[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 84 (Monday, May 2, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25653-25655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09379]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNM930000 L51010000.ER0000 LVRWG20G0690 20XL5017AP]


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
and Resource Management Plan Amendments for the SunZia Southwest 
Transmission Project, New Mexico, and Arizona

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico State Office, 
Santa Fe, New Mexico, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to analyze the environmental impacts associated with 
SunZia Transmission, LLC's application seeking to amend its right-of-
way grant for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. The BLM New 
Mexico State Office is the lead agency for purposes of the National 
Environmental Policy Act analysis with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife 
Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. National Park Service, and other 
agencies serving as cooperating agencies. By this Notice, the BLM is 
announcing the opening of the public comment period on the Draft EIS 
and Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendments.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered in the Final EIS and 
Proposed Resource Plan Amendments, the BLM must receive comments on the 
Draft EIS and Draft RMP Amendments by August 1, 2022. The dates and 
times of virtual public meetings will be announced at least 15 days in 
advance through local media, newspapers, and the BLM website at: 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011785/510.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for additional information may also be 
sent to SunZia Comment Period, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico 
State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Verbal comments 
may also be submitted via a telephone hotline at 1-888-959-2510. Submit 
comments electronically via the ePlanning site: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011785/510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrian Garcia, Project Manager, Bureau 
of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa 
Fe, New Mexico 87508, telephone: (505) 954-2199. 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:

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The BLM's purpose and need for Federal action is to respond to 
SunZia's application to amend its right-of-way grant (NM 114438) under 
Title V of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) 
consistent with applicable laws. In compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act, and FLPMA, the BLM New Mexico State Office 
has prepared a Draft EIS to analyze the environmental impacts 
associated with SunZia's amendment application. Proposed amendments to 
SunZia's right-of-way grant will require a plan amendment to the 
Socorro Field Office RMP, which the BLM has analyzed in the Draft EIS. 
The purpose and need of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Federal action 
is to respond to requests to co-locate the SunZia transmission line 
with existing transmission line easements across the Sevilleta National 
Wildlife Refuge. The purpose of the U.S. Forest Service Federal action 
is to respond to the Applicant's application for a right-of-way to 
construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a transmission line on 
Federal lands.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The SunZia Project is composed of two planned 500 kilovolt 
transmission lines located across approximately 520 miles of Federal, 
State, and private lands between central New Mexico and central 
Arizona. The purpose of the Project is to transport up to 4,500 
megawatts of primarily renewable energy from New Mexico to markets in 
Arizona and California. The permitted route originates at a planned 
substation in Torrance County, New Mexico, and terminates at the 
existing Pinal Central Substation in Pinal County, Arizona. The Project 
traverses Lincoln, Socorro, Sierra, Luna, Grant, Hidalgo, Valencia, and 
Torrance counties in New Mexico and Graham, Greenlee, Cochise, Pinal, 
and Pima counties in Arizona. The route has four segments:
     Segment 1: Pinal Central Substation to Willow Substation;
     Segment 2: Willow Substation to SunZia South Substation 
(Segment 2a in Arizona, Segment 2b in New Mexico);
     Segment 3: SunZia South Substation to New Mexico Institute 
of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech); and
     Segment 4: New Mexico Tech to SunZia East Substation.
    Prior environmental documents include a Final EIS in 2013, a 
subsequent Environmental Assessment and Finding of No New Significant 
Impact in 2015 to accommodate burial of approximately five miles of the 
transmission line in three locations within the White Sands Missile 
Range Northern Call-Up Area, and then a Record of Decision in 2015. The 
BLM issued a right-of-way grant to SunZia in 2016, authorizing use of a 
400-foot-wide right-of-way across 183 miles of Federal lands 
administered by the BLM. Construction of the lines has not begun. 
SunZia is proposing to amend the existing grant in four components:
     Component 1--Localized Route Modifications: Six localized 
route modifications in New Mexico in Segments 1, 2, and 3. Five 
modifications involve BLM-administered land (an increase in route 
length of approximately 0.8 miles and 38.8 acres). The proposed route 
modification on non-BLM-administered land would involve an increase in 
route length of approximately 4.7 miles and 45.4 acres. These route 
modifications are being proposed to address a range of issues, 
including challenges in obtaining a private landowner right-of-way or 
easement and topography.
     Component 2--Access Roads and Temporary Work Areas Outside 
the Granted Right-of-Way: Adding a right-of-way for about 844.5 miles 
of existing and new access roads, of which approximately 804.9 miles 
would be permanent, 39.6 miles would be temporary, and approximately 
1,402.3 acres of temporary work areas that fall outside the permitted 
400-foot-wide right-of-way across both States. About 230.0 miles of 
access roads are on BLM-administered land (179.3 miles in New Mexico; 
50.7 miles in Arizona). About 298.4 acres of temporary work areas are 
located on BLM-administered land in New Mexico and 33.4 acres in 
Arizona.

