21402 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 73 / Friday, April 15, 2011 / Notices 

The BLM initiated the NEPA process 

for the HB In-Situ Solution Mine Project 

by preparing an environmental 

assessment (EA) in 2008. Two public 

scoping meetings were held on 

September 16, 2008, to receive public 

input and comments on the proposed 

project. During development of the EA 

and prior to publication, the BLM 

determined that the preparation of an 

EIS would be required for the proposed 

project. The Notice of Intent to prepare 

an EIS for the HB In-Situ Solution Mine 

Project was published in the Federal 

Register on January 12, 2010, and two 

public scoping meetings were 

conducted on January 26, 2010. A 

scoping report was compiled and 

published on April 1, 2010. Major issues 

identified for this project include water 

use, ground subsidence, and the 

concurrent development of oil and gas 

resources in the same area. 

Alternatives developed include the 

proposed action (Alternative A) which 

uses non-potable water supplied by 

seven wells in the Rustler formation. 

Alternative B includes six of the seven 

wells from the proposed action but also 

considers that a substantial portion of 

the water needed for the project would 

be supplied from fresh water wells in 

the Caprock formation (Ogallala 

Aquifer) 30 miles northeast of the 

project area. Alternative C buries the 

pipelines to reduce surface impacts. An 

alternate routing of pipelines to the 

Caprock is also being considered under 

Alternative B. 

Currently, a preferred alternative has 

not been selected. Alternative A uses a 

greater quantity of non-potable saline 

water; however, this has impacts to the 

environment from the drawdown of the 

aquifer. Alternative B uses a greater 

quantity of potable fresh water but 

impacts from drawdown of the aquifers 

would be reduced. 

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, e-mail 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 and 1506.10. 

Linda S.C. Rundell, 

State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9074 Filed 4–14–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–OX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[CACA 048649, LLCAD06000, L51010000.

FX0000, LVRWB09B2490] 

Notice of Availability of the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Desert Sunlight Holdings, LLC, 

Desert Sunlight Solar Farm and 

Proposed California Desert 

Conservation Area Plan Amendment 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (NEPA), and the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 

prepared a Proposed California Desert 

Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan 

Amendment/Final Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) for the Desert 

Sunlight Solar Farm (DSSF) project and 

by this notice is announcing its 

availability. 

DATES: The BLM planning regulations 

state that any person who meets the 

conditions as described in the 

regulations may protest the BLM’s 

Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final 

EIS. A person who meets the conditions 

and files a protest must file the protest 

within 30 days of the date that the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

publishes its notice in the Federal 

Register. The protest procedures are 

described in the ‘‘Dear Reader’’ letter 

accompanying the Proposed Plan 

Amendment/Final EIS. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the DSSF 

Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final 

EIS have been sent to affected Federal, 

state, and local government agencies 

and to other stakeholders. Copies are 

available for public inspection at the 

Palms Springs South Coast Field Office, 

1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, 

California 92262. Interested persons 

may also review the document at the 

following Web site: http://www.blm.gov

/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/Solar_

Projects/Desert_Sunlight.html. All 

protests must be in writing and mailed 

to one of the following addresses: 

Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), 

Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 

71383, Washington, DC 20024–1383; 

Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), 

Attention: Brenda Williams, 20 M 

Street, S.E., Room 2134LM, 

Washington, DC 20003. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information contact Allison 

Shaffer, BLM Project Manager, 

telephone (760) 833–7100; address (see 

above); or e-mail CAPSSolarFirstSolar

DesertSunlight@blm.gov. 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: Desert 

Sunlight Holdings, LLC has submitted a 

right of way (ROW) application to the 

BLM to construct the proposed DSSF 

which includes a 550-megawatt (MW) 

solar photovoltaic (PV) facility and 

associated 220- kilovolt (kV) 

interconnection line (gen-tie line), and 

to facilitate the construction and 

operation by Southern California Edison 

(SCE) of the new 500/220-kV Red Bluff 

Substation, where the project would 

interconnect with the SCE regional 

transmission system. The total project 

footprint consists of approximately 

4,165 acres of BLM-managed lands with 

a proposed ROW encompassing 

approximately 4,317 acres. The power 

generation site would consist of several 

components: A main generation area 

which includes PV arrays, combining 

switchgear, overhead lines, and access 

corridors; an operations and 

maintenance facility; a solar energy 

visitor center; an on-site substation; and 

site security and fencing. The gen-tie 

line ROW from the project to the 

proposed Red Bluff Substation would 

cover 256 acres with a 12-mile long, 

160-foot wide corridor. The gen-tie line 

would transmit power to SCE’s existing 

Devers-Palo Verde 1 (DPV1) 500-kV 

transmission line. 

The Red Bluff Substation would 

consist of a 500/220-kV substation on 

approximately 76 acres, with an 

additional 73 acres for related features 

including access roads and drainage 

control. Substation features would 

include: connection of the project 

transmission line into the substation; 

transmission lines to connect the 

substation to the DPV1 line; 

modification of DPV1 towers near the 

substation; construction of an electric 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 73 / Friday, April 15, 2011 / Notices 21403 

distribution line for substation light and 

power; and installation of 

telecommunications facilities. 

The project site is located 

approximately 6 miles north of 

Interstate 10 and the rural community of 

Desert Center in Riverside County. The 

project area is within 2 miles of Joshua 

Tree National Park. 

