Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Quartzsite Solar Energy Project and the Yuma Field Office Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment, 76477-76479 [2012-31171]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2012 / Notices
Description: PJM Interconnection,
L.L.C. submits tariff filing per 35.15:
Notice of Cancellation-First Revised SA
Nos. 3156 & 3157 in Dkt No. ER12–835–
000 to be effective 12/5/2012.
Filed Date: 12/19/12.
Accession Number: 20121219–5086.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/9/13.
Docket Numbers: ER13–584–000.
Applicants: PJM Interconnection,
L.L.C.
Description: PJM Interconnection,
L.L.C. submits tariff filing per
35.13(a)(2)(iii: First Revised Service
Agreement No. 3279; Queue No. X1–046
to be effective 12/3/2012.
Filed Date: 12/19/12.
Accession Number: 20121219–5094.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/9/13.
Docket Numbers: ER13–585–000.
Applicants: New England Power Pool
Participants Committee, ISO New
England Inc.
Description: New England Power Pool
Participants Committee submits tariff
filing per 35.13(a)(2)(iii: Rev to FCM
Rules Rel to Cap Supply Obl Bil and Rec
Auc 1 of 2 to be effective 4/1/2013.
Filed Date: 12/19/12.
Accession Number: 20121219–5095.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/9/13.
Docket Numbers: ER13–585–001.
Applicants: New England Power Pool
Participants Committee, ISO New
England Inc.
Description: New England Power Pool
Participants Committee submits tariff
filing per 35.17(b): Rev. to FCM Rules
Rel to Cap Sup Obl Bil and Rec Auc 2
of 2 to be effective 4/19/2013.
Filed Date: 12/19/12.
Accession Number: 20121219–5105.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/9/13.
Docket Numbers: ER12–1932–003.
Applicants: Franklin County Wind,
LLC.
Description: Franklin County Wind,
LLC submits tariff filing per 35: FCW
Market Based Rate Tariff—Compliance
Filing to be effective 8/1/2012.
Filed Date: 12/19/12.
Accession Number: 20121219–5064.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/9/13.
Docket Numbers: ER12–1933–004.
Applicants: Interstate Power and
Light Company.
Description: Interstate Power and
Light Company submits tariff filing per
35: IPL Market Based Rate Tariff—
Compliance Filing to be effective
8/1/2012.
Filed Date: 12/19/12.
Accession Number: 20121219–5065.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/9/13.
Docket Numbers: ER12–1934–003.
Applicants: Wisconsin Power and
Light Company.
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Description: Wisconsin Power and
Light Company submits tariff filing per
35: WPL Market Based Rate Tariff—
Compliance Filing to be effective
8/1/2012.
Filed Date: 12/19/12.
Accession Number: 20121219–5067.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/9/13.
Docket Numbers: ER12–2302–001.
Applicants: Midwest Independent
Transmission System.
Description: 12–18–12 SSR
Compliance Filing to be effective
9/24/2012.
Filed Date: 12/18/12.
Accession Number: 20121218–5147.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/8/13.
Take notice that the Commission
received the following electric securities
filings:
Docket Numbers: ES13–11–000.
Applicants: Monongahela Power
Company.
Description: Application for
Authorization under Section 204(a) of
the Federal Power Act to Issue
Securities and Assume $73.5 Million
Promissory Note of FirstEnergy Service
Company on behalf of Monongahela
Power Company.
Filed Date: 12/18/12.
Accession Number: 20121218–5175.
Comments Due: 5 p.m. ET 1/8/13.
The filings are accessible in the
Commission’s eLibrary system by
clicking on the links or querying the
docket number.
Any person desiring to intervene or
protest in any of the above proceedings
must file in accordance with Rules 211
and 214 of the Commission’s
Regulations (18 CFR 385.211 and
385.214) on or before 5:00 p.m. Eastern
time on the specified comment date.
Protests may be considered, but
intervention is necessary to become a
party to the proceeding.
eFiling is encouraged. More detailed
information relating to filing
requirements, interventions, protests,
service, and qualifying facilities filings
can be found at: https://www.ferc.gov/
docs-filing/efiling/filing-req.pdf. For
other information, call (866) 208–3676
(toll free). For TTY, call (202) 502–8659.
Dated: December 19, 2012.
