[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 52 (Friday, March 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15794-15795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6203]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Final 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), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), United States 
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians 
(Tribe) as Cooperating Agencies, has prepared a Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed KRoad Moapa Solar Generation 
Facility on the Moapa River Indian Reservation (Reservation) in Clark 
County, Nevada. This notice also announces the FEIS is now available on 
a public Web site and in hard copy at the addresses below.

DATES: The Record of Decision (ROD) on the proposed action will be 
issued no sooner than 30 days after the release of the FEIS.

ADDRESSES: You may request a hard copy by writing or contacting 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; 
telephone (602) 379-6750; fax (602) 379-3833; email: 
[email protected]. The DEIS may be found on the following Web site: 
http://projects2.pirnie.com/MoapaSolar/. Hard copies of the document 
will be available at the BIA Western Regional Office, 2600 North 
Central Avenue, 12th Floor, Suite 210, Phoenix, Arizona; the 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 89130.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Heuslein or Garry Cantley, BIA 
Western Regional Office, Branch of Environmental Quality Services, 2600 
North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-3008, telephone number 
(602) 379-6750.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: KRoad Moapa Solar LLC (KRoad) is proposing 
to construct a 350 megawatt (MW) solar generation facility and 
associated infrastructure on the Tribe's reservation; develop a 12 kV 
transmission line and water line; and obtain two rights-of-way (ROWs) 
grants for an up to 500 kV transmission line and access road on BLM 
land and within a BLM-administered utility corridor. The Proposed 
Project would 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. The Proposed Project would also 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 BIA's purpose and need for the proposed Federal action is to 
respond to the proposed solar energy ground lease and other agreements 
entered into by the Tribe with KRoad, and the approval of ROWs for 
KRoad to construct, operate, and maintain an up to 350 MW solar 
photovoltaic electricity generating

[[Page 15795]]

facility on the reservation. The BLM's purpose and need for the 
proposed Federal action also would be to respond to KRoad's application 
for an up to 500 kV transmission line and access road ROWs within an 
existing utility corridor, of which 5 miles are located on the 
reservation and 0.5 miles is located on BLM land just south of the 
reservation boundary, pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act and BLM's ROWs regulations. The BIA and BLM will adopt 
the EIS to make decisions on the land lease and ROW application under 
their jurisdiction while the EPA and USACE may adopt 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.

    Authority:  This notice is published pursuant to 40 CFR 
1506.10(a) of the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 
CFR part 1500 et seq.) and 43 CFR 46.305 of the Department of 
Interior Regulations (43 CFR part 46), the procedural requirements 
of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 4371 et seq.), and is in accordance with the exercise of 
authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 
209 DM 8.

    Dated: March 9, 2012.
Larry Echo Hawk,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-6203 Filed 3-15-12; 8:45 am]
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