[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38648-38650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18430]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


National Nuclear Security Administration; Notice of Intent To 
Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Wind Farm at 
the Nevada Test Site

AGENCY: Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security 
Administration (DOE/NNSA), announces its intention to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposal to allow the Nevada 
Test Site (NTS) Development Corporation (the designated community reuse 
organization for the NTS) and M&N Wind Power, Inc. and Siemens (MNS) to 
construct, operate and maintain a wind farm at the Nevada Test Site. 
This proposal, if fully implemented, would consist of up to 545 wind 
turbines generating up to approximately 600 megawatts of electricity. 
The wind farm would encompass approximately 432 hectares (1069 acres) 
of land on the NTS. The EIS will address potential environmental 
impacts of the construction, operation and maintenance of the wind 
farm.

DATES: Comments on the proposed scope of the Wind Farm EIS are invited 
from the public. To ensure consideration in the preparation of the EIS, 
comments must be postmarked by August 24, 2001. Late comments will be 
considered to the extent practicable. Two public scoping meetings to 
discuss issues and receive oral comments on the scope of the EIS will 
be held in southern Nevada. The scoping meetings will provide the 
public with an opportunity to present comments, ask questions, and 
discuss concerns with DOE/NNSA officials regarding the EIS. The 
location, date, and time for these public scoping meetings are as 
follows:

Las Vegas, Nevada--August 16, 2001 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Department of Energy, 
National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Operations Office, 232 
Energy Way, North Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pahrump, Nevada --August 17, 2001 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Bob Rudd Community 
Center, 150 No. Highway 160, Pahrump, Nevada.

ADDRESSES: General questions concerning the Wind Farm project may be 
directed to Kevin Thornton at (702) 295-1541 or in writing to: Mr. 
Kevin Thornton, Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security 
Administration, Nevada Operations Office, P.O. Box 98518, Las Vegas, NV 
89193-8518.
    Comments may also be submitted to Mr. Thornton at the address 
above; or faxed to 1-702-295-2261; or e-mailed to [email protected]. 
Please mark envelopes, faxes, and E-mail: ``Wind Farm EIS Comments.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the NNSA 
NEPA process, please contact: Mr. Henry Garson, NEPA Compliance Officer 
for Defense Programs, U.S. Department of Energy/NNSA, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; or telephone 1-800-832-0885, ext. 
30470. For general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact: 
Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance 
(EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585, telephone 202-586-4600, or leave a message at 1-
800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The current power shortage in California has focused 
national attention on the need for additional generation facilities in 
the western United States. Additionally, several states have adopted 
renewable energy portfolio standards requiring utilities to purchase 
power from renewable energy sources. The proposed facilities would 
support both the need for additional generation and provide utilities 
the opportunity to meet their requirements to purchase renewable 
energy.
    As the Federal agency charged with operating and managing the NTS, 
DOE, in October 1996, prepared a site-wide EIS for the site, ``Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Nevada Test Site and Off Site 
Locations in the State of Nevada'' (DOE/EIS 0243). The Record of 
Decision (ROD) for that site-wide EIS stated: ``This decision will 
result in the continuation of the multipurpose, multi-program use of 
the Nevada Test Site, under which DOE will pursue a further 
diversification of interagency, private industry, and public-education 
uses while meeting its Defense Program, Waste Management, and 
Environmental Restoration mission requirements.''
    Section 3161 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 
year 1993 encouraged DOE to minimize the social and economic impacts on 
workers and communities affected by downsizing of defense-related 
facilities. One of the methods DOE uses to implement this Congressional 
direction was to establish local Community Reuse Organizations (CROs) 
to assist economic development efforts. The CRO for the NTS is the NTS 
Development Corporation (NTSDC). Among other things, section 3161 
authorized DOE to encourage private sector economic development at DOE 
sites and facilities. The NTS site-wide EIS ROD indicates that as part 
of its decision, DOE would continue to support ongoing program 
operations and pursue diversification of use to include non-defense and 
private use. The proposed wind farm would be a private sector 
enterprise located on the NTS. The development of the facilities would 
be authorized pursuant to an easement issued by NNSA, Nevada Operations 
Office (NV) to NTSDC, and a subsequent sub-easement from NTSDC to MNS, 
subject to NNSA/NV approval.
    DOE has received a proposal from MNS to develop, operate, and 
maintain a wind farm at the NTS to help fulfill a national need for 
additional electrical energy generation. The purpose of the proposed 
facilities would be to provide a viable renewable energy source. DOE 
believes that the wind farm would be compatible with other NTS missions 
and programs.
    In November 2000, NNSA/NV began preparation of an environmental 
assessment (EA) for the proposed project. A public scoping meeting for

