33458 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 132 / Monday, July 13, 2009 / Notices 

Dated: July 5, 2009. 

Ivan DeLoatch, 

Staff Director, Federal Geographic Data 

Committee. 

[FR Doc. E9–16386 Filed 7–10–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4311–AM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLNVS03000.L51010000.ER0000.F09F8590; 

NVN–84359; 9–08807: TAS:14X5017] 

Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Proposed Solar Millennium, LLC, 

Amargosa Farm Road Solar Energy 

Project, Nye County, NV 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) Field Office, 

Southern Nevada District, Pahrump 

Field Office intends to prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

for the Amargosa Farm Road Solar 

Energy Project, located on public lands 

in Nye County, Nevada and by this 

notice is announcing the beginning of 

the scoping process and soliciting input 

on the identification of issues. 

DATES: This notice initiates public 

scoping. Scoping comments shall be 

submitted on or before August 12, 2009. 

The BLM will announce public 

scoping meetings to identify relevant 

issues through local news media, 

newsletters, and the BLM Web site 

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

lvfo.html) at least 15 days prior to each 

meeting. We will provide additional 

opportunities for public participation 

upon publication of the Draft RMP/EIS, 

including a 90-day public comment 

period. 

ADDRESSES: Comments related to the 

project may be submitted by any of the 

following methods: 

• E-mail: solar_millennium@blm.gov. 

• Fax: (702) 515–5064 (attention: 

Gregory Helseth). 

• Mail: Bureau of Land Management, 

Southern Nevada District Office, 

Pahrump Field Office, Attn: Gregory 

Helseth, Project Manager, 4701 North 

Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 

89130–2301. 

Documents pertinent to this project 

may be examined at the Pahrump Field 

Office. Additional opportunities for 

public participation will be provided on 

publication of the draft EIS. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information and/or to have your 

name added to the mailing list, call 

Gregory Helseth, (702) 515–5173, or 

e-mail: gregory_helseth@blm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Solar 

Millennium, LLC, has submitted a rightof-way application to BLM to construct 

two concentrated solar thermal 

parabolic trough power plant facilities 

on public lands, approximately 80 miles 

northwest of Las Vegas, in Nye County, 

Nevada. The Project site would consist 

of approximately 4,350 acres of public 

land located in Amargosa Valley, south 

of Highway 95. Each facility is expected 

to operate for approximately 30 years. 

Each plant would utilize solar thermal 

parabolic trough technology, consisting 

of a 242 megawatt (MW) power block 

equipped with thermal storage tanks 

capable of producing additional energy 

for 3.5 hours after sundown, and a solar 

field composed of parabolic trough 

mirrors. 

The solar field would be highly 

modular and would consist of ‘‘loops,’’ 

each containing 4 curved glass mirror 

collectors. A loop is 22m wide and 

400m long (72.18′ wide and 1312.33′ 

long). The solar field would consist of 

approximately 400 loops. The 

orientation of the collectors would be 

north-south, and the collectors would 

track the sun from east to west during 

the day. The collector would focus the 

sun’s direct beam radiation on a receiver 

tube. The row of collectors would have 

a hydraulic drive unit with sensors to 

track the sun’s path throughout the day. 

The solar energy would heat a transfer 

fluid which cycles through a series of 

heat exchangers to generate steam, 

which drives a steam turbine to 

ultimately generate electricity. The 

electric output of the Project would be 

generated entirely by solar energy. No 

electricity would be generated by the 

use of fossil fuel in these facilities. 

The proposed Project facilities would 

include the solar fields, power blocks, 

buildings, parking area, laydown area, 

stormwater retention pond, and 

evaporating ponds. A single overhead 

230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line 

would connect the facilities to the 

nearby Valley Electric Valley substation, 

located on Anvil Road. Additional 

elements of the Project would include 

access roads and optional water 

pipeline. The proposed Project may 

require the rerouting of a road and an 

existing low voltage distribution power 

line. The EIS will analyze the sitespecific impacts of the Project on air 

quality, biological resources, cultural 

resources, water resources, geological 

resources, paleontological resources, 

public health, socioeconomics, soils, 

traffic and transportation, and visual 

resources. It will analyze the geologic 

hazards, hazardous materials handling, 

land use and airspace, noise, waste 

management, worker safety, and fire 

protection potentially associated with 

the Project. It will also analyze facility 

design engineering, efficiency, and 

reliability; transmission system 

engineering; and transmission line 

safety and nuisance. Native American 

Tribal consultations will be conducted 

in accordance with policy, and Tribal 

concerns will be given due 

consideration. The EIS will include the 

consideration of any impacts on Indian 

trust assets. 

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. Federal, State, and local agencies, 

as well as individuals or organizations 

that may be interested in or affected by 

the BLM’s decision on this project are 

invited to participate in the scoping 

process and, if eligible, may requested 

or be requested by the BLM to 

participate as a cooperating agency. 

(Authority: 43 CFR Part 2800) 

Patrick Putnam, 

Field Manager, Pahrump Field Office. 

[FR Doc. E9–16415 Filed 7–10–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Reclamation 

Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B 

Improvements Project Under the San 

Joaquin River Restoration Program, 

Fresno and Madera Counties, CA 

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) 

and Notice of Scoping Meetings. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation 

(Reclamation) and the California 

Department of Water Resources (DWR) 

are proposing to prepare a joint EIS/EIR, 

pursuant to the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) and the California 

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), to 

evaluate effects of the proposed 

Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B 

Channel Improvements Project 

(Proposed Action) under the San 

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