[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 216 (Thursday, November 9, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77358-77361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24748]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_UT_FRN_MO4500172964]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Cross-Tie 500-kV Transmission Project in Beaver, 
Juab, and Millard Counties, Utah, and Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine 
Counties, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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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) 
announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Cross-Tie 500-kilovolt (kV) Transmission Project (Cross-
Tie Project or Project).

DATES: To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the 
Final EIS, please ensure that the BLM receives your comments within 45 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS in the 
Federal Register. The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.

ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS is available for review on the BLM's ePlanning 
Project website at https://bit.ly/ePlanningCrossTie.
    Written comments related to the Cross-Tie Project may be submitted 
by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].

[[Page 77359]]

     Mail: BLM Fillmore Field Office, ATTN: Cross-Tie Project, 
Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office, 95 East 500 North, 
Fillmore, Utah 84631.
    Verbal comments related to the Cross-Tie Project may be submitted 
via telephone hotline at 1-888-674-0962. Documents pertinent to this 
proposal may be examined online at the ePlanning website noted above 
and at the following office locations:
     BLM Bristlecone Field Office and Ely District Office, 702 
North Industrial Way, Ely, Nevada 89301;
     BLM Caliente Field Office, 1400 Front Street, Caliente, 
Nevada 89008;
     BLM Cedar City Field Office and Color Country District 
Office, 176 East D.L. Sargent Drive, Cedar City, Utah 84721;
     BLM Fillmore Field Office, 95 East 500 North, Fillmore, 
Utah 84631;
     BLM West Desert District Office, 491 North John Glenn 
Road, Salt Lake City, Utah 84116;
     Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Ely Ranger 
District, 825 Avenue E, Ely, Nevada 89301; and
     Forest Service Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest 
Supervisor's Office, 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, Nevada 89431.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clara Stevens, Project Manager, 
address 95 East 500 North, Fillmore, Utah 84631; email [email protected]; telephone 435-743-3119. 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. Stevens. 
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: The applicant, TransCanyon, LLC 
(TransCanyon), submitted an Application for Transportation and Utility 
Systems and Facilities on Federal Lands (Standard Form 299) and a draft 
Plan of Development to the BLM and U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) Forest Service (Forest Service) for a permanent facility right-
of-way (ROW) and a special use permit (SUP) for the construction, 
operation and maintenance (O&M), and decommissioning of the Cross-Tie 
Project.
    The BLM Fillmore Field Office, in coordination with cooperating 
agencies, prepared a Draft EIS to analyze potential impacts from the 
Proposed Action and alternatives. New permanent and temporary land use 
authorizations would be required to construct, operate, and maintain, 
and decommission Project components. In Utah, the Proposed Action would 
cross approximately 98 miles of BLM administered land, 14 miles of 
state land, and 26 miles of private land for a total of 138 miles. In 
Nevada, the Proposed Action would cross 63 miles of BLM administered 
land, eight miles of Forest Service administered land, four miles of 
private land, and one mile of state land for a total of 76 miles. 
TransCanyon would obtain these land use authorizations through a ROW 
grant from the BLM, a SUP from the Forest Service, and easements or fee 
purchases for non-federal lands.

Purpose and Need for the Action

    The purpose and need of the BLM federal action is to respond to the 
ROW application submitted by TransCanyon for the construction, O&M, and 
decommissioning of the proposed 500-kV transmission line on BLM-
administered land between the Clover Substation in central Utah and the 
Robinson Summit Substation in east-central Nevada, in compliance with 
Title V of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1761-1771), the BLM's ROW regulations at 43 
CFR part 2800, and other applicable federal laws and policies to grant 
ROWs over public land.
    The purpose and need of the Forest Service federal action is to 
respond to an application for a SUP submitted by TransCanyon for the 
construction, O&M, and decommissioning of the proposed 500-kV 
transmission line on National Forest System land in east-central Nevada 
in compliance with FLPMA and the National Forest Management Act (16 
U.S.C. 1601-1614), as well as the Humboldt National Forest Land and 
Resource Management Plan, as amended, which provides forest-wide 
standards and guidelines for management of National Forest System land 
crossed by the Project. The SUP application and authorization process 
objectives are to (1) authorize use and occupy National Forest System 
land that is in the public interest while avoiding and minimizing 
adverse effects and (2) ensure conformance with existing land and 
resource management plans.
    For both agencies, FLPMA also provides the BLM and the Forest 
Service with discretionary authority to authorize use (i.e., via a ROW 
and a SUP, respectively) of land they administer, taking into 
consideration impacts on natural and cultural resources. In doing so, 
the BLM and Forest Service both must endeavor ``to minimize damage to 
scenic and esthetic values and fish and wildlife habitat and otherwise 
protect the environment'' through avoidance or mitigation (FLPMA Title 
V).