Nathaniel J. Davis, Sr.,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–31143 Filed 12–27–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717–01–P
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76477
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
[DOE/EIS–0440]
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Quartzsite Solar Energy Project
and the Yuma Field Office Proposed
Resource Management Plan
Amendment
Western Area Power
Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Quartzsite Solar Energy (QSE)
has requested to interconnect the
Quartzsite Solar Energy Project (Project),
a proposed 100-megawatt (MW)
concentrating solar power plant, to
Western Area Power Administration’s
(Western) Bouse-Kofa 161-kilovolt (kV)
transmission line. QSE has submitted a
right-of-way (ROW) application to the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for
the Project facility to be constructed on
a total of approximately 1,675 acres of
land managed by the BLM. The Project
area is in an undeveloped area of the
Sonoran Desert in La Paz County,
Arizona.
In accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of
1976, as amended, Western and the
BLM prepared a Final Environmental
Impact Statement 1 (EIS) and Yuma
Field Office (Yuma) Proposed Resource
Management Plan Amendment
(PRMPA) for the Project, and by this
Notice Western and the BLM are
announcing the availability of the Final
EIS/PRMPA. Western is the lead Federal
agency for purposes of satisfying the
NEPA requirements with the BLM
acting as a cooperating agency.
DATES: The Final EIS/PRMPA will be
available for a 30-day period prior to the
agencies making decisions on the
Project and issuing separate Records of
Decision. The BLM planning regulations
state that any person who meets the
conditions as described in the
regulations may protest the BLM’s
Yuma PRMPA. 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 in the Federal Register. The
protest procedures are described in an
appendix of the Final EIS/PRMPA.
1 On November 16, 2011, DOE’s Acting General
Counsel delegated to Western’s Administrator all
the authorities of the General Counsel respecting
environmental impact statements.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2012 / Notices
Copies of the Final EIS/
PRMPA have been sent to affected
Federal, State, and local government
agencies and to other stakeholders.
Copies are available for public
inspection at the BLM Yuma Field
Office, 2555 East Gila Ridge Road,
Yuma, AZ 85365 and the BLM Arizona
State Office, One North Central Avenue,
Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
Interested persons may also review the
document on the following Web site:
https://ww2.wapa.gov/sites/Western/
transmission/interconn/Pages/
QuartzsiteSolar.aspx.
All protests must be in writing and
mailed to one of the following
addresses: Regular Mail: BLM Director
(210), Attention: Brenda HudgensWilliams, P.O. Box 71383, Washington,
DC 20024–1383. Overnight Mail: BLM
Director (210), Attention: Brenda
Hudgens-Williams, 20 M Street SE.,
Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information on the proposed Project, the
EIS and general information about
Western’s transmission system, contact
Ms. Liana Reilly, NEPA Document
Manager, Western Area Power
Administration, P.O. Box 281213,
Lakewood, CO 80228–8213, telephone
(720) 962–7253 or by email
QuartzsiteSolarEIS@wapa.gov.. For
general information on the DOE NEPA
process, please contact Ms. Carol M.
Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA
Policy and Compliance (GC–54), U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20585, telephone (202)
586–4600 or (800) 472–2756.
For information on the BLM’s role
with the Project or the Yuma PRMPA,
contact Mr. Eddie Arreola, Supervisory
Project Manager, telephone (602) 417–
9505, One North Central Avenue, Suite
800 Phoenix, AZ 85004. Persons who
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf 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: Western is
a Federal agency under the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) that
markets and transmits wholesale
electrical power through an integrated
17,000-circuit mile, high-voltage
transmission system across 15 western
states. Western’s Open Access
Transmission Service Tariff (Tariff)
provides non-discriminatory access to
Western’s electric transmission system.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with
ADDRESSES:
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Western provides transmission services
if there is available capacity and the
reliability of the transmission system is
maintained.
Interested parties were notified of the
proposed Project and the public
comment opportunity through a Notice
of Intent published in the Federal
Register on January 14, 2010 (75 FR
2133). On March 30, 2011, the BLM
issued a separate Notice of Intent for the
Yuma PRMPA (76 FR 17668). A Notice
of Availability (NOA) for the Draft EIS/
PRMPA for the proposed Project in La
Paz County was published in the
Federal Register on November 10, 2011
(76 FR 70125). Western and the BLM
held public hearings on the Draft EIS/
PRMPA in Yuma, Arizona, on December
13, 2011, and in Quartzsite, Arizona, on
December 14, 2011. The formal
comment period closed on February 8,
2012. Comments received during the
comment period were considered in
preparing the Final EIS/PRMPA.
