[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 227 (Friday, November 26, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72836-72837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29782]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVB00000 L51010000.ER0000 LVRWF0900380 241A; 11-08807;
MO4500018794; TAS: 14X5017]
Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement
for the Tonopah Solar Energy Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, Nye
County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
[[Page 72837]]
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Crescent Dunes Solar
Energy Project, Nye County, Nevada, and by this notice is announcing
its availability.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the Crescent Dunes
Solar Energy Project for a minimum of 30 days from the date the
Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability in
the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS will be mailed to individuals,
agencies, organizations, or companies who previously requested copies
or who responded to the BLM on the Draft EIS. Printed copies or a
compact disc of the Final EIS are available upon request from the BLM
Tonopah Field Office, 1553 So. Main Street, P.O. Box 911, Tonopah,
Nevada 89049, phone: (775) 482-7800; and at the Battle Mountain
District Office, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820, phone:
(775) 635-4000; or by e-mail request to: [email protected].
Interested persons may also view the Final EIS at the following Web
site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/battle_mountain_field.html.
Copies of the Final EIS are available for public inspection at the
following Nevada locations:
BLM Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno,
Nevada 89502
BLM Battle Mountain District Office, 50 Bastian Road,
Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820
BLM Tonopah Field Office, 1553 South Main, Tonopah, Nevada
89049
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Coward, phone: (775) 482-7830;
address: BLM Tonopah Field Office, 1553 South Main Street, P.O. Box
911, Tonopah, Nevada 89049; or e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC applied to the BLM
for a 7,680-acre right-of-way (ROW) on public lands to construct a
concentrated solar thermal power plant facility approximately 13 miles
northwest of Tonopah in the southern portion of Big Smoky Valley, north
of U.S. Highway 95/6 along the Gabbs Pole Line Road (State Highway 89).
The facility is expected to operate for about 30 years and have a
nominal capacity of 110 megawatts.
The proposed solar power project will use concentrated solar
thermal power technology, which uses heliostats with mirrors to direct
sunlight on a tower erected in the center of the solar field. A heat
transfer fluid is heated as it passes through the receiver tower and is
then circulated through a series of heat exchangers to generate steam.
The steam is used to power a conventional steam turbine to generate
electricity. The exhaust steam from the turbine is condensed and
returned via feedwater pumps to the heat exchangers where the steam is
generated again. A combination of dry and wet (hybrid) cooling
processes are to be used for this project to minimize water use while
continuing to maintain efficient power generation.
The project's proposed design includes the heliostat fields, a 653-
foot tall central receiver tower, the power block, buildings, parking
and laydown areas, evaporating ponds, and an access road. A single
overhead 230-kilovolt transmission line will connect the plant to the
nearby Anaconda Moly substation.
The Final EIS describes and analyzes the proposed project's site-
specific impacts on air quality, biological resources, cultural
resources, visual resources, water resources, geological resources,
paleontological resources, land use, noise, soils, public health,
socioecononomics, traffic and transportation, waste management,
hazardous materials handling, worker safety, fire protection, facility
design engineering, transmission system engineering, and transmission
line safety.
Three action alternatives were analyzed in addition to the No
Action Alternative.
On September 3, 2010, the BLM published the Notice of Availability
for the Draft EIS for this project in the Federal Register (75 FR
54177). The BLM held two public meetings and accepted public comment
through e-mail, mail, public meetings, and by telephone. A total of 23
comments were received from individuals, organizations, and agencies.
The nature of the comments did not necessitate major changes in the
Draft EIS. Therefore, an abbreviated Final EIS was prepared addressing
responses to the comments, including an errata section with specific
modifications and corrections to the Draft EIS made in response to the
comments following the standards of 40 CFR 1503.49(c).
These comments addressed effects on air quality, ``Dark Sky''
attributes, and viewsheds; water use concerns; wildlife and kangaroo
mouse mitigation; and social and economic issues, particulary job
opportunities. Concerns raised during the review are addressed, and
specific responses provided in the Final EIS.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.
Thomas J. Seley,
Manager, Tonopah Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2010-29782 Filed 11-22-10; 4:15 pm]
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