Alternatives

    The BLM has analyzed six alternatives in detail, including the 
Proposed Action, four action alternatives, and the No Action 
Alternative. The Draft EIS analysis addresses the alternatives in two 
different ways. Within the Draft EIS, there is a comparison of each 
alternative to the comparable segment of the Proposed Action it 
replaces (segment specific), and there is also a comparison of start-
to-finish alternatives. The start-to-finish alternatives are referred 
to as the Modified Proposed Action with Alternative A, B, C, or D. The 
segment alternatives can be substituted into a start-to-finish route in 
a variety of combinations to create a modified Proposed Action.
    Under the No Action Alternative, the BLM would not approve a ROW 
grant and the Forest Service would not approve a SUP to construct, O&M, 
and decommission the Project. The Project infrastructure and facilities 
would not be built, and existing land uses and present activities in 
the area would continue consistent with the applicable land use plan 
governing management of the affected lands.
    The Proposed Action, which is TransCanyon's desired alternative, 
includes an approximately 214-mile, 1,500-megawatt, 500-kV high-voltage 
alternating current (HVAC) overhead transmission line that would be 
constructed between the Clover Substation in central Utah and the 
Robinson Summit Substation in east-central Nevada. The Project would be 
situated within a 250-foot-wide ROW/SUP, 125 feet from centerline, 
which would maintain separation from other existing extra-high-voltage 
transmission lines as required by the North American Electric 
Reliability Corporation. The Project facilities would include a 500-kV 
HVAC overhead transmission line, new substation equipment at the Clover 
Substation in central Utah (within the existing substation footprint) 
and at the Robinson Summit Substation in east-central Nevada (within a 
46-acre proposed expansion), regeneration stations near the line for 
the fiber optic ground wire, series compensation station(s), temporary 
and permanent access roads, and temporary work areas associated with 
construction activities.
    The Alternative A segment would be 27 miles long, replacing a 23-
mile-long segment of the Proposed Action in

[[Page 77360]]

southeastern Juab County and northeastern Millard County, Utah, to 
minimize potential impacts to private landowners and their viewsheds in 
the area near Leamington, Utah, and minimize potential impacts to the 
Sevier River and agricultural property.The Alternative A segment would 
deviate from the Proposed Action in eastern Juab County, cross BLM-
administered land, and follow the route of the approved TransWest 
Express ROW until it rejoins the Proposed Action at the line between 
Juab and Millard Counties. Start-to-finish, the Modified Proposed 
Action with Alternative A would increase the total length of the route 
from 214 miles to 218 miles.
    The Alternative B segment would be 159 miles long, replacing a 69-
mile-long segment of the Proposed Action in central and western Millard 
County, Utah, to minimize crossings of the Sevier A and Sevier B 
Military Operating Area (MOAs) (low-level flight training areas) that 
are part of the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range 
(UTTR) airspace that overlies BLM-managed lands in Utah.Alternative B 
would cross into Beaver County, Utah, following identified utility 
corridors to Milford, Utah, then turn west and north following an 
identified Section 368 Energy Corridor back to the Proposed Action 
alignment near the Utah-Nevada state line. Start-to-finish, the 
Modified Proposed Action with Alternative B would increase the total 
length of the route from 214 miles to 304 miles.
    The Alternative C segment would be 13 miles long, replacing a 7-
mile-long segment of the Proposed Action in eastern White Pine County, 
Nevada, to minimize potential impacts to the culturally sensitive 
Spring Valley area and Bahsawahbee Traditional Cultural Property (TCP). 
Alternative C would diverge from the Proposed Action and follow U.S. 
Highway 6/50 southwest, then follow State Route 893 northwest back to 
the Proposed Action. Start-to-finish, the Modified Proposed Action with 
Alternative C would increase the total length of the route from 214 
miles to 220 miles.
    The Alternative D segment would be 297 miles long, replacing a 145-
mile-long segment of the Proposed Action in Millard County, Utah, and 
eastern White Pine County, Nevada, to avoid areas of Tribal resource 
concerns in Spring Valley, Nevada. Alternative D would follow the 
Alternative B route alignment through Beaver County, Utah, then depart 
from Alternative B shortly after reentering Millard County, Utah. It 
would then head west, north of the county line, and cross into Lincoln 
County, Nevada. From there, the route would head west, then southwest 
to an energy corridor designated in the Ely District Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) near Atlanta, Nevada. The route would then follow 
the RMP corridor west and south until it intersects the Section 368 
Energy Corridor that contains the existing One Nevada Transmission 
Line. It would then follow the One Nevada Transmission Line north to 
the Robinson Summit Substation. Start-to-finish, the Modified Proposed 
Action with Alternative D would increase the total length of the route 
from 214 miles to 366 miles.
    The BLM has not identified a preferred alternative in the Draft 
EIS. Instead, input received on the Draft EIS during the public comment 
period will inform which alternative would be selected as the preferred 
alternative in the Final EIS.