Proposed Project
The proposed Project is a 100-MW
solar electric power plant that would
use concentrating solar power
technology to capture the sun’s heat to
make steam, which would power
traditional steam turbine generators.
The Project would contain the central
receiver or tower, a solar field consisting
of mirrors or heliostats to reflect the
sun’s energy to the central tower, a
conventional steam turbine generator,
insulated storage tanks for hot and cold
liquid salt, ancillary tanks, evaporation
ponds, a temporary construction
laydown area, technical and nontechnical buildings, transformers and a
161/230-kV electrical substation, roads,
and water wells. All Project components
would be located on BLM-managed
land. QSE has requested to interconnect
the proposed Project to Western’s
transmission system. A new 1.5-mile
long 161/230-kV generator tie-line
would extend from the southern
boundary of the solar facility boundary
to a new switchyard to be constructed
adjacent to Western’s existing BouseKofa 161-kV transmission line. The
switchyard would be on BLM-managed
land and would be owned and operated
by Western.
QSE has submitted a ROW
application to the BLM for the Project.
The ROW application is for a total of
26,273 acres, of which 1,675 acres
would be utilized for the final Project
ROW if approved. The Project site is in
an undeveloped area in La Paz County,
Arizona, east of State Route (SR) 95,
approximately 10 miles north of
Quartzsite, Arizona, on lands managed
by the BLM.
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Agency Purpose and Need
Western’s purpose and need for the
action is to respond to QSE’s
interconnection request in accordance
with Western’s Tariff. The BLM’s
purpose and need for the action is to
respond to QSE’s application for a ROW
under FLPMA to construct, operate, and
decommission the solar facility, 161/
230-kV generation tie-line and access
road. The BLM also needs to respond to
Western’s application for a switchyard,
and fiber optic line on public lands the
BLM administers. The BLM will decide
whether to approve, approve with
modification, or deny the ROW
applications for the proposed Project.
Proposed Agency Actions
Western’s proposed action is to
interconnect the proposed Project to
Western’s existing Bouse-Kofa 161-kV
transmission line. As part of Western’s
proposed action, Western would also
construct, operate, and maintain a new
switchyard and would establish a fiber
optic and/or microwave
telecommunications pathway. The BLM,
in addition to responding to the project
ROW applications analyzed in the EIS,
is also considering approving the Yuma
PRMPA. The Yuma PRMPA recognizes
the compatibility of solar generation
facilities on public lands, but requires
that such activities conform to
designated visual resource management
(VRM) classes. If the BLM decides to
grant a ROW for the project the BLM
would also approve the Yuma PRMPA
as required.
Alternatives
Three alternatives were analyzed in
the FEIS including the QSE’s proposed
Project with dry-cooling technology,
Alternative 1 with hybrid cooling
technology, and the No Action
alternative. Also analyzed were three
alternatives related to the Yuma PRMPA
including approving the PRMPA to
change approximately 6,800 acres of
VRM Class III to VRM Class IV along
with Project approval, approving the
PRMPA to change approximately 6,800
acres of VRM Class III to VRM Class IV
without Project approval, and the No
Action alternative of not approving the
PRMPA and leaving the current VRM
Class III designation in place.
Western’s preferred alternative is to
grant the interconnection request for the
proposed Project to Western’s existing
Bouse-Kofa 161-kV transmission line
and to construct, operate, and maintain
a new switchyard. The BLM’s preferred
alternative is to approve the ROW for
the Project which consists of a 100-MW
solar thermal generation power plant
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 249 / Friday, December 28, 2012 / Notices
using dry-cooling technology and a new
1.5 mile long 161/230-kV generator tieline, switchyard, and access road along
with approval of the PRMPA to change
the Project area to VRM Class IV.
