[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68860-68861]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-30779]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAD0000, L14300000.DS0000]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Tule Wind Project and the Proposed East County Substation 
Project, San Diego County, CA

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 California Environmental Quality Act 
(CEQA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as

[[Page 68861]]

amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) California Desert District 
(CDD), Moreno Valley, California, together with the California Public 
Utilities Commission (CPUC), San Diego County (County), the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA), and the California State Lands Commission (CSLC), 
intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Tule Wind Project and the proposed 
East County Substation Project (ECO) and by this notice are announcing 
the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and 
identify issues. The BLM will be the lead agency for NEPA compliance 
and the CPUC will be the lead agency for CEQA compliance.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS/
EIR. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until January 28, 
2010. The dates and locations of any scoping meetings will be announced 
at least 15 days before the meeting through local media, newspapers, 
and the BLM Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd.html. In 
order to be considered in the Draft EIS/EIR, all comments must be 
received prior to the close of the scoping period or 15 days after the 
last public meeting, whichever is later. We will provide additional 
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Draft 
EIS/EIR.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues and alternatives related 
to the Tule Wind Project and East County Transmission Line Project by 
any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd.html.
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: (951) 697-5299.
     Mail or other delivery service: Attn: Greg Thomsen, BLM 
California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, 
Moreno Valley, California 92553-9046.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the CDD 
Office at the address above or the BLM's California State Office, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Greg Thomsen, telephone 
(951) 697-5237; BLM California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San 
Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California 92553-9046; e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pacific Wind Development has submitted an 
application to construct, operate, and maintain an energy generation 
facility that would generate 200 megawatts of renewable power. The 
project, known as the Tule Wind Project, would include the construction 
of new roads, turbines, a transmission line, and other facilities.
    The proposed project would be constructed on approximately 15,500 
acres, comprised of lands administered by the BLM and the CSLC, lands 
of the Ewiiaapaayp Indian Reservation, and privately-owned property 
under the jurisdiction of San Diego County. The BLM lands comprise 
12,124.9 acres. The proposed project is located in unincorporated San 
Diego County, approximately 60 miles east of San Diego, California. The 
San Diego Gas and Electric Company (SDG&E) has filed an application 
with the CPUC for the proposed ECO project. The ECO project will 
include the following: Construction of a new 500/230/138 kilovolt (kV) 
substation (ECO Substation); a loop-in of the existing 500 kV Southwest 
Powerlink transmission line; construction of an approximately 13.3-
mile-long, 138 kV transmission line from the ECO Substation to the 
Boulevard Substation; upgrading of the existing Boulevard Substation; 
dismantling and removal of the existing 69/12 kV substation; and 
upgrading of the existing SDG&E communication facility at White Star.
    As part of the ECO Project, SDG&E has filed an application with the 
BLM for a right-of-way grant for an approximately 1.5-mile long, 100-
foot wide area to construct a 138 kV transmission line within a 
designated utility corridor.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that may influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS/
EIR. At present, the BLM and the CPUC have identified the following 
preliminary issues: Special status species, cultural resources, visual 
resources, and areas of high potential for renewable energy 
development.
    The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to 
satisfy the public involvement process for Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3). Native American Tribal consultations will be conducted and 
tribal concerns will be given due consideration, including impacts on 
Indian trust assets. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with 
Tribes and other stakeholders that may be interested or affected by the 
BLM's, the CPUC's, the CSLC's, the BIA's, or the County's decision on 
this project are invited to participate in the scoping process and may 
request or be requested to participate as a cooperating agency. 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:  40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, California.
[FR Doc. E9-30779 Filed 12-23-09; 4:15 pm]
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