[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 225 (Tuesday, November 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61364-61365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28188]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVB02000.L51010000.ER0000.F0900080; NVN-86292; 09-08807;
TAS:14X5017]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC Crescent Dunes Solar Energy
Project, Nye County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Battle
Mountain District Office, Tonopah Field Office, Nevada intends to
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Crescent Dunes
Solar Energy Project located on public lands in Nye County, Nevada.
DATES: Submit comments on or before December 24, 2009. The BLM will
announce public scoping meetings to identify relevant issues through
local news media and the BLM Web site, http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/battle_mountain_field.html, at least 15 days prior to each meeting.
The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public participation
upon publication of the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues related to the proposed
project by the following methods:
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: (775) 482-7810 (attention: Tim Coward)
Mail or Hand Delivery: Bureau of Land Management, Tonopah
Field Office, Attn: Tim Coward, Project Manager, 1553 South Main
Street, P.O. Box 911, Tonopah, NV 89049.
Documents pertinent to this project may be examined at the Tonopah
Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or to have
your name added to the mailing list, contact Tim Coward, (775) 482-
7800, or e-mail [email protected].
[[Page 61365]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC has submitted a
right-of-way application to the BLM to build a solar power generation
facility, with a net generating capacity of up to 180 megawatts (MW) of
electricity based on concentrating solar power technology (CSP). The
proposed solar power plant, including the heliostat array, power tower,
power block, and associated facilities would be built on about 1,600
acres of public land, northwest of Tonopah, Nevada. The project is
proposed to be built entirely on lands administered by the BLM Battle
Mountain District, Tonopah Field Office.
The solar facility would include a large field of heliostats or
mirrors to reflect the sun's energy onto a central solar receiver or
tower; a conventional steam turbine to generate electricity; thermal
storage tanks to store hot and cold liquid salt; a hybrid cooling
system; associated equipment such as pumps, transformers, heat
exchangers, and buildings; and associated linear facilities including
an eight-mile transmission line, access road and possible water supply
pipeline.
The heliostat array would be a circular field with a radius of
approximately 4,400 feet. The proposed array would consist of
approximately 17,350 heliostats, each approximately 670 square feet in
size. The heliostats would be arranged in arcs around the central solar
receiver or tower. The central solar receiver or tower would be a
concrete structure, approximately 538 feet high, supporting a
cylindrical receiver, approximately 95 feet tall. The total height of
the receiver would be approximately 633 feet. A 20-foot tall
maintenance crane would be mounted on top of the receiver. The primary
components of the power block include a solar steam generator system; a
solar preheater; an evaporator; a steam turbine; and feedwater heaters.
A hybrid cooling system would be employed at the site. The hybrid
cooling system would consist of an air-cooled condenser augmented with
a wet cooling system designed to minimize water consumption. The
proposal includes a thermal storage system using liquid salt held in
tanks to store solar heat energy for later steam generation, as well as
associated pumps and piping.
The bulk of the electric power produced by the facility would be
transmitted to the electric grid under the control of the Sierra
Pacific Power Company, doing business as NV Energy, and delivered to
the Anaconda 230-kilovolt (kV) Substation, located about 8 miles north
of the site. A high voltage overhead transmission line would be
constructed to deliver power from the plant switchyard to the Anaconda
substation. It is proposed that the new transmission line would
parallel an existing transmission line that crosses the northwest
corner of the site. Access to the site would be provided from State
Route 89. Buildings and enclosures planned for the project include a
steam generator area building, a steam turbine enclosure building, an
electrical building, an administration and maintenance building, and a
heliostat assembly building with a warehouse. On-site storage for spare
components would be required for maintenance uses. In addition, on-site
storage facilities for water pretreatment chemicals, cooling water
treatment chemicals, and boiler water treatment chemicals would be
necessary. The proposed project would be designed for a life of 30
years.
The EIS will analyze the site-specific impacts of the proposed
project on air quality, biological resources (including special status
species) cultural resources, water resources, geological resources,
paleontological resources, public health, socioeconomics, soils,
traffic and transportation, and visual resources. It will also analyze
the geological hazards, hazardous materials handling, land use, waste
management, and worker safety and fire protection potentially
associated with the proposed project. Native American Tribal
consultations will be conducted and Tribal concerns will be given due
consideration. The EIS will include the consideration of any impacts on
Indian trust assets.
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. Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as
individuals or organizations that may be interested in or affected by
the BLM's decision on this project are invited to participate in the
scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the
BLM, to participate as a cooperating agency.
Authority: 43 CFR Part 2800.
Thomas J. Seley,
Field Manager, Tonopah Field Office.
[FR Doc. E9-28188 Filed 11-23-09; 8:45 am]
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