[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 84 (Monday, May 2, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25658-25661]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09373]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNV930000. L51010000.PQ0000. LVRWF2107770; N-99863; MO #4500161333]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and
Potential Resource Management Plan Amendments for the Greenlink West
Project in Clark, Nye, Esmeralda, Mineral, Lyon, Storey, and Washoe
Counties in Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada State Office (NVSO)
intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and
potential associated Amendments to the 2001 Carson City Consolidated
Resource Management Plan (RMP), 1998 Las Vegas Field Office RMP, and
the 1997 Tonopah RMP for the proposed electrical transmission
facilities referred to as the Greenlink West Project. Nevada Power
Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company, doing business as NV Energy
(Proponent), are proposing to build the Greenlink West Project in
Clark, Nye, Esmeralda, Mineral, Lyon, Storey, and Washoe counties in
Nevada. Publication of this notice initiates the scoping process and
opens a 30-day public comment period to solicit public comments on the
scope of the analysis, including issues and alternatives, and to
provide comments on the planning criteria.
[[Page 25659]]
DATES: This notice initiates a 30-day public scoping period that will
assist in preparation of the Draft EIS.
The BLM expects to hold at least four public meetings in Nevada
during the scoping period, to provide an opportunity to review the
proposal and project information. Announcements will be made by news
release to the media and posted on the BLM's website listed in the
ADDRESSES section. Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until
June 1, 2022. All comments must be received by 30 days from the date of
publication of this Notice in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or resource information related to
the project by any of the following methods:
Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2017391/510.
Mail: Gregory L. Helseth, Branch Chief Renewable Energy,
BLM Nevada State Office, Greenlink West Project, 1340 Financial Blvd.,
Reno, NV 89520.
The website also contains available documents relevant to the
planning process for the Greenlink West Project.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, please contact Rita Henderson,
Public Affairs Specialist, BLM Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial
Boulevard, Reno, NV 89520; phone (775) 461-6753; or email
[email protected]. Individuals in the United States who are deaf,
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711
(TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On September 22, 2020, NV Energy filed an Application for
Transportation, Utility Systems, Telecommunications, and Facilities on
Federal Lands and Property (Standard Form 299) and a preliminary Plan
of Development (POD) with the BLM, for a Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) ROW authorization for the Greenlink West
Project (NVN99863). The Greenlink West Project, as proposed, is an
approximately 474-mile system of new 525-kilovolt (kV) and 345-kV
overhead electric transmission lines and includes transmission and
distribution lines, substations, microwave radio facilities, amplifier
sites, access roads, and construction/material yards. In the
application to the BLM, NV Energy has applied for a 600-foot-wide
temporary right-of-way (ROW) for construction and a 200-foot-wide
permanent ROW for operations and maintenance of the 525-kV line and a
160-foot-wide permanent ROW for the 345-kV lines.
The proposed transmission facilities would include approximately
13,767 acres land of which approximately 10,438 acres are public lands
administered by the BLM. The remaining lands in the project area are
managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Clark County, Department of
Defense, Department of Energy, National Park Service, Nevada Division
of State Lands, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service,
and private landowners. On March 22, 2021, NV Energy received approval
for the various electric transmission facilities associated with the
proposed project by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969,
as amended (NEPA), and the FLPMA, as amended, the BLM NVSO intends to
prepare an EIS to analyze the environmental impacts associated with NV
Energy's application seeking to obtain a ROW grant for the Greenlink
West Project. NV Energy's ROW grant may require plan amendments to the
Carson City District Office, Tonopah Field Office, and Southern Nevada
District Office RMPs, which the BLM also will analyze in the EIS.
Under Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Open Access
Transmission Tariff adopted in 18 CFR 35 and 385 Order No. 888, NV
Energy is required to plan and construct adequate transmission
facilities to deliver the projected electric demand in Nevada. The
State of Nevada is facing unprecedented changes in both system growth
and resource requirements. By 2031, about 1,000 megawatts (MW) of base
load generation are planned for retirement, i.e., will no longer be
generating electricity. In addition, NV Energy has received more than
1,450 MW of new electric service requests in northern Nevada that will
require additional transmission facilities. Currently, the maximum
amount of power that can be provided in northern Nevada on the existing
transmission network is 1,275 MW, and all 1,275 MW are being used by
current network customers. The power demand in northern Nevada is
forecast to increase by more than 700 MW within 10 years. New
transmission infrastructures are required to deliver the anticipated
electric power demand. The Greenlink West Project would alleviate some
of the capacity issues on existing transmission lines, and enhance
electric grid reliability, by allowing interconnections to occur
throughout the State.