[[Page 38649]]

the EA was held in Pahrump, Nevada, at that time. The Draft EA was 
provided for review and comment to Nevada State agencies, other Federal 
agencies, affiliated American Indian tribes, and other interested 
parties in March 2001. Several issues were raised by the commentors 
including the surrounding NTS land use, inadequacy of current power 
distribution systems, and the potential impacts on cultural and 
biological resources at the proposed sites and the need to gather 
additional information on these concerns. Based upon its analysis, 
NNSA/NV has determined that an EA would not support a Finding of No 
Significant Impact and, therefore, pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq.), and DOE Regulations Implementing NEPA (10 CFR part 1021), DOE/
NNSA has decided to prepare an EIS for the Proposed Wind Farm at the 
NTS. The Wind Farm EIS will evaluate the environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed construction and operation of a wind 
turbine farm at the following alternative locations: (1) Pahute Mesa 
and the Shoshone Mountain area (the MNS preferred alternative) on the 
NTS; (2) Skull Mountain on the NTS; and (3) Rainier Mesa on the NTS. It 
is possible that this list of reasonable alternatives may change during 
the scoping process. The EIS will also evaluate the no-action 
alternative of not establishing a wind farm at the NTS.
    In association with the preparation of an EIS, NNSA/NV will enter 
into consultation with the 17 American Indian tribes with established 
cultural affiliation to the NTS.
    Purpose and Need for Agency Action: The NTS Development 
Corporation, on behalf of MNS, has requested authorization from NNSA 
(pursuant to an NNSA issued easement and NTSDC sub-easement to MNS), to 
proceed with the installation and operation of up to 600 megawatts (MW) 
of wind turbine generated power using as many as 545 wind turbine 
generators at the NTS. This project is consistent with DOE/NNSA's 
Congressionally mandated purpose to further diversify and encourage 
private sector economic development at the NTS. The DOE/NNSA is 
pursuing alternative uses for the NTS, which has a mandate to support 
alternative and renewable energy sources. As steward of the NTS, DOE/
NNSA must decide if the proposed action is consistent with current and 
future planned uses of the NTS and what the impacts will be to the 
environment.
    Proposed Action: MNS proposes to develop, operate, and maintain a 
wind farm at the NTS. These activities would proceed in accordance with 
an easement to the NTS Development Corporation and sub-easement between 
the NTS Development Corporation and MNS. The wind farm would consist of 
as many as 545 wind turbine generators that would generate up to 600 MW 
of energy. Two general areas of the NTS--the Shoshone Mountain area and 
the Pahute Mesa area--have been suggested as suitable for wind power 
development because they are located at high elevations near steep-
sided ridges and have winds of sufficient velocity and duration to make 
wind power economically feasible.
    The Shoshone Mountains are located on the NTS in Areas 29 and 30. 
The proposed Shoshone Mountain wind farm area includes the Shoshone 
Mountain, Dome Mountain, local north and south ridges in Areas 29 and 
30, and Tippipah Ridge in Area 16.
    The proposed Pahute Mesa wind farm area is located primarily on the 
NTS in Area 19 with a few wind turbines to be located in the northwest 
portion of Area 12.
    As currently envisioned, The Shoshone Mountain wind farm would 
primarily use the wind turbine generators with a three-bladed, upwind, 
stall-regulated, horizontal axis design. The rotors would have blades 
that are 25.5 meters (83.6 feet) long. The turbine's nacelles would be 
mounted on self-supporting tubular steel towers, 55 meters (180 feet) 
tall, with a bottom diameter of 3.5 meters (11 feet). The concrete 
foundations for the heavy-duty, tapered, monopole towers would be 
approximately 5 meters (15 feet) in diameter and 9 meters (30 feet) 
deep, although final design would depend on site-specific soil 
conditions. Depending on the final measured winds and siting 
considerations, MNS may use some larger turbines such as those turbines 
discussed below, substituting for some or all of the smaller turbines.
    The Pahute Mesa wind farm would primarily use turbines with rotor 
blades as large as 36.5 meters (119 feet), mounted on towers up to 66 
meters (217 feet) tall with a bottom flange of 4 meters (13 feet) in 
diameter. The concrete foundation required for these larger turbines 
would be approximately 6 meters (19 feet) in diameter and 9 meters (30 
feet) deep. Depending on the final measured winds and siting 
considerations, MNS may use the smaller turbine generators on Pahute 
Mesa as substitutes for some or all of the larger turbines.
    Electrical power from the wind farms would be collected by cable 
systems and fed to one or two proposed substations on the NTS. Because 
the existing 138-kilovolt (kV) NTS power loop can handle approximately 
85 MW, a limited number of turbines could be interconnected to it at 
any given time. A new transmission line is proposed to be constructed 
along the existing Forty Mile Canyon power corridor and brought off 
site to connect with a new substation proposed to be built.
    Alternatives: The alternatives for this project consist of 
locations on the NTS and a no-action alternative. The alternative sites 
include: (1) Pahute Mesa and/or the Shoshone Mountain area (the 
preferred alternative); (2) Skull Mountain; and (3) Rainier Mesa. Off-
site locations will not be evaluated because they would not fall within 
the DOE/NNSA need for considering the request from the NTS development 
corporation (on behalf of MNS) to site the Wind Farm at the NTS.
    Identification of Environmental and Other Issues: The NNSA has 
identified the following issues for analysis in the EIS. Additional 
issues may be identified as a result of the scoping process.
    1. Impacts to cultural resources with archeological significance on 
Shoshone Mountain and Pahute Mesa.
    2. Impacts to resources/sites important to the 17 native American 
Indian tribes with cultural affiliation to the NTS.
    3. Impacts to plants, animals, and habitats, including threatened 
or endangered species and their habitats, associated with clearing, 
grading and constructing roads and operating wind turbines in 
previously undisturbed areas.
    4. The consumption of natural resources and energy associated with 
constructing and operating a wind turbine farm.
    5. Socioeconomic impacts to affected communities from construction 
and operation associated with locating a wind farm on NTS.
    6. A potential need to upgrade or develop new power substations off 
of the NTS capable of accepting the power generated on the NTS by the 
wind farm.
    7. Cumulative impacts from the proposed action and other past, 
present, and reasonably foreseeable actions at the alternative sites.
    8. Potential irreversible and irretrievable commitments of 
resources associated with locating, constructing, and operating a wind 
farm on the NTS.
    9. Status of compliance with all applicable Federal, state, and 
local statutes and regulations; required Federal, state, and tribe 
environmental

