81 FR 52900 - Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the West of Devers Upgrade Project, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, CA

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 154 (August 10, 2016)

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the West of Devers Upgrade Project and by this notice is announcing its availability.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52900-52901]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-18992]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAD06000.L51010000. ER0000.15X LVRWB15B5410]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the West of Devers Upgrade Project, Riverside and San 
Bernardino Counties, CA

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the West of Devers 
Upgrade Project and by this notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a 
minimum of 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for the Project are available for 
public inspection at the BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 
1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262, and to the BLM 
California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, 
Moreno Valley, CA 92553. Interested persons may also review the Final 
EIS on the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings/transmission/WestOfDeversProject.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frank McMenimen, Project Manager, 
telephone 760-833-7150; address 1201 Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, 
CA 92262; email [email protected] or [email protected]. 
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to 
contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is 
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question 
with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Southern California Edison (SCE) proposes to 
upgrade and adjust the routes of the following existing 220 kV 
transmission lines within SCE's existing West of Devers right-of-way 
corridor in incorporated and unincorporated areas of Riverside and San 
Bernardino counties: Devers-El Casco, El Casco-San Bernardino, Devers-
San Bernardino, Devers-Vista No. 1 and No. 2, Etiwanda-San Bernardino, 
and San Bernardino-Vista.
    Of the overall 48-mile length of the transmission corridor, about 6 
miles would cross Trust Lands (Reservation) of the Morongo Band of 
Mission Indians, and about 1 mile is on BLM-administered public lands. 
The BLM lands are located east of the City of Banning and west of the 
City of Desert Hot Springs in Riverside County, California. In addition 
to the transmission line improvements, substation equipment at Devers, 
El Casco, Etiwanda, San Bernardino, Timoteo and Tennessee and Vista 
Substations would be upgraded to accommodate the project changes to 
transmission and subtransmission systems. Construction of the Project 
would facilitate the full deliverability of new renewable energy 
generation resources now being developed in eastern Riverside County, 
including the BLM's Riverside East Solar Energy Zone, into the Los 
Angeles area.
    As a result, the Project would facilitate progress towards meeting 
California's Renewable Portfolio Standard goals, which now require 
utilities to produce 50 percent of their electricity sales from 
renewable energy sources by 2030, as well as President Obama's Climate 
Action Plan, which directs the Department of the Interior to approve at 
least 20,000 megawatts of renewable energy capacity on public lands by 
2020. Utility-scale solar energy development in eastern Riverside 
County plays an important role in meeting California's renewable energy 
goals, allowing for immediate and sizeable deployment, driving costs 
down and taking advantage of the State's best renewable energy 
resources. Additionally, these upgrades are required to comply with 
transmission reliability standards and will support integration of 
small scale electricity generation.
    In addition to the Proposed Action, the Final EIS considers three 
project alternatives and a No Action Alternative, as well as connected 
actions enabled by the project. The first alternative, the Tower 
Relocation Alternative, moves some proposed towers away from 
residences. The

[[Page 52901]]

second alternative, the Iowa Street 66 kV Underground Alternative, 
would place a small portion of the subtransmission line underground. 
The third alternative, the Phased Build Alternative, would retain some 
of the existing towers, use a different conductor type, and have 
smaller capacity than the proposed Project.
    The Final EIS evaluates the potential impacts of the project and 
alternatives on air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, 
water resources, geological resources and hazards, land use, noise, 
paleontological resources, public health, socioeconomics, soils, 
traffic and transportation, visual resources, wilderness 
characteristics, and other resources. Mitigation measures are included 
to conserve priority habitat in the region, including requirements to 
restore, compensate, and minimize native vegetation and habitat loss; 
not allow for a net loss for jurisdictional waters and wetlands; and 
ensure compliance with two regional Multiple Species Habitat 
Conservation Plans.
    In accordance with Department of the Interior regulations (43 CFR 
46.425), the BLM identified a preferred alternative in the Final EIS 
based on feedback on the Draft Joint Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/
EIS from the public and cooperating agencies. The BLM preferred 
alternative is the Proposed Action with incorporation of the Tower 
Relocation Alternative and the Iowa Street 66 kV Underground 
Alternative.
    The BLM will prepare a Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed 
project after a 30-day period following publication of the NOA.
    Comments on the Draft Joint EIR/EIS received from the public and 
internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate 
into the Final EIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of 
clarifying text, but did not significantly change the analysis or 
conclusions presented in the Draft EIR/EIS.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.

Thomas Pogacnik,
Deputy State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-18992 Filed 8-9-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-40-P