The purpose of this Federal action is to respond to a ROW
application for construction, operation, maintenance, and
decommissioning of proposed electrical transmission facilities on
Federal land. Based on the goals and objectives of the Proponent and
the BLM's authority, the BLM will evaluate the ROW grant application
submitted by NV Energy in compliance with FLPMA, BLM regulations, and
other applicable Federal laws and policies. The need for the BLM's
action arises from FLPMA, which establishes a multiple use mandate for
management of Federal lands, including ``systems for generation,
transmission, and distribution of electric energy'' (FLPMA Title V).
The BLM's action in considering NV Energy's ROW application is
delegated authority of the Secretary of the Interior to ``grant issue
or renew rights of way . . . for generation, transmission, and
distribution of electric energy'' (43 CFR part 2800).
Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives
As described in Greenlink West Project's POD, the proposed 525-kV
facilities would begin approximately 10 miles north of Yerington in
Lyon County, traverse approximately 360 miles through portions of Lyon,
Mineral, Esmeralda, Nye, and Clark counties, and terminate at the Harry
Allen Substation approximately 10 miles north of North Las Vegas, Clark
County. Three proposed 345-kV facilities would begin 10 miles north of
Yerington in Lyon County and traverse through portions of Lyon, Storey,
and Washoe counties. Two of the 345-kV lines would terminate
approximately 12 miles northwest of Silver Springs in Lyon County, and
the third would terminate approximately 7 miles southeast of Reno in
Washoe County. The proposed 345-kV facilities cross approximately
10,308 acres of BLM-administered land and 3,712 acres of private land.
The four expanded substations (Comstock Meadows, Mira Loma, Fort
Churchill, and Harry Allen) and the two new substations (Esmeralda and
Amargosa) for the Greenlink West Project would include fiber optic
cable and microwave antennae towers for control and operation of the
transmission system.
The Draft EIS will analyze a reasonable range of alternatives to be
[[Page 25660]]
fully developed after considering information provided during the
scoping period. Preliminary alternatives may include changes to
proposed facility layouts and ROW segments, activity schedules, and
seasonal operation requirements designed to protect resources under BLM
management while still retaining a reliable and feasible electrical
transmission facilities. Potential amendments to RMPs will be
identified throughout the EIS alternative development process. The
range of alternatives analyzed in the Draft EIS will include a no-
action alternative. Under the no-action alternative, the BLM would deny
the application, and NV Energy electrical transmission facilities
described in the POD would not be built.
Summary of Expected Impacts
The Draft EIS will identify and describe the effects of the
Proposed Action on the human environment. Based on a preliminary
evaluation of resources, the BLM expects impacts (either beneficial or
adverse and of varying intensity) to wildlife and their habitats, land
uses, cultural and paleontological resources, visual (scenic)
resources, military training flight paths, and social and economic
conditions. The BLM will identify, analyze, and require on-site
mitigation, as appropriate, to address the reasonably foreseeable
impacts to resources from approval of this project. Mitigation may
include avoidance, minimization, rectification, reduction, or
elimination over time, and may be considered on multiple scales to
address the associated impact.
The disciplines to be represented in the preparation of the EIS
include, but are not limited to:
Air quality;
Cultural resources;
Earth resources (geology, minerals, and soils);
General and special-status wildlife species, including
Threatened and Endangered Species and their habitat;
Health and safety/hazardous materials;
Land use and recreation;
Paleontological resources;
Social and economic conditions;
Special designations; and
Vegetation/riparian/noxious and invasive weeds/special
status plant species, including Threatened and Endangered Species and
their habitat;
Visual (scenic) resources;
Water resources;
Wilderness, wilderness study areas, and lands with
wilderness characteristics;
Wildland fire ecology and management.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
In addition to the requested ROW grant, other Federal, state, and
local authorizations will likely be required for the Greenlink West
Project. These include authorizations under the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966, Endangered Species Act of 1973, and other
laws and regulations determined to be applicable to the Greenlink West
Project.
