From: Subject: FR Doc E8-280 Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:49:12 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-280.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3198 FR Doc E8-280 
[Federal Register: January 11, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 8)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 2062-2063]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11ja08-65]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA-47658, CA-670-5101-ER-B204]

=20
Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact; Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and Draft Land Use Plan=20
Amendments/for the Proposed Sunrise Powerlink 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=20
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and=20
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of=20
Land Management (BLM), together with the California Public Utilities=20
Commission (CPUC), has prepared a Draft EIS/EIR (which includes draft=20
land use plan amendments) for the proposed Sunrise Powerlink Project=20
proposed by San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), and by =
this=20
notice is announcing the opening of the comment period. The BLM is the=20
lead Federal agency for the preparation of this EIS in compliance with=20
the requirements of NEPA. The CPUC is the lead agency for the State of=20
California for the preparation of this EIR in compliance with the=20
requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

DATES: To assure that they will be considered, the BLM/CPUC must=20
receive written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR within 90 days following=20
the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes their Notice of=20
Availability in the Federal Register. Future meetings or hearings and=20
any other public involvement activities will be announced at least 15=20
days in advance through public notices, media news releases, Internet=20
Web sites, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments in a variety of ways: (1) By U.S.=20
mail, (2) by electronic mail, (3) by fax, or (4) by attending a public=20
meeting and submitting written comments at the meetings.
    By Mail: Please use first-class postage and be sure to include your=20
name and a return address. Please send written comments to: Billie=20
Blanchard, CPUC/Lynda Kastoll, BLM, c/o Aspen Environmental Group, 235=20
Montgomery Street, Suite 935, San Francisco, CA 94104-3002.
    By Electronic Mail: E-mail communications are welcome; however,=20
please remember to include your name and return address in the e-mail=20
message. E-mail messages should be sent to sunrise@aspeneg.com.
    By Fax: You may fax your comments to (866) 711-3106. Please=20
remember to include your name and return address in the fax, to write=20
legibly, and use black or blue ink.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information concerning the Draft EIS/
Plan Amendment may be obtained from Lynda Kastoll, Project Manager for=20
the BLM, at (760) 337-4421, or e-mail at lkastoll@ca.blm.gov.=20
Information concerning the EIR process may be obtained from Billie=20
Blanchard, Project Manager for the CPUC, at (415) 703-2068 or on the=20
CPUC Internet Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/lea=
ving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.cpuc=
.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/sunrise.htm
.

    A copy of the Draft EIS/EIR for the Proposed Sunrise Powerlink=20
Project is available for review at:
     BLM--El Centro Field Office, 1661 South 4th Street, El=20
Centro, CA 92243, (760) 337-4421;
     BLM--Palm Springs/South Coast Field Office, 690 West=20
Garnet Avenue, North Palm Springs, CA 92258, (760) 251-4849;
     CPUC--Los Angeles Office, 320 West 4th Street, Suite 500,=20
Los Angeles, CA 90013, (213) 576-7000;
     CPUC--Headquarters Office, 505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103,=20
San Francisco, CA 94102, (425) 703-2074; or
     CPUC Internet Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/lea=
ving.cgi?from=3DleavingFR.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.cpuc=
.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/sunrise.htm
;

     Several public libraries in Imperial, San Diego and=20
Riverside Counties, California.
     Electronic (on CD-ROM or DVD) or paper copies may also be=20
obtained by contacting the BLM or the CPUC at the aforementioned=20
addresses and phone numbers.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SDG&E proposes to construct a new =
91-mile,=20
500-kilovolt (kV) electric transmission line from Imperial Valley=20
Substation (in Imperial County, near the City of El Centro) to a new=20
Central East Substation (in central San Diego County, southwest of the=20
intersection of County Highways S22 and S2) and a new 59-mile 230-kV=20
line that includes both overhead and underground segments from the new=20
Central East Substation to SDG&E's existing Pe[ntilde]asquitos=20
Substation (in the City of San Diego). Portions of the proposed 500-kV=20
line transmission line would traverse approximately 35 miles of Federal=20
lands managed by the BLM within the California Desert Conservation Area=20
in Imperial County, and approximately 1 mile in San Diego County.=20
Depending on which alternative is selected (exclusive of the No Action=20
Alternative), the project would require an amendment to one or both of=20
the following land use plans: the BLM's California Desert Conservation=20
Area Plan (as amended) and the Eastern San Diego County Planning Unit=20
Management Framework Plan because the route alignments would deviate=20
from BLM designated utility corridors in several areas under these=20
alternatives. The remainder of the proposed project would cross lands=20
owned by various entities including State of California, local=20
governments, and private parties.
    The proposed transmission lines would utilize structures ranging in=20
height from 120 to 170 feet, spaced approximately 700 to 1,600 feet=20
apart, and would occupy rights-of-way of approximately 60 to 300 feet=20
in width (subject to local conditions and restrictions). Existing=20
disturbed corridors would be utilized to the extent feasible, to=20
minimize potential environmental impacts. Where possible, SDG&E=20
anticipates locating new facilities within or along existing rights-of-
way.
    The Draft EIR/EIS evaluates and presents the environmental impacts=20
that are expected to result from construction and operation of the=20
proposed project, and presents recommended mitigation measures that=20
would avoid or minimize many of the significant environmental impacts=20
identified. In accordance with CEQA and NEPA, the Draft EIR/EIS=20
identifies alternatives to the proposed project (including the No=20
Action Alternative) that could avoid or minimize significant=20
environmental impacts associated with the project as proposed by =
SDG&E,=20
and evaluates the environmental impacts associated with these=20
alternatives.
    The Draft EIR/EIS reflects input by government officials, agencies,=20
non-governmental organizations, and concerned members of the public=20
during the two public scoping periods following the CPUC's publication=20
of the Notice of Preparation of an EIR/EIS on September 15, 2006, and=20
the BLM's publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register=20
on August 31, 2006.

[[Page 2063]]

During those periods, several public involvement activities were=20
completed, such as: establishment of an Internet Web page and a=20
telephone hotline, 15 public scoping meetings (seven in October 2006=20
and eight in February 2007), and several meetings with a number of=20
affected local jurisdictions. Consultation with agencies and tribal=20
governments also continued after the formal scoping ended. In addition,=20
notices regarding alternatives to be evaluated in the EIR/EIS were=20
mailed to interested parties in March and May of 2007.
    Comments received may be published as part of the EIS/EIR process.=20
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other=20
personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware=20
that your entire comment--including your personal identifying=20
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can=20
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying=20
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be=20
able to do so.

J. Anthony Danna,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources (CA-930).
 [FR Doc. E8-280 Filed 1-10-08; 8:45 am]

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