Notice of Contract Execution Between the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (District) and Department of the Interior (Interior) for Prepayment of Costs Allocated to Municipal and Industrial Water from the Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project, Utah County, Utah, 78348-78349 [2020-26738]
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78348
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 234 / Friday, December 4, 2020 / Notices
under section 10(a) of the ESA, we may
issue permits to authorize incidental
take of listed species. ‘‘Incidental take’’
is defined by the ESA as take that is
incidental to, and not the purpose of,
carrying out an otherwise lawful
activity. Regulations governing
incidental take permits for endangered
and threatened species, respectively, are
found in the Code of Federal
Regulations at 50 CFR 17.22 and 50 CFR
17.32.
Applicant’s Proposed Project
The applicant requests a 29-year ITP
to take the federally endangered Indiana
bat (Myotis sodalis) and threatened
northern long-eared bat (Myotis
septentrionalis). The applicant
determined that unavoidable take is
reasonably certain to occur incidental to
operation of 414 previously constructed
wind turbines. The proposed
conservation strategy in the applicant’s
proposed HCP is designed to avoid,
minimize, and mitigate the impacts of
the covered activity on the covered
species. The biological goals and
objectives are to minimize potential take
of Indiana bats and northern long-eared
bats through on-site minimization
measures and to provide habitat
conservation measures for Indiana bats
and northern long-eared bats to offset
any impacts from operations of the
project. The HCP provides on-site
avoidance and minimization measures,
which include turbine operational
adjustments. The estimated level of take
from the project is 728 Indiana bats and
169 northern long-eared bats over the
29-year project duration. To offset the
impacts of the taking of Indiana bats and
northern long-eared bats, the applicant
proposes mitigation that will consist of
one or more of the following: Protection
of a hibernaculum, protection of
summer maternity colony habitat,
restoration of summer maternity colony
habitat, and protection of swarming
habitat.
National Environmental Policy Act
The issuance of an ITP is a Federal
action that triggers the need for
compliance with NEPA. We prepared a
draft EA that analyzes the
environmental impacts on the human
environment resulting from three
alternatives: A no-action alternative, the
proposed action, and a more restrictive
alternative consisting of feathering at a
rate of wind speed that results in less
impacts to bats.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the permit
application and the comments received
to determine whether the application
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18:18 Dec 03, 2020
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meets the requirements of section 10(a)
of the ESA. We will also conduct an
intra-Service consultation pursuant to
section 7 of the ESA to evaluate the
effects of the proposed take. After
considering the above findings, we will
determine whether the permit issuance
criteria of section 10(a)(l)(B) of the ESA
have been met. If met, the Service will
issue the requested ITP to the applicant.
and its implementing regulations (50
CFR 17.22) and the NEPA (42 U.S.C.
4371 et seq.) and its implementing
regulations (40 CFR 1506.6 (2019); 43
CFR part 46).
Lori Nordstrom,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological
Services.
[FR Doc. 2020–26667 Filed 12–3–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
Request for Public Comments
The Service invites comments and
suggestions from all interested parties
during a 30-day public comment period
(see DATES). In particular, information
and comments regarding the following
topics are requested:
1. The direct, indirect, or cumulative
effects that implementation of any
alternative could have on the human
environment;
2. Whether or not the significance of
the impact on various aspects of the
human environment has been
adequately analyzed; and
3. Any other information pertinent to
evaluating the effects of the proposed
action on the human environment.
Because this permit application was
sufficiently complete prior to the
effective date of the new NEPA
regulations, we are exercising our
discretion to conduct our NEPA analysis
under the regulations in effect prior to
September 14, 2020.
Availability of Public Comments
You may submit comments by one of
the methods shown under ADDRESSES.
We will post on https://regulations.gov
all public comments and information
received electronically or via hardcopy.
All comments received, including
names and addresses, will become part
of the administrative record associated
with this action. 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 request in your comment that
we withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so. All submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public disclosure in
their entirety.
Authority
We provide this notice under section
10(c) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[RR04900000, 200R0680R1,
RR.17549897.2020000.01]
Notice of Contract Execution Between
the Central Utah Water Conservancy
District (District) and Department of
the Interior (Interior) for Prepayment of
Costs Allocated to Municipal and
Industrial Water from the Bonneville
Unit of the Central Utah Project, Utah
County, Utah
Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Water and Science,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of contract execution.
