[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 173 (Friday, September 7, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51462-51463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17356]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Desert Rock 
Energy Project and the Navajo Mine Extension Project, San Juan County, 
NM: Reopening of Comment Period

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are 
reopening the comment period on the draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the Proposed Desert Rock Energy Project and the 
Navajo Mine Extension Project, San Juan County, New Mexico, for an 
additional 30 days. The Notice of Availability of the DEIS, published 
by in the Federal Register by the BIA on June 20, 2007 (72 FR 34035), 
and by the EPA on June 22, 2007 (72 FR 34463), announced a closing date 
for comments of August 20, 2007.

DATES: Written comments for the reopened comment period must arrive by 
4 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST), October 9, 2007.

ADDRESSES: You may mail written comments on the DEIS via U.S. Postal 
Service first class or priority to Harrilene Yazzie, Regional NEPA 
Coordinator, Navajo Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, P.O. Box 
1060, Gallup, New Mexico 87305. You may also hand carry, or have 
written comments delivered by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail or by 
courier service to Harrilene Yazzie at the Navajo Regional Office, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, 301 W. Hill Street, Gallup, New Mexico 87305. 
In addition, you may send comments by e-mail to the project Web site, 
www.desertrockenergy.com, or to the BIA contractor's e-mail account for 
this project, [email protected]. Please include the caption, 
``Desert Rock Energy Project DEIS Comments,'' at the top of your letter 
or in the subject line of your e-mail message; be specific in your 
comments and cite the chapter, page, paragraph, and sentence to which 
they pertain; and include your name and return address in your letter 
or message.
    The DEIS is available for review at the BIA Office, 301 West Hill 
Street, Gallup, New Mexico. It is also available for review on the 
project Web site www.desertrockenergy.com. A limited number of compact 
disk (CD) and paper copies have been prepared for

[[Page 51463]]

distribution and are available upon request. For your convenience, 
however, the BIA recommends using the Internet or other publicly 
available copies for reviews where possible. You may obtain a CD or 
paper copy by contacting Harrilene Yazzie at the BIA mailing address 
provided in the ADDRESSES section, at her telephone number shown below, 
or by fax at (505) 863-8324.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harrilene Yazzie, (505) 863-8286.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Reopening of the Comment Period

    On June 20 and 22, 2007, the BIA and the EPA, respectively, 
published notices in the Federal Register announcing the availability 
of the DEIS, a comment period closing on August 20, 2007, and the 
dates, times and locations of 10 public hearings on the DEIS. These 
public hearings were held between July 17 and July 25, 2007. Subsequent 
to the publishing of the notices, the BIA received requests to extend 
the comment period. We are reopening the comment period in 
consideration of these requests.

Background on the Desert Rock Energy Project EIS

    The DEIS analyzes and discloses probable environmental effects of 
the proposed Desert Rock Energy Project (or referred to herein as 
Desert Rock Energy Project or proposed project/action) and the Navajo 
Mine Extension Project (or referred to herein as the Navajo Mine 
Extension Project or Area IV North, Area IV South and Area V of the BHP 
Navajo Coal Company [BNCC] Lease Area).
    Together, Sithe Global Power, LLC, by and through the Desert Rock 
Energy Company, LLC, and Dino Power Authority (DPA), a Navajo Nation 
enterprise, are proposing to develop and construct the Desert Rock 
Energy Project. Desert Rock Energy Company, LLC, entered into a 
development agreement with DPA to develop and construct a coal-fired 
power plant on the Navajo Reservation. Desert Rock Energy Company, LLC, 
is a privately held, independent power company and a limited liability 
corporation formed under the laws of the State of Delaware. DPA was 
established by the Navajo Nation Council to develop utility-scale 
energy projects on behalf of the Navajo Nation for the economic benefit 
of the Navajo people.
    The proposed project involves the construction and operation of a 
coal-fired electrical power plant that would generate up to 1,500 
megawatts (MW) of power; the extension of existing surface coal mining 
operations at the Navajo Mine to provide fuel for the power plant; 
disposal of coal combustion by-products (CCBs); and mine reclamation 
operations along with associated mine support facilities and 
activities. The proposed project also includes a water well field and 
supply pipeline to the power plant, transmission lines, a receiving 
electrical station, other upgrades and ancillary facilities required in 
the production and transmission of electricity, and new access roads.
    The proposed project is located approximately 30 miles southwest of 
Farmington in San Juan County, New Mexico, and is entirely on trust 
lands within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation. The power 
plant would be constructed on a 592-acre parcel immediately adjacent 
to, and west of Area IV North of the BNCC Lease Area. The coal fuel 
supply would be produced from Areas IV South and V of the BNCC Lease 
Area and transported by conveyor to a proposed coal preparation 
facility located in Area IV North of the BNCC lease area, near the 
power plant.
    The proposed project requires a long-term business site lease 
between the Navajo Nation and DPA, and a sublease between DPA and 
Desert Rock Energy Company, LLC. Because the power plant and associated 
facilities would be located on land held in trust by the federal 
government for the Navajo Nation within the Navajo reservation, the 
lease must be approved by BIA, an agency of the United States 
Department of the Interior.
    The DEIS is intended to satisfy the requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act for each federal agency's decision related to 
the siting, construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed 
facility; and to aid federal, Navajo Nation, state, and local 
permitting authorities with their permitting responsibilities, 
including surface coal mining, CCB disposal and reclamation activities 
on the BNCC Lease Area under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation 
Act of 1977 (SMCRA).

Availability of Your Comments for Public Review

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the street address shown in the 
ADDRESSES section, during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 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

    This notice is published in accordance with section 1503.1 of the 
Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR, Parts 1500 
through 1508) implementing the procedural requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et. Seq.), 
and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the 
exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian 
Affairs by 209 DM 8.

Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. E7-17356 Filed 9-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P