Protest Information
Instructions for filing a protest with
the BLM Director regarding the Yuma
PRMPA may also be found at 43 CFR
1610.5–2. Email 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
email 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 faxed protests
to the attention of the BLM protest
coordinator at (202)-912–7212, and
emails to Brenda_hudgens-williams@
blm.gov. All protests, including the
follow-up letter to emails or faxes, must
be in writing and mailed to the
appropriate address, as set forth in the
ADDRESSES section above. Before
including your phone number, email
address, or other personal identifying
information in your protest, you should
be aware that your entire protest,
including your personal identifying
information, may be made publicly
available at any time. While you can ask
the BLM in your protest to withhold
your personal identifying information
from public review, the BLM cannot
guarantee that it will be able to do so.
Dated: December 14, 2012.
Anita J. Decker,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012–31171 Filed 12–27–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–9765–4]
Clean Air Act Operating Permit
Program: Order Responding to Petition
for Objection to State Operating Permit
for U.S. Steel—Granite City Works,
Granite City, Illinois
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of final order on petition
to object to Clean Air Act (Act)
operating permit.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This document announces
that the EPA Administrator has partially
granted and partially denied a petition
from the Interdisciplinary
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20:15 Dec 27, 2012
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Environmental Clinic at the Washington
University School of Law, submitted to
EPA on behalf of the American Bottom
Conservancy (Petitioner). The Petitioner
objected to the operating permit issued
by the Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency (IEPA) for the U.S. Steel—
Granite City Works (USGW) facility,
located in Granite City, Illinois.
Sections 307(b) and 505(b)(2) of the
Act provide that a petitioner may ask for
judicial review of those portions of the
petition which EPA denies in the
United States Court of Appeals for the
appropriate circuit. Any petition for
review shall be filed within 60 days
from the date this notice appears in the
Federal Register, pursuant to section
307 of the Act.
ADDRESSES: You may review copies of
the final order, the petition, and other
supporting information at the EPA
Region 5 Office, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604. If
you wish to examine these documents,
you should make an appointment at
least 24 hours before visiting day.
Additionally, the final order for the
USGW petition is available
electronically at: https://www.epa.gov/
region07/air/title5/petitiondb/petitions/
uss_2nd_response2009.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Ogulei, Environmental Engineer,
Air Permits Section, Air Programs
Branch, Air and Radiation Division,
EPA, Region 5, 77 West Jackson
Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604,
telephone (312) 353–0987.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Act
affords EPA a 45-day period to review
and object, as appropriate, to Title V
operating permits proposed by state
permitting authorities. Section 505(b)(2)
of the Act authorizes any person to
petition the EPA Administrator within
60 days after the expiration of the EPA
review period to object to a Title V
operating permit if EPA has not done so.
A petition must be based only on
objections to the permit that were raised
with reasonable specificity during the
public comment period provided by the
state, unless the petitioner demonstrates
that it was impracticable to raise issues
during the comment period, or the
grounds for the issues arose after this
period.
On August 16, 2011, the Petitioner
filed a petition requesting that EPA
object to issuance of the USGW Title V
permit pursuant to section 505(b)(2) of
the Act and 40 C.F.R. § 70.8(d). The
Petitioner alleges that (1) the permit’s
use of emission factors fails to provide
periodic monitoring designed to ensure
compliance with permit limits and lacks
practical enforceability; (2) several
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76479
permit limits lack adequate periodic
monitoring requirements to ensure
compliance with the limits; (3) the
permit fails to respond to EPA’s Order
dated January 21, 2011, with respect to
excess emissions associated with
startup, breakdown, and malfunctions;
and (4) the permit fails to respond to
EPA’s Order to include applicable
requirements from the related
construction permit for a new Gateway
Energy & Coke Company coke plant that
IEPA considers to be part of the USGW
facility.
On December 3, 2012, the
Administrator issued an order partially
granting and partially denying the
petition. The order explains the reasons
behind EPA’s conclusion.
Date: December 14, 2012.
Susan Hedman,
Regional Administrator, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 2012–31315 Filed 12–27–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[EPA–HQ–OPP–2012–0574; FRL–9356–8]
FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel;
Notice of Public Meeting
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: There will be a 3-day meeting
of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide,
and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory
Panel (FIFRA SAP) to consider and
review Scientific Issues Concerning the
Draft Product Performance Data Needs
Assessment for Products Claiming
Efficacy Against Invertebrate Pests.