The BLM’s purpose and need for the 

DSSF project is to respond to an 

application for a ROW grant to 

construct, operate, maintain, and 

decommission a solar photovoltaic 

facility on public lands in compliance 

with FLPMA, BLM ROW regulations, 

and other applicable Federal laws. The 

BLM will decide whether to approve, 

approve with modification, or deny the 

ROW for the proposed DSSF project. 

The BLM will also consider amending 

the CDCA Plan in this analysis. The 

CDCA Plan (1980, as amended), while 

recognizing the potential compatibility 

of solar generation facilities on public 

lands, requires that all sites associated 

with power generation or transmission 

not identified in that plan be considered 

through the plan amendment process. If 

the BLM decides to grant a ROW, the 

BLM would also amend the CDCA Plan 

as required. 

In the Final EIS, the proposed action 

is to authorize the DSSF project and 

approve a CDCA Plan amendment in 

response to the application received 

from Desert Sunlight Holdings, LLC. 

The BLM’s preferred alternative is the 

proposed action, which consists of the 

power generation site (Solar Farm 

Layout B), Gen-Tie Line GT–A–1 (which 

parallels Kaiser Road), Substation A, 

and Access Road 2, aggregating 4,165 

acres of permanent ground disturbance. 

Other alternatives to authorizing the 

proposed DSSF project include: (1) 

Authorize the Solar Farm Layout B, 

Gen-Tie Line GT–B–2, and Red Bluff 

Substation B, aggregating 4,100 acres of 

permanent ground disturbance; and (2) 

authorize a reduced footprint alternative 

with a reduced output including Solar 

Farm Layout C (413 MW), Gen-Tie Line 

GT–A–2, Red Bluff Substation A, and 

Access Road 1, aggregating 3,292 acres 

of permanent ground disturbance. 

Additionally, the Final EIS analyzes two 

no project alternatives: (1) Deny the 

project but amend the CDCA Plan to 

allow other solar energy power 

generation projects on the project site; 

and (2) deny the project and amend the 

CDCA Plan to prohibit solar energy 

projects on the project site. As required 

under NEPA, the Final EIS analyzes a 

no action alternative (no ROW grant and 

no CDCA Plan amendment). 

The Final EIS evaluates the potential 

impacts of the proposed DSSF and 

CDCA Plan Amendment on air quality, 

biological resources, cultural resources, 

water resources, geological resources 

and hazards, land use, noise, 

paleontological resources, public health, 

socioeconomics, soils, traffic and 

transportation, visual resources, 

wilderness characteristics, and other 

resources. 

A Notice of Availability for the DSSF 

Draft CDCA Plan Amendment/Draft EIS 

was published by the EPA in the 

Federal Register on August 27, 2010 (75 

FR 52736). The formal 90-day comment 

period ended on November 26, 2010. 

Comments were considered and 

incorporated as appropriate into the 

Proposed CDCA Plan Amendment/Final 

EIS. Public comments resulted in the 

addition of clarifying text, but did not 

significantly change proposed land use 

plan decisions. 

Instructions for filing a protest with 

the Director of the BLM regarding the 

DSSF project may be found in the ‘‘Dear 

Reader’’ letter of the Proposed CDCA 

Plan Amendment/Final EIS and at 43 

CFR 1610.5–2. E-mail and faxed protests 

will not be accepted as valid protests 

unless the protesting party also provides 

the original letter by either regular or 

overnight mail postmarked by the close 

of the protest period. Under these 

conditions, the BLM will consider the email or faxed protest as an advance copy 

and it will receive full consideration. If 

you wish to provide the BLM with such 

advance notification, please direct faxed 

protests to the attention of the BLM 

protest coordinator at 202–912–7212, 

and e-mails to Brenda_HudgensWilliams@blm.gov. All protests, 

including the follow-up letter to e-mails 

or faxes, must be in writing and mailed 

to the appropriate address, as set forth 

in the ADDRESSES section above. 

Before including your phone number, 

e-mail address, or other personal 

identifying information in your protest, 

you should be aware that your entire 

protest–including your personal 

identifying information–may be made 

publicly available at any time. While 

you can ask us in your protest 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 and 1506.10; 43 

CFR 1610.2 and1610.5. 

Thomas Pogacnik, 

Deputy State Director, California. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9076 Filed 4–14–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLNV010000.L19900000.EX0000 241A; 11– 

08807; MO# 4500017134; TAS: 14X1109] 

Notice of Availability of the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Genesis Project, Eureka County, 

NV 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability. 

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), Elko District Office 

has prepared a Final Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) for the Newmont 

Mining Corporation’s proposed Genesis 

Project and by this notice is announcing 

its availability. 

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final 

decision on the proposal for a minimum 

of 30 days following the date the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes its notice in the Federal 

Register. 

ADDRESSES: Printed copies of the 

Genesis Project Final EIS are available 

for public inspection at the BLM Elko 

District Office, 3900 E. Idaho Street, 

Elko, Nevada during regular business 

hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except holidays. The 

Final EIS is also available on-line at: 

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ 

elko_field_office.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kirk 

Laird, Project Manager, (775) 753–0200, 

address: 3900 E. Idaho, Elko, NV 89801, 

or e-mail: Kirk_Laird@blm.gov. 

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: Newmont 

Mining Corporation’s Genesis-Bluestar 

mining operations area is located in 

northeastern Nevada on the Carlin 

Trend, a 50-mile-long by 10-mile-wide 

geologic area that has produced more 

than 60 million ounces of gold from 

numerous mines over the last 30 years. 

The proposed action is to expand the 

Genesis Pit, develop the new Bluestar 

Ridge Pit, backfill the Beast and Bluestar 

pits and partially backfill the Genesis 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES