[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 227 (Friday, November 25, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72717-72718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30311]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed KRoad Moapa 
Solar Generation Facility, Clark County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) as the lead Federal agency, with the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United 
States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Moapa Band of Paiute 
Indians (Tribe) as Cooperating Agencies, intends to file a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed KRoad Moapa 
Solar Generation Facility on the Moapa River Indian Reservation 
(Reservation) in Clark County, Nevada. This notice also announces the 
DEIS is now available for public review and that public meetings will 
be held to solicit comments on the draft document.

DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of the proposal 
must arrive by January 9, 2012. Notices will be published in local 
newspapers announcing the dates and times of the DEIS public meetings.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, email, hand carry or telefax written comments 
to Ms. Amy Heuslein, Regional Environmental Protection Officer, BIA 
Western Regional Office Branch of Environmental Quality Services, 2600 
North Central Avenue, 4th Floor Mail Room, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-3008; 
fax (602) 379-3833; email: [email protected]. Notices will be 
published in local newspapers announcing the address locations of the 
DEIS public meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Heuslein or Garry Cantley, BIA 
Western Regional Office, Branch of

[[Page 72718]]

Environmental Quality Services, 2600 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, 
Arizona 85004-3008, telephone (602) 379-6750.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Proposed Project is to 
construct a 350 megawatt (MW) solar generation facility and associated 
infrastructure on the Reservation, including the development of a 12 kV 
transmission line and water line along with obtaining a grant of 
easement on BLM lands for an up to 500 kV transmission line and access 
roads. The primary need for the Proposed Project is to provide land 
lease income, sustainable renewable resources, new jobs and other 
benefits for the Tribe by using solar resources from Reservation lands 
where exposure to levels of high solar radiation exists. A secondary 
need for the Proposed Project is to assist utilities in meeting their 
renewable energy goals by providing electricity generated from solar 
resources from tribal lands that may be efficiently connected to 
existing transmission lines in a manner that minimizes adverse site 
impacts.
    The proposed Federal action is the BIA approval of a solar energy 
ground lease and agreements entered into by the Tribe with KRoad Moapa 
Solar LLC (KRoad), and approval of rights-of-way (ROW) and easements 
for KRoad to construct, operate and maintain an up-to 350 MW solar 
photovoltaic electricity generating facility on the Reservation. The 
proposed Federal action also includes the BLM approval of the up-to 500 
kV transmission line and access road ROW's within an existing utility 
corridor, of which 5.0 miles are located on the Reservation and 0.5 
miles are located on BLM land just south of the Reservation boundary. 
The BIA and BLM will use the EIS to make decisions on the land lease 
and ROW applications under their respective jurisdiction while the EPA 
and USACE may use the document to make decisions under their 
authorities. The Tribe may also use the EIS to make decisions under 
their Tribal Environmental Policy Ordinance and the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service may use the EIS to support its decision under the 
Endangered Species Act.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address and the caption ``DEIS Comments, Proposed KRoad Moapa 
Solar Generation Facility'' on the first page of your written comments.
    Locations where the DEIS is Available for Review: The DEIS may be 
found on the following Web site: http://projects2.pirnie.com/MoapaSolar/. Hard copies of the document will be available at: BIA 
Western Regional Office, 2600 North Central Avenue, 12th Floor, Suite 
210, Phoenix, Arizona; BIA Southern Paiute Agency, 180 North 200 East, 
Suite 111, St. George, Utah; and BLM Southern Nevada District Office, 
4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada.
    Public Comment Availability: Written comments, including names and 
addresses of respondents will be available for public review at the BIA 
mailing addresses shown in the ADDRESSES section during regular 
business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
holidays. Before including your address, telephone number, email 
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:  This notice is published pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of 
the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 
through 1508) and Sec. 46.305 of the Department of the Interior 
regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.), and is in the exercise of 
authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 
209 DM 8.

    Dated: November 16, 2011.
Larry Echo Hawk,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2011-30311 Filed 11-23-11; 8:45 am]
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