AGENCY:
On October 1, 2020, Block
Notice 7A–2 was issued to the District
for 22,000 acre-feet of Municipal and
Industrial water from the Utah Lake
Drainage Basin Water Delivery System,
Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah
Project. Subsequently, on October 28,
2020, Interior and the District entered
into a contract for the District to prepay
the repayment obligation associated
with Block Notice 7A–2.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Additional information on matters
related to this Federal Register notice
can be obtained by contacting Mr. Lee
Baxter, Senior Program Coordinator,
Central Utah Project Completion Act
Office, Department of the Interior, 302
East Lakeview Parkway, Provo, Utah
84606; via telephone at (801) 379–1174;
or by email at lbaxter@usbr.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public
Law 102–575, Central Utah Project
Completion Act, Section 210, as
amended through Public Law 104–286,
stipulates that ‘‘the Secretary shall allow
for prepayment of the repayment
contract between the United States and
the Central Utah Water Conservancy
District (District) dated December 28,
1965, and supplemented on November
26, 1985, or any additional or
supplemental repayment contract
providing for repayment of municipal
and industrial water delivery facilities
of the Central Utah Project for which
repayment is provided pursuant to such
contract, under terms and conditions
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 234 / Friday, December 4, 2020 / Notices
similar to those contained in the
supplemental contract that provided for
the prepayment of the Jordan Aqueduct
dated October 28, 1993. The
prepayment may be provided in several
installments to reflect substantial
completion of the delivery facilities
being prepaid and may not be adjusted
on the basis of the type of prepayment
financing utilized by the District.’’
In accordance with Public Law 102–
575, the District prepaid the municipal
and industrial repayment obligation
associated with Block Notice 7A–2 from
the Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water
Delivery System, a component of the
Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah
Project. The terms of the prepayment
were publicly negotiated between the
District and Interior on September 23,
2020.
used it to analyze the potential impacts
of approving LNC’s request for an
incidental take permit for golden eagles.
FWS has evaluated the LNC’s Eagle
Conservation Plan (ECP), which
describes their request for incidental
take of eagles and a 5-year incidental
take permit for golden eagles under the
Eagle Act.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a final
decision on the proposal for a minimum
of 30 days after the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes its notice
of availability of the Thacker Pass
Lithium Mine Project Final EIS DOI–
BLM–NV–W010–2020–0012–EIS in the
Federal Register. BLM will coordinate
with the FWS on impacts to golden
eagles and the Eagle Act permitting
process prior to signing a Record of
Decision.
Reed R. Murray,
Program Director,Central Utah Project
Completion Act Office, Department of the
Interior.
ADDRESSES:
[FR Doc. 2020–26738 Filed 12–3–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332–90–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[DOI–BLM–NV–W010–2020–0012–EIS;
LLNVW00000.L51100000.GN0000.
LVEMF1907180.19X .MO# 4500149816]
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Thacker Pass Project,
Two Plans of Operations Submitted by
Lithium Nevada Corporation for Mining
and Exploration in Humboldt County,
Nevada
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Humboldt
River Field Office, Winnemucca,
Nevada, as the lead agency, has
prepared the Thacker Pass Lithium
Mine Project Final Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS), for the proposed
Lithium Mine Project Proposed Plans of
Operations and Reclamation Plan
Permit Applications (the Project) in
Humboldt County, Nevada, and by this
notice announces the availability of the
FEIS. In accordance with the Bald and
Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act),
the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is
a cooperating agency with the BLM on
the development of this FEIS and has
SUMMARY:
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Copies of North-South
Exploration and the Thacker Pass Mine
Plans of Operations and the Thacker
Pass Project Final EIS are available for
public inspection on the internet at
https://bit.ly/2Npgf9l.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
questions about the proposed Project
contact Mr. Ken Loda, Lead Geologist,
Bureau of Land Management Humboldt
River Field Office telephone: (775) 623–
1500, address: 5100 East Winnemucca
Boulevard, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445.
For questions concerning the Eagle Act
permitting process, contact Mr. Thomas
Leeman, Deputy Chief, Migratory Bird
Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Department of the Interior Region 10, at
(916) 978–6189. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to
contact either of the above individuals
during normal business hours. The FRS
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, to leave a message or question
with either one of the above individuals.
You will receive a reply during normal
business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
applicant, LNC proposes to construct,
operate, reclaim, and eventually close
an open pit lithium mine, processing
operation, and continued exploration
activities (the Project), on public lands
in northern Humboldt County, Nevada.
LNC currently has two approved
Plans of Operation, one for exploration
and one for a specialty clay mine,
approved within the area proposed for
the new lithium mine. There are 75
acres of exploration disturbance
approved under LNC’s existing
exploration Plan, and 140 acres of
existing disturbance approved under
their clay mine Plan.
