Draft Environmental Review of Desert Sunlight Solar Project in Riverside County Available

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today released for public comment a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Project in Riverside County, Calif.
 
Desert Sunlight Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of First Solar requested a right-of-way (ROW) authorization to construct a 550-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) generating facility six miles north of the rural community of Desert Center.  The proposed project footprint would encompass 4,245 acres of public lands within the 19,516-acre application area.  The proposal includes the solar farm, an on-site substation the 230-kV line within the transmission corridor, and a planned 230- to 500-kV Red Bluff substation. 

The draft EIS analyzes six alternatives, including no action, the proposed action and several modifications.  Impacts on desert resources, specifically air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, water resources, wilderness characteristics, geological resources and hazards, hazardous materials handling, land use, noise, and visual resources, transmission system engineering, and transmission-line safety are analyzed in detail.  The draft EIS also includes a possible amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan. 
 
Publication of a Notice of Availability in today's Federal Register initiates a 90-day public comment period for the EIS and possible plan amendment.  A public meeting will be held and announced separately at least 15 days in advance.  The public is invited to comment via one of the following methods:

1) Website: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/palmsprings.html,
2) Email: CAPSSolarFirstSolarDesertSunlight@blm.gov,
3) Fax:  (760) 833-7199, or
4) Mail: Allison Shaffer, Project Manager, Palm Springs South Coast Field Office, BLM, 1201  Bird Center Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262. 

For further information, please contact Allison Shaffer, BLM project lead at (760) 833-7100.

California Desert District   22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553