[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 156 (Friday, August 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49515-49516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19916]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CACA-49575 L51010000 FX0000 LVRWB09B3220 LLCAD08000]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Chevron Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar 
Project, California and the Proposed Amendment to the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Proposed California Desert Conservation Area Plan (CDCA Plan) 
Amendment/Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Chevron 
Energy Solutions Lucerne Valley Solar Project and by this notice is 
announcing its availability.

DATES: The publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 
Notice of Availability of this Final EIS in the Federal Register 
initiates a 30-day public comment period. Submit comments to Greg 
Thomsen by mail 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, 
California 92553; or e-mail [email protected]. In addition, BLM 
planning regulations state that any person who meets the conditions as 
described in the regulations may protest the BLM's Proposed CDCA Plan 
Amendment. A person who meets the conditions and files a protest must 
do so within 30 days of the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its notice of availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may also review the Proposed CDCA Plan 
Amendment/Final EIS at the following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/fasttrack.html. All protests must be in writing and 
mailed to one of the following addresses:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Regular mail                        Overnight mail
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda       BLM Director (210),
 Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC    Attention: Brenda Williams,
 20035.                                      1620 L Street, NW., Suite
                                             1075, Washington, DC 20036.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Thomsen; telephone (951) 697-
5237; address 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, 
California 92553; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chevron Energy Solutions (CES) has requested 
a 516 acre right-of-way (ROW) authorization from the BLM for the CES 
Lucerne Valley Solar Project, consisting of construction and operation 
of a 45 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic project which would connect to 
an existing Southern California Edison 33 kilovolt (kV) distribution 
system. The proposed project would include a new switchyard, a control 
and maintenance building, and a parking area. Pursuant to BLM's CDCA 
Plan (1980, as amended), sites associated with power generation or 
transmission not identified in the CDCA Plan will be considered through 
the plan amendment process. The Final EIS considers five alternatives, 
including the project as proposed by the applicant, the no action 
alternative; a no project alternative with a plan amendment that 
classifies the lands as either ``suitable'' or ``unsuitable'' for solar 
energy development; a smaller 30 MW facility of 238 acres; and the 
preferred alternative: a modified design of the proposed project that 
addresses some of the environmental concerns. Copies of the proposed 
CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS are available for public inspection at 
22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California. Comments 
on the Draft CDCA Plan Amendment/Draft EIS received from the

[[Page 49516]]

public and internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as 
appropriate into Final EIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of 
clarifying text, but did not significantly change any of the proposed 
decisions.
    Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM 
regarding the Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final EIS may be found in 
the ``Dear Reader Letter'' of the CES Lucerne Valley Solar Project 
Final EIS and Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment and at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. 
Protests must be received by the Director by the close of the protest 
period to be accepted as valid. Protests that are postmarked by the 
close of the protest period, but received by the Director after the 
close of the protest period, will only be accepted as valid if the 
protesting party also provides a faxed or e-mailed advance copy before 
the close of the protest period. To provide the BLM with such advance 
notification, please fax protests to the attention of Brenda Hudgens-
Williams, BLM protest coordinator at 202-912-7129, or e-mail protests 
to: [email protected].
    All protests, including the follow-up letter to e-mails or faxes, 
must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth 
in the ADDRESSES section above.
    Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other 
personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware 
that your entire protest--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10 and 43 CFR 1610.2 and 
1610.5.
[FR Doc. 2010-19916 Filed 8-12-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P