[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 110 (Friday, June 7, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26701-26702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12028]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVS01000. L51010000.ER0000. LVRWF1806190. 18X; N-84631; MO 
#4500134356]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan 
Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Gemini Solar 
Project in Clark County, NV

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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Gemini Solar Project and by this notice 
is announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: This notice initiates the public comment period for the Draft 
EIS. Comments may be submitted in writing until September 5, 2019. The 
date(s) and location(s) of any public meetings will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers and the BLM 
website at: https://go.usa.gov/xntTQ. In order to be included in the 
Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 90-
day public comment period. We will provide additional opportunities for 
public participation upon publication of the Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Gemini Solar Project 
Draft RMP Amendment and Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://go.usa.gov/xntTQ.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 702-515-5023
     Mail: Gemini Solar Project, Attn: Herman Pinales, BLM Las 
Vegas Field Office, 4701 N Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Herman Pinales, Energy & 
Infrastructure Project Manager, telephone 702-515-5284; address 4701 
North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130-2301; email 
[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. 
Pinales. 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 applicant, Solar Partners XI, LLC 
(Arevia) has proposed to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission 
a 690 megawatt photovoltaic solar electric generating facility and 
associated generation tie-line and access road facilities on 
approximately 7,100 acres of Federal lands administered by the BLM. The 
proposed solar facility would be located approximately 33 miles 
northeast of Las Vegas and directly south of the Moapa River Indian 
Reservation in Clark County, Nevada. The expected life of the project 
is 30 years.
    The Visual Resource Management class in the application area is III 
due to its close proximity to the Old Spanish National Historic Trail, 
Muddy Mountain Wilderness Area, and Bitter Springs Back Country Byway. 
The class III management objective is to partially retain the existing 
character of the landscape. Permitting the project would require a land 
use plan amendment to a class IV to provide for management activities 
that require major modifications of the existing character of the 
landscape.
    The Draft EIS addresses the direct, indirect and cumulative 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and alternatives. The 
Draft EIS evaluates the Proposed Action, the Hybrid (BLM Preferred), 
All Mowing and the No Action Alternatives. All of the alternatives 
involve development on approximately 7,100 acres of land; however, each 
action/alternative differs in how the facility is constructed. The 
Proposed Action would involve solar development utilizing traditional 
development methods, which include disk and roll that removes all 
vegetation in the solar array areas. The Hybrid (BLM Preferred) 
Alternative would involve solar development utilizing a combination of 
traditional development methods in solar array areas (on approximately 
2,500 acres) and mowing that leaves vegetation and natural land 
contours in place on the remaining solar array areas (on approximately 
4,600 acres). The All Mowing Alternative would involve development of 
the facility utilizing only mowing in solar array areas. Where mowing 
is utilized in each alternative, desert tortoise would be reintroduced 
into the solar array areas after completion of construction, since 
habitat would remain. The No Action Alternative would be a continuation 
of existing conditions.
    A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the proposed Gemini Solar 
Project was published in the Federal Register on July 13, 2018 (83 FR 
32681). The public scoping period closed on August 27, 2018. The BLM 
held two public scoping meetings. The BLM received 34 public scoping 
comment letters during the 45-day scoping period. The scoping comments 
focused on biological resources (desert tortoise and threecorner 
milkvetch); visual resources; recreation and public access; and impacts 
to the Old Spanish National Historic Trail.
    The BLM analyzed a combination of proposed environmental measures 
and possible mitigation to eliminate or minimize impacts associated 
with the proposed action. These included the potential for identifying 
opportunities to

[[Page 26702]]

apply on-site mitigation strategies appropriate to the site of the 
proposal, and management actions to achieve resource objectives.
    The BLM continues to consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts to Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration.
    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 
4:30 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. 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)

Jon K. Raby,
Nevada State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-12028 Filed 6-6-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P