### 50477 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 157 / Monday, August 15, 2011 / Notices

surplus energy purchased from electric utilities, Federal power marketing agencies, and other entities within the United States. The existing international transmission facilities to be utilized by Glacial have previously been authorized by Presidential permits issued pursuant to Executive Order 10485, as amended, and are appropriate for open access transmission by third parties.

Procedural Matters: Any person desiring to be heard in this proceeding should file a comment or protest to the application at the address provided

above. Protests should be filed in

accordance with Rule 211 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Rules of Practice and Procedures (18 CFR 385.211). Any person desiring to become a party to these proceedings

should file a motion to intervene at the

above address in accordance with FERC Rule 214 (385.214). Fifteen copies of each comment, protest, or motion to

intervene should be filed with DOE on

or before the date listed above.

Comments on the Glacial application to export electric energy to Mexico should be clearly marked with Docket No. EA–382. An additional copy is to be filed directly with Michael B. Giery, Senior Corporate Counsel, 5326 Yacht Haven Grande #36, St. Thomas, VI

00802. A final decision will be made on this application after the environmental impacts have been evaluated pursuant to DOE’s National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021) and a determination is made by DOE that the proposed action will not have an adverse impact on the reliability of the U.S. electric power supply system.

Copies of this application will be made available, upon request, for public inspection and copying at the address provided above, by accessing the program Web site at http://www.oe. energy.gov/permits

_ pending.htm, or by e-mailing Odessa Hopkins at Odessa.hopkins@hq.doe.gov.

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 9,

2011. Anthony J. Como,
Director, Permitting and Siting, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.

[FR Doc. 2011–20661 Filed 8–12–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6450–01–P DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY** 

**[DOE/EIS–0458]**

**Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for a**  **Proposed Federal Loan Guarantee To Support Construction and Start-up of**  **the Topaz Solar Farm, San Luis Obispo County, CA** 

**AGENCY :**  U.S. Department of Energy.

**ACTION :**  Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

**SUMMARY :**  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the DOE Loan Guarantee to Royal Bank of Scotland for Construction and Startup of the Topaz Solar Farm, San Luis Obispo County, California (DOE/EIS–0458) (Final EIS). The Final EIS, prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the DOE’s proposed action of issuing a Federal loan guarantee to support construction and start-up of the Topaz Solar Farm Project located in San Luis Obispo County, California (Proposed Project). The Proposed Project is a nominal 550- megawatt solar power generating facility based on photovoltaic (PV) technology on approximately 3,500 acres of private land in San Luis Obispo County,
California. DOE considered all comments received in preparing the EIS and incorporated both the comments and DOE’s responses in the Final EIS.

**DATES :**  DOE will publish a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 days after publication of EPA’s Notice of Availability in the Federal Register

. **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  To
obtain additional information about this EIS, or to receive a copy of the Final EIS, contact Angela Colamaria by telephone: 202–287–5387; toll-free
number: 800–832–0885 ext. 75387; or electronic mail: Angela.Colamaria@hq.doe.gov. For general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC–54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585; telephone: 202–
586–4600; facsimile: 202–586–7031; electronic mail: askNEPA@hq.doe.gov; or leave a toll-free message at 800–472–

2756.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  Title XVII of Energy Policy Act 2005 (EPAct) established a Federal loan guarantee program for eligible energy projects, and was amended by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to create Section 1705 of Title XVII (42 U.S.C. 16516), authorizing a new program for rapid deployment of renewable energy projects and related manufacturing facilities, electric power transmission projects, and leading edge biofuels projects. The Section 1705 Program is designed to address the current economic conditions of the nation, in part, through financing such projects.

The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, as Lender-Applicant, with Topaz Solar Farms, LLC (Topaz) as the borrower, applied to DOE for a federal loan guarantee under the Solicitation entitled, ‘‘Federal Loan Guarantees for Commercial Technology Renewable Energy Generation Projects under the Financial Institution Partnership Program’’ (Solicitation No. DE–FOA– 0000166), issued on October 7, 2009.

