[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 206 (Tuesday, October 26, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 65650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-27027]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CACA 49537, LLCAD08000, L51030000, FX0000, LVRAM109AA03]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Calico
Solar Project and Associated Amendment to the California Desert
Conservation Area Resource Management Plan-Amendment, San Bernardino
County, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability
of the Record of Decision (ROD) for a right-of-way (ROW) lease/grant to
Calico Solar Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) for the Calico Solar
Project (formerly SES Solar One) and an associated Amendment to the
California Desert Conservation Area Resource Management Plan (CDCA
Plan). The Calico Solar Project is located in San Bernardino County,
California. The Secretary of the Interior signed the ROD on October 20,
2010, which constitutes the final decision of the Department. The ROD
and the Approved Plan Amendment are effective immediately.
DATES: These decisions are effective immediately upon publication of
this notice.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available upon request from the Field
Manager, Barstow Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 2601 Barstow
Road, Barstow, California 92311 or at the following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/energy/fasttrack/calico/fedstatus.html or
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/barstow/solar_one_calico.html. Copies
of the ROD are also available for public inspection at the Barstow
Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Stobaugh, National Project
Manager, by telephone: 775-861-6478; mail: BLM Nevada State Office,
P.O. Box 12000, Reno, Nevada 89520-0006; or e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: After extensive environmental analysis;
consultation and collaboration with Federal, state, and local agencies;
consideration of public comments; and application of relevant Federal
laws and policies, the BLM has decided to offer Calico Solar LLC a ROW
lease/grant for the construction, operation, maintenance, and
decommissioning of the 663.5 megawatt (MW), 4,604-acre Calico Solar
Project, including related project facilities and access roads across
public lands administered by the BLM. In association with this ROW
lease/grant, the BLM is also amending the CDCA Plan to allow for the
siting of a solar energy power plant on the proposed project site. The
ROW lease/grant authorizes the use of public lands for the project for
a term of 30 years, and the lease/grant is renewable. A temporary use
permit authorizes the use of public lands for construction of temporary
access roads and construction space for a term of 3 years and is also
subject to renewal. The amendment of the CDCA Plan will allow for the
siting of the Calico Solar Project and related facilities, including
26,450 SunCatcher solar dishes, a 230-kilovolt (kV) Calico Substation
and 2-mile, 230-kv transmission line, and other project facilities
through incorporation of the Calico Solar Project into the Energy
Production and Utility Corridors Element of the CDCA Plan. The BLM's
decision authorizes issuance of a ROW lease/grant to Calico Solar LLC
for the Modified Agency Preferred Alternative. The Agency Preferred
Alternative is within the scope of alternatives that were analyzed in
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) issued in August 2010.
Modifications to the Agency Preferred Alternative have been made since
publication of the Final EIS as the result of additional agency
consultation and in response to public comments. The Environmental
Protection Agency published a Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final
EIS in the Federal Register on August 6, 2010 (75 FR 47620).
Publication of the NOA for the Final EIS initiated a 30-day protest
period for the proposed amendment to the CDCA Plan. At the close of the
protest period on September 7, 2010, five protests were received and
resolved. Detailed information on the protests may be found on the BLM
Washington Office Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/planning/protest_resolution.html. The proposed amendment to the CDCA
Plan was not modified as a result of the protest resolution.
Simultaneously with the protest period, the California Governor's
Office conducted a 30-day consistency review of the proposed CDCA Plan
amendment/Final EIS to identify any inconsistencies with state or local
plan, policies or programs. The California Governor's office did not
identify inconsistencies between the proposed amendment to the CDCA
Plan/Final EIS. As a result of the above and additional consultation
with jurisdictional regulatory agencies, the 6,215-acre, 850-MW Agency
Preferred Alternative for the Calico Solar Project was modified to
include: (1) A project footprint reduced from 6,215 acres to 4,604
acres; (2) generation capacity reduced from 850-MW (34,000 SunCatchers)
to 663.5-MW (26,540 SunCatchers); and (3) construction of Phase 1
subdivided into phase 1a and 1b. The authorized ROW lease/grant
includes all of the above modifications.
Because this decision is approved by the Secretary of the Interior,
it is not subject to administrative appeal (43 CFR 4.410(a)(3)).
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6.
Robert V. Abbey,
Director, Bureau of Land Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-27027 Filed 10-25-10; 8:45 am]
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