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78349
LNC has submitted two new Plans of
Operations to develop the Project and to
provide a description of the proposed
lithium mining, processing, and
exploration operations. Each of these
new Plans of Operation include a
reclamation plan for the activities
identified under its respective Plan of
Operation. The operations proposed
under the two new Plans of Operation
would involve a project area of about
18,000 acres, with an ultimate
disturbance footprint of approximately
5,700 acres. The new lithium mine Plan
of Operation boundary overlaps the
existing approved Plan boundaries.
LNC proposes to develop the Project
in two phases over the estimated 41year mine life. Pending LNC receiving
the required authorizations and permits
for Phase 1 of the Project, pre-stripping
would commence in early 2021, and
construction in the first quarter of 2021,
with mining production and ore
processing estimated to commence in
late 2022. LNC estimates that it would
complete mining, processing, and
concurrent reclamation activities in
2061, after which, reclamation, site
closure activities, and post-closure
monitoring would occur for a minimum
of five years.
The proposed activities and facilities
associated with the Project include
development of an open pit mine,
construction and operation of lithium
processing and production facilities,
mine facilities to support mining
operations, two waste rock storage
facilities, a run-of-mine stockpile, a clay
tailings filter stack, water supply
facilities, two power transmission lines
and substations, and various ancillary
facilities. Pit dewatering is not expected
to be required as part of the Project until
2055, and concurrent backfill of the
open pit would occur after sufficient
volume has been excavated to initiate
direct placement of waste rock.
Exploration would be conducted under
both new Plans. In addition, the Project
would affect golden eagle nests and
territories by planned blasting within a
two-mile radius of golden eagle nests;
therefore, LNC has requested
authorization from the FWS to disturb
eagle nests and a 5-year incidental take
permit for golden eagles under the Eagle
Act. The permit application includes an
Eagle Conservation Plan, which
contains commitments to avoid,
minimize, and mitigate adverse effects
on golden eagles resulting from the
implementation of the Project. Issuance
of an eagle take permit must comply
with the Eagle Act and all related
regulatory requirements (50 CFR 22.26).
The Final EIS describes and analyzes
the proposed Project’s direct, indirect,
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 234 (Friday, December 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78348-78349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26738]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[RR04900000, 200R0680R1, RR.17549897.2020000.01]
Notice of Contract Execution Between the Central Utah Water
Conservancy District (District) and Department of the Interior
(Interior) for Prepayment of Costs Allocated to Municipal and
Industrial Water from the Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project,
Utah County, Utah
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of contract execution.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On October 1, 2020, Block Notice 7A-2 was issued to the
District for 22,000 acre-feet of Municipal and Industrial water from
the Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water Delivery System, Bonneville Unit of
the Central Utah Project. Subsequently, on October 28, 2020, Interior
and the District entered into a contract for the District to prepay the
repayment obligation associated with Block Notice 7A-2.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information on matters
related to this Federal Register notice can be obtained by contacting
Mr. Lee Baxter, Senior Program Coordinator, Central Utah Project
Completion Act Office, Department of the Interior, 302 East Lakeview
Parkway, Provo, Utah 84606; via telephone at (801) 379-1174; or by
email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Law 102-575, Central Utah Project
Completion Act, Section 210, as amended through Public Law 104-286,
stipulates that ``the Secretary shall allow for prepayment of the
repayment contract between the United States and the Central Utah Water
Conservancy District (District) dated December 28, 1965, and
supplemented on November 26, 1985, or any additional or supplemental
repayment contract providing for repayment of municipal and industrial
water delivery facilities of the Central Utah Project for which
repayment is provided pursuant to such contract, under terms and
conditions
[[Page 78349]]
similar to those contained in the supplemental contract that provided
for the prepayment of the Jordan Aqueduct dated October 28, 1993. The
prepayment may be provided in several installments to reflect
substantial completion of the delivery facilities being prepaid and may
not be adjusted on the basis of the type of prepayment financing
utilized by the District.''
In accordance with Public Law 102-575, the District prepaid the
municipal and industrial repayment obligation associated with Block
Notice 7A-2 from the Utah Lake Drainage Basin Water Delivery System, a
component of the Bonneville Unit of the Central Utah Project. The terms
of the prepayment were publicly negotiated between the District and
Interior on September 23, 2020.
Reed R. Murray,
Program Director,Central Utah Project Completion Act Office, Department
of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 2020-26738 Filed 12-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P
