Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report and Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan for the Desert Quartzite Solar Project, 51174-51175 [2019-20941]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 188 (Friday, September 27, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51174-51175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-20941]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAD06000 L51010000.ER0000 LVRWB09B2920 19X (MO#4500135014)]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement and Environmental Impact Report and Proposed Land Use Plan 
Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan for the 
Desert Quartzite Solar Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Proposed Land Use Plan 
Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan for 
the Desert Quartzite Solar Project, and by this notice is announcing 
its availability. This document is also an Environmental Impact Report 
(EIR) prepared by Riverside County under the California Environmental 
Quality Act.

DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the 
conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's 
Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment and Final EIS. 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.

ADDRESSES: You may review the Final EIS and Proposed Land Use Plan 
Amendment at https://tinyurl.com/yy8o33ld. Instructions for filing a 
protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the Proposed RMP 
Amendments may be found online at: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/public-participation/filing-a-plan-protest and at 43 
CFR 1610.6-2.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brandon G. Anderson, BLM Project 
Manager, telephone (951) 697-5215; address Bureau of Land Management, 
California Desert District Office, 22835

[[Page 51175]]

Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553; email: 
[email protected]. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at (800) 877-8339 to contact Mr. Anderson during normal 
business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to 
leave a message or question. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Desert Quartzite, LLC, a wholly owned 
subsidiary of First Solar Inc., applied for a Right-of-Way (ROW) from 
the BLM to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a 450 
megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) facility near the City of Blythe, 
Riverside County, California. The proposed project includes 
construction of a 2.8 mile, 230 kilovolt generation interconnection 
(gen-tie) transmission line connecting the project to the Southern 
California Edison Colorado River Substation. The BLM is also 
considering an amendment to the CDCA Plan that would be necessary to 
authorize the project.
    On August 8, 2018, the BLM issued the Draft EIS/EIR and Draft Land 
Use Plan Amendment, which analyzed the impacts of the Proposed Action 
and two action alternatives, in addition to a No Action Alternative. 
Alternative 2, Resource Avoidance Alternative, would be a 450 MW solar 
PV array on about 2,800 acres. It reduces effects to portions of the 
sand corridor and cultural resources. Alternative 3, Reduced Project 
Alternative, would be a 285 MW solar PV project on about 2,100 acres. 
Like the Proposed Action, under each of these alternatives, the BLM 
would amend the CDCA Plan to allow the project. Under the No-Action 
Alternative, the BLM would deny the ROW application, and would not 
amend the CDCA Plan to allow the project.
    The Draft EIS/EIR and Draft Land Use Plan Amendment included 
analysis of the ROW application as it related to the following issues: 
(1) Impacts to cultural resources and tribal concerns; (2) Impacts to 
the sand transport corridor and Mojave fringe-toed lizard habitat and 
washes; (3) Impacts to BLM sensitive plants; (4) Impacts to avian 
species; (5) Impacts to visual resources; (6) Impacts to air and water 
quality; and (7) The relationship between the proposed project and the 
CDCA Plan, as amended.
    The Draft EIS/EIR and Draft Land Use Plan Amendment was available 
for a 90-day public comment period. The BLM held public meetings on 
September 26, 2018, and September 27, 2018, in Palm Desert and Blythe, 
California, respectively. Fourteen individuals attended the meeting on 
September 26, 2018, and 19 individuals attended the meeting on 
September 27, 2018. The BLM received 22 comment letters during the 
comment period.
    The BLM considered and incorporated, as appropriate, public 
comments on the Draft EIS/EIR and Draft Land Use Plan Amendment and 
internal agency review into the proposed plan amendment. Public 
comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but did not 
significantly change proposed land use plan decisions. Responses to the 
substantive comments are included in the Final EIS/EIR and Proposed 
Land Use Plan Amendment. The gen-tie alignment for Alternative 2 and 
Alternative 3 was adjusted to avoid a potential conflict with another 
proposed transmission line project. The adjustment does not 
substantially change the environmental effects analysis. The BLM has 
selected Alternative 2, the Resource Avoidance Alternative, as the 
Agency Proposed Alternative in the Final EIS/EIR and Proposed Land Use 
Plan Amendment.
    All protests must be in writing and submitted, as set forth in the 
DATES and ADDRESSES sections. The BLM Director will render a written 
decision on each protest. The decision will be mailed to the protesting 
party. The decision of the BLM Director shall be the final decision of 
the Department of the Interior on each protest. Responses to protest 
issues will be compiled and formalized in a Director's Protest 
Resolution Report made available following issuance of the decisions.
    Upon resolution of all protests, the BLM will issue a Record of 
Decision, which will include information on any further opportunities 
for public involvement. 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 us to withhold your personal identifying information 
from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2, 43 CFR 
1610.5.

Danielle Chi,
Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-20941 Filed 9-26-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P