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Environmental Assessment for the Playa Solar Project

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U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2014-0127-EA December 2014 Playa Solar Project (Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone Parcels 2, 3, & 4) ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT U.S. Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District Office Las Vegas Field Office 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 89130 Phone: 702-515-5000 Fax: 702-515-5023 BLM Mission Statement It is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. CONTENTS Environmental Assessment for Playa Solar Project (Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone Parcels 2, 3, & 4) Page Acronyms and Abbreviations v 1. Purpose and Need 1-1 1.1 Introduction 1-1 1.2 Background 1-2 1.3 Purpose and Need for Action and Decision to be Made 1-2 1.4 Resource Management Plan Conformance 1-5 1.5 Relationship to Other Plans and Analyses 1-6 1.6 Identification of Issues 1-8 1.7 Summary 1-10 2. Proposed Action and Alternatives 2-1 2.1 Introduction 2-1 2.2 Proposed Action 2-1 2.3 No Action Alternative 2-31 2.4 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Further Analysis 2-42 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences 3.1 Introduction 3.1-1 3.2 Cumulative Scenario 3.2-1 3.3 Air Resources 3.3-1 3.4 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern 3.4-1 3.5 Cultural Resources 3.5-1 3.6 Native American Religious Concerns 3.6-1 3.7 Wildlife, Excluding Federally Listed Species 3.7-1 3.8 Migratory Birds 3.8-1 3.9 Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate Animal Species 3.9-1 3.10 Vegetation, Excluding Federally Listed Species 3.10-1 3.11 Forestry 3.11-1 3.12 Invasive and Noxious Weeds 3.12-1 3.13 Geology and Mineral Resources 3.13-1 3.14 Soil Resources 3.14-1 3.15 Hazards and Hazardous Materials 3.15-1 3.16 Lands/Access 3.16-1 3.17 Military and Civilian Aviation 3.17-1 3.18 Recreation 3.18-1 3.19 Socio-economics and Environmental Justice 3.19-1 3.20 Transportation 3.20-1 3.21 Visual Resources 3.21-1 3.22 Water Resources 3.22-1 Playa Solar Project i December 2014 Environmental Assessment Contents Page 4. Coordination 4-1 4.1 Introduction 4-1 4.2 Persons, Groups, and Agencies Consulted 4-3 4.3 Summary of Public Participation 4-3 4.4 List of Preparers 4-3 5. Literature Cited 5-1 Appendices (CD inside front cover of printed hard copies) A. Legal Description A-1 B. Figures B-1 2-1 Project Location Map B-3 2-2 Preliminary Site Plan B-4 2-3 Typical Array Configurations B-5 2-4 Typical Mounting System B-6 2-5 Power Line Details B-7 3.8-1 Eagle Nests and Observations B-9 3.9-1 Desert Tortoise Translocation B-10 3.10-1 Vegetation Map B-11 3.12-1 Characteristic Landscape of the Project Site B-12 3.12-2 Visual Resource Inventory Values for Dry Lake SEZ B-13 3.12-3 Viewshed Analysis for Dry Lake SEZ B-14 3.12-4 Sensitive Visual Resource Areas and Viewsheds B-15 3.12-5 Project Location Map with KOPs and VRM Classifications B-16 3.12-6 View from KOP 1, U.S. 93 Eastbound Looking Southeast B-17 3.12-7 View from KOP 2, Dry Lake Bed Looking Southwest B-18 3.12-8 View from KOP 3, I-15 Southbound Looking Southwest B-19 3.12-9 View from KOP 4, Loves Travel Center Looking Northwest B-20 3.12-10 Photovoltaic Array Examples, Silver State North Solar B-21 3.12-11 Inverter Treatment B-22 3.12-12 Nighttime Lighting at PV Solar Facility Buildings B-23 C. Affected Resources Form C-1 D. Air Quality Modeling Results and Assumptions D-1 E. Visual Contrast Rating Sheets E-1 F. State Historic Preservation Office Letter of Concurrence F-1 List of Tables 2-1 Temporary and Permanent Disturbance 2-4 2-2 Wastes Potentially Generated by the Project 2-11 2-3 Hazardous Materials That May Be Used During Operation 2-12 2-4A Estimated On-Site Equipment for Solar Panel Array and Collection System Construction 2-19 2-4B Estimated On-Site Equipment for Onsite Substation Construction 2-20 2-4C Estimated On-Site Equipment for Gen-Tie Line Construction 2-21 2-5 Routine Maintenance Protocol 2-23 2-6 Federal, State, and Local Permits and Authorizations 2-25 2-7 Dry Lake Programmatic Design Features 2-26 Playa Solar Project ii December 2014 Environmental Assessment Contents Page List of Tables (continued) 3.2-1 Ongoing and Reasonably Foreseeable Actions Near the Dry Lake SEZ 3.2-2 3.3-1 2011 Annual Emissions of Criteria Pollutants in Clark County, Nevada 3.3-1 3.3-2 NAAQS, SAAQS, and Background Concentration Levels Representative of the