[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 86 (Friday, May 3, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19106-19107]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08846]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAD01000.L13400000.DO0000.19X) MO#4500121894]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Haiwee Geothermal Leasing Area, California, 
and the Proposed Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area 
Plan

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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Draft Amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area 
(CDCA) Plan and a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Haiwee Geothermal Leasing Area (HGLA), Inyo County, 
California, and is announcing the opening of the comment period. In 
order to comply with Federal regulations, the BLM is also announcing a 
comment period on changes to the management of four Areas of Critical 
Environmental Concern within the HGLA.

DATES: To ensure that all comments will be considered, the BLM must 
receive written comments on the Draft CDCA Plan Amendment and Draft 
Supplemental EIS 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: The HGLA Draft CDCA Plan Amendment and Draft Supplemental 
EIS are available on the BLM ePlanning project website at https://go.usa.gov/xEnvy. Click the ``Documents'' link on the left side of the 
screen to find the electronic version of these materials. Hard copies 
of the Draft CDCA Plan Amendment and Draft Supplemental EIS are also 
available for public inspection at the BLM, California Desert District 
Office, 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553.
    You may submit comments related to the HGLA by any of the following 
methods:
     Website: https://go.usa.gov/xEnvy
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: Haiwee Geothermal Leasing Project, c/o Greg Miller, 
22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553.
     Fax: 951-697-5299.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Miller, Deputy District Manager--
Resources via telephone at (951) 697-5216; or via mail at 22835 Calle 
San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553; or via email at 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
to contact Mr. Miller during normal business hours. FRS is available 24 
hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question. You will 
receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM published the HGLA Draft EIS and 
Draft Proposed Amendment to the CDCA in the Federal Register on May 10, 
2012 (77 FR 27478) and held public meetings in June 2012. The BLM 
prepared an Administrative Draft Final EIS in December 2013 that 
included public comments and responses to comments, updates to the 
alternatives descriptions, and internal review comments. As a result of 
the review of the comments, the BLM conducted a more detailed study to 
address projected water use by geothermal facilities should they be 
allowed in the HGLA. Argonne National Laboratories conducted the study 
and provided BLM a report in January 2016. Additionally, new land use 
designations approved with the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation 
Plan Amendment to the CDCA Plan in September of 2016 required analysis 
of a new alternative that considered the new land use designations. 
Based on these two developments, the BLM has prepared a CDCA Plan 
Amendment and Draft Supplemental EIS for the project. This new 
alternative would make Federal lands available for geothermal 
exploration, development, and utilization, within the entire HGLA.
    The BLM received three geothermal lease applications for 4,460 
acres of public land within the HGLA. In addition, the BLM identified 
approximately 18,345 acres of public lands, also within the Haiwee 
Proposed Project Area and adjacent to the three geothermal lease 
applications, which will be considered for competitive geothermal 
leasing under 43 CFR 3203.10(e). The proposed action is to amend the 
CDCA Plan to allow project-area lands to be leased under the authority 
of the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970, as amended (30 U.S.C. 1001 et 
seq.) The leasing of public lands for geothermal resources will require 
an amendment to the CDCA Plan, which is authorized by the FLPMA, 
Section 202 (43 U.S.C. 1712) and 43 CFR 1610.5-5. Total acreage being 
considered for geothermal leasing is approximately 22,805 acres.
    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 address listed earlier 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 personally identifiable information in your comment, you should 
be aware that your entire comment--including your personally 
identifiable information--may be made publicly

[[Page 19107]]

available at any time. While you can ask us 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 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.

Danielle K. Chi,
BLM California Deputy State Director, Natural Resources, Planning and 
Fire.
[FR Doc. 2019-08846 Filed 5-2-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P