[[Page 25654]]

     Component 3--Segment 4 Reroute: A reroute of Segment 4 to 
move the line outside the White Sands Missile Range Northern Call-up 
Area, take advantage of an opportunity to partially parallel the 
Western Spirit 345 kilovolt Transmission Project, and move the eastern 
substation closer to proposed wind-generation projects. The total 
length of the currently permitted Segment 4 route is 91.7 miles, of 
which 20.2 miles are Federal land administered by the BLM. SunZia is 
considering three alternative routes. Common to all three alternatives 
are approximately the first 65 miles, from the SunZia East Substation 
to where the alternative routes diverge. These 65 miles would cross BLM 
(approximately 0.2 miles), State, and private lands, 35 miles of which 
are parallel to the Western Spirit 345 kilovolt Transmission Project. 
The three alternative routes (including the initial 65 miles) are:
    [cir] Alternative Route 1: Options ranging from 145.2 to 146.5 
miles, would cross approximately 20.6 to 24.0 miles of BLM-administered 
land and approximately 4.5 to 4.7 miles across the Cibola National 
Forest administered by the U.S. Forest Service.
    [cir] Alternative Route 2: Options ranging from 115.2 to 123.0 
miles, would cross approximately 6.0 miles of BLM-administered land and 
14.2 miles across the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge administered 
by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. About 65.5 acres of temporary work 
areas would be located on Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge outside of 
the existing easement footprint.
    [cir] Alternative Route 3: Options ranging from 118.7 to 126.4 
miles, would cross 8.9 to 9.6 miles of BLM-administered land and 
approximately 12.1 miles across the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge 
administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. About 48 acres of 
temporary work areas would be located on Sevilleta National Wildlife 
Refuge outside of the existing easement footprint.
    Both Alternatives 2 and 3 are required for the Project. 
Additionally, the BLM has considered and analyzed additional route 
alternatives identified in the public scoping, Title 41 of the Fixing 
America's Surface Transportation Act, and the government-to-government 
consultation process.
     Component 4--SunZia West Substation: A substation to 
convert power from direct current to alternating current. SunZia 
intends for one of the two proposed SunZia transmission lines to be 
alternating current and the other transmission line to be either 
alternating current or direct current. The direct current line would 
require equipment at each terminus to convert the power from 
alternating current to direct current (SunZia East high-voltage direct-
current converter) and from direct current to alternating current 
(SunZia West high-voltage direct-current converter). The SunZia West 
Substation is being sited along the permitted SunZia right-of-way on 
approximately 20-22 acres of Arizona State Trust Land just east of Red 
Rock, Arizona (no Federal right-of-way is needed).
    The width of the right-of-way for the transmission lines typically 
is a minimum of 400 feet on BLM-administered lands but may be up to 
1,000 feet wide in areas with terrain constraints.
    The BLM analyzed SunZia's proposed amendments and alternatives to 
the reroute of Segment 4 in the Draft EIS. The BLM also considered a no 
action alternative in the Draft EIS, i.e., the BLM and other Federal 
agencies would not approve the localized route modifications, access 
roads and temporary work areas outside the granted right-of-way, the 
Segment 4 reroute, and the new location for the SunZia West Substation.

