From: Subject: FR Doc 2010-18471 Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 09:41:26 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-18471.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5931 =EF=BB=BF FR Doc 2010-18471 
[Federal Register: July 28, 2010 (Volume 75, Number =
144)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 44278-44279]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jy10-101]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 47740, LLCAD07000, L51030000.FX0000, LVRAB109AA01]

=20
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact=20
Statement for the Imperial Valley Solar, LLC Project, California and=20
the Proposed California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment

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, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act=20
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has=20
prepared a Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment/Final=20
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Imperial Valley Solar, LLC=20
(IVS) Project and by this notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: The BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the=20
conditions described in the regulations may protest the BLM's Proposed=20
RMP Amendment. A person who meets the conditions must file the protest=20
within 30 days after the date the Environmental Protection Agency=20
publishes its notice of availability in the Federal Register. The BLM=20
will also be accepting additional public comments on the RMP/EIS within=20
30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection Agency=20
publishes its Notice of Availibility in the Federal Register. Comments=20
can be sent to Jim Stobaugh at the addresses given below. All=20
substantive comments will be reviewed and responded to in the Record of=20
Decision.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS are available=20
for public inspection at the El Centro Field Office, 1661 S. 4th=20
Street, El Centro, California 92243. Interested persons may also review=20
the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS on the following Web site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cg=
i?from=3DleavingFR.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/ca/=
st/en/fo/elcentro/nepa/stirling.html. All protests must=20
be in writing and mailed to one of the following addresses:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Regular mail                        Overnight mail
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda       BLM Director (210),
 Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC    Attention: Brenda Williams,
 20035.                                      1620 L Street, NW., Suite
                                             1075, Washington, DC 20036.
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    All comments must be in writing and sent to Jim Stobaugh, BLM=20
Project Manager, by mail at Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 12000,=20
Reno, Nevada 89520; or by e-mail at Jim_Stobaugh@blm.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Stobaugh, BLM Project Manager, by=20
telephone at (775) 861-6478; through mail at Bureau of Land Management,=20
P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520; or by e-mail at Jim_
Stobaugh@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Stirling Energy Systems (SES) filed right-
of-way (ROW) application CACA-47740 for the SES Solar Two Project.=20
Afrter merging with Tessera Soar the applicant changed its name to=20
Imperial Valley Solar, LLC. The project name, SES Solar Two, has also=20
been changed to the Imperial Valley Solar, LLC project. The proposed=20
IVS Project is a concentrated solar electrical generating facility=20
capable of generating 709 megawatts (MW) of renewable power. The entire=20
project encompasses approximately 6,144 acres of BLM-managed lands. The=20
project site is in Imperial County, California, approximately 4 miles=20
east of Ocotillo and 14 miles west of El Centro. Generally, the site is=20
bounded on the north by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System/San=20
Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway and on the south by Interstate=20
Highway 8. The eastern boundary is approximately 1.5 miles west of=20
Dunaway Road and the western boundary is the westerly section line in=20
Section 22 in Township 16 South, Range 12 East. An additional 110-acre=20
laydown construction area is proposed east of Dunaway Road.
    IVS proposes to use SunCatcher technology on the site. A SunCatcher=20
is a 25-kilowatt solar dish designed to automatically track the sun and=20
collect and focus solar energy onto a power conversion unit (PCU),=20
which generates electricity. The system consists of a 38-foot high by=20
40-foot wide solar concentrator in a dish structure that supports an=20
array of curved glass mirror facets. These mirrors concentrate solar=20
energy onto the solar receiver of the PCU.
    The project also includes an electrical transmission line, water=20
supply pipeline, and access road. A new 230-kilovolt (kV) substation=20
would be constructed in approximately the center of the project site=20
near a main services complex that is also part of the proposal. The=20
substation would be connected to the existing San Diego Gas and=20
Electric Imperial Valley Substation by a 10.3-mile long, double-circuit=20
230-kV transmission line. Approximately 7.6 miles of this new line=20
would be outside

[[Page 44279]]

