[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71640-71641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28506]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAD08000, L51010000.FX0000.LVRWB09B3130]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Joint Environmental Impact 
Statement and Environmental Impact Report and California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan Amendment for the Proposed Soda Mountain Solar 
Project, San Bernardino County, CA

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, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR) and California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan 
Amendment for the Soda Mountain Solar Project (Project), San Bernardino 
County, California, and by this notice is announcing the opening of the 
comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR and Draft CDCA Plan Amendment 
within 90 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM 
will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public 
involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Soda Mountain Solar 
Project Draft EIS/EIR and Draft CDCA Plan Amendment by any of the 
following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd.html.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 951-697-5299, Attn: Jose M. Najar.
     Mail: California Desert District Office, Attn: Jose M. 
Najar, 22835 Calle San Juan de los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553.
    Copies of the Soda Mountain Solar Project Draft Joint EIS/EIR and 
CDCA Plan Amendment are available in the California Desert District 
Office at the above address and at the Barstow Field Office, 2601 
Barstow Road, Barstow, CA 92311.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jose M. Najar, Project Manager, 
telephone 951-697-5387; address 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, 
Moreno Valley, CA 92553; 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: The BLM has received a right-of-way (ROW) 
application from Soda Mountain Solar, LLC, to construct, operate, 
maintain, and decommission a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant 
facility proposed on 4,179 acres with solar fields occupying 
approximately 2,557 acres of BLM-administered public lands in San 
Bernardino County, California. The Project would utilize solar panels 
and would be built in several phases. The Project would connect to the 
existing Los Angeles Department of Water and Power 500kV transmission 
line to the west of the project using a transmission interconnect from 
the proposed substation. The Project would not require any expansion of 
the existing transmission line or any upgrades.
    The Project would be adjacent to Interstate 15 (I-15), South of 
Blue Bell Mine Road, about 6 miles southwest of Baker, California, and 
12 miles northeast of Barstow, California.
    The proposed project site is located near the National Park 
Service's Mojave National Preserve, Soda Mountain and Cady Mountains 
Wilderness Study Areas, and the Rasor Off Highway Vehicle and Afton 
Canyon Special Recreation Management Areas within the BLM's CDCA. A 
portion of the Blue Bell Mine Road lies north adjacent to the project 
site at its closest point, and runs approximately east to west.
    All proposed project components would be located on BLM-
administered lands subject to a ROW grant. The proposed Project 
components would include solar array fields; access roads; collector 
lines; a substation with switchyard and interconnection; ancillary 
buildings; six groundwater production, test, and observation water 
wells; water tanks; a water treatment and storage facility; brine 
ponds; warehouses; fencing; berms; other infrastructure; and laydown 
areas. The existing roads would provide access to the proposed project 
site. New minor internal roads would be constructed among collector 
lines, substation, arrays and sub arrays, and other ancillary 
facilities. The interconnection to the proposed substation and 
collector lines from the arrays would be via underground trench, 
including underground trenching of I-15. Once approved and operational, 
the proposed Project is expected to have up to 358 megawatts of 
generating capacity. In connection with its decision on the proposed 
Soda Mountain Solar project, the BLM will also include consideration of 
potential amendments to the CDCA land use plan, as analyzed in the 
Draft EIS/EIR alternatives. The CDCA plan, while recognizing the 
potential compatibility of solar energy facilities on public lands, 
requires that all sites associated with power generation or 
transmission not identified in the Plan be considered through the land 
use plan amendment process. The BLM is deciding whether to amend the 
CDCA Plan to identify the Soda Mountain Solar project site as available 
or unavailable for solar development.
    The Draft EIS/EIR describes the following six alternatives: 
Alternative A: The Proposed Action--358 MW on 2,557 acres; Alternative 
B: 264 MW project on 2,127 acres; Alternative C: 298 MW project on 
2,354 acres; Alternative D: 250 MW project on 2,134 acres; Alternative 
E: No action alternative/no project approval--no issuance of a ROW 
Grant, no county approval of a groundwater well permit, no Land Use 
Plan (LUP) amendment; Alternative F: BLM approves project with no 
county approval of a groundwater well permit; and, Alternative G: 
Planning decision identifying the area as unsuitable for solar, with no 
BLM ROW--LUP Plan Amendment (PA), no issuance of a ROW Grant, and no 
county approval of a groundwater well permit. All of the action 
alternatives, except Alternative E, would include an amendment to the 
CDCA Plan. Alternative A is the preferred alternative in the Draft EIS.

[[Page 71641]]

    The issues analyzed in the Draft EIS include the physical, 
biological, cultural, socioeconomic, and other resources that have the 
potential to be affected by the proposed project and alternatives. In 
addition, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is analyzing impacts on 
air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change; geology and 
soils; hazards and hazardous materials; fire and fuels; water 
resources, hydrology and water quality; land use, lands and realty; 
noise; recreation; traffic; visual resources; paleontological 
resources; public health and safety; lands with wilderness 
characteristics; socioeconomics and environmental justice; special 
designations; transportation and public access; cumulative effects, pre 
and post construction and operations; and areas with high potential for 
renewable energy development.
    The BLM will host one or more public meetings, to be announced 
separately, which will be held to allow oral or written comments to be 
presented to the lead agencies. Please see BLM's Web page at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/renewableenergy/soda_mountain.html for 
information about the location, date, and time of any such meeting.
    All substantive issues raised during the comment period will be 
considered, and modifications may be made to develop the Final PA/EIS/
EIR based on these comments. Please note that public comments and 
information submitted including names, street addresses, and email 
addresses of persons who submit comments will be available for public 
review and disclosure at the above address during regular business 
hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    Before including your address, phone 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:  40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director, Natural Resources, BLM California.
[FR Doc. 2013-28506 Filed 11-27-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P