[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 155 (Friday, August 10, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39774-39775]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16959]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[(LLCAD06000.51010000.ER0000.LVRWB09B2920.18X5017AP) CACA49397; 
MO#4500121476]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement and Environmental Impact Report and Draft Land Use Plan 
Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan for the 
Desert Quartzite Solar Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) 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 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and, in 
collaboration with Riverside County, a draft Environmental Impact 
Report (EIR) for the Desert Quartzite Solar Project (DQSP). A draft 
Land Use Plan Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan 
(CDCA) is also included. This notice announces the opening of the 
public comment period, following the date the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal 
Register.

DATES: To ensure that all comments will be considered, the BLM must 
receive written comments on the draft plan amendment and draft EIS/EIR 
by November 8, 2018. 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, the project website, and/or 
mailings.

ADDRESSES: The public may submit comments related to the project during 
the public comment period by using any of the following methods:
     Website: https://goo.gl/GmkJk4.
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: Desert Quartzite Solar Project, Bureau of Land 
Management Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center 
Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92234.
    Copies of the draft EIS/EIR and draft plan amendment are available 
at the

[[Page 39775]]

BLM-Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office at the above address and at 
the BLM California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan De Los 
Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553, and electronically on the project 
website referenced above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brandon G. Anderson, BLM project 
manager, telephone: (760) 833-7140; email: [email protected]; address 
Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 1201 
Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
    Persons who use telecommunication devices for the deaf may call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at (307) 775-6115 to contact the above 
individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours 
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or questions with the above 
individual regarding the project. You will receive a reply during 
normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Desert Quartzite LLC, a wholly owned 
subsidiary of First Solar Development LLC, applied for a right-of-way 
(ROW) grant for a photovoltaic solar project, application number CACA-
049397, with the Bureau of Land Management. The Applicant proposes to 
construct, operate, maintain, and decommission the DQSP in the southern 
California inland desert. The Project would generate up to 450 
megawatts (MW) using solar photovoltaic (PV) technology.
    The ROW grant application was originally filed for 7,245 acres on 
September 28, 2007, but has since been revised. The total project area 
under application for BLM and County approval is 5,275 acres, including 
5,115 acres of BLM-administered lands for the ROW grant, and 160 acres 
of private land for the Riverside County Conditional Use Permit. Within 
this application area, the Applicant has proposed a project that would 
occupy 3,831 acres. This includes 3,560 acres for the portion of the 
solar facility on BLM-managed public lands; 54 acres for the proposed 
230 kilovolt (kV) generation interconnection [gen-tie] line on BLM 
public lands, two acres for the offsite portion of a buried 
telecommunications line on BLM public lands, 56.8 acres of temporary 
projects, 4.5 acres for the external access road and 154 acres for the 
portion of the solar facility on private lands. The larger acreage 
under application would allow the BLM and the County to consider 
various site layouts as project alternatives in the environmental 
analyses for the proposed project.
    Although the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Desert Quartzite Solar Project and a possible 
amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) plan, 80 FR 
12195 (March 6, 2015), stated that the Project would be capable of 
generating 300 MW, advances in photovoltaic solar technology will allow 
the generation of additional megawatts on the same footprint proposed 
in the project's Plan of Development.
    In addition to the proposed action, the draft EIS/EIR considers a 
``no action'' alternative and two action alternatives. Alternative 2, 
Resource Avoidance, would authorize a 450-MW PV array on approximately 
2,845 acres, and Alternative 3, Reduced Project Alternative, would 
authorize a 285-MW PV array on approximately 2,112 acres. Like the 
Proposed Action, under each of these alternatives, the BLM would amend 
the CDCA plan to allow the project. Under the No Action Alternative, 
the BLM would deny the ROW application, and would not amend the CDCA 
plan to allow the project.
    The BLM has identified Alternative 2, Resource Avoidance, as the 
BLM Preferred Alternative for the draft EIS. The BLM and its 
cooperating agencies are seeking comments on the draft EIS, including 
the comparison of alternatives presented in the document.
    Riverside County is the lead agency for the State under the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The draft plan amendment 
EIS/EIR was prepared as a joint Federal/State environmental document 
that analyzes the impacts of the Project under both NEPA and CEQA.
    Public input is important and will be considered in the 
environmental and land-use planning analysis. 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 (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except 
holidays.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personally identifiable information in your comment, you should 
be aware that your entire comment--including your personally 
identifiable information--may be made publicly available at any time. 
While you can ask the BLM in your comment to withhold your personally 
identifiable 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.

Jerome E. Perez,
State Director, California.
[FR Doc. 2018-16959 Filed 8-9-18; 8:45 am]
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