[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 55 (Friday, March 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16125-16126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-05745]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVS01000. L51010000.ER0000. LVRWF1906420. 19X; N-90788; 
MO#4500143154]


Notice of Availability for the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Yellow Pine 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 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Yellow Pine 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. To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft EIS within 45 days following the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in 
the Federal Register. The dates and locations 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/xQF3z. We will 
provide additional opportunities for public participation upon 
publication of the Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Yellow Pine Solar 
Project Draft EIS by any of the following methods:

 Website: https://go.usa.gov/xQF3z
 Email: [email protected]
 Fax: 702-515-5023
 Mail: Yellow Pine 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 the above individual during normal business 
hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply 
during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Draft EIS addresses two separate but 
connected applications that have been submitted to the BLM Las Vegas 
Field Office. First, Yellow Pine Solar, LLC has applied for a right-of-
way on public land to construct, operate, and maintain a proposed solar 
energy generation station and ancillary facilities including battery 
storage, known as the Yellow Pine Solar Facility. Second, GridLiance 
West, LLC has applied for a right-of-way (ROW) on public land to 
construct, operate, and maintain a GridLiance West 230-kilovolt (kV) 
Trout Canyon Substation and associated 230-kV transmission line. These 
two applications are collectively known as the Yellow Pine Solar 
Project.
    The proposed Yellow Pine Solar Project is located approximately 10 
miles southeast of Pahrump and approximately 32 miles west of Las Vegas 
in Clark County, Nevada. The Yellow Pine Solar Project would be located 
on approximately 3,072 acres of BLM managed public land.
    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 Modified Layout 
Alternative, the Mowing Alternative, and the No Action Alternative. All 
of the analysis involves development on approximately 3,072 acres of 
land; however, each action/alternative differs in how the facility is 
constructed. The Proposed Action would be divided into four unique sub-
areas to avoid three large washes that cross the study area. The 
Proposed Action would involve solar development utilizing traditional 
methods, which include disk and roll which removes all vegetation from 
within the solar arrays. The Modified Layout would involve one combined 
project area on the west side of the project study area to increase 
space between the project and the Tecopa Road, State Route 160, and the 
Stump Springs Desert Tortoise Translocation Area. The Mowing 
Alternative is a construction methods alternative that may be applied 
to either site layout. Under the Mowing Alternative, vegetation would 
be maintained at a height of 18 to 24 inches to address concerns 
related to the loss of topsoil, vegetation, and seedbanks. The No 
Action Alternative would be a continuation of existing conditions. The 
BLM has identified the Proposed Action layout using the Mowing 
Alternative construction method as the preferred alternative.
    A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS for the proposed Yellow 
Pine Solar Project was published in the Federal Register on June 1, 
2018 (83 FR 25484). The public scoping period closed on August 30, 
2018. The BLM held two public scoping meetings. The BLM received 57 
public scoping comment letters during the 45-day scoping period. The 
scoping comments focused on biological resources including the 
threatened Mojave desert tortoise, alternatives development, visual 
resources, cultural resources, 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 apply on-site mitigation strategies appropriate to the 
site of the proposal,

[[Page 16126]]

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 above address 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)

Gera Ashton,
Acting District Manager, Southern Nevada District.
[FR Doc. 2020-05745 Filed 3-19-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P