The purpose and need for action by DOE is to comply with its mandate under EPAct 2005 by selecting eligible projects that meet the goals of the Section 1705 Program, as summarized
above. The EIS informs DOE’s decision on whether to issue a loan guarantee to support the Proposed Project. DOE’s proposed action is to issue a loan guarantee to support construction and startup of the Topaz Solar Farm (Proposed Project). The Proposed Project would be located in an unincorporated portion of eastern San Luis Obispo County, California, adjacent to Highway 58 and east of Bitterwater Road. Topaz has options to purchase approximately 10,000 acres of land in the project area. The Proposed Project would be developed on approximately 3,500 acres of private land.

The Proposed Project would consist of: a solar field of approximately nine million ground-mounted PV modules, within up to 460 PV arrays, that collect solar radiation to produce electricity; an electrical collection system that converts generated power from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) and delivers it to a new Project
substation which collects and converts the generated power from 34.5 kV to 230 kV for delivery via a new Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) switching station to PG&E’s existing Morro Bay-Midway
230–kV transmission line which runs in an east-to-west direction through the site and portions of Kern County; and the aforementioned PG&E switching station that interconnects the Proposed Project to PG&E’s existing transmission line. After construction, PG&E would own and operate the switching station. As part of the Proposed Project, Topaz would construct and operate a Monitoring and Maintenance Facility, and may also construct a Solar Energy


### 50478 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 157 / Monday, August 15, 2011 / Notices

Learning Center within the Proposed Project’s site boundary. The Proposed Project would also include up to 22
miles of on-site access roads as well as leach field and septic systems for the
facilities listed above.

Generated electricity would be sold to PG&E under a long-term power purchase agreement. Topaz has interconnection agreements in place for the first 400 MW of Project capacity. The California Independent System Operator has determined that network upgrades would be required to accommodate the Proposed Project’s remaining 150 MW, as well as other generation projects in the region. Network upgrades could include the reconductoring of 35 miles of the 230–
kV transmission lines between the new PG&E switching station and the Midway Substation. Such upgrades would extend the height of every other existing tower by 20 feet, but would not
introduce a new structure.

Alternatives

In determining the range of reasonable
alternatives to be considered in the EIS for the Proposed Project, DOE identified
the reasonable alternatives that would satisfy the underlying purpose and need for agency action. Rather than being directly responsible for the siting, construction, and operation of respective projects selected in response to solicitations under EPAct 2005,
DOE’s actions are limited to guaranteeing the debt obligation for the project. Therefore, DOE’s overall decision will be to either provide a loan guarantee for the Proposed Project or to decline to provide a loan guarantee (i.e., the No Action Alternative, as discussed below). The potential environmental impacts of a No Action alternative, as well as two project-specific alternatives,are analyzed in the EIS. The projectspecific alternatives include alternate configurations for the solar arrays.

Within the Proposed Project site, Topaz identified two Study Areas (Study Area A and Study Area B) that would be suitable for the Proposed Project and that were evaluated in the Draft EIS (Project-Specific Alternative A and Project-Specific Alternative B). In the Final EIS, DOE revised the analysis to include a County-approved project layout located wholly within Project Specific Alternative A (Study Area A) and to identify a Preferred Alternative. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) implementing regulations require a lead agency to identify a Preferred
Alternative in the Final EIS unless another law prohibits the expression of such a preference (40 CFR 1502.14[e]).
DOE’s Preferred Alternative is to issue a loan guarantee for Alternative A with County-Approved Project Layout (termed Alternative 3B.1 in the San Luis Obispo County Final EIR and approved by the County of San Luis Obispo Planning through its conditional use permit process). Alternative A with County-Approved Project Layout involves a project layout that is contained within Study Area A. Alternative A with County-Approved Project Layout would involve a solar facility with a footprint of 3,500 acres, approximately 600 acres less than the development site analyzed under
Alternative A in the Draft EIS. While the County approved a PV solar facility within the Alternative A footprint, Alternative B is retained for continuity
between the Draft and Final EIS.