Project Area in Clark County, Nevada, Year 2013 3.3-2 3.3-3 Annual Construction Emissions 3.3-4 3.3-4 Maximum Air Quality Impacts from Emissions Associated with Construction Activities for the Proposed Action 3.3-5 3.9-1 Project Area Survey Data Summary 3.9-2 3.19-1 Employment in Clark County and Nevada 3.19-1 3.19-2 Employment in Clark County by Sector, 2012 3.19-2 3.19-3 Unemployment Rates (%) in Clark County and Nevada, 2004-2014 3.19-2 3.19-4 Population Estimates and Projections for Clark County and Nevada 3.19-3 3.19-5 Personal Income in Clark County and Nevada 3.19-3 3.19-6 Urban Population and Income in Clark County, 2004-2014 3.19-4 3.19-7 Housing Characteristics in Clark County 3.19-4 3.19-8 Clark County School District Details (2011-2012 School Year) 3.19-5 3.19-9 Cumulative Scenario Workforce 3.19-9 3.21-1 Visual Contrast Ratings 3.21-3 3.21-2 KOP Location and Characteristics 3.21-3 3.21-3 Visual Contrast Rating Summary – Structures 3.21-6 3.21-4 Viewing Times of Proposed Project from Routes 3.21-7 4-1 List of All Persons, Agencies, and Organizations Consulted for Purposes of this EA 4-4 4-2 BLM Staff Contributing to the Preparation of this EA 4-6 4-3 Environmental Science Associates Staff Contributing to the Preparation of This EA 4-7 Playa Solar Project iii December 2014 Environmental Assessment Contents This page intentionally left blank Playa Solar Project iv December 2014 Environmental Assessment Acronyms and Abbreviations Acronyms and Abbreviations AC alternating current ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern AF acre-feet AFY acre-feet per year APLIC Avian Power Line Interaction Committee Applicant Playa Solar, LLC BA Biological Assessment BBCS Bird and Bat Conservation Strategy BLM Bureau of Land Management BMP best management practice BO Biological Opinion CFR Code of Federal Regulations DC direct current DOE United States Department of Energy DOI United States Department of the Interior DOT United States Department of Transportation EA Environmental Assessment EIS Environmental Impact Statement ESA Federal Endangered Species Act FLPMA Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 FONNSI Finding of No New Significant Impact gen-tie line generation-tie transmission line GHG greenhouse gas I-15 Interstate 15 KOP key observation point kV kilovolt(s) kVA kilovolt-ampere(s) LVFO BLM Nevada Las Vegas Field Office MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 MWac megawatt alternating current NDEP Nevada Department of Environmental Protection NDOW Nevada Department of Wildlife Playa Solar Project v December 2014 Environmental Assessment Acronyms and Abbreviations NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHPA Nevada Historic Preservation Act NRHP National Register of Historic Places O&M operation and maintenance PA Programmatic Agreement PCS Power Conversion Station PEIS Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement POD Plan of Development PPE Personal Protective Equipment Project Playa Solar Project (Dry Lake SEZ Parcels 2, 3 and 4) Proposed Action Playa Solar Project (Dry Lake SEZ Parcels 2, 3 and 4) PV Photovoltaic PVCS Photovoltaic Combining Switchgear RMP Resource Management Plan ROD Record of Decision ROW right-of-way SHPO State Historic Preservation Officer SEZ Solar Energy Zone SRMS Solar Regional Mitigation Strategy SWPPP Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan US-93 United States Route 93 USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service VRM Visual Resource Management Playa Solar Project vi December 2014 Environmental Assessment CHAPTER 1 Purpose and Need 1.1 Introduction The Las Vegas Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to analyze and disclose the environmental effects of developing parcels 2, 3, and 4 of the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone Project (Proposed Action or Project) with a 200 megawatt alternating current (MWac) (nominal plant capacity)1 photovoltaic (PV) solar generating facility as proposed by Playa Solar, LLC (Applicant), a wholly owned subsidiary of First Solar, Inc. This EA is a project-specific analysis of potential impacts of the Proposed Action within the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone (SEZ), which was analyzed in the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States (Solar PEIS) (BLM and U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] 2010; BLM and DOE 2012). This EA will assist the BLM in project planning and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).
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