DATES: The meeting will be held on
March 19–21, 2013, from approximately
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Comments. The Agency encourages
that written comments be submitted by
March 5, 2013, and requests for oral
comments be submitted by March 12,
2013. However, written comments and
requests to make oral comments may be
submitted until the date of the meeting,
but anyone submitting written
comments after March 5, 2013, should
contact the Designated Federal Official
(DFO) listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT. For additional
instructions, see Unit I.C. of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
Nominations. Nominations of
candidates to serve as ad hoc members
of FIFRA SAP for this meeting should
be provided on or before January 14,
2013.
E:\FR\FM\28DEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 249 (Friday, December 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76477-76479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-31171]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
[DOE/EIS-0440]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Quartzsite Solar Energy Project and the Yuma Field
Office Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Quartzsite Solar Energy (QSE) has requested to interconnect
the Quartzsite Solar Energy Project (Project), a proposed 100-megawatt
(MW) concentrating solar power plant, to Western Area Power
Administration's (Western) Bouse-Kofa 161-kilovolt (kV) transmission
line. QSE has submitted a right-of-way (ROW) application to the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) for the Project facility to be constructed on
a total of approximately 1,675 acres of land managed by the BLM. The
Project area is in an undeveloped area of the Sonoran Desert in La Paz
County, Arizona.
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
(FLPMA) of 1976, as amended, Western and the BLM prepared a Final
Environmental Impact Statement \1\ (EIS) and Yuma Field Office (Yuma)
Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendment (PRMPA) for the Project,
and by this Notice Western and the BLM are announcing the availability
of the Final EIS/PRMPA. Western is the lead Federal agency for purposes
of satisfying the NEPA requirements with the BLM acting as a
cooperating agency.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ On November 16, 2011, DOE's Acting General Counsel delegated
to Western's Administrator all the authorities of the General
Counsel respecting environmental impact statements.
DATES: The Final EIS/PRMPA will be available for a 30-day period prior
to the agencies making decisions on the Project and issuing separate
Records of Decision. The BLM planning regulations state that any person
who meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest
the BLM's Yuma PRMPA. 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 in
the Federal Register. The protest procedures are described in an
appendix of the Final EIS/PRMPA.
[[Page 76478]]
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS/PRMPA have been sent to affected
Federal, State, and local government agencies and to other
stakeholders. Copies are available for public inspection at the BLM
Yuma Field Office, 2555 East Gila Ridge Road, Yuma, AZ 85365 and the
BLM Arizona State Office, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix,
AZ 85004. Interested persons may also review the document on the
following Web site: https://ww2.wapa.gov/sites/Western/transmission/interconn/Pages/QuartzsiteSolar.aspx.
All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following
addresses: Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Hudgens-
Williams, P.O. Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383. Overnight Mail:
BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Hudgens-Williams, 20 M Street
SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the proposed
Project, the EIS and general information about Western's transmission
system, contact Ms. Liana Reilly, NEPA Document Manager, Western Area
Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213, Lakewood, CO 80228-8213,
telephone (720) 962-7253 or by email QuartzsiteSolarEIS@wapa.gov.. For
general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact Ms. Carol
M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-54),
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC
20585, telephone (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756.
For information on the BLM's role with the Project or the Yuma
PRMPA, contact Mr. Eddie Arreola, Supervisory Project Manager,
telephone (602) 417-9505, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800 Phoenix,
AZ 85004. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 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: Western is a Federal agency under the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) that markets and transmits wholesale
electrical power through an integrated 17,000-circuit mile, high-
voltage transmission system across 15 western states. Western's Open
Access Transmission Service Tariff (Tariff) provides non-discriminatory
access to Western's electric transmission system. Western provides
transmission services if there is available capacity and the
reliability of the transmission system is maintained.
Interested parties were notified of the proposed Project and the
public comment opportunity through a Notice of Intent published in the
Federal Register on January 14, 2010 (75 FR 2133). On March 30, 2011,
the BLM issued a separate Notice of Intent for the Yuma PRMPA (76 FR
17668). A Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft EIS/PRMPA for the
proposed Project in La Paz County was published in the Federal Register
on November 10, 2011 (76 FR 70125). Western and the BLM held public
hearings on the Draft EIS/PRMPA in Yuma, Arizona, on December 13, 2011,
and in Quartzsite, Arizona, on December 14, 2011. The formal comment
period closed on February 8, 2012. Comments received during the comment
period were considered in preparing the Final EIS/PRMPA.
