Notice2024-08241
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement for the GridLiance West Core Upgrades Transmission Line Project in Nye and Clark Counties, Nevada
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Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 19, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the GridLiance West Core Upgrades Transmission Line Project and by this notice is providing information announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 77 (Friday, April 19, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 77 (Friday, April 19, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28800-28803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-08241]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NF_FRN_MO4500178506]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Resource Management Plan
Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement for the GridLiance West
Core Upgrades Transmission Line Project in Nye and Clark Counties,
Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared a Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) Amendment and Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the GridLiance West Core
Upgrades Transmission Line Project and by this notice is providing
information announcing the opening of the comment period on the Draft
RMP Amendment/EIS.
DATES: This notice announces the opening of a 90-day comment period for
the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS beginning with the date following the
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) publication of its Notice of
Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. The EPA usually publishes
its NOAs on Fridays.
To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments in the
Proposed RMP Amendment/Final EIS, please ensure your comments are
received prior to the close of the 90-day comment period or 15 days
after the last public meeting, whichever is later.
The BLM will hold two public meetings. One meeting will be held at
the Pahrump Nugget Hotel and Casino, 681 NV-160, Pahrump, NV 89048 on
Thursday, May 9, 2024 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Time. A second
meeting will be held virtually via Zoom on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at 6
p.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Time. Additional information on the meetings,
including how to register, can be found on the BLM National NEPA
Register at: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2025248/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2025248/510</a>.
ADDRESSES: The Draft RMP Amendment/EIS is available for review on the
BLM National NEPA Register at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2025248/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2025248/510</a>.
Written comments related to the GridLiance West Core Upgrades
[[Page 28801]]
Transmission Line Project may be submitted by any of the following
methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2025248/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2025248/510</a>.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6a28262735243c3539242e2535242f3a2b35290507070f041e192a080607440d051c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e6a4aaabb9a8b0b9b5a8a2a9b9a8a3b6a7b9a5898b8b83889295a6848a8bc8818990">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Mail: BLM, Southern Nevada District Office, Attn:
GridLiance West Core Upgrades Transmission Line Project, 4701 North
Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130-2301.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2025248/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2025248/510</a> and at the
Southern Nevada District Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Moody, Realty Specialist,
telephone 702-515-5000; address BLM, Southern Nevada District Office,
Attn: GridLiance West Core Upgrades Transmission Line Project, 4701
North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130-2301; email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#02676f6d6d667b42606e6f2c656d74"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3451595b5b504d745658591a535b42">[email protected]</span></a>. 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
for contacting Ms. Moody. 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: This document provides notice that the BLM
Nevada State Director has prepared a Draft RMP Amendment/EIS and
provides information announcing the opening of the comment period on
the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS.
The RMP Amendment is being considered to allow the BLM to evaluate
the right-of-way (ROW) application submitted by GridLiance LLC to
construct, operate, maintain, and decommission approximately 155 miles
of transmission system upgrades across BLM-administered lands, which
would require amending the existing 1998 Las Vegas RMP.
The planning area is located in Clark and Nye Counties, Nevada and
encompasses approximately 4,309 acres of public land.
Purpose and Need
In accordance with FLPMA, the BLM is authorized to grant ROWs on
public lands for systems of generation, transmission, and distribution
of electric energy (Section 501(a)(4)). The BLM's purpose and need for
this action is to respond to the FLPMA ROW amendment applications
submitted by GridLiance under Title V of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1761) to
construct, operate, maintain, and decommission approximately 155 miles
of transmission system upgrades on approximately 4,900 acres in Clark
and Nye Counties, Nevada. Proposed changes to the existing ROW grants
require a plan amendment to the 1998 Record of Decision for the
Approved Las Vegas Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental
Impact Statement (the Las Vegas RMP) (BLM 1998), which is analyzed in
this Draft EIS.
Propose Action and Alternatives, Including the Preferred Alternative
The BLM has analyzed eight alternatives, including the no action
alternative and the Proposed Action.
The Proposed Action is to amend portions of existing BLM ROW grants
to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission approximately 155
miles of upgraded alternating current overhead transmission lines on
lands administered by the BLM, BIA, DoD, State of Nevada, and Clark
County, as well as private lands, in Clark and Nye Counties, Nevada.
Authorization of this proposal would require amendments to the Las
Vegas RMP to modify some Visual Resource Management class locations.
