[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 100 (Friday, May 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31208-31209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11048]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR03240000, XXXR4079V4, RX122562102010000]
Termination of Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Navajo Generating Station-Kayenta Mine Complex
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is terminating
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Navajo
Generating Station-Kayenta Mine Complex (NGS-KMC). The proposed action
was modified in 2017, and Reclamation determined that an Environmental
Assessment (EA) rather than an EIS was the appropriate level of
environmental documentation for the modified proposed action. An EA was
prepared on an Extension Lease by Reclamation and the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA)-Navajo Region as joint lead agencies. Signed Findings of
No Signficiant Impact (FONSI) were announced to the public on November
30, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Leslie Meyers, Bureau of
Reclamation, Phoenix Area Office, 6150 West Thunderbird Road, Glendale,
AZ 85306-4001; telephone (623) 773-6211; facsimile (623) 773-6480;
email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for
the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (Fed Relay) at 1-800-877-
8339 TTY/ASCII to contact the above individual during normal business
hours or to leave a message or question(s) after hours. You will
receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4231-4347; the Council
on Environmental Quality's Regulations for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508; and the Department
of the Interior's regulations, 43 CFR part 46, a Notice of Intent to
prepare the EIS for the NGS-KMC Project was published in the Federal
Register on May 16, 2014 (79 FR 28546). Under the proposed action,
Reclamation and other federal agencies would provide federal approvals
and/or decisions necessary to continue the operation and maintenance of
the NGS-KMC facilities through December 2044.
Publication of the Federal Register notice was followed with a
public scoping period that ended on July 7, 2014. The Draft EIS was
made available for public review and comment from September 30 to
December 29, 2016.
On February 13, 2017, the utility owners of NGS-KMC (Lessees)
issued a statement indicating they no longer intended to operate NGS-
KMC after expiration of the existing 1969 Lease, on December 22, 2019,
citing the rapidly changing economics of the energy industry. The
statement also confirmed the Lessees would be willing to operate NGS-
KMC through December 2019, if all necessary agreements were reached
with the Navajo Nation, to allow for retirement of NGS-KMC within 5
years. The EIS proposed action was modified and Reclamation determined
that an EA, rather than an EIS, was the appropriate
[[Page 31209]]
level of environmental documentation for the modified proposed action.
Background
The 1969 Lease allowed one additional year after December 2019 for
retirement of NGS-KMC. Subsequent planning studies indicated 2 or more
years would likely be required to complete this work. In addition, 30
years of post-closure testing, monitoring, and reporting (post-closure
activities) would be required. The Lessees along with the Navajo Nation
agreed to a new lease, called the Extension Lease, which would enable
NGS-KMC to continue to operate through December 22, 2019, and allow up
to 5 years to complete retirement activities, and allow up to an
additional 30 years for implementing post-closure activities. The
Extension Lease became effective on December 1, 2017, following the
Department of the Interior approvals.
Reclamation and BIA-Navajo Region issued an EA and draft FONSIs for
public comment beginning October 5, 2017. Comments from 10 entities
were received. Reclamation and BIA-Navajo Region issued final signed
FONSIs on November 27, and November 28, respectively. The Extension
Lease and all accompanying documents were signed by then Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs on November 29, 2017. The
Final Environmental Assessment For The Navajo Generating Station
Extension Lease and the Final Finding of No Significant Impact for the
Navajo Generating Station Extension Lease were announced to the public
on November 30, 2017; therefore, the completion of the original EIS has
been cancelled.
Dated: May 18, 2020.
Stacy L. Wade,
Deputy Regional Director, Interior Region 8: Lower Colorado Basin,
Bureau of Reclamation.
[FR Doc. 2020-11048 Filed 5-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4332-90-P