Under the No Action Alternative, DOE would not provide the loan guarantee to Topaz. Although Topaz may still pursue the Project without the loan guarantee, as defined above, for purposes of the EIS analysis, it is
assumed that the No Action Alternative would result in no Project or in a no
build scenario.

Floodplain Assessment

In the October 22, 2010 Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (75 FR 65306), DOE provided notice of a proposed DOE action in a floodplain pursuant to DOE Floodplain and Wetland Environmental Review Requirements (10 CFR Part 1022). Overhead electrical lines would need to cross 100-year floodplains (unnamed drainages within the Carrizo Plain, northwest of Soda Lake). Since some of the floodplains on the project site are greater than 200 feet wide and posts are needed every 200 feet to support overhead lines, the installation of posts within the floodplain is anticipated. DOE has prepared a floodplain assessment as required by DOE regulations. The floodplain assessment is incorporated into the Draft EIS and Final EIS, and the Floodplain Statement of Findings will
be included in the Record of Decision for the Proposed Project.

Scope of Final EIS and Environmental

Review Process

The DOE prepared this Final EIS pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the CEQ NEPA regulations, and the DOE NEPA implementing procedures. The Final EIS analyzes the environmental consequences that may result from theProposed Action, including the projectspecific alternatives, the Preferred Alternative, and the No Action Alternative. Because the Proposed Project may affect listed species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), DOE consulted with the U.S. Department of
the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under Section 7 of the ESA.
Consultation with USFWS resulted in a Biological Opinion for the Proposed Project that is included in the Final EIS.

The Proposed Project site would affect waters subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); therefore the Proposed Project will require a Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 Permit. As a result, USACE has participated as a cooperating agency in the preparation of this Final EIS. USACE will issue a separate decision
document on the CWA Section 404 Permit for the Proposed Project that will incorporate the environmental analyses
from this EIS.

The DOE has used the NEPA public comment process to satisfy the public involvement requirements of Section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). DOE invited Federally-recognized American
Indian Tribes that have historic interests in the area to also participate in government-to-government consultation regarding the Proposed Project. In addition to these Federally-recognized tribes, the California Native American Heritage Commission provided DOE
with a Native American contacts list in the project area. DOE contacted parties
on the list to solicit concerns or comments on the Proposed Project. The
outcome of Section 106 consultation with Federally-recognized American Indian Tribes and other consulting parties is included in the Final EIS.

Public Comment Period

Copies of the Draft EIS were distributed to Members of Congress; Native American Tribal governments, Federal, State, and local officials; and agencies, organizations and individuals who may be interested or affected by the Proposed Project. The public comment period was open from March 25, 2011 through May 9, 2011, and a public hearing was held in Santa Margarita, CA, on April 13, 2011. DOE considered all comments received during the comment period during the preparation of this Final EIS, and the Final EIS
contains revisions and new information based in part on these comments. The comments and DOE’s responses to these
comments are included in the Final EIS.

Availability of the Final EIS: The Final EIS is available on the Department of Energy’s NEPA Web site at http://

nepa.energy.gov under ‘‘DOE NEPA Documents’’ and on the Loan Program
Office’s Web site at http://


### 50479 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 157 / Monday, August 15, 2011 / Notices

www.lgprogram.energy.gov/

NEPA

_EIS.html. Copies of the Final EIS
are also available for review at the Simmler Public Library/California Valley Community Service District; 13080 Soda Lake Road; California Valley, CA 93453 and the San Luis Obispo County Department of Planning and Building; 976 Osos St. Room 300; San Luis Obispo, CA 93408.

Issued in Washington, DC on August 9,

2011. Jonathan M. Silver, Executive Director, Loan Programs Office.

[FR Doc. 2011–20662 Filed 8–12–11; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 6450–01–P**

**ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION**
**AGENCY**

**[EPA–HQ–OPPT–2010–0911; FRL–9451–5]**

**Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for**  **Review and Approval; Comment Request; Lead-Based Paint Pre** 
**Renovation Information Dissemination**

**AGENCY :**  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

**ACTION :**  Notice.

**SUMMARY :**  In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq. ), this document announces that the following Information Collection Request (ICR) has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review andapproval: Lead-Based Paint PreRenovation Information Dissemination—TSCA Sec. 406(b); EPA ICR No. 1669.06, OMB No. 2070–0158. The ICR, which is abstracted below,
describes the nature of the information collection activity and its expected
burden and costs.

