[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54669-54670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21652]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[AAK6006201 134A2100DD AOR3B3030.999900]
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed RES
Americas Moapa Solar Energy Center, Clark County, Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA), as the lead Federal agency, with the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the
National Park Service (NPS), and the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians
(Tribe) as Cooperating Agencies, intends to file a draft environmental
impact statement (DEIS) for the proposed RES Americas Moapa Solar
Energy Center on the Moapa River Indian Reservation (Reservation) in
Clark County, Nevada. This notice also announces that the DEIS is now
available for public review and that public meetings will be held to
solicit comments on the DEIS.
DATES: The date and locations of the public meetings will be announced
at least 15 days in advance through notices in the following local
newspapers: Las Vegas Sun, Las Vegas Review Journal and the Moapa
Valley Progress and on the following Web site:
www.MoapaSolarEnergyCenterEIS.com. In order to be fully considered,
written comments on the DEIS must arrive no later than 45 days after
EPA publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: You may mail, email, hand carry or telefax written comments
to Ms. Amy Heuslein, Regional Environmental Protection Officer, BIA
Western Regional Office, Branch of Environmental Quality Services, 2600
North Central Avenue, 4th Floor Mail Room, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-3008;
fax (602) 379-3833; email: [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Amy Heuslein or Mr. Garry Cantley,
BIA Western Regional Office, Branch of Environmental Quality Services,
2600 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-3008, telephone (602)
379-6750.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the Proposed Project is to
construct a 200 megawatt (MW) solar electric generation facility, water
line, and associated infrastructure on the Reservation, and obtain a
right-of-way (ROW) grant on BLM lands for a 230 kV
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and/or 500 kV transmission line and associated access roads. The
primary need for the Proposed Project is to provide land lease income,
sustainable renewable resources, new jobs and other benefits for the
Tribe by using solar resources on Reservation lands where there is high
potential for solar electric generation. A secondary need for the
Proposed Project is to assist utilities in meeting their renewable
energy goals by providing electricity generated from solar resources
from Tribal lands that may be efficiently connected to existing
transmission lines in a manner that minimizes adverse site impacts.
The proposed Federal action is the BIA approval of a solar energy
ground lease and agreements entered into by the Tribe with Moapa Solar
LLC (Applicant), and approval of ROWs and easements for the Applicant
to construct, operate and maintain an up-to 200 MW solar photovoltaic
(PV) electricity generating facility and water pipeline on the
Reservation. The proposed Federal action also includes the BLM approval
of ROWs for the 230 kV and 500 kV transmission lines and access roads
on BLM-administered Federal lands, and the BLM approval of ROWs for the
portions of the 500 kV transmission line and water pipeline located
within an existing utility corridor located on the Reservation.
The BIA and BLM will use the EIS to make decisions on the land
lease and ROW applications under their respective jurisdiction; the EPA
and NPS may use the document to make decisions under their authorities;
the Tribe may use the EIS to make decisions under their Tribal
Environmental Policy Ordinance; and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
may use the EIS to support its decision under the Endangered Species
Act.
Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name,
return address and the caption ``DEIS Comments, Proposed Moapa Solar
Energy Center'' on the first page of your written comments.
Locations where the DEIS is Available for Review: The DEIS will be
available for review at: BIA Western Regional Office, 2600 North
Central Avenue, 12th Floor, Suite 210, Phoenix, Arizona; BIA Southern
Paiute Agency, 180 North 200 East, Suite 111, St. George, Utah; and the
BLM Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las
Vegas, Nevada. The DEIS is also available on line at:
www.MoapaSolarEnergyCenterEIS.com. To obtain a compact disk copy of the
DEIS, please provide your name and address in writing or by voicemail
to Ms. Amy Heuslein or Mr. Garry Cantley. Their contact information is
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
Individual paper copies of the DEIS will be provided only upon request.
Public Comment Availability: Written comments, including names and
addresses of respondents will be available for public review at the BIA
mailing addresses shown in the ADDRESSES section during regular
business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
holidays. Before including your address, telephone 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: This notice is published in accordance with section
1503.1 of the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR
1500 et seq.) and the Department of the Interior Regulations (43 CFR
part 46) implementing the procedural requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and in accordance
with the exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant
Secretary--Indian Affairs by part 209 of the Department Manual.
Dated: August 30, 2013.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-21652 Filed 9-4-13; 8:45 am]
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