From: Subject: FR Doc 2010-19470 Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 09:36:59 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-19470.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5931 =EF=BB=BF FR Doc 2010-19470 
[Federal Register: August 6, 2010 (Volume 75, Number =
151)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 47620-47621]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06au10-106]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 49537, LLCAD08000, L51030000.FX0000, LVRAB109AA03]

=20
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact=20
Statement and Proposed Amendment to the California Desert Conservation=20
Area Plan for the Calico Solar (Formerly SES Solar One) Project, San=20
Bernardino County, CA

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 Calico Solar (formerly SES=20
Solar One) Project, San Bernardino County, California and for the=20
California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan and by this notice is=20
announcing the availability of the Final EIS.

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). In=20
addition, the BLM's planning regulations state that any person who=20
meets the conditions as described in the regulations may protest the=20
agency's Proposed RMP Amendment. A person who meets the conditions and=20
files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of the date that=20
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its notice in the=20
Federal Register (see ADDRESSES section).

ADDRESSES: Please submit comments on the Final EIS to Jim Stobaugh,=20
National Project Manager by mail: P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520;=20
or e-mail: Jim_Stobaugh@blm.gov. Copies of =
the Proposed RMP Amendment/
Final EIS are available for public inspection at the BLM Barstow Field=20
Office, 2601 Barstow Road, Barstow, California 92311. Interested=20
persons may also review the Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS at the=20
following Web site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.=
cgi?from=3DleavingFR.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.blm.gov/c=
a/st/en/fo/barstow/solar_one_calico.html. All protests of the =
Proposed RMP amendment must be in=20
writing and mailed to one of the following addresses:
    Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O.=20
Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035.
    Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams,=20
1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Stobaugh, BLM National Project=20
Manager by mail: P. O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520; phone: (775) 861-
6478; or e-mail: Jim_Stobaugh@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 14, 2007, Stirling Energy Systems=20
(SES) Solar Six, Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) and SES Solar=20
Three, LLC submitted applications for rights-of-way (ROW) grants to the=20
BLM to construct and operate a concentrated solar thermal power plant=20
facility on public lands in San Bernardino County, California. The two=20
ROW application areas were subsequently combined into one project (SES=20
Solar One) proposed for an 8,230-acre site located immediately north of=20
Interstate 40, approximately 37 miles east of Barstow, California. On=20
December 2, 2008, SES Solar One, LLC (SES Solar Three, LLC and SES=20
Solar Six, LLC) submitted an Application for Certification to the=20
California Energy Commission (CEC) to construct and operate the SES=20
Solar One Project. In January 2010, the project name was formally=20
changed to Calico Solar as a result of SES Solar Three, LLC merging=20
with SES Solar Six, LLC to create Calico Solar, LLC. Calico Solar, LLC=20
is a subsidiary of Tessera Solar.
    The BLM's purpose and need for the Calico Solar Project is to=20
respond to the Calico Solar, LLC's application under Title V of FLPMA=20
(43 U.S.C. 1761) for a ROW grant to construct, operate, and=20
decommission a solar thermal power facility on public lands in=20
compliance with FLPMA, the BLM's ROW regulations, and other applicable=20
Federal laws.
    A joint state-Federal environmental Staff Assessment (SA)A/Draft=20
EIS of the Calico Solar Project was prepared in accordance with a 2007=20
Memorandum of Understanding between the BLM California Desert District=20
and CEC to conduct joint environmental reviews of solar thermal=20
projects that are proposed on Federal land managed by the BLM. The=20
joint environmental review was achieved through in a single combined=20
California Environmental Quality Act/NEPA analysis SA/Draft EIS=20
document.
    In the SA/Draft EIS, the proposed project was described to include=20
construction of an 850 megawatt (MW), 8,230-acre (13 square mile) solar=20
energy facility on BLM-administered land. Approximately 1,718 acres of=20
public land within the project site were either donated to the BLM or=20
acquired with Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF).
    In the Final EIS, the BLM modified the proposed project (Proposed=20
Action) to form an Agency Preferred Alternative which reduces the=20
project footprint to 6,215-acres (9.7 square miles) for the 850 MW=20
Calico Solar Project facilities. The Agency Preferred Alternative is=20
designed to avoid 1,770 acres of habitat for desert tortoise, bighorn=20
sheep, and rare plants through the creation of a 4000-foot wildlife=20
corridor between the north project boundary and the Cady Mountains. It=20
also avoids impacts to rare plants within environmentally-sensitive=20
areas within the project boundary and excludes 245 acres of land with=20
cultural resources outside of the project site, which eliminates=20
adverse impacts and mitigation needs for these resources.
    The project proposal includes 34,000, 25-kilowatt (kW) Stirling=20
solar dish systems (SunCatchers). Each SunCatcher consists of an=20
approximately 38-foot high by 40-foot wide solar concentrator dish that=20
supports an array of curved glass mirrors. These mirrors automatically=20
track the sun and focus solar energy onto a power conversion unit that=20
generates electricity. The Calico Solar Project would also include a=20
number of related facilities and infrastructure, including: A new 230-
kilovolt (kV) Calico Solar Substation; about 2 miles of single-circuit=20
230-kV interconnection transmission line from the new Calico Substation=20
to the existing Southern California Edison (SCE) Pisgah Substation; an=20
administration building; a main services complex; and Project roads and=20
fencing. Approximately 0.1

