Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Nordic Power Plant and Associated Facilities Located on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation, Mohave County, Arizona Which Will Serve the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation Within Mohave County, Arizona

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for

Nordic Power Plant and Associated Facilities Located on the Fort Mojave

Indian Reservation, Mohave County, Arizona Which Will Serve the Fort

Mojave Indian Reservation Within Mohave County, Arizona

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent and public scoping meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian

Affairs, in cooperation with the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, intends to

gather information necessary for preparing an EIS for the proposal of a

long-term lease for the construction and operation of a two-phase

natural gas fired co-generation power plant and ancillary facilities on

the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation located within Mohave County,

Arizona.

DATES: Comments should be received by January 3, 1995. Public Scoping

Meetings will be held on Monday, December 19, 1994 at 7:30 P.M. (MST),

Fort Mojave Tribal Headquarters, 500 Merriman, Needles, CA; Tuesday,

December 20, 1994 at 7:00 P.M. (MST), Mojave Valley High School, at the

intersection of Hancock Boulevard and AZ State Route Highway 95,

Bullhead City, Arizona.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Mr. Walter Mills, Area

Director, Phoenix Area Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, P.O. Box 10,

Phoenix, Arizona 85001, or Mr. Allen Anspach, Superintendent, Colorado

River Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Route 1, Box 9-C, Parker,

Arizona 85344. Public Scoping Meetings will be held on Monday, December

19, 1994 at 7:30 P.M. (MST), Fort Mojave Tribal Headquarters, 500

Merriman, Needles, CA; Tuesday, December 20, 1994 at 7:00 P.M. (MST),

Mojave Valley High School, at the intersection of Hancock Boulevard and

AZ State Route 95, Bullhead City, Arizona.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Amy L. Heuslein, Area

Environmental Protection Officer, Phoenix Area Office, Bureau of Indian

Affairs, Environmental Quality Services, P.O. Box 10, Phoenix, Arizona

85001, Telephone 602/379-6750 or Telefax 602/379-3833; or Ms. Goldie

Stroup, Realty Officer, Colorado River Agency, Bureau of Indian

Affairs, Route 1, Box 9-C, Parker, Arizona 85344, Telephone 602/669-

7141.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA),

Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the Fort Mojave Indian

Tribe, will prepare an EIS to address the environmental impacts of a

proposed ground lease encompassing approximately 320 acres for a term

of 25 years with a renewal option of 25 years; Nordic Power plans to

develop, construct and operate a 460 megawatt natural gas fired, two-

phase co-generation power plant and all other ancillary facilities.

These include but are not limited to pipelines, transmission lines,

structures necessary for the production, transmission and sale of

electric power and necessary infrastructure such as roads, utilities,

and easements. The proposed power plant will consist of two-combined

cycle units consisting of gas turbines coupled to steam turbines

driving individual 240 megawatt generators. Heat from the gas turbines

will be used to create the steam for the steam turbines which are then

reused as co-generator steam for the steam host(s). Auxiliary power use

in the production and operation cycle will result in a net turbine

power production of approximately 230 megawatts. A power grid

interconnection is proposed at the Arizona Power Company (APCO)

substation approximately two miles southwest of the plant, at

Vanderslice Road and AZ Highway 95 in Mohave County, Arizona. The

actual corridor is undetermined at this time, but will stay on tribal

land if possible. Connection of power distribution from the substation

will be the responsibility of APCO and Western Area Power

Administration.

This plant will service tribal entities and other locations within

Clark County, Nevada and San Bernadino County, California. The plant

may also provide services to San Diego, Orange, and San Bernadino

Counties in California, and non-tribal locations in Mohave County,

Arizona. The proposed plant's total production is rated at 460

megawatts. A description of the proposed project, location and

environmental considerations to be addressed in the EIS are provided

below.

The project may be developed as a ``qualifying facility'' as

defined by federal law. This business entity may provide ice, cold

storage, or other water based production services, such as a commercial

laundry facility or greenhouse; these entities would be negotiated

separately between the tribe and Nordic Power. The proposed plant may

use wells, water supply reservoirs, and water storage facilities to

meet the commercial and fire protection needs of the leased land. The

proposed plant will have the right to extract water from the leased

land which shall constitute a maximum of 7500 acre feet per year of

consumptive water rights of the Fort Mojave Tribe's Colorado River

allocation. Water discharge is unknown at this time; but, it is

designed to be a ``zero discharge'' facility.

The proposed facility or facilities will be located on the Fort

Mojave Indian Reservation within the East Half of Section 8, Township

17 North, Range 21 West, Mohave County, Arizona. Alternative locations

are being assessed in the EIS process.

We estimate the draft EIS will be made available to the public

within six to twelve months after the end of the comment period. The

purpose of the notice is to obtain suggestions and information from

other agencies and the public on the scope of issues to be addressed in

the EIS. Significant issues to be covered during the scoping process

will include but not be limited to biotic resources, archeological,

cultural and historic sites, socioeconomic conditions, land use, air,

visual, resource use patterns, water quality and quantity conditions.

Comments and participation in this scoping process are requested and

encouraged.

This notice is published pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of the Council of

Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500 through 1508)

implementing the procedural requirements of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371 et. seq.), and

Department of the Interior Manual (DM) (516, 1-6) and 209 DM 8).

Dated: November 23, 1994.

Ada E. Deer,

Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 94-29602 Filed 11-30-94; 8:45 am]

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