If approved, the BLM would issue a ROW Grant and Temporary Use
Permit for Federal lands. Any portion of the Greenlink West Project
selected that would cross the Tule Springs Fossil Bed National
Monument, Native American Indian reservations, or the Humboldt-Toiyabe
National Forest would require permit approval from the National Park
Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, or U.S. Forest Service,
respectively.
Authorization of this proposal may require amendments to the
applicable RMPs in effect for the Carson City District Office, Tonopah
Field Office, and Southern Nevada District Office to modify the
location of the existing West-Wide Energy Corridors or potentially to
designate a new energy corridor with an associated Visual Resource
Management class. The West-Wide Energy Corridors originated through the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), enacted August 8, 2005. The EPAct
requires, among other things, the designation of energy corridors (also
referred to as utility corridors) on Federal lands in 11 western states
(including Nevada), the establishment of procedures to ensure that
additional corridors are identified and designated as necessary, and to
expedite applications to construct or modify electricity transmission
and distribution facilities. These designated corridors are referred to
as the West-Wide Energy Corridors. Information on the West-Wide Energy
Corridor and the Final EIS and Decision are available at http://corridoreis.anl.gov/index.cfm.
By this notice, the BLM is complying with requirements 43 CFR
1610.2(c) to notify the public of potential amendments to the Carson
City District Office, Tonopah Field Office, and Southern Nevada
District Office RMPs. If any RMP amendments are necessary, the BLM
would integrate the resource management planning process, as described
in 43 CFR subpart 1610 and 36 CFR 219.8, concurrently into the NEPA
process and EIS for the Greenlink West Project.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
The Draft EIS is scheduled for Fall of 2022 and the Final EIS is
scheduled for Spring of 2023, with a Record of Decision issued Summer
of 2023. NV Energy then is anticipated to secure all necessary
authorizations following the BLM decision.
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
development of the EIS. The scoping process encourages those who may be
interested or affected by the Greenlink West Project to submit comments
on resources and issues, impact-causing factors, reasonable
alternatives and potential mitigation measures to be analyzed in the
EIS. For information on how to submit comments, see the ADDRESSES
section. The BLM will hold public scoping meetings; the dates,
locations, and times will be announced at least 15 days in advance
through public notices, media releases and/or mailings.
The BLM will use the NEPA process to satisfy the public involvement
requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Information
about historic and cultural resources within the area potentially
affected by the project will be used to identify and evaluate impacts
in the context of both NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA. Federal
agencies, Tribes, State and local governments, and other stakeholders
interested in historic properties and cultural resources may request to
participate in the Section 106 process as a Consulting Party. The BLM
will continue consultation with Tribes on a government-to-government
basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other policies.
Tribal concerns, including potential impacts to cultural resources and
treaty rights will be given due consideration.
You may submit comments in writing to the BLM at any public scoping
meeting or at any time by using one of the methods listed in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice. Public scoping meetings will be
conducted in an open-house format with BLM staff and representatives
from NV Energy available to explain project details and gather
information from interested individuals or groups.
Comments must be received prior to the close of the scoping period
to be included in the Draft EIS/Resource Management Plan Amendments
(EIS/DRMPA). The BLM will provide
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additional opportunities for public participation upon publication of
the EIS/DRMPA. The public will have the opportunity to comment during a
90-day public comment period on the EIS/DRMPA.
Any persons wishing to be added to a mailing list of interested
parties can call or write to the BLM, as described in this Notice.
Additional information meetings may be conducted throughout the process
to keep the public informed of the progress of the EIS.
