Stateline Solar Farm Project : draft environmental impact statement/environmental impact report

2012·263.3 MB·English

by  United States. Bureau of Land Management. Needles Field Office

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Stateline Solar Farm Project
Draft Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report
Lead Agencies:
NEPA Lead - U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
CEQA Lead - San Bernardino County, California
NOVEMBER 2012
I
BLM/CA/ES-201 3-005+1 793 c
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Needles Field Office
1303 South U.S. Highway 95
Needles, CA 92363
www.ca.blm.eov needles
November 23, 2012
In Reply Refer To:
CACA-048669
Dear Reader:
I am pleased to announce the availability ofthe Draft Plan Amendment (PA) to the California Desert
Conservation Area Plan, 1980, as amended (CDCA Plan), and Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS)/Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Stateline Solar Farm Project. Desert Stateline,
LLC (Applicant) is proposing to develop an up to 300-megawatt alternating current (MWac) solar energy
plant on 2,143 acres in San Bernardino County, California.
The enclosed Draft PA/EIS/EIR analyzes six alternatives, including: (1) amendment ofthe CDCA Plan
and grant to the Applicant ofa right-of-way (ROW) for the project as proposed; (2) amendment ofthe
CDCA ROW
Plan and grant to the Applicant ofa for a modified version ofits project, developing 300
MWac on a bifurcated 2,385 acre site; (3) amendment ofthe CDCA Plan and grant to the Applicant ofa
ROW for a modified version ofits project, developing 300 MWac on a 2,151 acre site; (4) amendment of
CDCA ROW
the Plan and grant to the Applicant ofa for a modified version ofits project, developing 232
MWac on a 1,766 acre site; (5) taking No Action, in which case the Applicant’s ROW application would
be denied and the Bureau ofLand Management (BLM) would not amend the CDCA Plan; (6) denial of
the ROW application and amendment ofthe CDCA Plan to identify the project application area as
ROW
suitable for any type ofsolar energy development; and (7) denial ofthe application and amendment
CDCA
ofthe Plan to identify the Project application area as unsuitable for any type ofsolar energy
development. The BLM also proposes to modify the boundaries ofthe currently-existing Ivanpah
DWMA.
The Draft PA/EIS/EIR has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), which requires federal agencies to take a hard look at the potential environmental consequences
oftheir decisions, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), which establishes the
land management authority ofthe BLM and provides guidance for how to manage the public lands under
itsjurisdiction. The document has been sent to members ofthe public who requested a copy and to
pertinent local, state, tribal, and federal government entities.
San Bernardino County (County) has discretionary authority to issue well permits for the project. The
County participated in the development ofthis document as a PA/EIS/EIR toward satisfying the
requirements ofthe California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) with respect to its decision-making
authority. The County will rely on this Draft PA/EIS/EXR in accordance with CEQA to document the
analysis ofpotential environmental impacts that could result from its approval ofwell permits for the
project.
The Draft PA/EIS/EIR will be circulated for a 90-day public comment period. All comments must be
postmarked no later than 90 days from the date the Notice ofAvailability for the Draft PA/EIS/EIR
published in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency. Comments may be sent to
JeffChilders, Project Manager, by mail: 22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA,
92553; phone: [phone]; or email: [email protected]. Public meetings will be held at the Primm
Valley GolfCourse near the project site to provide clarification ofthe project design and alternatives,
describe the impacts and mitigation measures, and accept written public comments. Please see BLM’s
web page at http://www.blm.gov ca/st/en/fo/needles/stateline solar farm.html for information about the
location, date, and time ofthese meetings. All substantive issues raised during the comment period will
be considered and responded to, and modifications based on these comments may be made in the Final
PA/EIS/EIR.
Additional hard copies or CD-ROM versions ofthe Draft PA/EIS/EIR may be obtained by contacting the
Needles Field Office. The document also will be available on the Internet at:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/needles/stateline solar farm.html.
We are pleased to provide this copy ofthe Stateline Solar Farm Draft PA/EIS/EER for your review and
We
extend our appreciation for your cooperation and assistance during this process. look forward to your
continued participation.
Sincerely,
Raymond C. Lee
Field Manager
2
Abstract
%
This Draft Plan Amendment (PA) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmentall
Impact Report (EIS/EIR) analyzes the impacts of Desert Stateline, LLC’s (Applicant’s) proposed
Stateline Solar Farm Project. The applicant, a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Solar
Development, Inc. (First Solar), has filed Application CACA #48669 for a Right-of-Way (ROW)
authorization with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to construct, operate, maintain, and
decommission an approximately 2,143 acre, 300-megawatt (MW) alternating current (AC) solar
photovoltaic (PV) energy generation facility (Proposed Action or Project). All of the proposed
facilities would be located on public lands managed by the BLM Needles Field Office. The
proposed facility would be located in Ivanpah Valley near the California-Nevada border. The
proposed location is approximately 2 miles southwest of the community of Primm, Nevada, and
approximately 0.5 miles to the west of Interstate 15 (1-15).
The Draft PA and EIS/EIR analyzes the impacts of BLM approving a ROW grant for the
construction, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning of the Project and associated
amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan 1980 (CDCA Plan). It also
analyzes the impacts of three alternative configurations of the Project, and three additional
alternative land use plan amendments. The EIS/EIR also analyzes the impacts of the approval
of well permits by the County. This Draft EIS/EIR also discusses mitigation measures that, if
adopted, would avoid, minimize, or mitigate the adverse environmental impacts identified.
Point of Contact:
Mr. Jeffrey Childers
BLM California Desert District Office
22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos
Moreno Valley, California 92553-9046
[phone]
The BLM will be accepting additional public comment on the Draft CDCA Plan
Amendment/Draft EIS/EIR through February 21, 2013.
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Contents