the project area, but is included in the analysis. The transmission=20
line would occupy approximately 92 acres.
    The BLM has entered into a MOU with the California Energy=20
Commission (CEC) to conduct a joint environmental review of solar=20
thermal projects that are proposed on Federal land managed by the BLM,=20
with the CEC as the lead agency preparing the environmental documents.=20
The BLM and CEC have agreed through the MOU to conduct the review of=20
the IVS Project in a single combined NEPA/California Environmental=20
Quality Act process and document.
    The Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS/Staff Assessment and=20
Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment for the Proposed Imperial Valley Solar=20
Project in Imperial County, California was published on October 17,=20
2008 (see 73 FR 61902). The BLM held two public scoping meetings in El=20
Centro, California, on November 24 and December 18, 2008. The formal=20
scoping period ended January 2, 2010. The BLM invited the National Park=20
Service to enter a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), as a cooperating=20
agency in the EIS, for its special expertise concerning the Juan=20
Batista de Anza National Historic Trail.
    In addition, the BLM and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps)=20
entered into an MOU to formalize the Corps as a Federal cooperating=20
agency in developing the Final EIS. The Corps' requirements under the=20
Clean Water Act (CWA), Section 404(b)(1) Guidelines are to identify and=20
authorize only the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable=20
Alternative which maximizes avoidance and minimizes impacts to aquatic=20
resources of the United States. The Corps and the applicant are working=20
with the BLM and CEC to identify the project proposal that would=20
reasonably comply with the Corps' requirements under the CWA and=20
404(b)(1) Guidelines.
    The Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact=20
Statement/Staff Assessment for the Stirling Energy Systems Solar Two=20
Project and Possible California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment=20
was published in the Federal Register on February 22, 2010 (see 75 FR=20
7624). Comments on the Draft RMP Amendment/Draft EIS/Staff Assessment=20
received from the public and internal BLM review were considered and=20
incorporated, as appropriate, into the proposed plan amendment.
    Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but=20
did not significantly change the proposed land use plan decision.
    The BLM's purpose and need for the Solar Two project EIS/SA is to=20
respond to IVS LLC's application under Title V of FLPMA (43 U.S.C.=20
1761) for a ROW grant to construct, operate, and decommission a solar=20
thermal facility on public lands in compliance with FLPMA, the BLM ROW=20
regulations, and other applicable Federal laws.
    The BLM will decide whether to approve, approve with modification,=20
or deny a ROW grant to IVS, LLC for the proposed IVS project. The BLM=20
will also consider amending the California Desert Conservation Area=20
(CDCA) Plan (1980, as amended) through this analysis. The CDCA Plan,=20
while recognizing the potential compatibility of solar generation=20
facilities on public lands, requires that all sites associated with=20
power generation or transmission not identified in that plan be=20
considered through the BLM's land use plan amendment process. If the=20
BLM decides to grant a ROW, the BLM would also amend the CDCA Plan.
    In the Final EIS analysis, the BLM's proposed action is to=20
authorize the IVS Project and approve a CDCA Plan amendment in response=20
to the application received from IVS. In addition to analyzing the=20
proposed action, the BLM has analyzed the following alternatives:=20
Authorize a smaller 300 MW alternative and amend the CDCA Plan;=20
authorize the project as described in the Drainage Avoidance 1=20
alternative that may reduce impacts to primary water drainages of the=20
United States and amend the CDCA Plan; and authorize the project as=20
described in the more restrictive Drainage Avoidance 2=20
alternative that may substantially reduce impacts in eastern and=20
western high flow water drainages of the United States and amend the=20
CDCA Plan. As required under the California Environmental Quality Act=20
and NEPA, the EIS analyzes a No Action alternative that would not=20
require a CDCA Plan amendment. The BLM has also analyzed a No Project=20
alternative to deny the project, but amend the CDCA Plan to potentially=20
allow other solar energy power generation projects on the project site.=20
The BLM additionally has analyzed a No Project alternative to deny the=20
project and amend the CDCA Plan to prohibit solar energy power=20
generation projects on the project site. The BLM has taken into=20
consideration the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and=20
Secretarial Orders 3283 Enhancing Renewable Energy Development on the=20
Public Lands and 3285A1 Renewable Energy Development by the Department=20
of the Interior in responding to the IVS application.
    The BLM evaluated the potential impacts of the proposed IVS Project=20
in this EIS on air quality, biological resources, cultural resources,=20
water resources, geological resources and hazards, land use, noise,=20
paleontological resources, public health, socioeconomics, soils,=20
traffic and transportation, visual resources, and other resources.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM=20
regarding the Proposed RMP Amendment may be found in the Final EIS=20
``Dear Reader'' Letter and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. Protests must be=20
received by the Director by the close of the protest period to be=20
accepted as valid. Protests that are postmarked by the close of the=20
protest period, but received by the Director after the close of the=20
protest period will only be accepted as valid if the protesting party=20
also provides a faxed or e-mailed advance copy before the close of the=20
protest period.
    E-mailed and faxed protests will not be accepted as valid protests=20
unless the protesting party also provides the original letter by either=20
regular or overnight mail by the close of the protest period. Under=20
these conditions, the BLM will consider the e-mailed or faxed protest=20
as an advance copy that will receive full consideration. If you wish to=20
provide the BLM with such advance notification, please direct faxed=20
protests to the attention of the BLM protest coordinator at (202) 912-
7212, and e-mails to Brenda_Hudgens-Williams@b=
lm.gov.
    All protests, including the follow-up letter to e-mails or faxes,=20
must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth=20
in the ADDRESSES section above.
    Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other=20
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware=20
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying=20
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can=20
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying=20
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be=20
able to do so.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.

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

[FR Doc. 2010-18471 Filed 7-27-10; 8:45 am]
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