[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 69 (Monday, April 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21377-21378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08264]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[167A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Fort Mojave Solar Project on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation, 
Mohave County, Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), as lead agency in 
cooperation with the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe (Tribe), the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM), and other agencies, intends to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will evaluate a photovoltaic 
(PV) solar energy generation project on the Fort Mojave Indian 
Reservation in Mohave County, Arizona. Associated transmission lines 
and substations located on Tribal trust lands, Federal lands 
administered and managed by BLM and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), State-
administered lands, and county and private lands in Clark County, 
Nevada, will also be evaluated.
    This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process to 
solicit public comment and identify potential issues related to the 
EIS. It also announces that two public scoping meetings will be held to 
identify potential issues, alternatives, and mitigation to be 
considered in the EIS.

DATES: In order to be fully considered, written comments on the scope 
of the EIS or implementation of the proposal must arrive by May 11, 
2016. The dates and locations of the public scoping meetings will be 
published in local papers (Mohave Valley Daily News, Needles Desert 
Star, and Laughlin Nevada Times) 15 days before the scoping meetings 
and will also be available on the EIS Web site at 
FortMojaveSolarProjectEIS.com.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, email, or hand carry written comments to Mr. 
Chip Lewis, Regional Environmental Compliance Officer, BIA Western 
Regional Office, 2600 North Central Avenue, 4th Floor Mailroom, 
Phoenix, Arizona 85004; telephone: (602) 379-6782; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Federal action, taken under 25 
U.S.C. 415, is BIA's approval of a solar energy ground lease and 
associated agreements entered into by the Tribe with Tribal Solar, LLC 
(Tribal Solar), a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Solar. If approved, 
these documents would allow the construction and operation of an up-to 
332 megawatt (MW) alternating current solar PV electricity generation 
facility located entirely on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation and 
specifically on lands held in trust by the United States for the Tribe. 
The proposed generation-tie transmission lines and substations required 
for interconnection would be located on Tribal trust lands, Federal 
lands administered and managed by BLM and BOR, State-administered 
lands, and county and private lands in Clark County, Nevada. The BIA 
and BLM would additionally approve right-of-ways (ROWs) authorizing the 
construction and operation of the transmission line and other 
supporting facilities, as needed. Together, the proposed solar energy 
facility, transmission lines, and other associated facilities will make 
up the proposed solar project (Project).
    The proposed solar energy facility would be located on 
approximately 2,800 acres of Tribal trust lands leased from the Tribe 
out of a total of approximately 3,600 acres available under an option 
for lease. These lands are currently used for agriculture. The solar 
energy facility would include PV panels, power inverters and 
transformers, a 34.5 kV collection system either overhead or 
underground, a substation, an operations and maintenance building with 
parking, meteorology towers, security fencing and lighting, and other 
on-site facilities as required.
    The Project would interconnect into the existing Mohave 500 kV 
Switchyard located near the town of Laughlin, Nevada. As proposed, an 
approximately 18-mile 230 kilovolt (kV) single or multiple circuit line 
would be built to a new 230/500 kV substation, which would be located 
next to/near the Mohave 500 kV Switchyard. Here, the voltage would be 
stepped up to 500 kV and then a short single or multiple circuit 500 kV 
line would be built from the 230/500 kV substation to connect to the 
Mohave 500 kV Switchyard.
    The solar facility would be located on Tribal lands in Township 18 
North, Range 22 West, Sections 3, 4, 9, and 10 and Township 19 North, 
Range 22 West, Sections 15, 16, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 33, and 34 in 
Arizona. Access to the solar facility site would be provided by 
existing roads crossing through and next to the proposed solar facility 
site. Construction of the Project is expected to take approximately 18 
to 32 months. Tribal Solar is expected to operate the energy facility 
for up to 35 years subsequent to the Project's Commercial Operations 
Date. No water would be used to generate electricity during operations. 
Water would be needed during construction for dust control and other 
construction activities and a minimal amount would be needed during 
operations. The water supply required for portions of the Project on 
the Reservation would be obtained from the Tribe.
    The purposes of the proposed actions and the Project are, among 
other things, to: use the Tribe's solar energy resources; provide a 
long-term, diverse, and viable economic revenue base, job opportunities 
and other benefits for the Tribe; generate clean, renewable electricity 
to help Southwestern states to meet their State renewable energy needs 
and reduce demand for generation facilities that might result in cross-
border air pollution; and allow the Tribe, in partnership with Tribal 
Solar, to optimize the use of the lease site while maximizing the 
potential economic benefit to the Tribe.
    BIA will prepare the EIS in cooperation with the Tribe, BLM, and 
possibly BOR, Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA), State of Nevada, and Clark County, Nevada. In addition, the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will provide input on the analysis 
and may also serve as a cooperating agency. The resulting EIS will aim 
to: (1) Provide agency decision makers, the Tribe, and the general 
public with a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of the 
proposed Project and alternatives on and off the Reservation;

[[Page 21378]]

(2) describe the cumulative impacts of development on the Reservation; 
and (3) identify and propose mitigation measures that would minimize or 
prevent significant adverse impacts. Consistent with these objectives, 
the EIS will analyze the proposed Project and appurtenant features, 
viable alternatives, and the No Action alternative.
    The EIS will provide a framework for BIA and BLM to make 
determinations and to decide whether to take the aforementioned Federal 
actions. In addition, BIA and BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA 
commenting process to satisfy its obligations under Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108), as 
provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Native American Tribal 
consultations will be conducted in accordance with Departmental policy, 
and Tribal concerns, including potential impacts on Indian trust 
assets, will be given due consideration. Other Federal agencies may 
rely on the EIS to make decisions under their authority and the Tribe 
may also use the EIS to support any of their decisions. USFWS will 
review the EIS for consistency with the Endangered Species Act, as 
amended, and other implementing acts, and may rely on the EIS to 
support its decisions and opinions regarding the Project.
    Issues to be covered during the scoping process may include, but 
would not be limited to, Project impacts on: Air quality, geology and 
soils, surface and groundwater resources, biological resources, 
threatened and endangered species, cultural resources, socioeconomic 
conditions, land use, aesthetics, environmental justice, climate 
change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and Indian trust resources. In 
addition to those already identified above, additional Federal, State, 
and local agencies, along with other stakeholders that may be 
interested in or affected by the BIA's decision on the proposed 
Project, are invited to participate in the scoping process.

Submission of Public Comments

    Please include your name, return address, and the caption ``EIS, 
Fort Mojave Solar Project,'' on the first page of any written comments. 
You may also submit comments at the public scoping meetings or via the 
EIS Web site at FortMojaveSolarProjectEIS.com.
    The public scoping meetings will be held to further describe the 
Project and identify potential issues and alternatives to be considered 
in the EIS. One public scoping meeting will be held on the Reservation 
and another public scoping meeting will be held in Laughlin, Nevada. 
The dates of the public scoping meetings will be included in notices to 
be posted in local papers (Mohave Valley Daily News, Needles Desert 
Star, and Laughlin Nevada Times) 15 days before the meetings and will 
also be available on the EIS Web site (FortMojaveSolarProjectEIS.com).

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the mailing address shown in the 
ADDRESSES section during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 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.

Authority

    This notice is published in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.7 of the 
Council of Environmental Quality regulations and 43 CFR 46.235 of the 
Department of the Interior Regulations implementing the procedural 
requirements of the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and in accordance 
with the exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--
Indian Affairs by part 209 of the Department Manual.

    Dated: March 31, 2016.
Lawrence S. Roberts,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-08264 Filed 4-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4337-15-P