[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 222 (Friday, November 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69302-69304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25168]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[L51010000.ER0000.LVRWB19B6670.LLCAD01000.19X (MO #4500161985)]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Ivanpah-Control Project, Inyo, Kern, and San Bernardino 
Counties, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
California Desert District Office, Palm Springs, California, intends to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider the effects 
of the Ivanpah-Control Project (Project) and by this notice is 
announcing the beginning of the scoping process to solicit public 
comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. 
The BLM requests comments concerning the scope of the analysis and 
identification of relevant information and studies by January 3, 2023. 
To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the Draft 
EIS, please ensure your comments are received prior to the close of the 
45-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, 
whichever is later. 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, mailings, and the BLM 
website at: https://bit.ly/3knv8cm.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Ivanpah-Control 
Project by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://bit.ly/3knv8cm.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 760-833-7199.
     Mail: Ivanpah-Control Environmental Impact Statement, 
Bureau of Land Management California Desert District Office, 1201 Bird 
Center Drive, Palm Springs CA 92262.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://bit.ly/3knv8cm and at the BLM California Desert District 
Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joan Patrovsky, Project Manager, 
Ivanpah-Control Project, telephone: (760) 252-6032; address: Bureau of 
Land Management California Desert District Office, 1201 Bird Center 
Drive, Palm Springs CA 9226; email: [email protected]. Contact Ms. 
Patrovsky to have your name added to our mailing list. 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 for contacting Ms. Patrovsky. 
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 purpose of this Federal action is to respond to a right-of-way 
application from Southern California Edison for demolition, 
construction, operations, and maintenance of the Ivanpah-Control 115 
kilovolt transmission line on BLM-administered lands, consistent with 
applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The Secretary of the 
Interior is authorized to grant rights-of-way on public lands for 
systems for generation, transmission, and distribution of electric 
energy (43 U.S.C. Section 1761(a)(4)); the need for the BLM's action is 
established by this delegated authority under Title V of FLPMA.
    The applicant is Southern California Edison and the purpose for the 
Project is to ensure compliance with the California Public Utilities 
Commission's General Order 95 and National Electric Reliability 
Corporation reliability standards. The proposed action is to implement 
engineering solutions to remediate approximately 2,950 discrepancies 
along the Ivanpah-Control alignment, continue to provide safe and 
reliable electrical service, meet Project needs while minimizing 
environmental impacts, and design and construct the physical components 
of the Project in conformance with industry and/or Southern California 
Edison's approved engineering, design, and construction standards for 
substation and subtransmission system projects.

Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives

    Southern California Edison proposes to remediate physical clearance 
discrepancies on existing 115 kilovolt subtransmission lines, referred 
to collectively as the Ivanpah-Control transmission line, located in 
southern California. The Project is composed of five segments (1, 2, 
3N, 3S, and 4) spanning Inyo County, northeast Kern County, and 
northern San Bernardino County. The northern/western terminus is the 
Control Substation, approximately 5 miles west of the city of Bishop in 
Inyo County; the eastern terminus is at Ivanpah Substation, located in 
California approximately 6 miles southwest of Primm, Nevada. To address 
the discrepancies, Southern California Edison proposes to conduct the 
following activities:
     Segment 1: Control Substation (Bishop) to Inyokern 
Substation (126-mile segment): The subtransmission lines would be 
rebuilt in a new alignment adjacent to the existing alignment (but 
outside the existing right-of-way) and the existing subtransmission 
structures would be removed. This would involve removing approximately 
1,161 existing structures and replacing with 905 new structures.
     Segment 2: Inyokern Substation to Kramer Junction (48-mile 
segment): The subtransmission line would be rebuilt in a new alignment 
adjacent to the existing alignment (but within the existing right-of-
way) and the existing subtransmission structures would be removed. This 
would involve removing approximately 390 transmission structures and 
installing 342 new structures.
     Segment 3N: Kramer Junction-Coolwater Substation (44-mile 
segment): The subtransmission line would be reconductored. Some 
existing subtransmission structures would be replaced with steel and 
wood H-frames and wood pole multipole structures; most replacement 
structures would be installed proximate to existing structures that 
would be removed. This would involve removing approximately

[[Page 69303]]

