[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38822-38823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16011]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NVN-089176 & NVN-091072 LLNVS00560 L51010000.ER0000 LVRWF1103400]


Notice of Availability: Record of Decision for KRoad Moapa Solar 
Facility

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the Notice of 
Availability (NOA) of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the KRoad Moapa 
Solar Facility located in Clark County, Nevada. The Secretary of the 
Interior approved the ROD on June 21, 2012, which constitutes the final 
decision of the Department of the Interior.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available upon request from the BLM 
Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, 
Nevada 89130, or via the Internet at the following Web site: http://www.blm.govl/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory Helseth, Renewable Energy 
Project Manager; telephone: (702) 515-5173; mailing address: BLM 
Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, 
Nevada 89130; or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, KRoad Moapa Solar, LLC, 
(KRoad) filed two right-of-way (ROW) applications to construct a 500 kV 
transmission line, NVN-89176, as well as an access road, NVN-91072, on 
BLM administered lands as ancillary facilities for a 350 megawatt (MW) 
solar generation facility on the Moapa River Indian Reservation 
(Reservation). The BLM was a cooperating agency with the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs (BIA) on the KRoad Moapa Solar Facility. The purpose of 
the project is to provide access to the transmission grid via the 
Crystal Substation; to supply power to the Moapa Travel Plaza and a 
water line to the solar energy facility.
    The BLM's purpose and need for the proposed Federal action responds 
to KRoad's application for an up to 500 kV

[[Page 38823]]

transmission line and access road ROW's within an existing BLM 
administered utility corridor, of which five 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 ROW regulations. The transmission corridor and 
access road ROW will be approximately 150 feet wide by approximately 
5.5 miles long, for approximately 100 acres. The transmission line and 
access road supports the KRoad solar project by providing access to the 
transmission grid.
    The Final EIS analyzed three alternatives: The Proposed Action, 
Alternative I; Reduced Solar Facility Footprint and Alternative 500kV 
Transmission line; and the No Action Alternative. These alternatives 
were shaped in part by comments received from the public and internal 
BLM, BIA, and Tribal review.
    The BLM Proposed Action (Selected Alternative) includes an up to 
500kV transmission line ROW and parallel access road. The transmission 
line is approximately 5.5 miles long, with five miles being within the 
Moapa Band of Paiute Indians reservation (Pub. L. 96-491) in a BLM 
administered utility corridor, and the remaining half mile on BLM 
lands. The transmission line ROW would be approximately 5.5 miles long 
by 150 feet wide and encompass approximately 100 acres. The access road 
ROW will be within the transmission line ROW foot print and will be 
approximately 16-24 feet wide and approximately 5.5 miles long. The 
transmission line and access road provide access to the Crystal 
substation operated by NV Energy.
    The No Action Alternative assumed the BLM ROW's would not be 
issued.
    The NOA (77 FR 15750) for the Final EIS, was published in the 
Federal Register by the EPA on March 16, 2012. The publication of the 
NOA for the Final EIS initiated a 30-day review period on the Final 
EIS. The comment period ended on April 16, 2012.
    The BLM and the BIA received two letters as a result of the NOA. 
The BLM and the BIA determined that there were no significant new 
information presented in the letters that would require reissuance of 
the Draft or Final EIS. A final response comment table is attached to 
the ROD as (Attachment B). Because the Record of Decision was approved 
by the Secretary of the Interior, it is not subject to administrative 
appeal (43 CFR 4.410(a)(3)).

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

Michael J. Pool,
Acting Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-16011 Filed 6-28-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P