Mitigation

    Applicant-Committed Environmental Protection Measures (ACEPMs) are 
included as part of the Proposed Action and have been identified to 
reduce impacts on environmental resources. These measures would apply 
to all action alternatives. TransCanyon and its contractor(s) would 
adhere to the ACEPMs identified during the engineering/design phase and 
to the measures addressing construction, O&M, and decommissioning 
activities. A full list of the ACEPMs can be found in Appendix A of the 
Draft EIS, which includes TransCanyon's Plan of Development (POD). The 
POD is expected to continue to be developed with additional details and 
potentially additional ACEPMs as the NEPA process progresses, and up 
through any authorization(s) that may be issued. Additionally, resource 
sections within the Draft EIS contain additional measures to avoid, 
minimize, or compensate for impacts to resources. The BLM is also 
working with state agencies to determine mitigation requirements for 
impacts to Greater sage-grouse.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The BLM serves as the lead federal agency for completing the Draft 
EIS. The EIS is being prepared by the BLM Fillmore Field Office, in 
coordination with the Cedar City Field Office in Utah, the BLM 
Bristlecone Field Office and Caliente Field Office in Nevada, and 
cooperating agencies. The BLM invited federal and state agencies and 
State, Tribal, and local governments to serve as cooperating agencies. 
The following entities accepted the invitation and are participating as 
cooperating agencies:
     Federal Agencies:
    [cir] Forest Service (Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ely Ranger 
District)
    [cir] EPA
    [cir] U.S. Department of Defense (UTTR)
    [cir] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
     State Agencies:
    [cir] Utah Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office (with multiple 
State of Utah entities participating through this office, as noted 
below)
    [ssquf] University of Utah Telescope Array Project
    [ssquf] Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
    [ssquf] Utah Department of Transportation
    [ssquf] Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
    [ssquf] Utah Trust Lands Administration
    [cir] Nevada Department of Wildlife
    [cir] Nevada Division of Minerals
    [cir] Nevada Sagebrush Ecosystem Program
    [cir] Nevada State Lands Division Nevada N-4 State Grazing Board
     Local Governments and Agencies:
    [cir] Beaver County, Utah
    [cir] Juab County, Utah
    [cir] Millard County, Utah
    [cir] Lincoln County, Nevada
    [cir] Nye County, Nevada
    [cir] White Pine County, Nevada
    [cir] City of Ely, Nevada
    [cir] Lincoln County Conservation District
     Tribal Governments:
    [cir] Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
    [cir] Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone-Elko Band
    Cooperating agency participation may include developing information 
and preparing analyses, contributing technical expertise to enhance the 
lead agency's interdisciplinary capabilities, and providing comments 
for those matters for which it has jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise. The Tribal governments noted above have elected to 
participate as cooperating agencies. The cooperating agency 
relationship established here supplements and is subordinate to the 
government-to-government relationship between Tribal Nations and the 
BLM.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM anticipates releasing a Final EIS in August 2024 and 
anticipates issuing a Record of Decision in December 2024.

Public Involvement Process

    On May 2, 2022, the BLM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to 
prepare an EIS in the Federal Register (87 Federal Register 25656), 
announcing the beginning of the public scoping process.

[[Page 77361]]

While the NOI identified the end date of the scoping period as May 31, 
2022, the BLM ultimately extended it until June 1, 2022. Two virtual 
public scoping meetings were held on May 17 and May 18, 2022. During 
the scoping period, the BLM received 59 unique submittals totaling 416 
discrete comments. The Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Report 
for the Cross-Tie 500-kV Transmission Project can be found on BLM's 
ePlanning Project website (see ADDRESSES).
    This NOA initiates the Draft EIS review process. The BLM will hold 
one virtual and up to four in-person public information meetings 
associated with the Project. Possible in-person meeting locations 
include: Ely, Nevada, and Delta, Milford, and Nephi, Utah. The specific 
date(s) and location(s) of these meetings will be announced at least 10 
days in advance through news releases, local media, social media, and 
the BLM's ePlanning Project website (see ADDRESSES). During the public 
comment period, the BLM will accept comments through email, mail, and 
hotline.
    The BLM will continue to consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a 
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 
13175, BLM Manual Section 1780, and other Departmental policies. Tribal 
concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential 
impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration. 
Consultation will continue on an individual basis with interested 
Tribes.
    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)

Gregory Sheehan,
BLM Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-24748 Filed 11-8-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-25-P