily on private
property and secondarily on the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The
number of turbines constructed would vary depending on the turbine type
that is installed, but Alternative C could support development of a
maximum of 208 turbines. Alternative C provides a greater distance from
private land and the proposed wind-farm project boundary.
Alternative D is the no action alternative, which provides a
baseline against which action alternatives can be compared. Alternative
D includes an analysis of effects from not developing the project.
Alternative D assumes that no actions associated with the project would
occur, and no rights-of-way or interconnections would be granted. The
BLM-administered lands would continue to be managed in accordance with
the Kingman Field Office Resource Management Plan, and the Reclamation-
administered lands would continue to be managed by Reclamation.
Capacity on Western's transmission lines would remain available for
other projects.
The BLM's purpose and need for the Mohave County Wind Farm Project
is to respond to BPWE's application under Title V of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (43 U.S.C. 1761) for a right-
of-way (ROW) grant to construct, operate, and decommission a wind-farm
site 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 BPWE for the proposed wind project.
Reclamation's responsibility under the Act of Congress of June 17,
1902 (32 Stat. 388), Section 10 of the Reclamation Project Act, 1939
(53 Stat. 1187), and 43 CFR part 429 is to respond to a request for a
ROW on Reclamation-administered Federal land. Reclamation will decide
whether to grant the ROW for the construction, operation, and
decommissioning of the wind-farm site on Reclamation-administered
lands.
Western's Federal action would be to execute an interconnection
agreement and design, construct, own, operate, and maintain the project
switchyard and physical interconnection to the existing transmission
line under all alternatives.
The BLM will continue to use and coordinate the NEPA public
participation requirements to assist the agency in satisfying the
public involvement requirements under Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) pursuant to 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3).
The BLM will continue to consult with Indian tribes on a
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175
and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust
assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the
decision on this proposed project, are encouraged to review and comment
on the Draft 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 phone number, email 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 26574]]
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.
Joan B. Losacco,
Acting Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-10749 Filed 5-1-12; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P
