[Federal Register: April 6, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 65)]
[Notices] =20
[Page 17431-17432]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06ap10-73] =20
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CACA 048811, LLCAD06000, L51010000.FX0000, LVRWB09B2600]
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Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact=20
Statement/Staff Assessment for the Chevron Energy Solutions/Solar=20
Millennium (CESSM) Blythe Solar Power Plant (BSPP) and Possible=20
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, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of=20
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the=20
California Energy Commission (CEC) have prepared a Draft Environmental=20
Impact Statement (EIS), Draft California Desert Conservation Area=20
(CDCA) Plan Amendment, and Staff Assessment (SA) as a joint=20
environmental analysis document for the CESSM BSPP Project, Riverside=20
County, California, and by this notice are announcing the opening of=20
the comment period.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive=20
written comments on the Draft EIS/SA and Plan Amendment within 90 days=20
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its=20
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce=20
future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities=20
at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media releases,=20
and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the BSPP Project by any=20
of the following methods:
E-mail: CAPSSolarBlythe@blm.gov.
Fax: (760) 833-7199.
Mail or other delivery service: Allison Shaffer, Project=20
Manager, Palm Springs South Coast Field Office, Bureau of Land=20
Management, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, California 92262.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Shaffer, BLM Project Manager=20
at (760) 833-7100.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CESSM has submitted a right-of-way (ROW)=20
application to the BLM for development of the proposed BSPP Project,=20
consisting of four parabolic-trough solar thermal power plants, each of=20
which has a ``solar field'' comprised of rows of parabolic mirrors=20
focusing solar energy on collector tubes. The tubes carry heated oil to=20
a boiler that sends live steam to a steam turbine. The project would be=20
built in four phases, which are designed to generate in total=20
approximately 968 megawatts (MW) of electricity at full development.=20
The total expected project footprint aggregates approximately 7,030=20
acres of BLM-managed lands, with the total proposed ROW involving about=20
9,400 acres. The project site is in Riverside County, California,=20
approximately eight miles west of Blythe, California, three miles north=20
of Highway I-10, and one mile north of the Blythe Regional Airport.
[[Page 17432]]
The project also includes an electrical transmission line, natural=20
gas pipeline, and an access road. A new single-circuit 500-kilovolt=20
generation-tie transmission line would be constructed to interconnect=20
to the Desert Southwest/Colorado River substation. Approximately 9.5=20
miles of this new line would be outside the project area, but is=20
included in the analysis. The new line would occupy approximately 183=20
acres of public lands, and proposes to utilize a 225-foot wide ROW.=20
This dry-cooled power plant would use approximately 600 acre-feet of=20
water per year for feed water makeup, dust control, domestic uses, and=20
mirror washing. The water would be obtained from on-site water wells.
The BLM's purpose and need for the BSPP project is to respond to=20
CESSM's application under Title V of the Federal Land Policy and=20
Management Act (FLPMA) (43 U.S.C. 1761) for a ROW grant to construct,=20
operate, and decommission a solar thermal facility on public lands in=20
compliance with FLPMA, BLM ROW regulations, and other applicable=20
Federal laws. The BLM will decide whether to grant, grant with=20
modification, or deny a ROW to CESSM for the proposed BSPP project. The=20
BLM is also proposing to amend the CDCA Plan by designating the project=20
area as either available or unavailable for solar energy projects. The=20
CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), while recognizing the potential=20
compatibility of solar generation facilities with other uses on public=20
lands, requires that all sites proposed for power generation or=20
transmission not already identified in the plan be considered through=20
the plan amendment process. If the BLM decides to grant a ROW for this=20
project, the CDCA Plan would be amended as required.
In response to the application received from CESSM, the BLM's=20
proposed action is to authorize the CESSM BSPP project, amend the CDCA=20
Plan to designate the project area as available for solar energy=20
projects, and amend the Plan to provide for the CESSM BSPP project.
In addition to the proposed action, the BLM is analyzing the=20
following action alternatives: A reconfigured, 1,000-MW alternative and=20
a smaller 750-MW alternative, both of which would amend the CDCA Plan=20
to designate the area as available for solar energy projects and=20
approve this project. As required under the National Environmental=20
Policy Act (NEPA), the Draft EIS analyzes a no action alternative that=20
would not require a CDCA Plan amendment. The Draft EIS also analyzes=20
two no project alternatives that reject the project, but amend the CDCA=20
Plan to: (1) Designate the project area as available to future solar=20
energy power generation projects; or (2) designate the project area as=20
unavailable to future solar energy power generation projects. The BLM=20
will take into consideration the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of=20
2005 and Secretarial Orders 3283 Enhancing Renewable Energy Development=20
on the Public Lands and 3285 Renewable Energy Development by the=20
Department of the Interior in responding to the BSPP application.
The BLM has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the CEC=20
to conduct a joint environmental review of solar thermal projects that=20
are proposed on Federal land managed by the BLM with the CEC as the=20
lead agency preparing the environmental documents. The BLM and CEC have=20
agreed to conduct a joint environmental review of the project in a=20
single combined NEPA/California Environmental Quality Act process and=20
document. The Draft EIS/SA analyzes site-specific impacts of the=20
proposed project on air quality; biological, cultural, water, soil,=20
visual, paleontological, and geological resources; recreation; land=20
use; noise; public health; socioeconomics; and traffic and=20
transportation. The Draft EIS/SA also addresses hazardous materials=20
handling, waste management, worker safety, fire protection, facility=20
design engineering, efficiency, reliability, transmission system=20
engineering, transmission line safety, and nuisance. A Notice of Intent=20
to Prepare an EIS/SA and Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment for the=20
Proposed CESSM BSPP in Riverside County, California was published=20
November 23, 2008 (73 FR 61902). The BLM held one public scoping=20
meeting in Palm Desert, California, on December 11, 2008. The formal=20
scoping period ended December 23, 2009. The CEC held an Informational=20
Hearing, Environmental Scoping Meeting, and Public Site Visit in=20
cooperation with the BLM on January 25, 2010.
Please note that public comments and information submitted=20
including names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of persons who=20
submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at=20
the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.),=20
Monday through Friday, except holidays.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or=20
other personal identifying information in your 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.
Dated: March 11, 2010.
Karla D. Norris,
Associate Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-7666 Filed 4-5-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P