[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 212 (Friday, November 1, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58738-58739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23825]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[(LLCAD06000.51010000.ER0000.LVRWB19B5120.19X5017AP) CACA51967 (MO# 
4500135522)]


Notice of Availability of the Crimson Solar Project Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report and 
Draft Land Use Plan 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 
(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), Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR), and draft Land Use Plan Amendment to the 
California Desert Conservation Area Plan (CDCA) for the Crimson Solar 
Project (Project), and by this notice is announcing the opening of the 
90-day public comment period.

DATES: To ensure that all comments will be considered, the BLM must 
receive written comments on the draft plan amendment and Draft EIS/EIR 
within 90 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The 
BLM will announce future meetings and any other public involvement 
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, news 
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://bit.ly/2xntD5u
 Email: [email protected]
 Mail: Crimson Solar Project, Bureau of Land Management Palm 
Springs-South Coast Field Office, 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, 
CA 92262

    Copies of the Draft EIS/EIR and draft plan amendment are available 
at the 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 earlier.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miriam Liberatore, BLM project 
manager, telephone: (541) 618-2412; email: [email protected]; address 
Bureau of Land Management, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504.
    Persons who use a telecommunication device for the deaf may call 
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact Ms. 
Liberatore during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours 
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or questions. You will receive 
a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sonoran West Solar Holdings LLC (the 
Applicant), a wholly owned subsidiary of Recurrent Energy LLC, applied 
for a right-of-way (ROW) grant for a photovoltaic solar project with 
the BLM. The applicant proposes to construct, operate, maintain, and 
decommission a maximum 350-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility with 
integrated battery storage and necessary ancillary facilities, 
including project substations, access roads, operations and maintenance 
buildings, and lay down areas. The proposed project includes 2,500 
acres of BLM-administered land in the Riverside East Solar Energy Zone.
    The BLM is the lead NEPA agency and will make Federal decisions 
regarding the proposed plan amendment and the ROW for the Project. The 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a Cooperating Agency and will issue a 
Biological Opinion for the project. The EPA (Region 9) is a Cooperating 
Agency, but does not have a direct permitting role in the project. The 
California Department of Fish and Wildlife is the lead agency under the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and will make State 
decisions on applications filed by the Applicant for an Incidental Take 
Permit and a Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreement. This Draft EIS/
EIR was prepared as a joint Federal/State environmental document that 
analyzes the impacts of the project under both NEPA and CEQA.
    In addition to the proposed action (Alternative A), the Draft EIS/
EIR considers a no action alternative and two action alternatives. 
Alternative B, Alternative Design, would include one or more of three 
design elements to reduce grading, trenching, and vegetation removal 
during construction. Alternative C, Reduced Acreage Alternative, would 
be the same as described under Alternative A in the number and size of 
project-related facilities, but the project area would be reduced by 
about 300 acres. All alternatives would amend the CDCA plan to allow 
the project. Alternative C is the BLM preferred alternative.
    Public input on these alternatives or other issues is important and 
will be considered in the Final EIR/EIS.

[[Page 58739]]

    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 in the ADDRESSES section 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 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, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Danielle Chi,
Deputy State Director, Resources.
[FR Doc. 2019-23825 Filed 10-31-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-40-P