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[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 50 (Thursday, March 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 12185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4759]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-660-1430-ER-CACA-17905]

Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Report/
Environmental Impact Statement for the Southern California Edison 
Devers-Palo Verde No. 2 Transmission Line Project, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended (Pub. L. 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), and 
Title 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
hereby gives notice that the Final Environmental Impact Report/
Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Southern California 
Edison Company (SCE) Devers-Palo Verde No. 2 Transmission Line Project 
is available for public review and comment.
    The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the preparation of the EIS 
in compliance with the requirements of NEPA. The California Public 
Utilities Commission (CPUC) is the lead State of California agency for 
the preparation of the EIR in compliance with the requirements of the 
California Environmental Quality Act. If the project is approved, BLM 
and CPUC would issue right-of-way grants to SCE.

DATES: The document will be available for public review and comment for 
30 days following publication of a Notice of Availability (NOA) of this 
document in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection 
Agency.

ADDRESSES: The EIR/EIS is available online at the BLM Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/palmsprings. Copies of the document can also be viewed 
at the BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 690 West Garnet Ave., 
North Palm Springs, Calif. 92258, and at public libraries in Buckeye 
and Quartzite, Arizona, and Redlands, Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, 
Cathedral City, Loma Linda, Riverside, Coachella, Colton, Desert Hot 
Springs, Grand Terrace, Indio, Mentone, Palm Desert, Palo Verde, Rancho 
Mirage, San Bernardino, and Yucaipa, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Hill at (760) 251-4840 or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SCE is proposing to construct a new 230-mile 
long, 500-kilovolt (kV) electrical transmission line between its Devers 
Substation located near Palm Springs, California, and the Harquahala 
Generating Station switchyard, located near the Palo Verde Nuclear 
Generating Station west of Phoenix, Arizona. In addition, SCE is 
proposing to upgrade 48.2 miles of existing 230-kV transmission lines 
between the Devers Substation west to the San Bernardino and Vista 
Substations, located in the San Bernardino, California, vicinity. 
Together, the proposed 500-kV line and the 230-kV transmission facility 
upgrades are known as DPV2. The proposed route crosses public and 
private lands in Arizona and California. Portions of the proposed route 
cross Federal lands managed by the BLM and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
    Construction of DPV2 would add 1,200 megawatts of transmission 
import capacity from the southwestern United States to California, 
which would reduce energy costs throughout California and enhance the 
reliability of California's energy supply through increased 
transmission infrastructure. The BLM identified a list of issues that 
this analysis addresses including the impacts of the proposed project 
on visual resources, agricultural lands, air quality, plant and animal 
species including special status species, cultural resources, and 
watersheds. Other issues identified by the BLM are impacts to the 
public in the form of noise, traffic, accidental release of hazardous 
materials, and impacts to urban, residential, and recreational areas.
    Public participation hearings and workshops on the draft EIR/EIS 
were held in: Tonopah, Arizona, on June 6, 2006; Beaumont, California, 
on June 7, 2006; and Palm Desert, California, on June 8, 2006.
    The BLM will prepare a Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed 
project after a 30-day period following publication of the NOA.

    Dated: December 11, 2006.
Gail Acheson,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. E7-4759 Filed 3-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40- P
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