U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Final Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV0S010-2009-1014-EA May 2016 Eastern Nevada Transmission Project APPLICANT Silver State Energy Association GENERAL LOCATION Clark County, Nevada BLM CASE FILE SERIAL NUMBER N-086357 PREPARING OFFICE U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Las Vegas Field Office 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, NV 89130 Phone: (702) 515-5172 Fax: (702) 515-5010 This page intentionally left blank. Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Purpose and Need ...................................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 1.2 Project Background ........................................................................................................1 1.3 Purpose and Need for Action .........................................................................................2 1.4 Decisions to be Made .....................................................................................................7 1.5 BLM Policies, Plans, Authorizing Actions, and Permit Requirements .........................7 Chapter 2 - Proposed Action and Alternatives ........................................................................9 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................9 2.1.1 Regulatory Framework for Alternatives .................................................................9 2.2 No Action Alternative ....................................................................................................9 2.3 Proposed Action ...........................................................................................................10 2.3.1 Gemmill to Tortoise (Proposed Action) ...............................................................10 2.3.2 Silverhawk to Newport (Proposed Action) ..........................................................13 2.3.3 Silverhawk to Newport - Alternative 1 .................................................................13 2.4 Project Elements Common to the Proposed Action and All Action Alternatives .......14 2.4.1 Facilities Associated with the Proposed Project and Action Alternatives ............14 2.4.2 Construction ..........................................................................................................18 2.4.3 Termination and Restoration ................................................................................25 2.5 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ...............................25 2.5.1 Route Selection Process ........................................................................................26 2.6 Environmental Protection Measures ............................................................................27 2.7 Comparison of Alternatives and Summary of Impacts ................................................32 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment ..........................................................................................37 3.1 Air Quality ...................................................................................................................37 3.1.1 Air Quality Regulations ........................................................................................37 3.1.2 Existing Environment ...........................................................................................38 3.2 Geology and Geologic Hazards ...................................................................................40 3.2.1 Existing Environment ...........................................................................................40 3.2.2 Mineral Resources ................................................................................................41 3.3 Soils ..............................................................................................................................42 3.3.1 Existing Environment ...........................................................................................47 3.3.2 Summary of Soil Resource Susceptibilities ..........................................................51 Eastern Nevada Transmission Project iii Final Environmental Assessment Table of Contents 3.4 Water Resources ..........................................................................................................51 3.4.1 Surface Water .......................................................................................................51 3.4.2 Groundwater .........................................................................................................52 3.4.3 Water Quality .......................................................................................................54 3.4.4 Floodplains and Wetlands ....................................................................................55 3.5 Biological Resources ...................................................................................................56 3.5.1 Regulatory Framework .........................................................................................56 3.5.2 Vegetation .............................................................................................................57 3.5.3 Wildlife .................................................................................................................70 3.6 Historic and Cultural Resources ..................................................................................85 3.6.1 Regulatory Framework .........................................................................................85 3.6.2 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................85 3.6.3 Records Review Methodology .............................................................................86 3.6.4 Records Review Results .......................................................................................86 3.7 Paleontological Resources ...........................................................................................88 3.7.1 Data Collection Methods ......................................................................................89 3.7.2 Existing Environment ...........................................................................................89 3.8 Land Use, Transportation, and Access ........................................................................93 3.8.1 Project Setting and Land Use – Gemmill to Tortoise ...........................................93 3.8.2 Project Setting and Land Use – Silverhawk to Newport ......................................94 3.8.3 Transportation .......................................................................................................96 3.9 Socioeconomic Resources ...........................................................................................99 3.9.1 Existing Environment ...........................................................................................99 3.10 Environmental Justice ................................................................................................101 3.10.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................101 3.10.2 Population ...........................................................................................................101 3.10.3 Demographic Profile ...........................................................................................103 3.11 Noise ..........................................................................................................................105 3.11.1 Regulatory Framework .......................................................................................105 3.11.2 Existing Conditions ............................................................................................106 3.12 Visual Resources ........................................................................................................107 3.12.1 Project Setting .....................................................................................................107 3.12.2 VRM Resource Management Classes and Scenic Quality .................................108 3.12.3 Inventory Results ................................................................................................110 Eastern Nevada Transmission Project iv Final Environmental Assessment Table of Contents 3.12.4 Sensitive Viewers and Key Observation Points .................................................110 3.13 Health and Safety/Hazardous Materials .....................................................................119 3.13.1 Electric and Magnetic Fields ..............................................................................119 3.13.2 Hazardous Materials ...........................................................................................121 3.14 Indian Trust Assets …………...…………………………………………………..122 3.15 Indian Sacred Sites ………………………………………………………………….122 Chapter 4 - Environmental Consequences ...........................................................................125 4.1 Air Quality .................................................................................................................125 4.1.1 Proposed Action .................................................................................................125 4.1.2 Silverhawk to