**DATES :**  Additional comments may be submitted on or before September 14,

2011.

**ADDRESSES :**  Submit your comments, referencing Docket ID Number EPA– HQ–OPPT–2010–0911 to (1) EPA online using http://www.regulations.gov (our preferred method), by e-mail to oppt.ncic@epa.gov or by mail to: Document Control Office (DCO), Office
of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code: 7407T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460, and (2) OMB at: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Attention: Desk Officer for EPA, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC

20503. **FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT :**  Pamela Myrick, Acting Director, Environmental Assistance Division,
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, Mail code: 7408–M, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 202–554–
1404; e-mail address: TSCAHotline@epa.gov.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  EPA has submitted the following ICR to OMB for review and approval according to the procedures prescribed in 5 CFR 1320.12. On April 13, 2011 (76 FR 20659), EPA sought comments on this renewal ICR. EPA sought comments on this ICR pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.8(d). EPA received no comments during the comment period. Any comments related
to this ICR should be submitted to EPA and OMB within 30 days of this notice.

EPA has established a public docket
for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA EPA–HQ–OPPT–2010–0911, which is available for online viewing at http:// www.regulations.gov, or in person inspection at the OPPT Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is 202–566–1744, and the telephone number for the Pollution
Prevention and Toxics Docket is 202–

566–0280. Use http:// www.regulations.gov to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select ‘‘search,’’ then key in the docket
ID number identified above.

EPA’s policy is that public comments, whether submitted electronically or in paper, will be made available for public viewing in http://www.regulations.gov
as EPA receives them and without change, unless the comment contains copyrighted material, confidential business information (CBI), or other information whose public disclosure is restricted by statute. When EPA identifies a comment containing copyrighted material, EPA will provide
a reference to that material in the version of the comment that is placed in http://www.regulations.gov. The entire printed comment, including the copyrighted material, will be available in the public docket. Although
identified as an item in the official docket, information claimed as CBI, or
whose disclosure is otherwise restricted by statute, is not included in the official public docket, and will not be available for public viewing in http:// www.regulations.gov. For further information about the electronic docket,
go to http://www.regulations.gov.

Title: Lead-Based Paint PreRenovation Information Dissemination—TSCA Sec. 406(b).

ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 1669.06,
OMB Control No. 2070–0158.

ICR Status: This is a request to renew an existing approved collection. This ICR is scheduled to expire on August 31, 2011. Under OMB regulations, the Agency may continue to conduct or sponsor the collection of information while this submission is pending at

OMB.

Abstract: This information collection involves third-party notification to owners and occupants of housing that
will inform such individuals about the dangers of lead-contaminated dust and lead-based paint debris that are sometimes generated during renovations of housing where lead-based paint is present, thereby aiding them in avoiding potentially hazardous exposures and protecting public health. Since young children are especially susceptible to the hazards of lead, owners and occupants with children can take action to protect their children from lead poisonings. Section 406(b) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requires EPA to promulgate regulations requiring certain persons who perform renovations for compensation on target housing to provide a lead hazard information pamphlet (developed under TSCA section 406(a)) to the owner and occupants of such housing prior to beginning the renovation. Further, the firm performing the renovation must keep records acknowledging receipt of the pamphlet on file for three years after completion of work. Those who fail to provide the pamphlet or keep records as required may be subject to both civil
and criminal sanctions.

Responses to the collection of information are mandatory (see 40 CFR 745, Subpart E). Respondents may claim all or part of a notice as CBI. EPA will disclose information that is covered by a CBI claim only to the extent permitted by, and in accordance with, the procedures in 40 CFR part 2.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA’s regulations in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal Register , are listed in 40 CFR part 9 and included on the related