The Project is an upgrade of an existing overhead transmission system
that currently consists of a single-circuit 230-kV transmission line
system and seven substations. The proposed upgrade consists of four
segments:
<bullet> Segment 1: Sloan Canyon Switchyard to Trout Canyon
Switchyard. Includes upgrades and expansions at both switchyards. This
segment would be upgraded to a double-circuit 500-kV transmission line,
regardless of the voltage option chosen for the remainder of the
system.
<bullet> Segment 2: Trout Canyon Switchyard to Wheeler Pass
Substation. Includes upgrades and expansion at the Gamebird Substation.
This segment would be upgraded to a double-circuit 500-kV (the 500kV
option) or a double-circuit 230-kV (the 230-kV option) transmission
line.
<bullet> Segment 3: Wheeler Pass Substation to Innovation
Substation. Includes construction of the Wheeler Pass Substation,
potential construction of the Johnnie Corner Substation, and upgrades
at the Innovation Substation. Between Wheeler Pass Substation and
Johnnie Corner Substation, the transmission line would be upgraded to a
double-circuit capable, single-circuit 500-kV (the 500-kV option) or a
double-circuit capable, single-circuit 230-kV (the 230-kV option) line;
however, the proposed Johnnie Corner Substation would not be
constructed if the transmission line is approved by CAISO as 230 kV.
The portion from the proposed Johnnie Corner Substation to Innovation
Substation would be upgraded to a double-circuit capable, single-
circuit 230-kV system, regardless of the voltage option chosen for the
remainder of the system.
<bullet> Segment 4: Innovation Substation to Northwest Substation.
Includes upgrades at the Desert View Substation. This segment would be
upgraded to a double-circuit 230-kV transmission line, regardless of
the voltage option chosen for the remainder of the system.
Alternatives 1 through 6 each contain modifications to the Proposed
Action, such as to the alignment of a particular segment, the types of
facilities or structures utilized, or the types of transmission lines
to be installed.
Alternative 1 involves a modification of Segment 2. This
alternative is identical to the Proposed Action in all ways, including
the need for an amendment to the Las Vegas RMP (BLM 1998), with the
exception of a reroute that follows the designated utility corridor
approximately 0.5 mile farther north before turning west to approach
the proposed Wheeler Pass Substation. This alternative route utilizes
more of the designated utility corridor and has two less angle
structures and two more tangent structures than the Proposed Action.
Alternative 2 involves a modification to Segment 1 to ensure
compatibility with the proposed Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport
(SNSA) and avoid future potential hazards to air navigation.
Alternative 2 is identical to the Proposed Action in all ways,
including the need for an amendment to the Las Vegas RMP, with the
exception of the following. Alternative 2 involves installation of two
single-circuit 500-kV transmission lines with a horizontal conductor
configuration. This adjustment would necessitate a 500-foot-wide ROW (a
250-foot-wide ROW for each of the two single-circuit lines), in
contrast to the single 275-foot-wide ROW required for the double-
circuit configuration for the Proposed Action. The structures
associated with Alternative 2 in the airspace constrained area would be
single-circuit tubular steel 500-kV H-frame structures and 500-kV
horizontal dead-ends.
Alternative 3 is identical to Alternative 2 except it would have a
slightly different alignment than Alternative 2. This alternative
maintains the upgraded GridLiance transmission line on the north side
of the existing double-circuit 230-kV NV Energy transmission line until
exiting the SNSA
[[Page 28802]]
air navigation surfaces. Under this alternative, the acreage and
locations where the RMP Amendment would apply would be identical to
those described under the Proposed Action.
Alternative 4 involves relocating the Wheeler Pass Substation to an
alternative location on privately owned lands. Under this alternative,
the RMP Amendment would be the same as described under the Proposed
Action, with modifications to bring additional areas into compliance.
Design considerations common to the design of Alternative 4 and
Alternative 5 include longer tie lines between the existing Pahrump
Substation and the proposed Wheeler Pass Substation. Because of this
increased distance, double-circuit 230-kV structures would be required
to construct the tie lines. There would be no other modifications to
the structure types, span lengths, or work areas compared to the
Proposed Action.
Alternative 5 involves relocating the Wheeler Pass Substation to an
alternative location on BLM-administered lands. Under this alternative,
the RMP amendment would be the same as described under the Proposed
Action, with modifications to bring additional areas into compliance.
Alternative 6 would be designed and built using tubular
transmission structures when the project area passes through: (1) the
Ivanpah ACEC; (2) areas designated as critical habitat; and (3) areas
where the transmission line route is not parallel with other existing
lattice structures. Under this alternative, only structures TC-SC276 to
TC-SC290 and TC-SC207 to TC-SC238 would remain as lattice structures,
and all others would be tubular transmission structures. Alternative 6
would only be required for the 500-kV option and is not necessary for
the 230-kV option.