[[Page 47621]]

miles of the new 230-kV transmission line would be outside of the=20
project site and inside the SCE ROW.
    The proposed solar facility has an estimated life span of 30 years.=20
The BLM is considering a renewable 20-year ROW grant authorization to=20
align with the 20-year Power Purchase Agreement signed by the Applicant=20
and SCE on August 9, 2005. Upgrades to the SCE electrical transmission=20
system would be needed to transmit the electricity generated from the=20
Calico Solar Project and are identified as a reasonably foreseeable=20
future actions in the Final EIS. The existing SCE transmission lines=20
have the ability to handle about 275 MW of generation and upgrades=20
would be needed to handle all of the proposed new capacity of 850 MW.=20
These upgrades would be built outside of the Calico Solar Project site=20
and are being considered by the BLM as a separate ROW grant application=20
that will require separate NEPA review. The SCE upgrades would also=20
require licensing by the California Public Utilities Commission and=20
separate environmental review under the California Environmental=20
Quality Act.
    The BLM is also considering amending the CDCA Plan as part of=20
processing the project proposal. The CDCA Plan, while recognizing the=20
potential compatibility of solar 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 approve the ROW authorization,=20
the BLM must also amend the CDCA Plan.
    In the Final EIS analysis, the BLM's proposed action is to=20
authorize the modified 850 MW Calico Solar project and approve the CDCA=20
Plan amendment in response to the application received from Calico=20
Solar, LLC. The action alternatives include the: (1) 850-MW Proposed=20
Action (8,230 acres (13 square miles)); (2) 850-MW Agency Preferred=20
Alternative (6,512 acres (9.7 square miles)); (3) 275-MW Reduced=20
Acreage Alternative (2,320 acres (3.6 square miles)); and (4) 850-MW=20
Avoidance of Donated and Acquired Lands Alternative (7,050 acres (11=20
square miles)) which avoids 1,718 acres of donated and LWCF-acquired=20
lands (included as part of the Proposed Action and Agency Preferred=20
Alternative). The latter alternative was described in the Staff=20
Assessment (SA)/Draft EIS to accommodate 28,800 SunCatchers and=20
generate 720 MW, but the Applicant has since conducted more detailed=20
site analysis which indicates that this alternative could accommodate=20
34,000 SunCatchers and generate 850 MW of electricity from solar=20
thermal power.
    The Final EIS also analyzes three alternatives under which the=20
project would not be approved: (1) Deny the Calico Solar Project ROW=20
grant application and not amend the CDCA Plan (the ``No Action ''=20
alternative); (2) deny the Calico Solar Project ROW grant, but amend=20
the CDCA Plan to allow other solar energy project applications on the=20
proposed project site; and (3) deny the Calico Solar Project ROW grant=20
and amend the CDCA Plan to prohibit solar energy project applications=20
on the proposed project site. As part of its review of the Calico=20
Solar, LLC application, the BLM considered the Energy Policy Act of=20
2005 and Secretarial Orders 3283 (Enhancing Renewable Energy=20
Development on the Public Lands) and 3285A1 (Renewable Energy=20
Development by the Department of the Interior).The BLM's Final EIS=20
evaluates the potential impacts of the proposed Calico Solar Project on=20
air quality and climate; biological resources; non-native and invasive=20
species; cultural resources and paleontology; fire and fuels; geology,=20
soils, topography, mineral resources and seismicity; grazing, wild=20
horses and burros; land use, including corridor analysis; noise and=20
vibration; public health and safety, and hazardous materials;=20
recreation; socioeconomics and environmental justice; special=20
designations; traffic and transportation; visual resources; wilderness=20
characteristics; and water resources.
    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 postmarked by the close of the protest=20
period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the e-mailed or=20
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-
Williams@blm.gov. Instructions for filing a protest with the =
Director=20
of the BLM regarding the proposed CDCA Plan Amendment may be found in=20
the ``Dear Reader Letter'' of the CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS and at=20
43 CFR 1610.5-2. 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. Please note that=20
public comments will be available for public review and disclosure at=20
the above BLM office address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4=20
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or=20
other personal identifying information in any comment, you should be=20
aware 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.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10; and 43 CFR 1610.2.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.
[FR Doc. 2010-19470 Filed 8-5-10; 8:45 am]
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