[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28618-28619]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11667]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCAD07000, L51010000.FX0000.LVRWB10B4050]
Notice of Availability of the San Diego Gas & Electric Ocotillo
Sol Solar Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft
California Desert Conservation Area Plan Amendment, Imperial County, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Draft California Desert
Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan Amendment for the San Diego Gas &
Electric (SDG&E) Ocotillo Sol Solar Project in Imperial County,
California, and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment
period.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Draft EIS and Draft CDCA Plan Amendment within
90 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM
will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public
involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public
notices, news media releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the SDG&E Ocotillo Sol
Solar Project by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd.html.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: 951-697-5299, Attn: Noel Ludwig.
Mail: California Desert District Office, Attn: Noel
Ludwig, 22835 Calle San Juan de los Lagos, Moreno Valley, California
92553.
Copies of the SDG&E Ocotillo Sol Solar Project Draft EIS and Draft
CDCA Plan Amendment are available in the California Desert District
Office at the above address and at the El Centro Field Office, 1661 S.
4th Street, El Centro, California 92243.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Noel Ludwig, Project Manager,
telephone 951-697-5368; address 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos,
Moreno Valley, California 92553; or email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply
during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM has received a right-of-way (ROW)
application from SDG&E to construct, operate, maintain, and
decommission the Ocotillo Sol project, a solar photovoltaic (PV) power
plant facility, on approximately 115 acres of BLM-administered public
lands in Imperial County, California. The site for the solar facility
would be adjacent to the existing Imperial Valley Substation (IVS), 4
miles south of Interstate 8, approximately 5 miles north of the United
States-Mexico border, 5 miles south of Seeley, 9 miles southwest of El
Centro, and 82 miles east of San Diego. The proposed project site is
located within the BLM's CDCA, the BLM's Yuha Basin Area of Critical
Environmental Concern, and the Yuha Desert Management Area for flat-
tailed horned lizard. A portion of the Juan Bautista de Anza National
Historic Trail lies approximately 5 miles southwest of the project site
at its closest point, and runs approximately north-south. The Jacumba
Mountains Wilderness lies 11.7 miles to the west of the project site.
All proposed project components, including a temporary 15-acre
construction lay-down area, would be located on BLM-administered lands
subject to a ROW grant. The proposed Ocotillo Sol project components
would include the PV modules and mounting structures, a maintenance
building with an associated parking area, internal roads, inverters,
transformers, and the combining switchgear. An existing road to the IVS
would provide access to the proposed project site. New minor internal
roads would be constructed between the module rows. The interconnection
to the IVS would be via underground trench. Once approved and
operational, the proposed Ocotillo Sol project is expected to have a 15
to 20 megawatt generating capacity, depending on the specific
technology chosen.
In connection with its decision on the proposed Ocotillo Sol
project, the BLM will also include consideration of potential
amendments to the CDCA land use plan, as analyzed in the Draft EIS
alternatives. The CDCA plan, while recognizing the potential
compatibility of solar energy facilities on public lands, requires that
all sites associated with power generation or transmission not
identified in the Plan be considered through the land use plan
amendment process. The BLM is deciding whether to amend the CDCA Plan
to identify the Ocotillo Sol project site as available or unavailable
for solar development. The Draft EIS describes the following five
alternatives: (1) No Action/No CDCA Plan Amendment; (2) the Applicant's
Proposed Project to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a
100-acre solar PV facility on BLM-managed lands under an authorized
ROW, plus use of a 15-acre temporary ROW for construction laydown; (3)
a Reduced Footprint Alternative which would retain the 100-acre
facility but reduce the laydown area from 15 acres to 2 acres; (4) No
Action/Amend the CDCA Plan to identify the area as suitable for solar
development; and (5) No Action/Amend the CDCA Plan to identify the area
as unsuitable for solar development. All of the alternatives except the
No Action/No CDCA Plan Amendment would include an amendment to the CDCA
Plan. The BLM has identified the Reduced Footprint Alternative as the
Preferred Alternative. The issues evaluated in the Draft EIS include
the physical, biological, cultural, socioeconomic, and other resources
that have the potential to be affected by the proposed project and
alternatives. The issues are air quality, greenhouse gases and climate
change, geology and soil resources, water resources, biological
resources, cultural resources, paleontological resources, fire and
fuels, lands and realty, special designations, recreation, visual
resources, transportation and public access, noise and vibration,
public health and safety, hazardous materials, socioeconomics, and
environmental justice.
The BLM hosted two public scoping meetings in El Centro,
California, on August 10, 2011. Both the afternoon and evening meetings
were held at the Imperial County Executive Office. A news media release
to introduce the project to the public and provide information about
scoping meetings was issued on July 15, 2011 to local and regional
newspapers, television and
[[Page 28619]]
radio stations, and via the BLM Web site. During the public scoping
period, two Federal agencies, eight special interest groups, and three
individuals provided comments.
Please note that public comments and information submitted--
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who
submit comments--will be available for public review and disclosure at
the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.),
Monday through Friday, except holidays.
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, 1506.10, and 43 CFR 1610.2
Cynthia Staszak,
Acting Deputy State Director, California.
[FR Doc. 2012-11667 Filed 5-9-12; 4:15 pm]
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