[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 94 (Friday, May 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28001-28002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-11298]
[[Page 28001]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[156A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900 253G]
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Aiya Solar
Project, Clark County, Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), as the lead Federal agency,
with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Moapa
Band of Paiute Indians (Tribe) as Cooperating Agencies, has prepared a
draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the proposed Aiya Solar
Project on the Moapa River Indian Reservation (Reservation) in Clark
County, Nevada. This notice announces that the DEIS is now available
for public review and that BIA will hold public meetings 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.AiyaSolarProjectEIS.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 deliver or telefax written
comments to Mr. Chip Lewis, Acting 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]. 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.AiyaSolarProjectEIS.com.
To obtain a compact disk copy of the DEIS, please provide your name
and address in writing or by voicemail to Mr. Chip Lewis 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Chip Lewis, BIA Western Regional
Office, Branch of Environmental Quality Services, 2600 North Central
Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-3008, telephone (602) 379-6782; or Mr.
Garry Cantley at (602) 379-6750.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed Federal action, taken under 25
U.S.C. 415, is BIA's approval of a solar energy ground lease and
associated agreements entered into by the Tribe with Aiya Solar
Project, LLC (Aiya Solar or Applicant), a wholly owned subsidiary of
First Solar, Inc. (First Solar), to provide for construction and
operation of an up-to 100 megawatt (MW) alternating current solar
photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation facility located entirely on
the Reservation and specifically on lands held in trust by BIA for the
Tribe. The proposed 230 kilovolt (kV) generation-tie transmission line
required for interconnection would be located on Tribal lands, private
lands and Federal lands administered and managed by BLM. The Applicant
has accordingly requested that BIA and BLM additionally approve right-
of-ways (ROWs) authorizing the construction and operation of the
transmission line. Together, the proposed solar energy facility,
transmission line, and other associated facilities make up the proposed
Aiya Solar Project (Project).
The Project would be located in Township 14 South, Range 66 East,
Sections 29, 30, 31, and 32 Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada. The
generation facility would generate electricity using PV panels. Also
included would be inverters, a collection system, an on-site substation
to step-up the voltage to transmission level voltage at 230 kV, an
operations and maintenance building, and other related facilities. A
single overhead 230 kV generation-tie transmission line, approximately
1.5 to 3 miles long, would connect the solar project to NV Energy's
Reid-Gardner 230kV substation through a point northeast of the existing
Reid-Gardner substation where a new NV Energy collector station would
be built in the future.
Construction of the Project is expected to take approximately 12 to
15 months. The Applicant is expected to operate the energy facility for
30 years, with two options to renew the lease for an additional 10
years, if mutually acceptable to the Tribe and Applicant. During
construction, the PV panels will be placed on top of fixed-tilt and/or
single-axis tracking mounting systems that are set on steel posts
embedded in the ground. Other foundation design techniques may be used
depending on the site topography and conditions. No water will be used
to generate electricity during operations. Water will be needed during
construction for dust control and a minimal amount will be needed
during operations for landscape irrigation and administrative and
sanitary water use on site. The water supply required for construction
of the Project would be leased from the Tribe and would be provided via
a new temporary intake installed in the Muddy River and a new temporary
above-ground pipeline approximately two miles in length. Operational
water would be provided through a tap into an existing water pipeline
that crosses the solar site. Access to the Project will be provided via
State Highway 168.
The purposes of the Project are to: (1) Provide a long-term,
diverse, and viable economic revenue base and job opportunities for the
Tribe; (2) help Nevada and neighboring states to meet their state
renewable energy needs; and (3) allow the Tribe, in partnership with
the Applicant, to optimize the use of the lease site while maximizing
the potential economic benefit to the Tribe.
The BIA and BLM will use the EIS to make decisions on the land
lease and ROW applications under their respective jurisdiction. The EPA
may use the document to make decisions under its authorities. The Tribe
may use the EIS to make decisions under its Tribal Environmental Policy
Ordinance. The USFWS 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 Aiya Solar
Project'', on the first page of your written comments.
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
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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
part 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: May 1, 2015.
Kevin Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-11298 Filed 5-14-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P