[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 8 (Friday, January 11, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2062-2063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-280]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA-47658, CA-670-5101-ER-B204]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact; Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and Draft Land Use Plan 
Amendments/for the Proposed Sunrise Powerlink Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM), together with the California Public Utilities 
Commission (CPUC), has prepared a Draft EIS/EIR (which includes draft 
land use plan amendments) for the proposed Sunrise Powerlink Project 
proposed by San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E), and by this 
notice is announcing the opening of the comment period. The BLM is the 
lead Federal agency for the preparation of this EIS in compliance with 
the requirements of NEPA. The CPUC is the lead agency for the State of 
California for the preparation of this EIR in compliance with the 
requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

DATES: To assure that they will be considered, the BLM/CPUC must 
receive written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR within 90 days following 
the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes their Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. Future meetings or hearings and 
any other public involvement activities will be announced at least 15 
days in advance through public notices, media news releases, Internet 
Web sites, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments in a variety of ways: (1) By U.S. 
mail, (2) by electronic mail, (3) by fax, or (4) by attending a public 
meeting and submitting written comments at the meetings.
    By Mail: Please use first-class postage and be sure to include your 
name and a return address. Please send written comments to: Billie 
Blanchard, CPUC/Lynda Kastoll, BLM, c/o Aspen Environmental Group, 235 
Montgomery Street, Suite 935, San Francisco, CA 94104-3002.
    By Electronic Mail: E-mail communications are welcome; however, 
please remember to include your name and return address in the e-mail 
message. E-mail messages should be sent to [email protected].
    By Fax: You may fax your comments to (866) 711-3106. Please 
remember to include your name and return address in the fax, to write 
legibly, and use black or blue ink.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information concerning the Draft EIS/
Plan Amendment may be obtained from Lynda Kastoll, Project Manager for 
the BLM, at (760) 337-4421, or e-mail at [email protected]. 
Information concerning the EIR process may be obtained from Billie 
Blanchard, Project Manager for the CPUC, at (415) 703-2068 or on the 
CPUC Internet Web site at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/sunrise.htm.
    A copy of the Draft EIS/EIR for the Proposed Sunrise Powerlink 
Project is available for review at:
     BLM--El Centro Field Office, 1661 South 4th Street, El 
Centro, CA 92243, (760) 337-4421;
     BLM--Palm Springs/South Coast Field Office, 690 West 
Garnet Avenue, North Palm Springs, CA 92258, (760) 251-4849;
     CPUC--Los Angeles Office, 320 West 4th Street, Suite 500, 
Los Angeles, CA 90013, (213) 576-7000;
     CPUC--Headquarters Office, 505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 2103, 
San Francisco, CA 94102, (425) 703-2074; or
     CPUC Internet Web site at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/sunrise.htm;
     Several public libraries in Imperial, San Diego and 
Riverside Counties, California.
     Electronic (on CD-ROM or DVD) or paper copies may also be 
obtained by contacting the BLM or the CPUC at the aforementioned 
addresses and phone numbers.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SDG&E proposes to construct a new 91-mile, 
500-kilovolt (kV) electric transmission line from Imperial Valley 
Substation (in Imperial County, near the City of El Centro) to a new 
Central East Substation (in central San Diego County, southwest of the 
intersection of County Highways S22 and S2) and a new 59-mile 230-kV 
line that includes both overhead and underground segments from the new 
Central East Substation to SDG&E's existing Pe[ntilde]asquitos 
Substation (in the City of San Diego). Portions of the proposed 500-kV 
line transmission line would traverse approximately 35 miles of Federal 
lands managed by the BLM within the California Desert Conservation Area 
in Imperial County, and approximately 1 mile in San Diego County. 
Depending on which alternative is selected (exclusive of the No Action 
Alternative), the project would require an amendment to one or both of 
the following land use plans: the BLM's California Desert Conservation 
Area Plan (as amended) and the Eastern San Diego County Planning Unit 
Management Framework Plan because the route alignments would deviate 
from BLM designated utility corridors in several areas under these 
alternatives. The remainder of the proposed project would cross lands 
owned by various entities including State of California, local 
governments, and private parties.
    The proposed transmission lines would utilize structures ranging in 
height from 120 to 170 feet, spaced approximately 700 to 1,600 feet 
apart, and would occupy rights-of-way of approximately 60 to 300 feet 
in width (subject to local conditions and restrictions). Existing 
disturbed corridors would be utilized to the extent feasible, to 
minimize potential environmental impacts. Where possible, SDG&E 
anticipates locating new facilities within or along existing rights-of-
way.
    The Draft EIR/EIS evaluates and presents the environmental impacts 
that are expected to result from construction and operation of the 
proposed project, and presents recommended mitigation measures that 
would avoid or minimize many of the significant environmental impacts 
identified. In accordance with CEQA and NEPA, the Draft EIR/EIS 
identifies alternatives to the proposed project (including the No 
Action Alternative) that could avoid or minimize significant 
environmental impacts associated with the project as proposed by SDG&E, 
and evaluates the environmental impacts associated with these 
alternatives.
    The Draft EIR/EIS reflects input by government officials, agencies, 
non-governmental organizations, and concerned members of the public 
during the two public scoping periods following the CPUC's publication 
of the Notice of Preparation of an EIR/EIS on September 15, 2006, and 
the BLM's publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register 
on August 31, 2006.

[[Page 2063]]

During those periods, several public involvement activities were 
completed, such as: establishment of an Internet Web page and a 
telephone hotline, 15 public scoping meetings (seven in October 2006 
and eight in February 2007), and several meetings with a number of 
affected local jurisdictions. Consultation with agencies and tribal 
governments also continued after the formal scoping ended. In addition, 
notices regarding alternatives to be evaluated in the EIR/EIS were 
mailed to interested parties in March and May of 2007.
    Comments received may be published as part of the EIS/EIR process. 
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.

J. Anthony Danna,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources (CA-930).
 [FR Doc. E8-280 Filed 1-10-08; 8:45 am]
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