Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States, 44267-44268 [2012-18257]

Agencies

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

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 145 (Friday, July 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44267-44268]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18257]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[LLWO300000.L14300000]


Notice of Availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern 
States

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Department of 
Energy (DOE) (the Agencies) as joint lead agencies announce the 
availability of the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States (Final 
Programmatic EIS) (BLM/DES 11-49, DOE/EIS-0403) and associated Proposed 
BLM Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendments.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's Final 
Programmatic EIS and Proposed RMP Amendments. A person who meets the 
conditions and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of 
the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice 
of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final Programmatic EIS and Proposed RMP 
Amendments have been sent to affected Federal, state, and local 
government agencies and to other stakeholders. Copies of the Final 
Programmatic EIS and Proposed RMP Amendments, references, and 
additional information regarding solar energy development are available 
at the project Web site: https://solareis.anl.gov. Electronic copies of 
the Final Programmatic EIS and Proposed RMP Amendments are available 
through the BLM Web site at https://www.blm.gov. The Final Programmatic 
EIS is also available on the DOE National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) Web site at https://energy.gov/nepa.
    All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following 
addresses:

Regular Mail

    BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 71383, 
Washington, DC 20024-1383.

Overnight Mail

    BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 20 M Street SE., 
Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003.
    Publication of a Final EIS Notice of Availability does not trigger 
a formal public comment period. The Agencies, however, may choose to 
review any comments submitted following the publication of the Final 
EIS NOA and use them to inform the Records of Decision. Those 
individuals wishing to submit comments are asked to do so through the 
Solar Programmatic EIS project Web site (https://solareis.anl.gov). 
Individuals should note that the Agencies will consider such comments 
only to the extent practicable and will not respond to comments 
individually.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Stewart, Solar Energy Program 
Lead, BLM Washington Office, by email at shannon_stewart@blm.gov, or 
by telephone at 202-912-7219, to request CDs or printed copies of the 
Final Programmatic EIS, or for further information. Requests for 
information related to DOE's proposed action may be directed to Jane 
Summerson, DOE Solar Programmatic EIS Document Manager, by email at 
jane.summerson@ee.doe.gov, or by telephone at 202-287-6188. For general 
information regarding the DOE NEPA process, contact Carol Borgstrom, 
Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54, U.S. Department 
of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585, by 
telephone at 202-586-4600, leave a message at 1-800-472-2756, or by 
email at askNEPA@hq.doe.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 
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: Copies of the Final Programmatic EIS and 
Proposed RMP Amendments are available for public inspection at the 
following BLM office locations:
     Arizona State Office, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800, 
Phoenix, Arizona 85004.
     Caliente Field Office, U.S. Highway 93 Building 
1, Caliente, Nevada 89008.
     California Desert District, 22835 Calle San Juan De Los 
Lagos, Moreno Valley, California 92553.
     California State Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-1623, 
Sacramento, California 95825.
     Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street Lakewood, 
Colorado 80215.
     Cedar City Field Office, 176 East D.L. Sargent Drive Cedar 
City, Utah 84721.
     El Centro Field Office, 1661 S. 4th Street El Centro, 
California 92243.
     Lake Havasu Field Office, 2610 Sweetwater Avenue Lake 
Havasu City, Arizona 86406.
     Las Cruces District Office, 1800 Marquess Street Las 
Cruces, New Mexico 88005.
     Lower Sonoran Field Office, 21605 N. 7th Avenue Phoenix, 
Arizona 85027.
     Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard Reno, Nevada 
89502.
     New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 
87508
     Palm Springs--South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center 
Drive Palm Springs, California 92262.
     San Luis Valley Public Lands Center, 1803 West Highway 
160, Monte Vista, Colorado 81144.
     Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines, 
Las Vegas, Nevada 89130.
     Tonopah Field Office, 1553 South Main Street Tonopah, 
Nevada 89049.
     Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt 
Lake City, Utah 84101.
    On December 17, 2010 (75 FR 78980), the Agencies published a Draft 
Programmatic EIS for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern 
States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah). 
Public comments were accepted through May 2, 2011. More than 80,500 
comments were received. The public, as well as many cooperating 
agencies, offered suggestions on how the Agencies could increase the 
utility of the document, strengthen the proposed BLM Solar Energy 
Program, and increase certainty regarding solar energy development on 
BLM-administered lands.
    On October 28, 2011 (76 FR 66958), the Agencies published a 
Supplement to the Draft Programmatic EIS for Solar Energy Development 
in Six Southwestern States. Public comments were accepted through 
January 27, 2012. More than 131,000 comments were received. The 
Agencies considered all

