[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 179 (Thursday, September 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57073-57074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23624]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[L51010000.FX0000.LVRWB09B3350]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed enXco Desert Harvest Solar Farm Project, Riverside County, 
CA and Possible Land Use Plan Amendment

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Palm 
Springs South Coast Field Office, Palm Springs, California, intends to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which may include an 
amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan (1980 
as amended), related to enXco's right-of-way (ROW) application for the 
Desert Harvest Solar Farm Project (Desert Harvest Project), a 150-
megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity generation project. 
By this notice the BLM is announcing the beginning of the scoping 
process to solicit public comments and identify issues related to the 
EIS.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS and 
possible plan amendment. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing 
until October 17, 2011. The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping 
meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance through the 
local news media, newspapers and the BLM Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/Solar_Projects.html. In order to 
be included in the Draft EIS, 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.

ADDRESSES: Written comments related to the EIS and possible plan 
amendment may be submitted by the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en.html
     E-mail: [email protected]
     Fax: (951) 697-5299
     Mail: Lynnette Elser, Planning and Environmental 
Coordinator, BLM California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San 
Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California 92553

Documents pertinent to these proposals may be examined at the BLM Palm 
Springs South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, 
California 92262 or at the BLM California Desert District Office at 
22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California 92553.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Lynnette Elser, Planning 
and Environmental Coordinator; telephone (951) 697-5233; address 22835 
Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553; e-mail 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business 
hours. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to 
leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive 
a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, enXco, has requested a right-
of-way (ROW) authorization to construct, operate, maintain, and 
decommission the Desert Harvest Project. The proposed project would be 
located on BLM-administered lands in Riverside County about 6 miles 
north of the rural community of Desert Center, California. The overall 
site layout and generalized land uses would include a substation, an 
administration building, operations and maintenance facilities, a

[[Page 57074]]

transmission line, and temporary construction lay down areas, with a 
total proposed project footprint of approximately 1,280 acres. The 
project's 230-kilovolt (kV) generation interconnection transmission 
line would either be via the First Solar Desert Sunlight 230-kV gen-tie 
(as a shared facility), or would be located on private and BLM-
administered lands and would utilize a planned 230- to 500-kV 
substation (referred to as the Red Bluff Substation). The Red Bluff 
Substation would connect the project to the Southern California Edison 
regional transmission grid. If approved, project construction would 
begin in late 2013 and would take 9-12 months to complete.
    The BLM segregated the public lands located within the Desert 
Harvest Project's application area from appropriation under the public 
land and mining laws, but not the mineral leasing or material sales 
acts, for a period of 25 years for the purpose of protecting potential 
sites for future solar energy development pursuant to 43 CFR 2091.3-
1(e) and 43 CFR 2804.25(e) (76 FR 38416, June 30, 2011).
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the Draft 
EIS. At present, the BLM has identified the following preliminary 
issues: Air quality, biological resources, recreation, cultural 
resources, water resources, geological resources, special management 
areas, land use, noise, paleontological resources, public health, 
socioeconomic, soils, traffic and transportation, and visual resources.
    Pursuant to the BLM's CDCA Plan, sites associated with power 
generation or transmission not identified in the CDCA Plan will be 
considered through the plan amendment process to determine the 
suitability of the site for renewable energy development. Since the 
proposed Desert Harvest Project site was not previously identified as 
suitable, authorization of the Desert Harvest Project will require 
amendment of the CDCA Plan. By this notice, the BLM is complying with 
requirements in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) to notify the public of potential 
amendments to CDCA Plan predicated on the findings in the EIS. If a 
land-use-plan amendment is necessary, the BLM will integrate the land-
use planning process with the NEPA process for the Desert Harvest 
Project. A preliminary list of the potential planning criteria that 
will be used to help guide and define the scope of the plan amendment 
process includes:
    1. The plan amendments will be completed in compliance with the 
FLPMA, NEPA, and all other relevant Federal laws, executive orders, and 
BLM policies;
    2. Existing, valid plan decisions will not be changed and any new 
plan decisions will not conflict with existing plan decisions; and
    3. The plan amendment(s) will recognize valid existing rights.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA public participation 
requirements to assist the agency in satisfying the public involvement 
requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470(f)) as provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). 
Information about historic and cultural resources within the area 
potentially affected by the proposed Desert Harvest Project and 
potential CDCA Plan amendment will assist the BLM in identifying and 
evaluating impacts to such resources in the context of both NEPA and 
Section 106 of the NHPA. Native American tribal consultations will be 
conducted in accordance with applicable statutes, policies, and 
directives, 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 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.
    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.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2
[FR Doc. 2011-23624 Filed 9-14-11; 8:45 am]
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