Notice2022-09379
Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Resource Management Plan Amendments for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project, New Mexico, and Arizona
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Published
May 2, 2022
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico State Office, Santa Fe, New Mexico, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the environmental impacts associated with SunZia Transmission, LLC's application seeking to amend its right-of- way grant for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. The BLM New Mexico State Office is the lead agency for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act analysis with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. National Park Service, and other agencies serving as cooperating agencies. By this Notice, the BLM is announcing the opening of the public comment period on the Draft EIS and Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendments.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 84 (Monday, May 2, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 84 (Monday, May 2, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25653-25655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09379]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNM930000 L51010000.ER0000 LVRWG20G0690 20XL5017AP]
Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement
and Resource Management Plan Amendments for the SunZia Southwest
Transmission Project, New Mexico, and Arizona
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico State Office,
Santa Fe, New Mexico, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to analyze the environmental impacts associated with
SunZia Transmission, LLC's application seeking to amend its right-of-
way grant for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. The BLM New
Mexico State Office is the lead agency for purposes of the National
Environmental Policy Act analysis with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. National Park Service, and other
agencies serving as cooperating agencies. By this Notice, the BLM is
announcing the opening of the public comment period on the Draft EIS
and Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendments.
DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered in the Final EIS and
Proposed Resource Plan Amendments, the BLM must receive comments on the
Draft EIS and Draft RMP Amendments by August 1, 2022. The dates and
times of virtual public meetings will be announced at least 15 days in
advance through local media, newspapers, and the BLM website at:
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011785/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011785/510</a>.
ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for additional information may also be
sent to SunZia Comment Period, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico
State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Verbal comments
may also be submitted via a telephone hotline at 1-888-959-2510. Submit
comments electronically via the ePlanning site: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011785/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011785/510</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrian Garcia, Project Manager, Bureau
of Land Management, New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa
Fe, New Mexico 87508, telephone: (505) 954-2199. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The BLM's purpose and need for Federal action is to respond to
SunZia's application to amend its right-of-way grant (NM 114438) under
Title V of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA)
consistent with applicable laws. In compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act, and FLPMA, the BLM New Mexico State Office
has prepared a Draft EIS to analyze the environmental impacts
associated with SunZia's amendment application. Proposed amendments to
SunZia's right-of-way grant will require a plan amendment to the
Socorro Field Office RMP, which the BLM has analyzed in the Draft EIS.
The purpose and need of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Federal action
is to respond to requests to co-locate the SunZia transmission line
with existing transmission line easements across the Sevilleta National
Wildlife Refuge. The purpose of the U.S. Forest Service Federal action
is to respond to the Applicant's application for a right-of-way to
construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a transmission line on
Federal lands.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The SunZia Project is composed of two planned 500 kilovolt
transmission lines located across approximately 520 miles of Federal,
State, and private lands between central New Mexico and central
Arizona. The purpose of the Project is to transport up to 4,500
megawatts of primarily renewable energy from New Mexico to markets in
Arizona and California. The permitted route originates at a planned
substation in Torrance County, New Mexico, and terminates at the
existing Pinal Central Substation in Pinal County, Arizona. The Project
traverses Lincoln, Socorro, Sierra, Luna, Grant, Hidalgo, Valencia, and
Torrance counties in New Mexico and Graham, Greenlee, Cochise, Pinal,
and Pima counties in Arizona. The route has four segments:
<bullet> Segment 1: Pinal Central Substation to Willow Substation;
<bullet> Segment 2: Willow Substation to SunZia South Substation
(Segment 2a in Arizona, Segment 2b in New Mexico);
<bullet> Segment 3: SunZia South Substation to New Mexico Institute
of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech); and
<bullet> Segment 4: New Mexico Tech to SunZia East Substation.
Prior environmental documents include a Final EIS in 2013, a
subsequent Environmental Assessment and Finding of No New Significant
Impact in 2015 to accommodate burial of approximately five miles of the
transmission line in three locations within the White Sands Missile
Range Northern Call-Up Area, and then a Record of Decision in 2015. The
BLM issued a right-of-way grant to SunZia in 2016, authorizing use of a
400-foot-wide right-of-way across 183 miles of Federal lands
administered by the BLM. Construction of the lines has not begun.
SunZia is proposing to amend the existing grant in four components:
<bullet> Component 1--Localized Route Modifications: Six localized
route modifications in New Mexico in Segments 1, 2, and 3. Five
modifications involve BLM-administered land (an increase in route
length of approximately 0.8 miles and 38.8 acres). The proposed route
modification on non-BLM-administered land would involve an increase in
route length of approximately 4.7 miles and 45.4 acres. These route
modifications are being proposed to address a range of issues,
including challenges in obtaining a private landowner right-of-way or
easement and topography.
