1 4.20 ERRATA TO CHAPTER 4 OF THE DRAFT SOLAR PEIS

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3This section presents corrections to material presented in the Draft Solar PEIS. The need

4for these corrections was identified in several ways: through comments received on the Draft

5Solar PEIS and the Supplement to the Draft (and verified by the authors), through new

6information obtained by the authors subsequent to publication of the Draft and Supplement to the

7Draft, or through additional review of the original material by the authors. Table 4.20-1 provides

8corrections to information presented in the Draft Solar PEIS.

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8negative environmental, social, and economic impacts of utility-scale solar energy development.

9The assessment considered both direct and indirect impacts. The impact assessment was

10discussed in terms of common impacts (impacts that occur for all types of solar energy facilities)

11and for technology-specific impacts. The types of solar technologies evaluated included those

12considered to be most likely to be developed at the utility scale during the 20-year study period

13evaluated in this PEIS, considering technological and economic limitations (i.e., parabolic

14trough, power tower, dish engine, and PV technologies). In this Final Solar PEIS, information on

15the impacts of solar energy development that has become available subsequent to publication of

16the Draft Solar PEIS is presented in this section. In addition, corrections to incorrect information

17on the impacts of solar energy development and potential mitigation measures in the Draft Solar

18PEIS are provided via the errata table in Section 5.23.

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20For each resource, potential mitigation measures that could be used to avoid, minimize

21and/or mitigate impacts from solar energy development were identified in the Draft Solar PEIS.

22The potential mitigation measures described in Sections 5.2 through 5.21 of the Draft Solar PEIS

23were further evaluated by the BLM to identify those appropriate for adoption as required design

24features for inclusion in BLM’s Solar Energy Program. The BLM’s proposed final list of

25required design features is included in Section A.2.2 of Appendix A of this Final Solar PEIS.

26Changes to the mitigation measures presented in the Draft Solar PEIS (made in response to

27comments and with additional analysis as needed) are not presented in this Section 5 update;

28rather, all appropriate changes have been made to the required design features that are presented

29in Section A.2.2 of Appendix A.

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31Chapter 5 of the Draft Solar PEIS also discussed potential impacts from the construction

32and operation of new transmission lines. The impacts were described generically, without

33assumptions on the length of the new transmission lines or new roadways that would be required

34for solar energy facilities. Land disturbance impacts from transmission line upgrades were

35assumed to be similar to those from new transmission line construction (this could be the case if

36it is a large upgrade; for example, from a 69-kV line to a 230-kV or larger line). In this Final

37Solar PEIS, new information on the impacts of transmission line construction and operation is

38presented where available.

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41 5.2 LANDS AND REALTY

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43Utility-scale solar energy facilities would affect lands and realty uses and activities on

44and near BLM-administered public lands. The average solar energy facilities considered in this

45Final Solar PEIS are large (e.g., up to several thousand acres), and they will exclude most other

46surface uses of the land. Additional issues include the creation of an industrial landscape in stark

1 contrast to surrounding undeveloped lands that would likely have an adverse impact on the 2 recreational, wilderness, and visual quality of those undeveloped lands such as historic trails,

3Native American sacred sites, traditional cultural properties, and traditional use areas;

4development of additional transmission lines; fragmentation of large blocks of public land,

5which will affect existing access routes; development of public lands that may induce

235.3 SPECIALLY DESIGNATED AREAS AND LANDS WITH WILDERNESS

24CHARACTERISTICS

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26The BLM has excluded many specially designated areas with sensitive resources from

27application for solar development, and these areas would not incur direct impacts from solar

28energy development; however, these areas may incur indirect impacts from solar energy

29development on BLM-administered lands adjacent to and/or within the viewshed of the excluded

30areas. These impacts could include adverse visual effects on the viewshed of these areas

31(including impacts on the night sky viewing), adverse impacts on wilderness characteristics,

32reduced recreational use, fragmentation of biologically linked areas, and loss of public access.

33Specially designated areas managed by other federal agencies and state and local governments

34would also be subject to indirect impacts.

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36A category of lands available for application for solar energy development is land that

37has been recognized by the BLM as possessing wilderness characteristics, but which has not

38been identified as a WSA and for which planning decisions have not been made to protect those

39wilderness characteristics. Utility-scale solar energy development activities and the development

40of associated transmission facilities, within, adjacent to, or near these areas likely would

41adversely affect or eliminate the wilderness characteristics in all or portions of these areas

42depending on siteand project-specific conditions.

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44 Information provided in the Draft Solar PEIS remain valid, with the following updates: 45