Request for Identification of Potential Alternatives, Information, and
Analyses Relevant to the Proposed Action
The BLM encourages comments concerning the proposed Greenlink West
Project, feasible alternatives, possible measures to minimize and/or
avoid adverse environmental impacts, and any other information relevant
to the proposed action. Planning criteria are the standards, rules, and
other factors developed by managers and interdisciplinary team members
for use in forming judgements about decision making, analysis, and data
collection during the planning process. The BLM has identified some
preliminary planning criteria to guide development of the RMP
amendments, to avoid unnecessary data collection and analysis, and to
ensure the RMP amendments are tailored to the issues. These criteria
may be modified and/or other criteria may be identified during the
public scoping process. The following preliminary specific planning
criteria will help guide the planning process.
Criteria 1: The BLM will use a systematic interdisciplinary
approach to integrate physical, biological, economic, and other
sciences.
Criteria 2: The BLM will use the best available data regarding
natural resources.
Criteria 3: The BLM will consider the present and potential uses of
public lands and where existing RMP decisions are valid, those
decisions will remain unchanged.
Criteria 4: The BLM will consider the relative scarcity of values
and availability of alternative means and sites for recognizing those
values.
Criteria 5: Any plan amendments will be completed in compliance
with FLPMA, NEPA, and all other relevant Federal laws, executive
orders, and BLM polices.
Criteria 6: The BLM will seek coordination and consistency with
other government programs including Tribal plans and policies.
Criteria 7: Existing valid planning decisions for RMPs in effect
will not change unless specifically amended, and any new plan decisions
will not conflict with existing planning decisions.
Criteria 8: Any RMP amendments will recognize valid existing
rights.
The BLM also requests assistance with identifying potential
alternatives to the Proposed Action. As alternatives should resolve a
problem with the Proposed Action, please indicate the purpose of the
suggested alternative. In addition, the BLM requests the identification
of potential impacts that should be analyzed. Impacts should be a
result of the action; therefore, please identify the activity along
with the potential impact. Information that reviewers have that would
assist in the development of alternatives or analysis of resources
issues is also helpful.
Actions not relevant to the Greenlink West Project include
considerations of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern for
nomination or recommendations. Permanent closure of public land to
hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting are also not proposed as
part of the Greenlink West Project and therefore a shooting ``notice of
intent'' is not applicable under this Notice.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The BLM Nevada State Office is the lead agency for this EIS. At
this time, the following have agreed to participate in the
environmental analysis of the Greenlink West Project as Cooperating
Agencies: Bureau of Indian Affairs--Pacific Region, Bureau of Indian
Affairs--Western Region, Department of the Air Force, National Park
Service, National Nuclear Security Administration, U.S. Army and Air
National Guard, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Nevada Department of
Transportation, Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe, Fort McDermitt Paiute and
Shoshone Tribe, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Lovelock Paiute Tribe, Pyramid
Lake Paiute Tribe, Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, Summit Lake Paiute Tribe,
Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, Walker River Paiute Tribe, Washoe Tribe of
Nevada and California, Winnemucca Paiute and Shoshone Tribe, Yerington
Paiute Tribe, Yomba Shoshone Tribe, Nevada Department of Wildlife,
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Nevada Division of
Minerals, Nevada Division of State Lands, Clark County, Esmeralda
County, Lyon County, Mineral County, Nye County, Storey County, Washoe
County, Silver State Energy Association, City of Carson City, City of
Las Vegas, City of North Las Vegas, City of Reno, and Town of Tonopah.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The BLM will decide whether to grant, grant with conditions, or
deny the application for a ROW. Pursuant to 43 CFR 2805.10, if the BLM
issues a grant, the BLM decision maker may include terms, conditions,
and stipulations determined to be in the public interest. The BLM will
make the decision as to whether or not to approve any RMP amendments,
in accordance with BLM policy about delegation of authorities. In the
ROD, the BLM will clearly distinguish the RMP amendment decision from
the selected alternative for the proposed electric transmission
project.
Personal Identifying Information
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. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and
considered.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of
the EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of
the public scoping period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's
concerns and contentions.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., 40 CFR 1501.9, 40 CFR 1501.7, 43
CFR 1610.2. 43 CFR 2091.3-1, and 43 CFR 2804.25(f).
Jon K. Raby,
BLM Nevada State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-09373 Filed 4-29-22; 8:45 am]
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