[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 15, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 39030]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14125]



[[Page 39030]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Air Force


Update to Notice of Intent to the Joint Environmental Impact 
Statement and Environmental Impact Report for Development of the Oro 
Verde Solar Project

AGENCY: United States Air Force, DOD.

ACTION: Updated Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The United States Air Force (USAF) is issuing this notice to 
update the public on changes to the joint Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for development 
of the Oro Verde Solar Project (OVSP). The Notice of Intent (NOI) to 
prepare a joint project-level EIS/EIR for the Oro Verde Solar Project 
was originally published in the Federal Register on May 29, 2013 (FR 
Doc. 2013-12751). Public and agency meetings were held to discuss the 
project on June 11, 2013, at Club Muroc on Edwards AFB; June 12, 2013, 
at the Mojave Veterans Hall at 15580 O Street in Mojave, California; 
and June 13, 2013, at the Hummel Community Hall at 2500 20th Street 
West in Rosamond, California. Since the publication of the NOI, the Air 
Force is no longer partnering with the originally selected project 
developer for the Oro Verde Solar Project. However, the Air Force is 
continuing with completion of an EIS/EIR at a broader programmatic 
level to support future project implementation. The Air Force has 
retitled this project the Edwards AFB Solar EUL Project Programmatic 
EIS/EIR. The programmatic analysis will provide future potential 
developers and the public with an early understanding of environmental 
impacts and benefits of the proposed action, and will assist in framing 
the scope of any subsequent site-specific Air Force actions.

ADDRESSES: In order to update the public on changes to the programmatic 
EIS/EIR proposal and effectively define the full range of issues to be 
evaluated, the Air Force and Kern County are soliciting additional 
comments from interested state and federal agencies and interested 
members of the public. The Air Force and Kern County request comments 
be sent within 30 days following the publication of this Notice of 
Intent in the Federal Register. Comments and input from the public on 
the proposal for the Edwards AFB solar EUL project can be emailed or 
sent to Edwards AFB public affairs using the following contact 
information. Gary Hatch, Environmental Public Affairs, Bldg. 1405, Room 
400, Edwards Air Force Base, CA 93524; email: [email protected], 
Phone: 661-277-8707, Fax: (661) 277-2732.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The programmatic EIS/EIR will provide the 
information needed by the Air Force and County to make a determination 
on whether or not to implement a solar photovoltaic (PV) project on up 
to a maximum of 4,000 acres of undeveloped, non-excess real property in 
the northwest corner of Edwards AFB. The analysis will also evaluate 
the environmental impacts associated with construction of a generation 
transmission tie (gen-tie) line that is anticipated to be 10-14 miles 
in length. Final routing would depend on the ability of a future 
developer to secure access easements from public and private entities. 
The project area is located approximately 6 miles northeast of the 
community of Rosamond and 6 miles south of Mojave in southeastern Kern 
County, California. The proposal and alternatives being evaluated in 
the Edwards AFB Solar EUL Project Programmatic EIS/EIR have remained 
consistent with those presented in the 2013 Notice of Intent and 
Scoping sessions, though the Air Force is now considering a 1,500 acre 
development instead of a 2,000 acre development for its reduced-scale 
project alternative (Alternative B). The area proposed for solar PV 
development is the same area presented in 2013.
    Alternatives evaluated in the Edwards AFB Solar EUL Project 
Programmatic EIS/EIR include the No Action Alternative and two 
additional alternatives. Alternative A includes development of a solar 
PV project on up to 4,000 acres of Edwards AFB property located in the 
northwestern corner of the base and would include construction of a 
Gen-tie line of approximately 10-14 miles in total length. Alternative 
B represents a reduced-scale alternative for the construction and 
operation of a solar PV facility on up to 1,500 acres of Edwards AFB 
non-excess property within the same project footprint as Alternative A. 
The Air Force anticipates issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), 
requesting proposals from public and/or private entities to construct, 
operate, and maintain a utility-scale solar PV energy-generating 
facility. The future selected developer/s would complete additional 
site-specific environmental impact analysis tiering from the Edwards 
AFB Solar EUL Project Programmatic EIS/EIR to address any facility 
design issues requiring additional analysis.
    Public scoping for the Edwards AFB Solar EUL project was conducted 
for 30 days following the May 29, 2013 publication of the Notice of 
Intent for the joint project-level EIS/EIR for the Oro Verde Solar 
Project. Public scoping meetings were held in June, 2013 in conjunction 
with the scoping period for this project.
    The USAF has identified potential impacts to the following 
resources: Aesthetics, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 
Biological Resources, Cultural and Paleontological Resources, Water 
Resources, Land Use, Public Services, Soils, Transportation and the 
Acoustic Environment. Additionally, Pursuant to Executive Order 11988, 
as amended by Executive Order 13690, the Air Force is providing early 
notification that the project area is located within a floodplain that 
would be impacted by the proposed solar development.

Henry Williams,
Acting Air Force Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-14125 Filed 6-14-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 5001-10-P