[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29151-29153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11826]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLAZC01000.L51010000.FX0000.LVRWA09A2310.241A; AZA 32315AA]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Mohave County Wind Farm Project, AZ

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance 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) has 
prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 
Mohave County Wind Farm Project (Project) and by this notice is 
announcing its availability.

DATES: The Final EIS will be available at the locations listed below 
for 30 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
the Notice of Availability.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for the proposed Project have been 
mailed to cooperating agencies and other stakeholders. Copies are 
available at the BLM Kingman Field Office, 2755 Mission Boulevard, 
Kingman, AZ 86401, and at the BLM Arizona State Office, One North 
Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004. The Final EIS is also 
available at the following public libraries:

 Kingman Public Library, 3269 North Burbank Street, Kingman, AZ 
86402-7000
 Kingman Valle Vista Community Library, 7264 Concho Dr. Ste. B, 
Kingman, AZ 86401
 Hualapai Cultural Center, 800 W. Route 66, Peach Springs, AZ 
86434
 Boulder City Library, 701 Adams Blvd., Boulder City, NV 89005
 Dolan Springs Public Library, 16140 Pierce Ferry Road, Dolan 
Springs, AZ 86441-0427

    The Final EIS may also be viewed at the following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jackie Neckels, Environmental 
Coordinator, telephone 602-417-9262; address BLM Arizona State Office, 
Renewable Energy Coordination Office, One North Central Avenue, Suite 
800, Phoenix, AZ 85004-4427; or email at [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. The FIRS is 
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question 
for the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM is the lead Federal agency under 
NEPA for the proposed Project. Cooperating agencies include the Western 
Area Power Administration (Western); Bureau of Reclamation--Lower 
Colorado Region (Reclamation); National Park Service--Lake Mead 
National Recreation Area; Mohave County; Arizona Game and Fish 
Department; and the Hualapai Tribe Department of Cultural Resources.
    The BLM's purpose and need is to respond to BP Wind Energy North 
America's application for a right-of-way (ROW) under FLPMA to 
construct, operate, and maintain a wind-farm project. In accordance 
with Section 1702(c) of FLPMA, public lands administered by the BLM are 
to be managed for multiple-use that takes into account the long-term 
needs of future generations for renewable and non-renewable resources. 
Approval of a ROW grant for the wind farm would assist the BLM in 
meeting the objectives of the Energy Policy Act and Secretarial Order 
3287A1, that establishes

[[Page 29152]]

