[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 69 (Monday, April 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21377-21378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08264]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[167A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Fort Mojave Solar Project on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation,
Mohave County, Arizona, and Clark County, Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), as lead agency in
cooperation with the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe (Tribe), the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM), and other agencies, intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will evaluate a photovoltaic
(PV) solar energy generation project on the Fort Mojave Indian
Reservation in Mohave County, Arizona. Associated transmission lines
and substations located on Tribal trust lands, Federal lands
administered and managed by BLM and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), State-
administered lands, and county and private lands in Clark County,
Nevada, will also be evaluated.
This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process to
solicit public comment and identify potential issues related to the
EIS. It also announces that two public scoping meetings will be held to
identify potential issues, alternatives, and mitigation to be
considered in the EIS.
DATES: In order to be fully considered, written comments on the scope
of the EIS or implementation of the proposal must arrive by May 11,
2016. The dates and locations of the public scoping meetings will be
published in local papers (Mohave Valley Daily News, Needles Desert
Star, and Laughlin Nevada Times) 15 days before the scoping meetings
and will also be available on the EIS Web site at
FortMojaveSolarProjectEIS.com.
ADDRESSES: You may mail, email, or hand carry written comments to Mr.
Chip Lewis, Regional Environmental Compliance Officer, BIA Western
Regional Office, 2600 North Central Avenue, 4th Floor Mailroom,
Phoenix, Arizona 85004; telephone: (602) 379-6782; email:
[email protected].
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 Tribal Solar, LLC
(Tribal Solar), a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Solar. If approved,
these documents would allow the construction and operation of an up-to
332 megawatt (MW) alternating current solar PV electricity generation
facility located entirely on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation and
specifically on lands held in trust by the United States for the Tribe.
The proposed generation-tie transmission lines and substations required
for interconnection would be located on Tribal trust lands, Federal
lands administered and managed by BLM and BOR, State-administered
lands, and county and private lands in Clark County, Nevada. The BIA
and BLM would additionally approve right-of-ways (ROWs) authorizing the
construction and operation of the transmission line and other
supporting facilities, as needed. Together, the proposed solar energy
facility, transmission lines, and other associated facilities will make
up the proposed solar project (Project).
The proposed solar energy facility would be located on
approximately 2,800 acres of Tribal trust lands leased from the Tribe
out of a total of approximately 3,600 acres available under an option
for lease. These lands are currently used for agriculture. The solar
energy facility would include PV panels, power inverters and
transformers, a 34.5 kV collection system either overhead or
underground, a substation, an operations and maintenance building with
parking, meteorology towers, security fencing and lighting, and other
on-site facilities as required.
The Project would interconnect into the existing Mohave 500 kV
Switchyard located near the town of Laughlin, Nevada. As proposed, an
approximately 18-mile 230 kilovolt (kV) single or multiple circuit line
would be built to a new 230/500 kV substation, which would be located
next to/near the Mohave 500 kV Switchyard. Here, the voltage would be
stepped up to 500 kV and then a short single or multiple circuit 500 kV
line would be built from the 230/500 kV substation to connect to the
Mohave 500 kV Switchyard.
The solar facility would be located on Tribal lands in Township 18
North, Range 22 West, Sections 3, 4, 9, and 10 and Township 19 North,
Range 22 West, Sections 15, 16, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 33, and 34 in
Arizona. Access to the solar facility site would be provided by
existing roads crossing through and next to the proposed solar facility
site. Construction of the Project is expected to take approximately 18
to 32 months. Tribal Solar is expected to operate the energy facility
for up to 35 years subsequent to the Project's Commercial Operations
Date. No water would be used to generate electricity during operations.
Water would be needed during construction for dust control and other
construction activities and a minimal amount would be needed during
operations. The water supply required for portions of the Project on
the Reservation would be obtained from the Tribe.
The purposes of the proposed actions and the Project are, among
other things, to: use the Tribe's solar energy resources; provide a
long-term, diverse, and viable economic revenue base, job opportunities
and other benefits for the Tribe; generate clean, renewable electricity
to help Southwestern states to meet their State renewable energy needs
and reduce demand for generation facilities that might result in cross-
border air pollution; and allow the Tribe, in partnership with Tribal
Solar, to optimize the use of the lease site while maximizing the
potential economic benefit to the Tribe.
BIA will prepare the EIS in cooperation with the Tribe, BLM, and
possibly BOR, Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), State of Nevada, and Clark County, Nevada. In addition, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will provide input on the analysis
and may also serve as a cooperating agency. The resulting EIS will aim
to: (1) Provide agency decision makers, the Tribe, and the general
public with a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of the
proposed Project and alternatives on and off the Reservation;
[[Page 21378]]
(2) describe the cumulative impacts of development on the Reservation;
and (3) identify and propose mitigation measures that would minimize or
prevent significant adverse impacts. Consistent with these objectives,
the EIS will analyze the proposed Project and appurtenant features,
viable alternatives, and the No Action alternative.
The EIS will provide a framework for BIA and BLM to make
determinations and to decide whether to take the aforementioned Federal
actions. In addition, BIA and BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA
commenting process to satisfy its obligations under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108), as
provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Native American Tribal
consultations will be conducted in accordance with Departmental policy,
and Tribal concerns, including potential impacts on Indian trust
assets, will be given due consideration. Other Federal agencies may
rely on the EIS to make decisions under their authority and the Tribe
may also use the EIS to support any of their decisions. USFWS will
review the EIS for consistency with the Endangered Species Act, as
amended, and other implementing acts, and may rely on the EIS to
support its decisions and opinions regarding the Project.
Issues to be covered during the scoping process may include, but
would not be limited to, Project impacts on: Air quality, geology and
soils, surface and groundwater resources, biological resources,
threatened and endangered species, cultural resources, socioeconomic
conditions, land use, aesthetics, environmental justice, climate
change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and Indian trust resources. In
addition to those already identified above, additional Federal, State,
and local agencies, along with other stakeholders that may be
interested in or affected by the BIA's decision on the proposed
Project, are invited to participate in the scoping process.
Submission of Public Comments
Please include your name, return address, and the caption ``EIS,
Fort Mojave Solar Project,'' on the first page of any written comments.
You may also submit comments at the public scoping meetings or via the
EIS Web site at FortMojaveSolarProjectEIS.com.
The public scoping meetings will be held to further describe the
Project and identify potential issues and alternatives to be considered
in the EIS. One public scoping meeting will be held on the Reservation
and another public scoping meeting will be held in Laughlin, Nevada.
The dates of the public scoping meetings will be included in notices to
be posted in local papers (Mohave Valley Daily News, Needles Desert
Star, and Laughlin Nevada Times) 15 days before the meetings and will
also be available on the EIS Web site (FortMojaveSolarProjectEIS.com).
Public Comment Availability
Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at the mailing address 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,
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.
Authority
This notice is published in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.7 of the
Council of Environmental Quality regulations and 43 CFR 46.235 of the
Department of the Interior Regulations implementing the procedural
requirements of the NEPA (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: March 31, 2016.
Lawrence S. Roberts,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-08264 Filed 4-8-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P