Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for Federal Permits Associated With Construction and Operation of the High Desert Power Plant Project, Victorville, San Bernardino County, CA

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Bureau of Land Management

Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for Federal

Permits Associated With Construction and Operation of the High Desert

Power Plant Project, Victorville, San Bernardino County, CA

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior (Lead Agency); Bureau of

Land Management, Interior (Cooperating Agency).

ACTION: Notice of intent; announcement of meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service, with the Bureau of Land

Management as a cooperator, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement. This Impact Statement will consider the Federal actions

associated with the High Desert Power Plant Project. Specifically, the

Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to issue an Endangered Species Act

permit to the High Desert Power, Limited Liability Company, and other

project proponents for take of the desert tortoise (Gopherus

agassizii), a threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species

Act, and for the future take, should it be needed, of the Mohave ground

squirrel (Spermophilus mohavensis) and the burrowing owl (Athene

cunicularia), a threatened species and a sensitive species,

respectively, under the California Endangered Species Act. Take of

these species would be incidental to the construction and operation of

a natural gas power plant, electric lines, gas lines, and water lines

associated with the High Desert Power Project. As part of the proposed

action for the project, the Bureau of Land Management proposes to issue

a right-of-way grant under Section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act of

1920 to the Southwest Gas Corporation for the construction and

maintenance of a natural gas pipeline through Federal lands designated

as desert tortoise critical habitat and managed by the Bureau.

The purpose of scoping is to obtain suggestions and information

from other agencies and the public on the range of issues and

alternatives to be considered in preparation of the Environmental

Impact Statement. All comments received, including names and addresses,

will become part of the administrative record and may be made available

to the public. This notice is provided pursuant to the Council on

Environmental Quality regulations for

[[Page 71941]]

implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental

Policy Act (40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22).

DATES: Oral and written comments will be accepted at public meetings to

be held on January 28, 1999, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to

9:00 p.m. Written comments should be received on or before February 1,

1999.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the Mojave Desert Air Quality

Management District Office, Board Chambers (2nd floor), 15428 Civic

Drive, Victorville, California. Comments should be addressed to Diane

Noda, Field Supervisor, Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola Road,

Suite B, Ventura, California 93003. Written comments may be sent by

facsimile to (805) 644-3958.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise Washick, Fish and Wildlife

Biologist, at the above address (telephone 805-644-1766).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Project Description

The High Desert Power Plant Project is located on a 25-acre parcel

in the northeast corner of the Southern California International

Airport, formerly part of George Air Force Base, in the City of

Victorville, San Bernardino County, California. The project site is

bordered by Perimeter Road on the east, Southern California

International Airport taxiways to the west, abandoned bunkers adjacent

to Phantom Street on the south, and existing evaporation ponds on the

north. The project site is located in Section 24, Township 6 North,

Range 5 West. The site has been previously graded and leveled.

The High Desert Power Project, Limited Liability Company (lead

project proponent), and others propose to construct and operate a 680-

to 830-megawatt natural gas-fueled electricity generation power plant

on a 25-acre site located in the northeast corner of the Southern

California International Airport. In addition to the power plant, an

additional 24 acres, which is currently graded, will be used as a

staging area. The project includes the construction of 7 water

extraction wells within the Mojave River watershed. The linear

facilities associated with the project include a 7-mile electrical

transmission line; a 3.5-mile natural gas pipeline; and construction of

2 water pipelines with pipeline #1 measuring 2.5 miles and pipeline #2

measuring 6.5 miles. These linear facilities are all to be constructed

within private lands.

As part of the project, the High Desert Power Project, Limited

Liability Company, proposes to prepare a habitat conservation plan to

be submitted to the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of an application

for an Endangered Species Act incidental take permit for the desert

tortoise, Mohave ground squirrel, and burrowing owl. The latter two

species would be listed on the permit with a delayed effective date.

Should these species be listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act

in the future, the permit for incidental take would become effective

concurrent with their listing.

Construction of a 32-mile natural gas pipeline through Federal

lands designated as desert tortoise critical habitat and managed by the

Bureau of Land Management are also part of the High Desert Power Plant

Project. The Bureau proposes to issue a right-of-way permit under the

Federal Land Policy and Management Act to Southwest Gas Corporation for

the construction and maintenance of this pipeline.

Supplemental Reports

The High Desert Power Project, Limited Liability Company, has

prepared several reports required by the California Energy Commission,

including an Application for Certification. The Commission is serving

as the lead licensing and environmental review agency in accordance

with the California Environmental Quality Act. The Commission required

preparation of a Draft Biological Resources Mitigation Implementation

Plan and a Draft Erosion Control and Revegetation Plan for the High

Desert Power Plant Project. These plans have been prepared for the

project site and all linear facilities including the 32-mile natural

gas pipeline which is also being permitted as part of the High Desert

Power Plant Project. Copies of the reports may be requested by

contacting Ms. Amy Cuellar at Resource Management International, Inc.,

3100 Zinfandel Drive, Suite 600, P.O. Box 15516, Sacramento, California

95670-1516, or calling (916)-852-1300. Copies may also be reviewed at

the following libraries:

California Energy Commission, Energy Library, 1516 Ninth Street,

Sacramento, California 95814; California State Library, Government

Publication Section, 914 Capitol Mall, Room 400, Sacramento, California

95814; Fresno County Library, Central Headquarters, 2420 Mariposa

Street, Fresno, California 93721; Humboldt Library, 421 ``I'' Street,

Eureka, California 95501; Norman Feldheym Central Library, 555 West

Sixth Street, San Bernardino, California 92415; San Bernardino County

Library, Adelanto Branch, 11744 Bartlett Avenue, Adelanto, California

92301; San Bernardino County Library, Victorville Branch, 15011 Circle

Drive, Victorville, California 92392; San Diego Public Library, 920 E

Street, San Diego, California 92101; San Francisco Public Library,

Civic Center, San Francisco, California 94102; UCLA, University

Research Library, Public Affairs Service, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los

Angeles, California 90024; California Depository Specialist,

Acquisitions--Green Library, Stanford University, Stanford, California

94305-6004.

Dated: December 15, 1998.

Elizabeth Stevens,

Acting Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, Fish and Wildlife

Service.

Dated: December 14, 1998.

Tim Read,

Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Barstow Field Office.

[FR Doc. 98-34371 Filed 12-29-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P