Proposed Project
The proposed Project is a 100-MW solar electric power plant that
would use concentrating solar power technology to capture the sun's
heat to make steam, which would power traditional steam turbine
generators. The Project would contain the central receiver or tower, a
solar field consisting of mirrors or heliostats to reflect the sun's
energy to the central tower, a conventional steam turbine generator,
insulated storage tanks for hot and cold liquid salt, ancillary tanks,
evaporation ponds, a temporary construction laydown area, technical and
non-technical buildings, transformers and a 161/230-kV electrical
substation, roads, and water wells. All Project components would be
located on BLM-managed land. QSE has requested to interconnect the
proposed Project to Western's transmission system. A new 1.5-mile long
161/230-kV generator tie-line would extend from the southern boundary
of the solar facility boundary to a new switchyard to be constructed
adjacent to Western's existing Bouse-Kofa 161-kV transmission line. The
switchyard would be on BLM-managed land and would be owned and operated
by Western.
QSE has submitted a ROW application to the BLM for the Project. The
ROW application is for a total of 26,273 acres, of which 1,675 acres
would be utilized for the final Project ROW if approved. The Project
site is in an undeveloped area in La Paz County, Arizona, east of State
Route (SR) 95, approximately 10 miles north of Quartzsite, Arizona, on
lands managed by the BLM.
Agency Purpose and Need
Western's purpose and need for the action is to respond to QSE's
interconnection request in accordance with Western's Tariff. The BLM's
purpose and need for the action is to respond to QSE's application for
a ROW under FLPMA to construct, operate, and decommission the solar
facility, 161/230-kV generation tie-line and access road. The BLM also
needs to respond to Western's application for a switchyard, and fiber
optic line on public lands the BLM administers. The BLM will decide
whether to approve, approve with modification, or deny the ROW
applications for the proposed Project.
Proposed Agency Actions
Western's proposed action is to interconnect the proposed Project
to Western's existing Bouse-Kofa 161-kV transmission line. As part of
Western's proposed action, Western would also construct, operate, and
maintain a new switchyard and would establish a fiber optic and/or
microwave telecommunications pathway. The BLM, in addition to
responding to the project ROW applications analyzed in the EIS, is also
considering approving the Yuma PRMPA. The Yuma PRMPA recognizes the
compatibility of solar generation facilities on public lands, but
requires that such activities conform to designated visual resource
management (VRM) classes. If the BLM decides to grant a ROW for the
project the BLM would also approve the Yuma PRMPA as required.
Alternatives
Three alternatives were analyzed in the FEIS including the QSE's
proposed Project with dry-cooling technology, Alternative 1 with hybrid
cooling technology, and the No Action alternative. Also analyzed were
three alternatives related to the Yuma PRMPA including approving the
PRMPA to change approximately 6,800 acres of VRM Class III to VRM Class
IV along with Project approval, approving the PRMPA to change
approximately 6,800 acres of VRM Class III to VRM Class IV without
Project approval, and the No Action alternative of not approving the
PRMPA and leaving the current VRM Class III designation in place.
Western's preferred alternative is to grant the interconnection
request for the proposed Project to Western's existing Bouse-Kofa 161-
kV transmission line and to construct, operate, and maintain a new
switchyard. The BLM's preferred alternative is to approve the ROW for
the Project which consists of a 100-MW solar thermal generation power
plant
[[Page 76479]]
using dry-cooling technology and a new 1.5 mile long 161/230-kV
generator tie-line, switchyard, and access road along with approval of
the PRMPA to change the Project area to VRM Class IV.
Protest Information
Instructions for filing a protest with the BLM Director regarding
the Yuma PRMPA may also be found at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. Email 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 email 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 faxed
protests to the attention of the BLM protest coordinator at (202)-912-
7212, and emails to Brenda_hudgens-williams@blm.gov. All protests,
including the follow-up letter to emails or faxes, must be in writing
and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES
section above. Before including your phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be
aware that your entire protest, including your personal identifying
information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask the BLM in your protest to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, the BLM cannot guarantee that it will
be able to do so.
Dated: December 14, 2012.
Anita J. Decker,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-31171 Filed 12-27-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
