[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 21, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8869-8870]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2384]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-040-5101-ER-F336; 6-08807]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
a Proposed Coal-Fired Electric Power Generating Plant in Southeastern 
Lincoln County and Notice of Public Scoping Meetings; Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
and Initiate Scoping.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102 (2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Ely Field 
Office, will be directing the preparation of an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) and conducting public scoping meetings for the proposed 
Toquop Energy Power Project, which is a coal-fired electric power 
generating plant and associated ancillary facilities. BLM has received 
right-of-way applicants for this project from Toquop Energy Inc. The 
EIS will assess the potential impacts of a right-of-way for a proposed 
coal-fired facility and a new railroad line to transport coal to the 
facility. The Toquop Energy Power Project was previously analyzed in a 
March 2003 EIS as an 1100 MW gas-fired electric generating facility. 
Use of an alternative fuel such as coal was eliminated from the 2003 
EIS and never analyzed due to economics and other factors at the time.

DATES: The publication of this notice initiates the public scoping 
comment period. Comments on the scope of the EIS, including concerns, 
issues, or proposed alternatives that should be considered in the EIS 
must be submitted in writing to the address below. Comments will be 
accepted until March 23, 2006. Four public scoping meetings are planned 
during the 30-day scoping period. The meetings will provide the public 
an opportunity to present comments concerning the Proposed Action that 
will be addressed in the EIS. The meetings will be held in Reno, 
Caliente, Mesquite, and Las Vegas, Nevada. The dates, locations, and 
times of the meetings will be distributed by mail and announced in the 
local news media on or about the date of this notice.
    All comments received at the public scoping meetings or through 
submitted written comments will aid the BLM in identifying alternatives 
and mitigating measures to assure all issues are analyzed in the EIS.

ADDRESSES: Please mail written comments to the BLM, Ely Field Office, 
HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301, or by visiting the Ely Field Office at 
702 North Industrial Way. Comments submitted during this EIS process, 
including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available 
for public review at the Ely Field Office during regular business hours 
7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. 
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name and address from public review or disclosure under 
the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent 
allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and 
from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials 
of organizations or business, will be made available for public 
inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doris Metcalf at (775) 289-1852, or e-
mail [email protected]. You may also contact Ms. Metcalf at the 
address above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 15 and June 28, 2001, Toquop Energy 
Inc. filed applications for Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
rights-of-way and a temporary use permit to construct and operate an 
1100 MW gas-fired power plant to be located in southeast Lincoln 
County. The applications sought rights-of-way for: (1) An access road 
from Interstate 15 to the planned project site; (2) a water pipeline, 
electrical line and well field access road easement running from the 
proposed power plant site to a terminus point in a proposed well field 
site in the Tule Desert Area; and (3) a well field in the Tule Desert 
area and an associated water pump station and equalizer tank. In March 
2003, the BLM completed a Final EIS in support of this request. The EIS 
evaluated the proposed rights-of-way and a No Action alternative. The 
BLM granted Toquop Energy Inc. the rights-of-way in 2003.
    The March 2003 EIS considered evaluating several project and right-
of-way alternatives, among which was the use of an alternative fuel 
such as coal. This alternative was eliminated from the 2003 EIS because 
project economics did not support such an alternative at the time. 
Therefore, a coal-fired plant was never analyzed. However, a recent 
change in market conditions, driven by the ever higher and volatile 
prices of natural gas, is making this alternative more desirable and 
economically viable.

[[Page 8870]]

The BLM intends to prepare an EIS to re-evaluate the alternative of 
constructing a 750 MW coal-fired power plant in lieu of an 1100 MW gas-
fired power plant and complete studies necessary for a new 36-mile long 
railroad right-of-way connecting the project site to the existing Union 
Pacific Railway siding near Leith, NV. The EIS will evaluate, among 
other things, the alternative of constructing a 750 MW coal-fired power 
plant, a new railroad access line, coal unloading/handling/storage 
facilities, a solid waste disposal facility, water storage and 
treatment facilities, evaporation pond, cooling towers, and electric 
switchyard and support buildings. The facilities would be generally 
located within and/or across the following sections of public land:

Mount Diablo Meridian

Power Plant
    T. 11 S., R 69 E., Section 36.
Railroad
    T. 8 S., R. 67 E., Sections 14, 15, 23, 26, and 35;
    T. 9 S., R. 67 E., Sections 1, 2, 12, and 13;
    T. 9 S., R. 68 E., Sections 7, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 
26, and 36;
    T. 9 S., R. 69 E., Section 31;
    T. 10 S., R. 69 E., Sections 6, 7, 8, 17, 20, 29, 32, and 33;
    T. 11 S., R. 69 E., Sections 3, 4, 9, 10, 14, 16, 21, 22, 23, 
24, 25, 34, 35, and 36.

    A map of the proposed project is available for viewing at the 
Bureau of Land Management, Ely Field Office, 702 North Industrial 
Way, Ely, NV 89301.

    Dated: December 15, 2005.
Gene A. Kolkman,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. E6-2384 Filed 2-17-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P