[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 24 (Friday, February 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6057-6058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2299]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA 49561, LLCAD08000L5101 ER0000LVRWB09B3220]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Chevron Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley 
Solar Project, San Bernardino County, CA, and the Draft 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 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan Amendment and a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Chevron 
Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project and by this notice is 
announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the CDCA Plan Amendment and Draft EIS within 90 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
this Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will 
announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement 
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media 
releases, or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the proposed Chevron 
Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project by any of the following 
methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow.html.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (951) 697-5299.
     Mail or other delivery service: Greg Thomsen, BLM 
California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, 
Moreno Valley, California 92553.
    Copies of the Draft EIS and Draft CDCA Plan Amendment for the 
proposed Chevron Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project are 
available in the California Desert District Office at the above 
address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Greg 
Thomsen, Project Manager; telephone (951) 697-5237 or at the address 
and e-mail address above.

[[Page 6058]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chevron Energy Solutions has requested a 
516-acre right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct and operate a 
45-megawatt solar photovoltaic project and connect it to an existing 
Southern California Edison 33 kV distribution system on public lands 
located approximately 8 miles east of Lucerne Valley, San Bernardino 
County, California.
    The proposed project would include a solar array, switchyard, a 
control and maintenance building, and parking area. The Draft EIS 
analyzes the site-specific impacts to the environment from the proposed 
project. Alternatives include:
     A no action alternative with a plan amendment making the 
project area unavailable to other solar energy projects;
     A no action alternative with a plan amendment making the 
project area available to other solar energy projects;
     The proposed action;
     A modified proposed action that reduces visual and 
biological impacts; and
     A reduced footprint/reduced megawatts modified proposed 
action.
    Pursuant to BLM's CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), sites associated 
with power generation or transmission not identified in the CDCA Plan 
will be considered through the plan amendment process.
    A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS and CDCA Plan amendment for 
the Lucerne Valley Solar Project was published in the Federal Register 
on July 23, 2009. This was followed by a 30-day public scoping period 
which ended August 22, 2009. Scoping meetings were held on July 23, 
2009 in Lucerne Valley, California, and on July 30 in San Bernardino, 
California. Numerous public scoping comments were received.
    The main concerns included potential impacts to biological species, 
visual resources, and cultural resources, and appropriate use of public 
land. The issues and concerns identified in the scoping comments were 
addressed in the DEIS.
    Please note that public comments will be available for public 
review and disclosure at the above address during regular business 
hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

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

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, California.
[FR Doc. 2010-2299 Filed 2-4-10; 8:45 am]
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