[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57173-57174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-22575]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLAZC01000.L51010000.FX0000.LVRWA09A2310; AZA32315AA]


Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Mohave 
County Wind Farm Project, Mohave County, AZ

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Mohave County Wind Farm Project 
(Project). The Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals 
Management approved the ROD on June 26, 2013, which constitutes the 
final decision of the Department of the Interior.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available for public inspection at the 
BLM's Kingman Field Office, 2755 Mission Boulevard, Kingman, AZ 86401, 
and the BLM Arizona State Office, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800, 
Phoenix, AZ 85004. Interested parties may also view the ROD 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, BLM Renewable Energy Coordination Office, Arizona State 
Office, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ 85004; phone: 
602-417-9262; or email: [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 with the above 
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BP Wind Energy North America, Inc. (BP Wind 
Energy) proposes to construct, operate, maintain, and eventually 
decommission the Project, a wind-powered electrical generation facility 
located approximately 40 miles northwest of the City of Kingman in 
Mohave County, Arizona. BP Wind Energy applied to the BLM for a right-
of-way (ROW) grant and to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) for a 
right-of-use (ROU) contract for the Project that would produce up to 
500-megawatts (MW) of power. BP Wind Energy also applied to Western 
Area Power Administration (Western) for interconnection to either the 
345-kilovolt (kV) Liberty-Mead transmission line or the 500-kV Mead-
Phoenix transmission line that crosses the Project area. Western has 
applied to the BLM for a ROW grant for construction, operation, and 
maintenance of a switching station that would allow transmission of 
electricity generated by the Project.
    The approved Project includes up to 243 wind turbine generators and 
associated infrastructure on approximately 35,329 acres of BLM-managed 
land and approximately 2,781 acres of Reclamation-administered land. 
The Project components include, but are not limited to, turbine 
generators with a power output ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 MW each, pad 
mounted transformers, access roads, an underground 34.5-kV electrical 
collection system, distribution line, overhead transmission line, an 
operation and maintenance building, two temporary laydown/staging areas 
with concrete batch plant operations, temporary and permanent 
meteorological towers, switchyard, two substations, water wells, 
temporary water pipeline, and temporary use of the Detrital Wash 
materials pit as a material source.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 
as amended, and Title V of the Federal

[[Page 57174]]

Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the BLM, as lead 
agency, and Reclamation and Western, as cooperating agencies, prepared 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that was published in 
the Federal Register on April 27, 2012, (77 FR 25165). Subsequently, 
the agencies held public meetings on the document in the communities of 
Kingman, Peach Springs, White Hills, and Dolan Springs, Arizona. The 
Final EIS was published on May 17, 2013, (78 FR 29131). The National 
Park Service, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Mohave County, and 
the Hualapai Tribe were also cooperating agencies.
    The No Action Alternative and four action alternatives were 
analyzed in the Final EIS. The proposed action, Alternative A, called 
for the use of approximately 38,099 acres of BLM-managed land and 8,960 
acres of Reclamation-administered land. Alternative B would require 
approximately 30,872 acres of BLM-managed land and 3,848 acres of 
Reclamation-administered land. Alternative C called for the use of 
30,178 acres of BLM-managed land and approximately 5,124 acres of 
Reclamation-administered land. Alternative E would require 
approximately 35,329 acres of BLM-managed land and 2,781 acres of 
Reclamation-administered land. Alternative E is BLM's and Reclamation's 
preferred alternative and represents a combination of Alternatives A 
and B.
    It is the decision of the BLM and Reclamation to approve 
Alternative E, including associated infrastructure and a switching 
station, and issue ROW grant and ROU contract, respectively, across 
Federal lands for the construction, operation, maintenance, and 
decommissioning of the Project to BP Wind Energy; and for the BLM to 
issue a ROW grant to Western for the construction, operation, and 
maintenance of a switching station, subject to terms and conditions of 
the ROW grants and ROU contract, plan of development, and mitigation 
measures. Full implementation of this decision is contingent upon BP 
Wind Energy and Western obtaining all applicable permits and approvals. 
This decision is based on the information contained in the Draft and 
Final EIS.
    Because this decision is approved by the Acting Assistant Secretary 
for Land and Minerals Management, it is not subject to administrative 
appeal (43 CFR 4.5 and 4.410(a)(3)).

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6.

Jamie Connell,
Acting Deputy Director of Operations, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2013-22575 Filed 9-16-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P