BLM releases Desert Quartzite Solar Project final environmental analysis
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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management today published the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and California Desert Conservation Area Land Use Plan Amendment for the Desert Quartzite Solar Project in eastern Riverside County.
The publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register opens a 30-day protest period and a 60-day governor’s consistency review.
The Desert Quartzite Solar Project advances the Department of the Interior’s America First Energy Plan, an “all of the above” strategy which supports energy development on public lands, improving infrastructure, and creating jobs in local economies. If approved, the project would generate up to 870 jobs at peak construction.
The proposal includes a main generation area, on-site substation, switchyard, site security, a 230 kV generation-tie line, and an operations and maintenance facility. The BLM is the lead federal agency for the National Environmental Policy Act review, and Riverside County is the lead agency for the California Environmental Quality Act review.
The Final EIS/EIR provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental impacts for the proposed Desert Quartzite Solar Project and Land Use Plan Amendment. Pending the outcome of those processes, the BLM will issue a Record of Decision.
Information about the project, along with the agency preferred alternative and instructions for filing a protest, is available online at https://tinyurl.com/yy8o33ld.
For further information, please call 951-697-5200, or email: blm_ca_desert_quartzite_solar_project@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.