[[Page 38650]]

consultations and notifications; and DOE Orders on waste management, 
waste minimization, and environmental protection.
    10. Impacts to air quality, visual resources, NTS and surrounding 
land uses, NTS missions and infrastructure and impacts to 
transportation during the construction phase.
    EIS Schedule: The sensitivity to respond to the current energy 
needs has placed this project on an accelerated schedule. To support a 
Record of Decision for this EIS by April 2002, the major milestones 
that must be met for the EIS are shown below.

Public Scoping Meetings--August 2001
Issue Draft EIS October--2001
Draft EIS Public Hearings--December 2001
Issue Final EIS--March 2002
Record of Decision--April 2002

    Public Scoping Process: To assist in defining the appropriate scope 
of the EIS and to identify significant environmental issues to be 
addressed, NNSA representatives will conduct public scoping meetings at 
the locations, dates, and times described above under DATES. Each 
scoping meeting will begin with an overview of the proposed project, 
the current EIS alternatives, and the proposed EIS scope. Following the 
initial presentation, NNSA representatives will answer questions and 
accept comments. Copies of handouts from the meetings will be available 
to those unable to attend, by contacting the NNSA as described above 
under ADDRESSES. DOE invites the public to comment on the proposed 
project. To ensure consideration in the preparation of the EIS, written 
comments must be postmarked by August 24, 2001.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 17th day of July 2001.
Francis S. Blake,
Deputy Secretary of Energy, Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 01-18430 Filed 7-24-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P