[Federal Register: November 25, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 227)]
[Notices]
[Page 70617-70618]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25no02-80]
[[Page 70617]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[NV-050-02-5101-ER-F331; N-75493, N-75471, N-75472, N-75474, N-75475,
N-75476, N-75477]
Notice of Availability to Announce the 60-Day Public Review and
Comment Period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the
Ivanpah Energy Center
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management.
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) to announce the 60-day public
review period for the Ivanpah Energy Center (Ivanpah) Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102 (2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, a DEIS has been prepared by the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM), Las Vegas Field Office for the Ivanpah Energy
Center. The DEIS was prepared to analyze the impacts of issuing rights-
of-way for a gas-fired electric power plant and ancillary facilities
(consisting of electric transmission lines, electric substations, water
pipeline, access road, and telephone line). Western Area Power
Administration is a cooperating agency.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the DEIS must be postmarked or otherwise
delivered by 4:30 p.m., 60 days following the date the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) publishes the NOA and filing of the DEIS in the
Federal Register. Written comments on the document should be addressed
to Jerry Crockford, Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Las
Vegas Field Office, 4701 Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130-2301.
Oral and/or written comments may also be presented at public meetings.
Public reading copies of the DEIS will be available for reading at
public libraries located at the following addresses:
[sbull] 650 West Quartz Avenue, Sandy Valley, NV
[sbull] 365 West San Pedro, Goodsprings, NV
[sbull] 4280 South Jones Blvd., Las Vegas, NV
A limited number of copies of the document will be available at the
following BLM offices:
[sbull] X BLM, Nevada State Office, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV
[sbull] X BLM, Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 Torrey Pines Drive, Las
Vegas, NV
DATES: Three scheduled public meetings commencing at 7 p.m. and
continuing until all those present have an opportunity to speak but
closing no later than 9 p.m. will be held at the following dates and
locations:
Tuesday, December 10, 2002--BLM, Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 North
Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wednesday, December 11, 2002--Community Center, West Quartz Avenue,
Sandy Valley, Nevada
Thursday, December 12, 2002--Community Center, 375 West San Pedro
Avenue, Goodsprings, Nevada
Individuals making written comments at public meetings may request
confidentiality. If they wish to withhold their name or street address
from public review or disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act,
this must be definitively stated at the beginning of written comments.
Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All
submissions from organizations and businesses, and for individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses will be available for public inspection in their
entirety.
Copies of the DEIS will be mailed to individuals, agencies, or
companies who previously requested copies.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Crockford, Project Manager,
Bureau of Land Management, Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines
Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130-2301 or Bureau of Land Management,
Farmington Field Office, 1235 La Plata Highway, Suite A, Farmington, NM
87401; telephone (505) 599-6333, cellular telephone (505) 486-4255.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS addresses the proposed action and
two alternatives. The proposed action can be summarized as follows:
constructing, operating, and maintaining a 500 megawatt gas-turbine
combined-cycle power plant in the Ivanpah Valley, approximately 20
miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada. Except for a related electric
transmission line, the proposed generating facility and most ancillary
facilities are located on 30-acres of public land administered by the
BLM, in the MDBM, T. 25 S., R. 58 E., sec. 1, and T. 25 S., R. 59 E.,
sec. 6. The facility would use a refrigerated air system to reduce
cooling water requirements normally associated with combined-cycle
power plants. Power generated from Ivanpah would enter the southern
Nevada power grid through Western Area Power Administration's Mead
Substation, in Eldorado Valley. The proposed plant site is located 2.5-
miles southeast of the town of Goodsprings, Nevada. The proposed action
includes the following ancillary facilities: a 12-inch diameter gas
pipeline interconnection to the adjacent Kern River Gas Transmission
gas pipeline; a four-inch diameter water pipeline originating from the
Southern Nevada Correctional Center (SNCC) in Jean, Nevada, to supply
water processed through a planned water treatment facility for air
emissions control; a telecommunications line; a 230 kilovolt (kV)
substation; the following 230 kV transmission lines: (1) Two 230 kV
lines from the proposed Ivanpah Substation to the Pahrump-Mead 230 kV
line corridor; (2) a 43-mile 230 kV line from the Ivanpah Substation to
the Western Area Power Administration Mead Substation, in Eldorado
Valley, Nevada; and (3) two 230 kV lines from the Ivanpah Substation to
the Table Mountain Substation and Valley Electric Association's
Pahrump-Mead Transmission Line; and the following fiber optic lines:
(1) An optical-fiber ground wire (OPGW) shield wire as an integral part
of the Ivanpah-Mead 2 transmission line; and (2) an OPGW as an
integral part of the Table Mountain-Ivanpah 1 transmission
line. Access to Ivanpah would be via an existing, unimproved road
connected to State Highway 161.
An alternative plant site, located in Primm, Nevada, would be co-
located with the Reliant Bighorn Power Plant, on a 30-acre parcel on
private property. Ancillary facilities to the alternative plant site
include a 10 to 11-mile long water supply pipeline from SNCC to the
power plant; a 40-mile long transmission line to interconnect the plant
to the Mead Substation; approximately 30-miles of transmission lines to
interconnect the facility to the proposed Table Mountain Substation and
the Valley Electric Association's Pahrump-Mead transmission line; a
3.2-mile natural gas pipeline connecting to Kern River Gas Transmission
Company natural gas pipeline; use of existing access roads; and
telecommunications facilities.
The plant will require approximately 22 months for construction.
The plant will be built to operate continuously, except for semi-annual
maintenance shutdowns, with a projected 40-year life. Power will be
sold into the commercial power markets of Nevada, California, and
Arizona.
Under the No Action Alternative, BLM would not issue right-of-way
grants for Ivanpah and ancillary facilities. The project including the
power plant, transmission lines, water pipeline, gas pipeline, access
road, telecommunication facilities, and temporary use areas would not
be constructed. The areas proposed for Ivanpah would remain
undeveloped. An
[[Page 70618]]
energy need would not be met by the proposed plant's generated power.
Public participation is encouraged throughout processing of this
project. Comments presented throughout the process will be considered.
Dated: August 15, 2002.
Angie C. Lara,
Acting Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 02-29866 Filed 11-22-02; 8:45 am]