Summary of Expected Impacts

    Impacts from the proposed action would include ground disturbance-
associated impacts to natural and cultural resources; visual impacts; 
potential impacts to threatened and endangered species at the Rio 
Grande River crossing, including the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, 
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, and the Silvery Minnow; and socioeconomic effects 
from construction, operation, and maintenance. If an alternative 
reroute is selected, Federal agencies may need to amend land use plans. 
The public scoping, Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface 
Transportation Act, and government-to-government Tribal consultation 
process yielded several issues of concern. Accordingly, the disciplines 
represented and used to analyze applicable issues in the EIS include:
     Issues analyzed in brief: Regional air quality, fugitive 
dust, locatable minerals, common variety minerals, sensitive soils, 
water quality, sedimentation to surface water resources, native 
vegetation, vegetation monitoring transects, riparian habitat, invasive 
species (noxious weeds), Desert Bighorn Sheep habitat, grasslands and 
Pronghorn habitat, sensitive time periods and habitat fragmentation, 
wildlife corridors, Sandhill Crane habitat, Sonoran Desert Tortoise 
habitat, Monarch Butterfly breeding habitat, Lesser Long-nosed Bat and 
Mexican Long-tongued Bat, recreation, hunting access, livestock 
grazing, transportation, civilian airports and flight paths, wilderness 
study areas, and hazardous materials.
     Issues analyzed in detail: Climate change, paleontological 
resources, avian collisions, migratory bird corridors, federally listed 
wildlife species, New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse, BLM sensitive 
wildlife species, federally listed plant species, BLM sensitive plant 
species, cultural resources, traditional cultural properties and 
resources with Tribal importance, national scenic and historic trails, 
visual resources, existing and future land uses, proposed and future 
rights-of-way, military operations, BLM special designations, U.S. 
Forest Service inventoried roadless areas, Sevilleta National Wildlife 
Refuge, fiscal economics and job creation, environmental justice, 
noise, and electric and magnetic fields.

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations

    If approved, the BLM would issue a right-of-way grant and temporary 
use permit for Federal lands. Any alternative reroute selected that 
would cross the Cibola National Forest or the Sevilleta National 
Wildlife Refuge would require authorization from the U.S. Forest 
Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, respectively. The No Action 
Alternative would result in no change to the current right-of-way 
grant.

Agency-Preferred Alternative

    The BLM has identified parts of the four proposed Project 
components as the agency's Preferred Alternative. The agency's 
Preferred Alternative is as follows:

 Component 1: Localized route modifications 1-5, and the 2015 
Selected Route (the no action alternative in this EIS) for local route 
modification 6 in the Pinal Central area
 Component 2: All access roads and temporary workspaces outside 
the granted right-of-way
 Component 3: Alternative Route 2 (Subroute 2A-4) and 
Alternative Route 3 (Subroute 3A-4), which include crossing the 
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge as well as co-locating the proposed 
SunZia transmission line with the Western Spirit transmission line at 
the Rio Grande crossing. For Subroute 3A-4, the agency Preferred 
Alternative includes Local Alternative 3B-2 to avoid two private 
residences near the Project

[[Page 25655]]

 Component 4: The revised location for the SunZia West 
substation

Consultation Efforts

    On July 29, 2021, this project became a FAST-41 project pursuant to 
Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act. FAST-41 
status means this project is closely monitored by Federal agencies and 
the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council at the national 
level. The Project can be viewed on the FAST-41 Dashboard at https://www.permits.performance.gov/permitting-project/sunzia-southwest-transmission-project.
    The BLM is utilizing and coordinating the National Environmental 
Policy Act process to help fulfill the public involvement process under 
the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided 
in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about historic and cultural 
resources within the area potentially affected by the proposed action 
has been used to assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts 
to such resources. The BLM will continue to consult with Native 
American Tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with 
Executive Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including 
impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural 
resources, will continue to be given due consideration.
    Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Tribes and other 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
Project that the BLM is evaluating are invited to participate in the 
comment period and, if eligible, may request, or be requested by the 
BLM, to participate in updating the environmental analysis as a 
cooperating agency. Authorization of this proposal will require an 
amendment to the Socorro Field Office RMP. By this notice, the BLM is 
complying with requirements in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) to notify the public of 
potential plan amendments. The BLM will integrate the land use planning 
process with the National Environmental Policy Act analysis process for 
this project. The Forest Service's 2012 Planning Rule (36 CFR part 219) 
requires consideration of the applicable substantive requirements as 
described in 36 CFR 219.8 through 219.11 that are directly related to 
the plan direction being added, modified, or removed by the amendment 
(36 CFR 219.13).

Request for Substantive Comments

    The BLM encourages substantive comments (comments that avoid 
opinions and are specific; describe the significance of the impacts and 
how they affect you, others, places, and activities; provide any new 
information that is relevant to the project [e.g., potential affected 
resources]; and discuss modifications to existing alternatives or 
suggest other reasonable alternatives with justification) concerning 
the proposed SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. You may submit 
comments at any time during the 90-day comment period by using one of 
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice. Public 
meetings will be conducted virtually with BLM staff to explain Project 
details and gather information from interested individuals or groups. 
Representatives from SunZia will be available to answer questions.
    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. 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.
    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.

Steven R. Wells,
New Mexico Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-09379 Filed 4-29-22; 8:45 am]
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