[Federal Register: April 7, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 66)]
[Notices] =20
[Page 17765-17766]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07ap10-81] =20
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CACA 04880, 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 Palen Solar Power Plant (PSPP) and Possible California=20
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 Chevron Energy Solutions/Solar=20
Millennium (CESSM) Palen Solar Power Plant (PSPP) 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 PSPP Project by any=20
of the following methods:
E-mail: CAPSSolarPalen@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. See also ADDRESSES section.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CESSM has submitted a right-of-way (ROW)=20
application to the BLM for development of the proposed PSPP Project,=20
consisting of two parabolic-trough solar thermal
[[Page 17766]]
power plants, each of which has a ``solar field'' comprised of rows of=20
parabolic mirrors focusing solar energy on collector tubes. The tubes=20
would carry heated oil to a boiler that sends live steam to a steam=20
turbine. The project would be built in two phases which are designed to=20
generate in total approximately 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity at=20
full development. The proposed ROW would encompass approximately 5,200=20
acres; the disturbed area would encompass approximately 2,970 acres.=20
The project site is in Riverside County, California, approximately 10=20
miles east of Desert Center along Interstate 10 approximately halfway=20
between the cities of Indio and Blythe.
The major components and features of the proposed PSPP include the=20
two power plants, an access road, operations facilities (office,=20
warehouse, etc.), a switchyard, an electrical transmission line (which=20
will connect to Southern California Edison's planned Red Bluff=20
substation, approximately ten miles west of the Palen project site),=20
and two water wells. This dry-cooled power plant would use=20
approximately 300 acre-feet of water per year for feed water makeup,=20
dust control, domestic uses, and mirror washing, obtained from on-site=20
water wells.
The BLM's purpose and need for the PSPP 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, the 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 PSPP project. The=20
BLM is proposing to amend the CDCA Plan by designating the project area=20
as either available or unavailable for solar energy projects. The CDCA=20
Plan (1980, as amended), while recognizing the potential compatibility=20
of solar generation facilities with other uses on public lands,=20
requires that all sites proposed for power generation or transmission=20
not already identified in the plan be considered through the plan=20
amendment process. If the BLM decides to grant a ROW for this project,=20
the CDCA Plan would be amended as required. In response to the=20
application received from CESSM, the BLM's proposed action is to=20
authorize the CESSM PSPP project, amend the CDCA Plan to designate the=20
project area as available for solar energy projects, and amend the Plan=20
to approve this project.
In addition to the proposed action, the BLM is analyzing the=20
following action alternatives: A reconfigured, 500-MW alternative and a=20
smaller 425-MW alternative, both of which would amend the CDCA Plan to=20
designate the area as available for solar energy projects and approve=20
this project. As required under the National Environmental Policy Act=20
(NEPA), the Draft EIS analyzes a no action alternative that would not=20
require a CDCA Plan amendment. The Draft EIS also analyzes two no=20
project alternatives that reject the project, but amend the CDCA Plan=20
to: (1) Designate the project area as available to future solar energy=20
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 PSPP 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 joint environmental review of the project in a single=20
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 PSPP 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
Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-7833 Filed 4-6-10; 8:45 am]
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