The BLM further considered five additional alternatives but
dismissed these alternatives from detailed analysis as explained in the
Draft RMP Amendment/EIS.
The State Director has identified the preferred alternative as the
Proposed Action in combination with the modifications proposed in
Alternatives 3, 4, and 6. Alternatives 3, 4, and 6, when taken
together, were found to best meet the State Director's planning
guidance. Alternative 3 would ensure compatibility with the proposed
SNSA and avoid crossing the existing double-circuit 230-kV NV Energy
transmission line within SNSA air navigation surfaces; Alternative 4
would avoid potential challenges with local government entitlements and
land acquisition, as well as reduce long-term impacts to Mojave desert
tortoise habitat; and Alternative 6 would further reduce long-term
impacts to Mojave desert tortoise habitat.
Mitigation
No mitigation measures have been identified in the Draft RMP
Amendment/EIS for the action alternatives. However, the alternatives
were developed in order to address potential resource conflicts.
Specifically, to avoid creating a hazard to air navigation,
Alternatives 2 and 3 would prohibit structure heights from exceeding
130 feet above ground level. Alternative 6 uses tubular transmission
structures, (e.g., tubular H-frame, three pole dead-end, or monopole
structures) as opposed to lattice structures, in certain locations to
minimize impacts on Mojave desert tortoise due to raven predation.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public
participation consistent with the NEPA and land use planning processes,
including a 30-day public protest period and a 60-day Governor's
consistency review on the Proposed RMP Amendment. The Proposed RMP
Amendment/Final EIS is anticipated to be available for public protest
January 2025 with an Approved RMP and Record of Decision in March 2025.
Along with the ROW grant issued by the BLM, GridLiance anticipates
needing the following authorizations and permits for the proposed
project: construction authorization from the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
clearance for survey and construction on Department of Defense lands;
biological opinion and incidental take permit(s) from the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) for Endangered Species Act compliance; USFWS
Migratory Bird Treaty Act compliance; USFWS Bald and Golden Eagle
Protection Act compliance; section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers for Clean Water Act compliance; effect concurrence from
the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office for National Historic
Preservation Act compliance; No Hazard Declaration from the Federal
Aviation Administration; Department of Homeland Security consultation
regarding military radar; Utilities Environmental Protection Act Permit
to Construct from the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada; Rare and
Endangered Plant Permit from the Nevada State Division of Forestry;
Desert Tortoise and Gila Monster Handling Permit from the Nevada
Department of Wildlife; Native Cacti and Yucca Commercial Salvaging and
Transportation Permit from the Nevada Division of Forestry; Special
Permit for Capture, Removal, or Destruction of Animal Threatened with
Extinction from the Nevada Department of Wildlife; Clean Water Act,
section 401 Compliance with the Nevada Division of Environmental
Protection (NDEP) and Bureau of Water Quality Planning; Notification
for Stormwater Management During Construction for the Clean Water Act,
section 402 permit for stormwater discharge from NDEP; Groundwater
Discharge Permit from NDEP; ROW Occupancy Permit from the Nevada
Department of Transportation; Over Legal Size/Load Permit from the
Nevada Department of Transportation; Uniform Permit (for transportation
of hazardous materials) from the Nevada Department of Public Safety;
NDEP Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment; Clark County Dust Control
Permit; Clark County Grading Permit; Clark County Building Permit; Nye
County Dust Control Permit; Nye County Grading Permit; and other
permits as necessary. Further details on these permitting requirements
may be found in the relevant Plans of Development submitted to the BLM
by GridLiance.
Public meetings are listed in the DATES section of this notice. The
date(s) and location(s) of any additional meetings will be announced at
least 15 days in advance through the BLM National NEPA Register, news
release, and BLM social media pages.
The BLM will continue to consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order
13175, BLM MS 1780, and other Departmental policies. Tribal concerns,
including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to
cultural resources, will be given due consideration.
The purpose of public review of the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS is to
provide an opportunity for meaningful collaborative public engagement
and for the public to provide substantive comments, such as
identification of factual errors, data gaps, input on the identified
BLM preferred alternative, relevant methods, or scientific studies. You
may submit comments at any time during the 90-day comment period by
using any of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section of this
notice. The BLM will respond to substantive comments by making
appropriate revisions to the EIS or explaining why a comment did not
warrant a change.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that
[[Page 28803]]
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.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2)
Jon K. Raby,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-08241 Filed 4-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P
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