[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 87 (Monday, May 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24578-24579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9843]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Navy


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (PEIS) for the Proposed Geothermal Development Program, Naval 
Air Facility El Centro, Imperial County, CA and To Announce Public 
Scoping Meetings

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section (102)(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the regulations implemented by the Council 
on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the Department 
of the Navy NEPA regulation (32 CFR part 775), the Department of the 
Navy (Navy) announces its intent to prepare a Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for a proposed geothermal 
development program, which would include potential development and 
utilization of geothermal resources located beneath approximately 3,110 
acres of Navy lands at Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, California 
in the Superstition Mountain area in western Imperial County, 
California (the ``Project Area''). The Project Area incorporates a very 
small portion of the Target 101 Shade Tree area which is located 8 
miles northwest of NAF El Centro. The geothermal development program 
would potentially include field exploration, field development, 
resource utilization, and field closure.
    The study will encompass a 2,830-acre parcel of adjacent Department 
of Interior; Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed land as necessary 
to support the proposed Navy action. The BLM will be a cooperating 
agency in preparing this PEIS. Development of geothermal resources 
beneath Navy lands in the Project Area would be accomplished by means 
of a public-private venture capital arrangement between the Navy and an 
energy developer. Geothermal development will occur after completion of 
additional site-specific environmental analysis under NEPA.
    The Navy will hold public scoping meetings for the purpose of 
further identifying the scope of issues to be addressed in the PEIS. 
Federal, State, and local agencies and the public that may be 
interested in or affected by the Navy's decision for the proposed 
action are invited to participate in the scoping process for the PEIS. 
Comments are being solicited to help identify significant issues or 
concerns related to the proposed action, determine the scope of issues 
to be addressed in the PEIS, and identify and refine alternatives to 
the proposed action.

DATES: The Navy will conduct public scoping meetings in El Centro, CA 
and San Diego, CA to encourage and facilitate public participation in 
the PEIS process and to receive oral and/or written comments. The 
public scoping meetings will be conducted in English and will be held 
in an open house format with a brief presentation to describe the 
proposed action, geothermal development, anticipated environmental 
impacts, and the PEIS process. Navy representatives will be available 
to answer questions. Both comment sheets and a recorder will be made 
available to document individual comments received at the public 
scoping meetings scheduled below:
    1. Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., County Center II, 
2895 S. Fourth Street, Room B, El Centro, CA;
    2. Thursday, May 29, 2008, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Handlery Hotel and 
Resort, 950 Hotel Circle North, Crystal Ballroom, San Diego, CA.
    The time and location of the public scoping meetings will be 
announced in the local news media. The public scoping period will 
extend for 60 days after the publication of this notice, from May 5 to 
July 5, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Steven Bjornstad, Geothermal 
Program Office (ESC-25), Naval Air Weapons Station, 429 East Bowen 
Road, Mail Stop 4011, China Lake, CA 93555-6108, telephone: 760-939-
4048, fax: 760-939-2449, E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the proposed action is to 
initiate a geothermal development program to produce electricity from 
non-hydrocarbon based power generation on Navy lands. The need for the 
action arises from national policy and Congressional direction. Strong 
rationale supports development of a secure, low-cost energy supply for 
military bases to cope with energy shortages and forced allocations of 
fossil fuel resources without affecting mission capability. The 
proposed action is to initiate a geothermal development program on Navy 
lands in the Project Area. The proposed action would not involve any 
specific surface disturbance in the Project Area. Geothermal 
development would only occur after completion of additional site-
specific environmental analysis under NEPA.
    Based upon available geothermal development results in the 
surrounding area and field investigation research conducted at the site 
(including geophysical, geological, geochemical and petrophysical field 
data acquisition and analysis), the Navy assumes that geothermal 
development would not exceed 35 megawatts (MW) of electrical power 
generation. Additional geothermal development to increase power 
generation beyond 35 MW is not anticipated, but if proposed, will be 
covered in subsequent site-specific environmental analysis under NEPA.
    Development of a geothermal facility to generate 35 MW of 
electrical power would require drilling up to 18 production and 
injection wells from multi-well pads. It is anticipated that 30 acres 
of land for well pads, 41 acres for roads, 6 acres for pipelines, 7 
acres for the power plant, and 121 acres for

[[Page 24579]]

transmission lines (totaling 205 acres) would be disturbed as a result 
of development of such a facility. Again, additional site-specific NEPA 
analysis, subsequent to the planned PEIS, would be required prior to 
construction of any facilities.
    The proposed action was developed based upon national and 
Department of Defense laws, directives, and policies. Successful 
implementation of the proposed action would be the first step to 
provide additional non-hydrocarbon based power generation that will 
help the Navy meet its renewable energy goals established by the 
President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and the 
Secretary of Navy. Development would be undertaken by a third-party 
contractor using a Public/Private Venture contracting mechanism. This 
business model has been successfully demonstrated with other geothermal 
projects.
    The Navy considered a range of alternatives and has developed 
preliminary alternatives based on issues, concerns, and opportunities 
identified from previous experience with geothermal development on Navy 
lands, public scoping comments, collaboration with interdisciplinary 
professionals from the Navy and BLM, and collaboration with interested 
agencies. Three alternatives are expected to be considered in this PEIS 
at this time:
    1. Initiate Geothermal Development Program in Project Area;
    2 Initiate Geothermal Development Program in Reduced Project Area;
    3. No Action Alternative.
    Additional or revised alternatives may be developed out of the 
impact analysis and might be designed to avoid or reduce adverse 
impacts while still meeting the purpose and need for the proposed 
action. As an example, an alternative might be developed to avoid 
possible land use conflicts, or to prevent ultimate development near 
areas of sensitive resources.
    The PEIS will address potential direct, indirect, short term, long 
term, and cumulative impacts to the human and natural environment, to 
include potential impacts to topography, geology, soils, water 
resources, biological resources, air quality, noise, infrastructure and 
utilities, traffic, cultural resources, land use, socioeconomics, 
environmental justice, and hazardous waste and materials.
    The Navy is initiating the scoping process to identify community 
concerns and issues that should be addressed in the PEIS. The Navy is 
inviting written comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis 
for the PEIS. Agencies and the public are encouraged to provide written 
comments in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at scheduled 
public scoping meetings. Comments should clearly describe specific 
issues or topics that the PEIS should address. Written comments must be 
postmarked by midnight July 5, 2008 and should be submitted to: Mr. 
Steven Bjornstad, Geothermal Program Office (ESC-25), Naval Air Weapons 
Station, 429 East Bowen Road, Mail Stop 4011, China Lake, CA 93555-
6108. Comments will also be accepted by midnight July 5, 2008 on the 
project Web site at http://www.superstitionmountaineis.com.

    Dated: April 30, 2008.
T.M. Cruz,
Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General's Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 
Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-9843 Filed 5-2-08; 8:45 am]
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