[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 1, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15740-15741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7164]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[(CA-670-1430 ER) CACA-44656]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan for a 2.8 Mile Right-of-Way Proposed by Imperial 
Irrigation District for a Double Circuit 161 kV Overhead Transmission 
Line

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management; El Centro Field Office, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Amendment to the 
California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan for a 2.8 mile Right-
of-Way Proposed by Imperial Irrigation District (IID) for a Double 
Circuit 161 kV Overhead Transmission Line.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice announces the Department of Interior, Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM)'s intent to prepare an amendment to the CDCA to 
consider issuance of a right-of-way proposed by Imperial Irrigation 
District (IID) for a double circuit 161 kV overhead transmission line. 
The purpose of the proposed transmission line is to deliver power 
generated by a proposed geothermal power plant to an existing IID 
electrical transmission line (L-line). The proposed L-Line 
Interconnection is a new 16-mile line of which approximately 2.8 miles 
will cross Federal lands in sections 8, 9 and 17, Township 13 South, 
Range 12 East, San Bernardino Meridian, Imperial County, California. 
The CDCA Plan requires new electrical transmission towers and cables of 
161 Kv or above to be placed within designated corridors as identified 
in the Plan's Energy Production and Utility Corridor Element. An 
amendment to the CDCA Plan is necessary because the proposed right-of-
way is outside any utility corridor designated by the CDCA Plan. The 
proposed plan amendment would allow an exception to the Energy 
Production and Utility Corridors element of the CDCA Plan, thereby 
allowing the issuance of a right-of-way grant to IID for the 
construction, operation, maintenance, and termination of a double 
circuit 161 kV overhead transmission line.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the 
proposed plan amendment. Written comments are requested on this notice 
concerning the scope of analysis of the Environmental Assessment and 
Proposed Plan Amendment. Comments must be received within 30 days of 
the publication date of this notice in the Federal Register.

[[Page 15741]]


ADDRESSES: Please submit comments concerning the scope of the analysis 
for the Proposed Plan Amendment and Proposed Imperial Irrigation 
District 161 kV Transmission Line in writing to Lynda Kastoll, Bureau 
of Land Management, El Centro Field Office, 1661 So. 4th Street, El 
Centro, CA 92243. Documents pertinent to this proposal, including 
comments, may be examined at the El Centro Field Office during regular 
business hours (7:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except 
holidays. Information concerning the status of the SSU6 Project, 
notices and other relevant documents are available on the CEC's Web 
site at http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/saltonsea. Individual 
respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your 
name or street address from public review of from disclosure under the 
Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the 
extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations and 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or business, will be 
available for public inspection in their entirety.

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION: Contact Lynda Kastoll at the above address or 
at (760) 337-4421.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 29, 2002, CE Obsidian Energy LLC 
(CEOE) filed an Application for Certification (AFC) seeking approval 
from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to construct and operate 
the Salton Sea Unit 6 Geothermal Energy Power Project (SSU6). The 
proposed geothermal project is a 185 MW geothermal electric generation 
facility located on private lands, approximately 1,000 feet southeast 
of the Salton Sea, and six miles northwest of Calipatria, CA, within an 
unincorporated area of Imperial County, California. The SSU6 Project 
will be owned by CEOE, and operated by an affiliate of CEOE. The IID 
will engineer, construct, own, operate, and maintain the transmission 
lines required for the facility. The proposed L-Line Interconnection is 
a new 16-mile double circuit 161 kV transmission line that would 
provide a direct inter-tie between the proposed SSU6 Project and IID's 
existing L-Line. The L-Line Interconnection would proceed south from 
the plant site along the east side of Severe Road, turning west along 
the south side of Kuns Road, then south along the east side of Crummer 
Road to Lindsey Road. The line would continue west along the south side 
of Lindsey Road to Lack Road, and then along the east side of Lack Road 
to Bannister Road west to Highway 86, and then across approximately 2.8 
miles of BLM land to the existing L-Line.
    BLM is soliciting comments only on the proposed plan amendment and 
the proposed right-of-way for the 2.8 miles of transmission line that 
would cross Federal lands. The CEC has the exclusive authority to 
certify the construction and operation of the SSU6 Geothermal Power 
Plant and related facilities. The CEC's thorough site certification 
process provides a timely review and analysis of all aspects of a 
proposed project, including need, public health and environmental 
impacts, safety, efficiency, and reliability. CEC's responsibilities 
are similar to those of a lead agency under the California 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

    Dated: January 14, 2003.
Greg Thomsen,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 03-7164 Filed 3-31-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P