[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26642-26643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12131]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-050-02-5101-ER-F331; N-75493, N-75471, N-75472, N-75474, N-75475,N-
75476, N-75477]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for Ivanpah Energy Center

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for Ivanpah Energy Center (Ivanpah); and to announce 
locations where copies of the FEIS can be obtained for reading.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102 (2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, a FEIS has been prepared by the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM), Las Vegas Field Office for Ivanpah. Western Area 
Power Administration (WAPA) is a cooperating agency. The FEIS was 
prepared to analyze the impacts of issuing rights-of-way for a gas-
fired electric power plant and ancillary facilities (including, 
electric transmission lines, interconnection at WAPA's Mead substation, 
electric substations, water pipeline, access roads, and 
telecommunication facilities).

DATES: A 30-day availability period will start when the Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes their NOA and filing of the FEIS in the 
Federal Register. Upon completion of the 30-day availability period, 
the BLM will respond to all comments received on the FEIS and then will 
issue a Record of Decision (ROD). The local media will announce the 
ROD. Copies of the ROD will be sent to those who requested a copy, made 
substantive comments, or those known to have expressed a strong 
interest in the project.

[[Page 26643]]


ADDRESSES: Public reading copies of the FEIS will be available for 
reading at public libraries located at the following addresses:
    [sbull] 650 West Quartz Avenue, Sandy Valley, NV
    [sbull] 365 West San Pedro, Goodsprings, NV
    [sbull] 4280 South Jones Blvd., Las Vegas, NV
    A limited number of copies of the document will be available at the 
following BLM and WAPA offices:
    [sbull] Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, 1340 
Financial Blvd., Reno, NV
    [sbull] Bureau of Land Management, Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 
Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV
    [sbull] Western Area Power Administration, Corporate Service 
Office, A7400, 12155 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO
    [sbull] Western Area Power Administration, Desert Southwest 
Regional Office, 615 South 43rd Avenue, Phoenix, AZ

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Crockford, Project Manager, 
Bureau of Land Management, Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines 
Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130-2301 or Bureau of Land Management, 
Farmington Field Office, 1235 La Plata Highway, Suite A, Farmington, NM 
87401; telephone (505) 599-6333, cellular telephone (505) 486-4255.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FEIS addresses the proposed action and 
two alternatives.
    The proposed action can be summarized as: Constructing, operating, 
and maintaining a 500 megawatt gas-turbine combined-cycle power plant 
in the Ivanpah Valley, approximately 20 miles south of Las Vegas, 
Nevada. Except for a related electric transmission line, the proposed 
generating facility and most ancillary facilities are located on 30-
acres of public land administered by the BLM, in the MDBM, T. 25 S., R. 
58 E., sec. 1, and T. 25 S., R. 59 E., sec. 6. The facility would use a 
refrigerated air system to reduce cooling water requirements normally 
associated with combined-cycle power plants. Power generated from 
Ivanpah would enter the southern Nevada power grid through WAPA's Mead 
Substation, in Eldorado Valley.
    The proposed plant site is located 2.5-miles southeast of the town 
of Goodsprings, Nevada. The proposed action includes the following 
ancillary facilities: a 12-inch diameter gas pipeline interconnection 
to the adjacent Kern River Gas Transmission (KRGT) gas pipeline; a 
four-inch diameter water pipeline originating from the Southern Nevada 
Correctional Center (SNCC) in Jean, Nevada, to supply water processed 
through a planned water treatment facility to provide process water for 
plant operations; a telecommunications line; a 230 kilovolt (kV) 
substation; the following 230 kV transmission lines: (1) Two 230 kV 
lines from the proposed Ivanpah Substation to the Pahrump-Mead 230 kV 
line corridor; (2) a 43-mile 230 kV line from the Ivanpah Substation to 
the WAPA Mead Substation, in Eldorado Valley, Nevada; and (3) two 230 
kV lines from the Ivanpah Substation to the Table Mountain Substation 
and Valley Electric Association's Pahrump-Mead Transmission Line; and 
the following fiber optic lines: (1) An optical-fiber ground wire 
(OPGW) shield wire as an integral part of the Ivanpah-Mead 2 
transmission line; and (2) an OPGW as an integral part of the Table 
Mountain-Ivanpah 1 transmission line. Access to Ivanpah would 
be via an existing, unimproved road connected to State Highway 161.
    An alternative plant site, located in Primm, Nevada, would be co-
located with the Reliant Bighorn Power Plant (Bighorn), on a 30-acre 
parcel on private property. Ancillary facilities to the alternative 
plant site includes: An 11 mile long water supply pipeline from SNCC to 
the power plant; a 40-mile long transmission line to interconnect the 
plant to the WAPA Mead Substation; approximately 14 miles of 
transmission lines to interconnect the facility to the proposed Table 
Mountain Substation and the Valley Electric Association's Pahrump-Mead 
transmission line; a 3.2-mile natural gas pipeline connecting to KRGT 
natural gas pipeline; use of existing access roads; and 
telecommunications facilities. This is the Agencies' Preferred 
Alternative. However, this site is presently unavailable due to some 
business considerations that the owners of the Bighorn site have yet to 
make.
    The plant will require approximately 22 months for construction. 
The plant will be built to operate continuously, except for semi-annual 
maintenance shutdowns, with a projected 40-year life. Power will be 
sold into the commercial power markets of Nevada, California, and 
Arizona.
    Under the No Action Alternative, BLM would not issue right-of-way 
grants for the Ivanpah Energy Center and ancillary facilities. The 
project including the power plant, electric transmission lines, 
substation interconnection, electric substations, water pipeline, 
access road, telecommunication facilities, and temporary use areas 
would not be constructed. The area proposed for Ivanpah Energy Center 
would remain undeveloped. An identified energy need would not be met by 
this alternative.
    Public participation is encouraged throughout processing of this 
project. Comments presented throughout the process will be considered.

    Dated: March 5, 2003.
Mark T. Morse,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 03-12131 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P