[[Page 44268]]

comments received on both the Draft Programmatic EIS and the Supplement 
to the Draft Programmatic EIS, and the Final Programmatic EIS has been 
revised to reflect that consideration.
    Through the Final Programmatic EIS, the BLM is evaluating actions 
that will facilitate utility-scale solar energy development on public 
lands. Multiple federal orders and mandates establish requirements for 
the Department of the Interior related to renewable energy development. 
Through the Final Programmatic EIS, the BLM is considering replacing 
elements of its existing solar energy policies with a comprehensive 
Solar Energy Program that would allow the permitting of future solar 
energy development projects on public lands to proceed in a more 
efficient, standardized, and environmentally responsible manner.
    On the basis of the analysis presented in this Final Programmatic 
EIS, the BLM anticipates making the following land use planning 
decisions that will establish the foundation for a comprehensive Solar 
Energy Program.
     Land use plan amendments that identify exclusion areas for 
utility-scale solar energy development in the six-state study area;
     Land use plan amendments that identify priority areas for 
solar energy development that are well suited for utility-scale 
production of solar energy (i.e., solar energy zones (SEZs));
     Land use plan amendments that identify areas potentially 
available for utility-scale solar energy development outside of SEZs in 
the six-state study area; and
     Land use plan amendments that establish required design 
features (i.e., mitigation requirements) for solar energy development 
on public lands to ensure the most environmentally responsible 
development and delivery of solar energy.
    In the Final Programmatic EIS, the BLM has identified the solar 
energy development program alternative (referred to as the ``program 
alternative'') as its preferred alternative. Under the program 
alternative, the BLM proposes categories of lands to be excluded from 
utility-scale solar energy development (approximately 79 million acres) 
and identifies 17 SEZs (about 285,000 acres) where the BLM proposes to 
prioritize development of utility-scale solar energy development. The 
program alternative emphasizes and incentivizes development within SEZs 
and proposes a collaborative process to identify additional SEZs in the 
future. The program alternative allows for utility-scale solar 
development in variance areas outside of SEZs (approximately 19 million 
acres) in accordance with a proposed variance process. The program 
alternative also establishes authorization policies and procedures for 
utility-scale solar energy development and design features applicable 
to all development on BLM-administered lands.
    In the Final Programmatic EIS, DOE revised its proposed guidance in 
response to comments. For example, it added specific recommendations 
regarding land use avoidance including rangelands and National Historic 
and Scenic Trails; greater emphasis on water use minimization and 
conservation techniques; and coordination with local and state entities 
such as planning commissions and federal agencies such as the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers. DOE also included additional text describing the 
breadth and variety of the various DOE programs that could potentially 
fund solar projects and clarifying how DOE might use the proposed 
guidance.
    In the Final Programmatic EIS, DOE has identified its preferred 
alternative as the proposed action (action alternative) under which DOE 
would adopt programmatic environmental guidance, which would be used by 
DOE to further integrate environmental considerations into its analysis 
and selection of proposed solar projects.

Other Agency Involvement

    Cooperating Federal agencies on the Solar Programmatic EIS include 
the Department of Defense; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; National 
Park Service; Bureau of Reclamation; U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Region 9; and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Pacific 
Division. Other cooperating agencies on the Solar PEIS include the 
Arizona Game and Fish Department; the California Energy Commission and 
Public Utilities Commission; the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the N-4 
Grazing Board, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority; the Utah Public 
Lands Policy Coordination Office; Clark, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lincoln, 
and Nye Counties, Nevada; Saguache County, Colorado; and Dona Ana 
County, New Mexico.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Final Programmatic EIS and Proposed RMP Amendments may be 
found in the ``Dear Reader'' Letter'' of the Final Programmatic EIS for 
Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States and at 43 CFR 
1610.5-2. All protests must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate 
address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. Emailed and faxed 
protests will not be accepted as valid protests unless the protesting 
party also provides the original letter by either regular or overnight 
mail postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under these 
conditions, the BLM will consider the emailed or faxed protest as an 
advance copy and it will receive full consideration. If you wish to 
provide the BLM with such advance notification, please direct emails to 
bhudgens@blm.gov and faxed protests to the attention of the BLM protest 
coordinator at 202-245-0028.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10; 43 CFR 1610.2 and 1610.5; 
and 10 CFR 1021.313.

Timothy Spisak,
Acting Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty Management, Bureau of 
Land Management.
David Danielson,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department 
of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2012-18257 Filed 7-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P