<bullet> Component 2--Access Roads and Temporary Work Areas Outside
the Granted Right-of-Way: Adding a right-of-way for about 844.5 miles
of existing and new access roads, of which approximately 804.9 miles
would be permanent, 39.6 miles would be temporary, and approximately
1,402.3 acres of temporary work areas that fall outside the permitted
400-foot-wide right-of-way across both States. About 230.0 miles of
access roads are on BLM-administered land (179.3 miles in New Mexico;
50.7 miles in Arizona). About 298.4 acres of temporary work areas are
located on BLM-administered land in New Mexico and 33.4 acres in
Arizona.
[[Page 25654]]
<bullet> Component 3--Segment 4 Reroute: A reroute of Segment 4 to
move the line outside the White Sands Missile Range Northern Call-up
Area, take advantage of an opportunity to partially parallel the
Western Spirit 345 kilovolt Transmission Project, and move the eastern
substation closer to proposed wind-generation projects. The total
length of the currently permitted Segment 4 route is 91.7 miles, of
which 20.2 miles are Federal land administered by the BLM. SunZia is
considering three alternative routes. Common to all three alternatives
are approximately the first 65 miles, from the SunZia East Substation
to where the alternative routes diverge. These 65 miles would cross BLM
(approximately 0.2 miles), State, and private lands, 35 miles of which
are parallel to the Western Spirit 345 kilovolt Transmission Project.
The three alternative routes (including the initial 65 miles) are:
[cir] Alternative Route 1: Options ranging from 145.2 to 146.5
miles, would cross approximately 20.6 to 24.0 miles of BLM-administered
land and approximately 4.5 to 4.7 miles across the Cibola National
Forest administered by the U.S. Forest Service.
[cir] Alternative Route 2: Options ranging from 115.2 to 123.0
miles, would cross approximately 6.0 miles of BLM-administered land and
14.2 miles across the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge administered
by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. About 65.5 acres of temporary work
areas would be located on Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge outside of
the existing easement footprint.
[cir] Alternative Route 3: Options ranging from 118.7 to 126.4
miles, would cross 8.9 to 9.6 miles of BLM-administered land and
approximately 12.1 miles across the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. About 48 acres of
temporary work areas would be located on Sevilleta National Wildlife
Refuge outside of the existing easement footprint.
Both Alternatives 2 and 3 are required for the Project.
Additionally, the BLM has considered and analyzed additional route
alternatives identified in the public scoping, Title 41 of the Fixing
America's Surface Transportation Act, and the government-to-government
consultation process.
<bullet> Component 4--SunZia West Substation: A substation to
convert power from direct current to alternating current. SunZia
intends for one of the two proposed SunZia transmission lines to be
alternating current and the other transmission line to be either
alternating current or direct current. The direct current line would
require equipment at each terminus to convert the power from
alternating current to direct current (SunZia East high-voltage direct-
current converter) and from direct current to alternating current
(SunZia West high-voltage direct-current converter). The SunZia West
Substation is being sited along the permitted SunZia right-of-way on
approximately 20-22 acres of Arizona State Trust Land just east of Red
Rock, Arizona (no Federal right-of-way is needed).
The width of the right-of-way for the transmission lines typically
is a minimum of 400 feet on BLM-administered lands but may be up to
1,000 feet wide in areas with terrain constraints.
The BLM analyzed SunZia's proposed amendments and alternatives to
the reroute of Segment 4 in the Draft EIS. The BLM also considered a no
action alternative in the Draft EIS, i.e., the BLM and other Federal
agencies would not approve the localized route modifications, access
roads and temporary work areas outside the granted right-of-way, the
Segment 4 reroute, and the new location for the SunZia West Substation.
Summary of Expected Impacts
Impacts from the proposed action would include ground disturbance-
associated impacts to natural and cultural resources; visual impacts;
potential impacts to threatened and endangered species at the Rio
Grande River crossing, including the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher,
Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, and the Silvery Minnow; and socioeconomic effects
from construction, operation, and maintenance. If an alternative
reroute is selected, Federal agencies may need to amend land use plans.
The public scoping, Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface
Transportation Act, and government-to-government Tribal consultation
process yielded several issues of concern. Accordingly, the disciplines
represented and used to analyze applicable issues in the EIS include:
<bullet> Issues analyzed in brief: Regional air quality, fugitive
dust, locatable minerals, common variety minerals, sensitive soils,
water quality, sedimentation to surface water resources, native
vegetation, vegetation monitoring transects, riparian habitat, invasive
species (noxious weeds), Desert Bighorn Sheep habitat, grasslands and
Pronghorn habitat, sensitive time periods and habitat fragmentation,
wildlife corridors, Sandhill Crane habitat, Sonoran Desert Tortoise
habitat, Monarch Butterfly breeding habitat, Lesser Long-nosed Bat and
Mexican Long-tongued Bat, recreation, hunting access, livestock
grazing, transportation, civilian airports and flight paths, wilderness
study areas, and hazardous materials.