development of environmentally responsible renewable energy as a 
priority for the Department of the Interior. The BLM's decision is to 
deny, approve, or approve with modifications the ROW for the proposed 
wind farm.
    The applicant, BP Wind Energy North America, applied for a ROW to 
construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a 500-megawatt (MW) wind 
farm, including turbine generators and associated infrastructure, on 
approximately 38,099 acres of public lands and approximately 8,960 
acres of land managed by Reclamation, totaling approximately 47,059 
acres of Federal land. The Project area is located in the White Hills 
area 40 miles northwest of Kingman, Arizona, 9 miles south of the 
Colorado River, and 20 miles southeast of Hoover Dam. A map of the 
proposed Project area and a legal description are available on the BLM 
Web site at http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.html.
    The Project is proposed to consist of up to 283 turbines, access 
roads, and ancillary facilities. The turbine generators would be 
selected from those with a power output ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 MW 
each. To the extent possible, existing roads would be used to reduce 
potential impacts associated with the construction of new roads. Roads 
would be improved as needed, and the road network would be supplemented 
with internal access/service roads to each wind turbine.
    Proposed ancillary facilities include pad-mounted transformers, an 
underground 34.5-kilovolt (kV) electrical collection system between the 
turbines, and distribution connector lines (either underground or 
above-ground) tying the turbine strings to either a 345-kV or a 500-kV 
electrical substation. This would provide interconnection with the 
regional power grid through the substation to a new switchyard at one 
of two major electric transmission lines transecting the Project area. 
The lines, which are administered by Western, are the 345-kV Liberty-
Mead line and the 500-kV Mead-Phoenix line. Scoping was initiated with 
the publication of a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on 
November 20, 2009 (74 FR 60289), and conducted from November 20, 2009, 
through January 8, 2010. Three public meetings and an agency meeting 
were held in Kingman, Dolan Springs, and White Hills, Arizona. A 
supplemental scoping period was initiated with the publication of a 
second NOI on July 26, 2010 (75 FR 43551) that concluded on September 
9, 2010. Four public scoping meetings were held during the supplemental 
scoping period: One at each of the three original scoping-meeting 
communities and an additional meeting in Peach Springs, Arizona, at the 
Hualapai Tribe Cultural Center. The BLM considered all input received 
from the start of the first scoping period (November 20, 2009) to the 
end of the second scoping period (September 9, 2010).
    Public and cooperating agency concerns/comments identified the 
following issues (percentage of comments for each issue in 
parentheses): Biological resources (23 percent); Project description 
(17 percent); socioeconomics (9 percent); land use, recreation, and 
transportation (8 percent); NEPA process (7 percent); visual resources 
(6 percent); Project alternatives (5 percent); cumulative effects (4 
percent); noise (4 percent); Project need (3 percent); air quality (3 
percent); geology and minerals (3 percent); water resources (3 
percent); cultural resources (2 percent); and hazardous materials and 
safety (1 percent). These issues were addressed in the Draft EIS 
released for public comment on April 27, 2012. The 45-day comment 
period for the Draft EIS closed on June 11, 2012.
    The Final EIS considered the impacts of the proposed action, other 
action alternatives, and a no action alternative. The Alternative A 
(proposed action) wind-farm site would encompass approximately 38,099 
acres of public lands and approximately 8,960 acres of land managed by 
Reclamation. As with all action alternatives, Project features within 
the wind-farm site would include turbines aligned within corridors, 
access roads, electrical collection system, an operations and 
maintenance building, two temporary laydown/staging areas (with 
temporary batch plant operations), two substations, and a switchyard. 
The number of turbines constructed would vary depending on the turbine 
type that is installed, but Alternative A proposes more turbines than 
the other alternatives. Alternative A could support development of a 
maximum of 283 turbines. Western's Federal action would be to execute 
an interconnection agreement, and design, construct, own, operate, and 
maintain the Project switchyard and physical interconnection to the 
existing transmission line under all alternatives.
    The Alternative B wind-farm site would encompass approximately 
30,872 acres of public lands and approximately 3,848 acres of land 
managed by Reclamation. Alternative B reduces the wind-farm site 
footprint and has fewer turbines than Alternative A, with the intent of 
reducing visual and noise impacts on Lake Mead National Recreation Area 
primarily and secondarily on private property. The number of turbines 
constructed would vary depending on the turbine type that is installed, 
but Alternative B could support development of a maximum of 208 
turbines. This alternative would have the fewest number of turbines on 
Reclamation land compared to Alternatives A and C. Turbine corridors on 
public lands would either be shortened or eliminated on the north, 
east, and south sides of the Project area to increase the distance of 
turbines from private land and National Park Service land.
    The Alternative C wind-farm site would encompass approximately 
30,178 acres of public lands and approximately 5,124 acres of land 
managed by Reclamation. Alternative C also reduces the wind-farm site 
footprint and has fewer turbines than Alternative A, with the intent of 
reducing visual and noise impacts primarily on private property and 
secondarily on Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The number of 
turbines constructed would vary depending on the turbine type that is 
installed, but Alternative C could support development of a maximum of 
208 turbines. Alternative C differs from Alternative B in that there 
would be one additional turbine corridor on Reclamation land, but the 
corridors on public lands on the eastern side of the wind-farm site 
would be shortened even further to increase the distance of turbines 
from private lands.
    Alternative D is the no action alternative, which provides a 
baseline against which action alternatives can be compared. Alternative 
D includes an analysis of effects from not developing the Project. 
Alternative D assumes that no actions associated with the Project would 
occur, and no ROWs or interconnections would be granted. The public 
lands would continue to be managed in accordance with the Kingman Field 
Office Resource Management Plan, and the Reclamation-administered lands 
would continue to be managed by Reclamation. Capacity on Western's 
transmission lines would remain available for other projects.
    Alternative E, BLM's preferred alternative, is a wind-farm site 
that represents a combination of the proposed action, Alternative A, 
and Alternative B. This alternative would consist of approximately 
35,329 acres of public lands and approximately 2,781 acres of 
Reclamation-administered land. The preferred alternative is smaller 
than Alternative A but larger than Alternative B. The preferred 
alternative has 4,457 more acres of public lands and 1,067

[[Page 29153]]

fewer acres of Reclamation land than Alternative B. The preferred 
alternative considered factors to avoid, minimize, and mitigate 
identified impacts to resources such as visual, noise, and wildlife. 
The preferred alternative removed turbines in the northwest section of 
the Project site due to identified golden eagle nests. These removals 
also addressed noise and visual concerns from the National Park 
Service, Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The preferred alternative 
also implements a minimum [frac14]-mile set back from private land and 
in some instances a larger distance due to visual and noise resource 
concerns. To further protect golden eagles, this alternative excludes 
turbines within a 1.25-mile area around golden eagle nests in the 
northwest portion of the proposed facility and provides an additional 
buffer that curtails turbine operation during nesting season and eagle 
activity, i.e., during daylight hours. The preferred alternative allows 
for flexibility on the size and number of turbines (1.5 MW to 3.0 MW) 
to allow the developer to meet Western's 425 MW or 500 MW nameplate 
capacity. The generation size depends on the interconnection to either 
the 345-kV or 500-kV transmission line.
    The BLM has consulted, and will continue to consult, with Indian 
tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive 
Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on 
Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources were, 
and will continue to be, given due consideration.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

Raymond Suazo,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-11826 Filed 5-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P