[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 180 (Friday, September 16, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 57733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23783]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Western Area Power Administration
Notice of Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement for the
Interconnection of the Hualapai Valley Solar Project, Mohave County, AZ
(DOE/EIS-0434)
AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE.
ACTION: Notice of Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Western Area Power
Administration (Western) is issuing this notice to advise the public
that it is cancelling the preparation of an environmental impact
statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on
an interconnection request by the Hualapai Valley Solar, LLC (HVS).
DATES: This cancellation is effective on September 16, 2011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the
cancellation of this EIS process, contact Mr. Matt Blevins, NEPA
Document Manager, Western Area Power Administration, P.O. Box 281213,
Lakewood, CO 80228-8213, Fax: (720) 962-7263, phone: at (720) 962-7261
or (800) 336-7288, or e-mail: [email protected]. For general information
on the DOE's NEPA review process, contact Carol M. Borgstrom, Director,
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-54, U.S. Department of Energy,
1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0119, telephone
(202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756, facsimile (202) 586-7031.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Western is cancelling the preparation of an
EIS under the NEPA on an interconnection request by HVS for a proposed
utility-scale solar generation facility. HVS proposed to design,
construct, operate, and maintain a 340-megawatt solar generation
facility, and ancillary facilities including transmission line, access
roads, and temporary laydown areas, about 27 miles north of Kingman in
Mohave County, Arizona. HVS applied to interconnect the solar
generation facility to Western's regional electric transmission system
at one of two alternative points, (1) the Mead-Phoenix Transmission
Line; or (2) the Liberty-Mead Transmission Line, thus triggering a NEPA
review of Western's action to approve or deny HVS's request to
interconnect its proposed project with Western's transmission system.
If either one of the interconnection requests were approved, Western
would have needed to construct and operate an interconnection facility
at one of the interconnection points. Portions of HVS's proposed
transmission line, effluent pipeline, and access roads would cross land
administered by the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), and would require right-of-way (ROW) authorization
from BLM. In addition, Western applied to the BLM for an amendment to
the ROW for its Mead-Liberty transmission line to accommodate a
proposed new switchyard, and issue ROW for the proposed switchyard
access road. BLM was a cooperating agency for the preparation of the
EIS.
A Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement was
published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2009 (74 FR 47245).
Public scoping meetings were held subsequent to the Notice of Intent,
but a Draft EIS was not produced. The HVS interconnection requests are
no longer active; accordingly, Western is terminating the NEPA review
process on its interconnection decision.
The Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health granted
approval authority to Western's Administrator for EISs related to
integrating major new sources of generation in an October 4, 1999,
memorandum. Under the authority granted by that memorandum, I have
terminated the NEPA process for HVS's proposed project with the
publication of this notice.
Dated: September 8, 2011.
Timothy J. Meeks,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2011-23783 Filed 9-15-11; 8:45 am]
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