From: Subject: FR Doc 2010-19212 Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 09:37:09 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-19212.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5931 =EF=BB=BF FR Doc 2010-19212 
[Federal Register: August 6, 2010 (Volume 75, Number =
151)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 47619-47620]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06au10-105]                        =20


[[Page 47619]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA-48668, 49502, 49503, 49504, LLCAD09000.L51010000.FX0000,=20
LVRWB09B2400]

=20
Notice of Availability of the Proposed California Desert=20
Conservation Area Plan Amendment and Final Environmental Impact=20
Statement for the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, San=20
Bernardino County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan=20
Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Ivanpah=20
Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) Project and by this notice is=20
announcing its availability.

DATES: The publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)=20
Notice of Availability of this Final EIS in the Federal Register=20
initiates a 30-day public comment period (see ``ADDRESSES'' section).=20
In addition, the BLM planning regulations state that any person who=20
meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the=20
BLM's proposed CDCA Plan Amendment. A person who meets the conditions=20
and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date=20
that the EPA publishes its notice of availability in the Federal=20
Register (see ``ADDRESSES'' section).

ADDRESSES: Please submit comments on the Final EIS to Tom Hurshman,=20
Project Manager, telephone (970) 240-5345; address: Bureau of Land=20
Management, 2465 South Townsend Avenue, Montrose, Colorado 81401 or by=20
e-mail: caisegs@blm.gov. Copies =
of the proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/
Final EIS are available for public inspection at the Needles Field=20
Office, 1303 South Highway 95, Needles, California 92363. Interested=20
persons may also review the CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS at the=20
following Web site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?fro=
m=3DleavingFR.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en=
/fo/needles/nefo_nepa.html. All protests of the proposed CDCA Plan =
Amendment must be in=20
writing and mailed to one of the following addresses:

Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box=20
66538, Washington, DC 20035.

Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L=20
Street, N.W., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Hurshman, Project Manager,=20
telephone (970) 240-5345; address Bureau of Land Management, 2465 South=20
Townsend Avenue, Montrose, Colorado 81401; e-mail: caisegs@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BrightSource Energy (BSE) has filed right-
of-way (ROW) applications on public land for development of the=20
proposed ISEGS concentrated thermal solar power project that would=20
generate up to 400 megawatts of renewable electricity through the use=20
of 214,000 heliostats. The proposed project would be located on 4,073=20
acres of public land 4.5 miles south of Primm, Nevada in San Bernardino=20
County, California.
    The BLM purpose and need for the ISEGS project EIS is to respond to=20
the application under Title V of the FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1761) for a ROW=20
grant to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a concentrated=20
solar electric generation plant and associated infrastructure on public=20
land in compliance with FLPMA, the BLM regulations, and other=20
applicable Federal laws. The BLM will decide to approve, approve with=20
modifications, or deny ROW applications filed by Solar Partners I, LLC;=20
Solar Partners II, LLC; Solar Partners IV, LLC; and Solar Partners=20
VIII, LLC, which are subsidiaries of BSE, to develop the ISEGS project.=20
The CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), while recognizing the potential=20
compatibility of solar power generation facilities on public lands,=20
requires that all sites associated with power generation or=20
transmission not identified in that plan be considered through the plan=20
amendment process. If the BLM decides to grant a ROW, the BLM would=20
also amend the CDCA Plan as required.
    The proposed action in the CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS is to=20
authorize the ISEGS project and approve the plan amendment in response=20
to the applications received from BSE. The BLM's Preferred alternative=20
is Mitigated Ivanpah 3. The preferred alternative reduces the capacity=20
of the project to 370 megawatts, reduces the number of heliostats to=20
173,000, and reduces the site disturbance to 3,640 acres in order to=20
reduce impacts to sensitive plant and animal species. In addition to=20
the proposed action and the preferred alternative, the BLM has analyzed=20
an alternative that would relocate a portion of the proposed action=20
closer to the Interstate 15 corridor (Modified I-15 Alternative). As=20
required under NEPA, the CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS analyzes a no=20
action alternative that would not require a plan amendment. The BLM has=20
taken into consideration the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of=20
2005 (EPAct 05) and Secretarial Orders 3283 Enhancing Renewable Energy=20
Development on the Public Lands and 3285A1 Renewable Energy Development=20
by the Department of the Interior in responding to the ISEGS=20
applications.
    The applicant has applied to the Department of Energy (DOE) for a=20
loan guarantee under Title XVII of EPAct 05, as amended by Section 406=20
of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Pub. L. 111-5.=20
The DOE is a cooperating agency in the preparation of the CDCA Plan=20
Amendment/Final EIS. The BLM published a Notice of Availability of the=20
Draft Ivanpah Solar Electric Generation System EIS and the Draft CDCA=20
Plan Amendment in the Federal Register on November 10, 2009 (74 FR=20
58043). The Draft EIS was available for a 90-day public comment period=20
which closed on February 11, 2010. Subsequent to the Draft EIS, the BLM=20
published a Notice of Availability of the Supplemental Draft EIS for=20
the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generation System Project in the Federal=20
Register on April 16, 2010 (75 FR 19992), to evaluate the environmental=20
impacts of two additional alternatives. The public comment period on=20
the Supplemental Draft EIS closed on June 1, 2010. Comments received on=20
the Draft EIS and the Supplemental Draft EIS are addressed in the CDCA=20
Plan Amendment/Final EIS. Wilderness characteristics are addressed and=20
analyzed in the CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM=20
regarding the proposed CDCA Plan Amendment may be found in the ``Dear=20
Reader Letter'' of the CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS and at 43 CFR=20
1610.5-2. E-mailed and faxed protests will not be accepted as valid=20
protests unless the protesting party also provides the original letter=20
by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the=20
protest period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the e-
mailed or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full=20
consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance=20
notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM=20
protest coordinator at 202-912-7212, and e-mails to Brenda--Hudgens-

[[Page 47620]]

Williams@blm.gov. All protests, =
including the follow-up letter to e-
mails or faxes, must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate=20
address, as set forth 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.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10 and 43 CFR 1610.2 and=20
1610.5.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.
[FR Doc. 2010-19212 Filed 8-5-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P