[Federal Register: September 7, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 173)]
[Notices]
[Page 51462-51463]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07se07-89]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Desert Rock
Energy Project and the Navajo Mine Extension Project, San Juan County,
NM: Reopening of Comment Period
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are
reopening the comment period on the draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) for the Proposed Desert Rock Energy Project and the
Navajo Mine Extension Project, San Juan County, New Mexico, for an
additional 30 days. The Notice of Availability of the DEIS, published
by in the Federal Register by the BIA on June 20, 2007 (72 FR 34035),
and by the EPA on June 22, 2007 (72 FR 34463), announced a closing date
for comments of August 20, 2007.
DATES: Written comments for the reopened comment period must arrive by
4 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST), October 9, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may mail written comments on the DEIS via U.S. Postal
Service first class or priority to Harrilene Yazzie, Regional NEPA
Coordinator, Navajo Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, P.O. Box
1060, Gallup, New Mexico 87305. You may also hand carry, or have
written comments delivered by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail or by
courier service to Harrilene Yazzie at the Navajo Regional Office,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, 301 W. Hill Street, Gallup, New Mexico 87305.
In addition, you may send comments by e-mail to the project Web site,
http://www.desertrockenergy.com., or to the BIA contractor's e-mail account for this project, desertrockEIS@urscorp.com. Please include the caption,
``Desert Rock Energy Project DEIS Comments,'' at the top of your letter
or in the subject line of your e-mail message; be specific in your
comments and cite the chapter, page, paragraph, and sentence to which
they pertain; and include your name and return address in your letter
or message.
The DEIS is available for review at the BIA Office, 301 West Hill
Street, Gallup, New Mexico. It is also available for review on the
project Web site http://www.desertrockenergy.com. A limited number of compact
disk (CD) and paper copies have been prepared for
[[Page 51463]]
distribution and are available upon request. For your convenience,
however, the BIA recommends using the Internet or other publicly
available copies for reviews where possible. You may obtain a CD or
paper copy by contacting Harrilene Yazzie at the BIA mailing address
provided in the ADDRESSES section, at her telephone number shown below,
or by fax at (505) 863-8324.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harrilene Yazzie, (505) 863-8286.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Reopening of the Comment Period
On June 20 and 22, 2007, the BIA and the EPA, respectively,
published notices in the Federal Register announcing the availability
of the DEIS, a comment period closing on August 20, 2007, and the
dates, times and locations of 10 public hearings on the DEIS. These
public hearings were held between July 17 and July 25, 2007. Subsequent
to the publishing of the notices, the BIA received requests to extend
the comment period. We are reopening the comment period in
consideration of these requests.
Background on the Desert Rock Energy Project EIS
The DEIS analyzes and discloses probable environmental effects of
the proposed Desert Rock Energy Project (or referred to herein as
Desert Rock Energy Project or proposed project/action) and the Navajo
Mine Extension Project (or referred to herein as the Navajo Mine
Extension Project or Area IV North, Area IV South and Area V of the BHP
Navajo Coal Company [BNCC] Lease Area).
Together, Sithe Global Power, LLC, by and through the Desert Rock
Energy Company, LLC, and Dino Power Authority (DPA), a Navajo Nation
enterprise, are proposing to develop and construct the Desert Rock
Energy Project. Desert Rock Energy Company, LLC, entered into a
development agreement with DPA to develop and construct a coal-fired
power plant on the Navajo Reservation. Desert Rock Energy Company, LLC,
is a privately held, independent power company and a limited liability
corporation formed under the laws of the State of Delaware. DPA was
established by the Navajo Nation Council to develop utility-scale
energy projects on behalf of the Navajo Nation for the economic benefit
of the Navajo people.
The proposed project involves the construction and operation of a
coal-fired electrical power plant that would generate up to 1,500
megawatts (MW) of power; the extension of existing surface coal mining
operations at the Navajo Mine to provide fuel for the power plant;
disposal of coal combustion by-products (CCBs); and mine reclamation
operations along with associated mine support facilities and
activities. The proposed project also includes a water well field and
supply pipeline to the power plant, transmission lines, a receiving
electrical station, other upgrades and ancillary facilities required in
the production and transmission of electricity, and new access roads.
The proposed project is located approximately 30 miles southwest of
Farmington in San Juan County, New Mexico, and is entirely on trust
lands within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation. The power
plant would be constructed on a 592-acre parcel immediately adjacent
to, and west of Area IV North of the BNCC Lease Area. The coal fuel
supply would be produced from Areas IV South and V of the BNCC Lease
Area and transported by conveyor to a proposed coal preparation
facility located in Area IV North of the BNCC lease area, near the
power plant.
The proposed project requires a long-term business site lease
between the Navajo Nation and DPA, and a sublease between DPA and
Desert Rock Energy Company, LLC. Because the power plant and associated
facilities would be located on land held in trust by the federal
government for the Navajo Nation within the Navajo reservation, the
lease must be approved by BIA, an agency of the United States
Department of the Interior.
The DEIS is intended to satisfy the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act for each federal agency's decision related to
the siting, construction, operation, and maintenance of the proposed
facility; and to aid federal, Navajo Nation, state, and local
permitting authorities with their permitting responsibilities,
including surface coal mining, CCB disposal and reclamation activities
on the BNCC Lease Area under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation
Act of 1977 (SMCRA).
Availability of Your Comments for Public Review
Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at the street address shown in the
ADDRESSES section, during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except holidays. Before including your address,
phone number, e-mail 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.
Authority
This notice is published in accordance with section 1503.1 of the
Council on 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. 4321 et. Seq.),
and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the
exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian
Affairs by 209 DM 8.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. E7-17356 Filed 9-6-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P