<bullet> Issues analyzed in detail: Climate change, paleontological
resources, avian collisions, migratory bird corridors, federally listed
wildlife species, New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse, BLM sensitive
wildlife species, federally listed plant species, BLM sensitive plant
species, cultural resources, traditional cultural properties and
resources with Tribal importance, national scenic and historic trails,
visual resources, existing and future land uses, proposed and future
rights-of-way, military operations, BLM special designations, U.S.
Forest Service inventoried roadless areas, Sevilleta National Wildlife
Refuge, fiscal economics and job creation, environmental justice,
noise, and electric and magnetic fields.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
If approved, the BLM would issue a right-of-way grant and temporary
use permit for Federal lands. Any alternative reroute selected that
would cross the Cibola National Forest or the Sevilleta National
Wildlife Refuge would require authorization from the U.S. Forest
Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, respectively. The No Action
Alternative would result in no change to the current right-of-way
grant.
Agency-Preferred Alternative
The BLM has identified parts of the four proposed Project
components as the agency's Preferred Alternative. The agency's
Preferred Alternative is as follows:
<bullet> Component 1: Localized route modifications 1-5, and the 2015
Selected Route (the no action alternative in this EIS) for local route
modification 6 in the Pinal Central area
<bullet> Component 2: All access roads and temporary workspaces outside
the granted right-of-way
<bullet> Component 3: Alternative Route 2 (Subroute 2A-4) and
Alternative Route 3 (Subroute 3A-4), which include crossing the
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge as well as co-locating the proposed
SunZia transmission line with the Western Spirit transmission line at
the Rio Grande crossing. For Subroute 3A-4, the agency Preferred
Alternative includes Local Alternative 3B-2 to avoid two private
residences near the Project
[[Page 25655]]
<bullet> Component 4: The revised location for the SunZia West
substation
Consultation Efforts
On July 29, 2021, this project became a FAST-41 project pursuant to
Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act. FAST-41
status means this project is closely monitored by Federal agencies and
the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council at the national
level. The Project can be viewed on the FAST-41 Dashboard at <a href="https://www.permits.performance.gov/permitting-project/sunzia-southwest-transmission-project">https://www.permits.performance.gov/permitting-project/sunzia-southwest-transmission-project</a>.
The BLM is utilizing and coordinating the National Environmental
Policy Act process to help fulfill the public involvement process under
the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided
in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about historic and cultural
resources within the area potentially affected by the proposed action
has been used to assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts
to such resources. The BLM will continue to consult with Native
American Tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with
Executive Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including
impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural
resources, will continue to be given due consideration.
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Tribes and other
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed
Project that the BLM is evaluating are invited to participate in the
comment period and, if eligible, may request, or be requested by the
BLM, to participate in updating the environmental analysis as a
cooperating agency. Authorization of this proposal will require an
amendment to the Socorro Field Office RMP. By this notice, the BLM is
complying with requirements in 43 CFR 1610.2(c) to notify the public of
potential plan amendments. The BLM will integrate the land use planning
process with the National Environmental Policy Act analysis process for
this project. The Forest Service's 2012 Planning Rule (36 CFR part 219)
requires consideration of the applicable substantive requirements as
described in 36 CFR 219.8 through 219.11 that are directly related to
the plan direction being added, modified, or removed by the amendment
(36 CFR 219.13).
Request for Substantive Comments
The BLM encourages substantive comments (comments that avoid
opinions and are specific; describe the significance of the impacts and
how they affect you, others, places, and activities; provide any new
information that is relevant to the project [e.g., potential affected
resources]; and discuss modifications to existing alternatives or
suggest other reasonable alternatives with justification) concerning
the proposed SunZia Southwest Transmission Project. You may submit
comments at any time during the 90-day comment period by using one of
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice. Public
meetings will be conducted virtually with BLM staff to explain Project
details and gather information from interested individuals or groups.
Representatives from SunZia will be available to answer questions.
Before including your address, phone number, email 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. Any persons wishing to be added to a mailing list of
interested parties can call or write to the BLM, as described in this
Notice. Additional information meetings may be conducted throughout the
process to keep the public informed of the progress of the EIS.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 43 CFR 1610.2.
Steven R. Wells,
New Mexico Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2022-09379 Filed 4-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-FB-P
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