43 existing structures and installing approximately 45 structures.
     Segment 3S: Kramer Junction-Tortilla Substation-Coolwater 
Substation (44-mile segment): The subtransmission line would be 
reconductored. Some existing subtransmission structures would be 
replaced with tubular steel pole and wood multipole structures, and 
steel and wood H-frames; replacement structures would be installed 
proximate to existing structures which would be removed. This would 
involve removing approximately 42 existing structures and installing 
approximately 42 structures.
     Segment 4: Coolwater Substation to Ivanpah Substation (98-
mile segment): The existing subtransmission circuit would be derated, 
which would remediate some existing discrepancies with no physical 
modification to the facilities. To remediate the remaining 
discrepancies, some existing subtransmission structures would be 
replaced with steel and wood H-frames; these replacement structures 
would mostly be installed proximate to existing structures which would 
be removed. This would involve removing approximately 60 structures, 
installing approximately 62 structures, and modifying approximately 83 
structures.
    A range of reasonable alternatives will be developed and analyzed 
in the EIS after considering information received during the scoping 
period. Preliminary action alternatives include a full rebuild in 
segments 3N, 3S, and 4 and the use of different pole designs in 
portions of segments 1 and 2. The range of reasonable alternatives will 
include a no action alternative, under which the BLM would deny the 
application and the Ivanpah-Control line would remain as existing with 
ongoing maintenance activities as needed. The BLM welcomes comments on 
all preliminary alternatives as well as suggestions for additional 
alternatives. As alternatives should resolve a problem with the 
Proposed Action, please indicate the purpose of any suggested 
alternative.

Summary of Expected Impacts

    Preliminary issues, either beneficial or adverse and of varying 
intensity, for the Project have been identified by BLM personnel and in 
consultation with Federal, State, and local agencies, Tribes, and other 
Cooperating Agencies. These preliminary issues include potential 
impacts to:
     Special status wildlife and vegetation species;
     Visual resources;
     Cultural resources; and
     Areas of Critical Environmental Concern
    The public scoping process will guide determination of relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives and mitigation measures. The EIS will identify 
and describe the effects of the Proposed Action and alternatives on the 
human environment. The BLM also 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.

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations

    In addition to the requested right-of-way grant, other Federal, 
State, and local authorizations will be required for the Project. These 
include authorizations under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, 
the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, 14 CFR part 77, and other 
laws and regulations determined to be applicable to the Project.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation consistent with the NEPA process, including a 45-day 
comment period on the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is anticipated to be 
available for public review in Fall 2023 and the Final EIS is 
anticipated to be released in Summer 2024 with a Record of Decision in 
Summer/Fall 2024.

Public Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping period. The BLM will be 
holding at least two virtual public scoping meetings. The specific 
date(s) and location(s) of these scoping meetings will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through public notices, media releases, 
mailings, and the BLM website above.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The BLM is the lead Federal agency for this EIS and the related 
National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 process. The following 
have agreed to participate in the environmental analysis of the Project 
as Cooperating Agencies: Inyo County, Los Angeles Department of Water 
and Power, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park 
Service, United States Army Corps of Engineers, United States 
Environmental Protection Agency, Fort Irwin National Training Center, 
Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Edwards Air Force Base, and Naval 
Air Weapons Station China Lake. Twenty-eight entities declined or did 
not respond to the BLM's offer to participate in the Project as a 
Cooperating Agency. Federal, State, and local agencies, Tribes, and 
stakeholders interested in the scoping process may request or be 
requested by the BLM, if eligible, to participate in the development of 
the EIS as a Cooperating Agency.

Responsible Official

    The BLM California State Director is the responsible official who 
will make the decisions below.

Nature of Decision to Be Made

    The BLM will use the analysis in the EIS to inform the following: 
whether to grant, grant with conditions, or deny the application for a 
right-of-way. 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.

Additional Information

    The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address 
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed 
action and all analyzed reasonable alternatives and, in accordance with 
40 CFR 1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not already 
included in the proposed action or alternatives. Mitigation may include 
avoidance, minimization, rectification, reduction or elimination over 
time, and compensation, and may be considered at multiple scales, 
including the landscape scale.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA process to help 
support compliance with applicable procedural requirements under the 
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1536) and Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3), including public involvement requirements of Section 106. 
The information about historic and cultural resources and threatened 
and endangered species within the area potentially affected by the 
proposed plan will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts 
to such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM MS 1780, 
and other Departmental policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on 
Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will 
be given due consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along 
with Indian Tribal Nations and stakeholders that may be

[[Page 69304]]

interested in or affected by the proposed Ivanpah-Control Project that 
the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in the scoping 
process and, if eligible, may request or be requested by the BLM to 
participate in the development of the environmental analysis as a 
cooperating agency. The BLM has sent invitations to potentially 
affected Tribal Nations and initiated government-to-government 
consultation meetings and intends to continue coordination throughout 
the NEPA process.
    The Project is in conformance with the California Desert 
Conservation Area Plan as amended and would not require any plan 
amendments. The Ivanpah-Control transmission lines are within west-wide 
energy corridors (established under Section 368 of the Energy Policy 
Act of 2005), including corridor numbers 23-25, which BLM anticipates 
reviewing in an upcoming revision. The Project is not in conflict with 
nor would it require the revision of any existing or proposed west-wide 
energy corridors.
    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 1501.9).

Karen Mouritsen,
Bureau of Land Management California State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-25168 Filed 11-17-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P