U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2014-0126-EA December 2014 Dry Lake Solar Energy Center Project ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT File Number: N-93337 APPLICANT Nevada Power Company d/b/a NV Energy GENERAL LOCATION Near Apex, Nevada North of U.S. Route 93 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. Dry Lake Solar Energy Center DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2014-0126-EA CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... vii 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED .................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Background ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Purpose and Need for Action and Decision to be Made ............................................................. 3 1.4 Resource Management Plan Conformance ................................................................................. 5 1.5 Relationship to Other Plans and Analyses .................................................................................. 6 1.6 Public Involvement and Identification of Issues ......................................................................... 7 1.7 Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 8 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................ 9 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 9 2.2 Proposed Action ........................................................................................................................ 10 2.2.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................... 10 2.2.2 Project Location and Existing Land Use ......................................................................... 10 2.2.3 Key Project Elements ...................................................................................................... 10 2.2.4 Dry Lake Solar Energy Center Facilities ........................................................................ 12 2.2.5 Preconstruction and Construction Activities ................................................................... 17 2.2.6 Operations and Maintenance ........................................................................................... 22 2.2.7 Decommissioning and Site Reclamation ......................................................................... 23 2.2.8 Permits and Approvals .................................................................................................... 24 2.2.9 Protective Measures ........................................................................................................ 25 2.3 No Action Alternative ............................................................................................................... 29 2.4 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ............................................ 29 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................................................... 31 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 31 3.2 Cumulative Scenario ................................................................................................................. 34 3.3 Air Resources ............................................................................................................................ 40 3.3.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................................................... 40 3.3.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Plans, and Standards ..................................................... 40 3.3.3 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 40 3.3.4 Proposed Design Features ............................................................................................... 40 3.3.5 Environmental Consequences ......................................................................................... 40 3.4 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern ................................................................................. 42 3.4.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................................................... 42 3.4.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Plans, and Standards ..................................................... 44 3.4.3 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 44 3.4.4 Proposed Design Features ............................................................................................... 45 3.4.5 Environmental Consequences ......................................................................................... 45 3.5 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................................... 46 3.5.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................................................... 46 3.5.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Plans, and Standards ..................................................... 47 3.5.3 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 47 3.5.4 Proposed Design Features ............................................................................................... 47 i Dry Lake Solar Energy Center DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2014-0126-EA 3.5.5 Environmental Consequences ......................................................................................... 47 3.6 Native American Concerns ....................................................................................................... 49 3.6.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................................................... 49 3.6.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Plans, and Standards ..................................................... 49 3.6.3 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 49 3.6.4 Proposed Design Features ............................................................................................... 49 3.6.5 Environmental Consequences ......................................................................................... 49 3.7 Wildlife Excluding Federally Listed Species ............................................................................ 51 3.7.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................................................... 51 3.7.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Plans, and Standards ..................................................... 52 3.7.3 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 52 3.7.4 Proposed Design Features ............................................................................................... 52 3.7.5 Environmental Consequences ......................................................................................... 53 3.8 Migratory Birds ......................................................................................................................... 57 3.8.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................................................... 57 3.8.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Plans, and Standards ..................................................... 57 3.8.3 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 57 3.8.4 Proposed Design Features ............................................................................................... 58 3.8.5 Environmental Consequences ......................................................................................... 58 3.9 Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate Animal Species ......................................................... 60 3.9.1 Affected Environment ..................................................................................................... 60 3.9.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Plans, and Standards ..................................................... 61 3.9.3 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 61 3.9.4 Proposed Design Features ............................................................................................... 62 3.9.5 Environmental