1
DesertStateline SolarFarm Project
Tableofcontents
Table of Contents
Section Page
Executive Summary ES-1
1.0 Introduction and Project Overview
1.1 Purpose and Need 1-3
1.1.1 BLM Purpose and Need 1-4
1.1.2 San Bernardino County Purpose and Need 1-4
1.1.3 Applicant’s Objectives 1-5
1.2 General Location and Map 1-6
1 .3 Agency Roles and Authorizations 1-7
1 .3.1 Bureau of Land Management 1-7
1.3.2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1-8
1.3.3 San Bernardino County 1-8
1 .3.4 California Department of Fish and Game 1-8
1.4 Policy Consistency and Land Use Plan Conformance 1-9
1.4.1 Relationship of Proposed Action to BLM Policies, Plans, and
Programs 1-9
1 .4.1.1 Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 1-9
1 .4.1.2 California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan 1-9
1.4.1.3 Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern
States 1-12
1 .4.1.4 California Desert Renewable Energy Conservation
Plan 1-12
1.4.2 Relationship of Proposed Action to non-BLM Policies, Plans, and
Programs 1-13
1.4.2.1 Relationship to Federal Plans, Policies, Programs, and Laws.. 1-13
1.4.2.2 Relationship to State and Local Laws, Plans,
Policies, and Programs 1-14
1.4.3 List of Potential Government Actions, Permits, and Approvals 1-15
1.5 Interagency Coordination 1-16
1 .6 Document Organization 1-16
1.7 Issues to be Addressed 1-17
2.0 Proposed Action and Alternatives
2.1 Introduction 2-1
2.1.1 Alternatives Development and Screening 2-2
2.1.2 Overview of the Alternatives Considered in Detail 2-2
2.1.3 Features Common to all Action Alternatives 2-3
2.1.3.1 Structures and Facilities 2-3
2.1.3.2 Construction 2-10
2.1 .3.2.1 Construction Sequence and
Equipment 2-10
2.1 .3.2.2 Site Preparation 2-1
2.1.3.2.3 Assembly and Construction 2-13
2.1.3.2.4 Site Stabilization, Protection, and
Reclamation 2-13
November2012 TOC DraftEIS/EIR
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DesertStatelineSolarFarmProject
Tableofcontents
2.1.3.3 Operation and Maintenance 2-14
2.1.3.4 Decommissioning 2-14
2.1.3.5 Design Features and Best Management Practices 2-16
2.2 Proposed Land Use Amendment Decisions 2-20
2.2.1 Summary of Land Use Plan Amendment Decisions 2-20
DWMA
2.2.2 Modification of Boundary of Ivanpah 2-21
2.3 Action Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action 2-23
2.3.1 Alternative 1: Proposed Action .......2-23
2.3.2 Alternative 2: 2,385 Acre Alternative 2-25
2.3.3 Alternative 3: 2,151 Acre Alternative 2-27
2.3.4 Alternative 4: Reduced Acreage Alternative. .....2-29
2.4 No Action Alternatives 2-30
2.4.1 Alternative 5: No Issuance of a ROW Grant, No County
Approval, No LUP Amendment 2-30
2.5 No Project Alternatives 2-31
ROW
2.5.1 Alternative 6: No Issuance of a Grant, No County
Approval, Approgal of a LUP Amendment to Exclude Solar
Energy Development on the Site of the Proposed Action.. 2-31
2.5.2 Alternative 7: No Issuance of a ROW Grant, No County
Approval, Approval of a LUP Amendment to Approve Solar
Energy Development on the Site of the Proposed Action 2-31
2.6 Comparison of Impacts by Alternative ...2-32
2.7 Federal Lead Agency Preferred Alternative and CEQA Environmentally
Superior Alternative 2-39
2.8 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis 2-39
2.8.1 Alternative Sites 2-40
2.8.1.1 Private Land Alternative 2-41
2.8.1.2 Alternative BLM-Administered Land 2-42
2.8.2 Alternative Site Configurations 2-42
2.8.3 Other Types of Energy Projects, Conservation and Demand-
Side Management, and Distributed Generation 2-43
3.0 Affected Environment
3.1 Introduction 3.1-1
3.2 Air Resources 3.2-1
3.2.1 Environmental Setting 3.2-1
3.2.1.1 Meteorological Conditions 3.2-1
3.2.1.2 Existing Air Quality 3.2-1
3.2.1 .3 Criteria Air Pollutants 3.2-3
3.2.1.4 Sensitive Receptors 3.2-6
3.2.2 Applicable Regulations, Plans, and Standards 3.2-7
3.2.2.1 Federal 3.2-7
3.2.2.2 State 3.2-7
3.2.2.3 Local 3.2-8
3.3 Climate Change 3.3-1
3.3.1 Environmental Setting 3.3-1
3.3.1 .1 Climate Change 3.3-1
3.3.1.2 Greenhouse Gases 3.3-1
3.3.1 .3 Recent Climate Change Record in the Local
Landscape 3.3-2
November2012 TOC-ii DraftEIS/EIR