[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 133 (Wednesday, July 12, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35920-35921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17073]
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[[Page 35921]]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[OR-020-05-1330-01: G5-162]
Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement, Harney County,
OR
AGENCY: Burns District, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), DOI.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for a Plan of Operations for a proposed geothermal electric
generating plant and associated geothermal facilities and operations
near Borax Lake in Pueblo Valley, southern Harney County.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, and 43 CFR Part 3200, the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) will be directing a third party contractor in the preparation of
an EIS on the impacts of a proposed geothermal electric generating
plant and associated facilities and operations known as the Pueblo
Valley Geothermal Project, which would be located on public land about
1-mile southwest of Borax Lake and 5 miles northeast of Fields, Oregon.
Comments are being requested to help identify significant issues or
concerns related to the proposed action, to determine the scope of the
issues and alternatives that need to be analyzed, and to eliminate from
detailed study those issues that are not significant. Supporting
documentation should be included with comments recommending that the
EIS address specific environmental issues.
DATES: Scoping meetings to encourage public participation will be held
in Burns, Fields, Bend, and Portland. Once a third party contractor has
been selected, the exact dates and locations will be published in the
Burns Times-Herald, Bend Bulletin, and the Oregonian.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Bureau of Land
Management, HC 74-12533 Hwy 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738, Attn: Pueblo
Valley Geothermal Project Manager.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Craig (Cody) M. Hansen (503) 573-4400.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Anadarko Petroleum Corporation submitted a
Plan of Development, Utilization, Production, Injection, and Disposal
for a project to drill and test production and injection wells and to
supply, build, and operate a 22.9 MW (net) air-cooled binary geothermal
electric power plant and supporting facilities in the Alvord Known
Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA) in Pueblo Valley. The development would
be located within portions of Sections 21, 22, 23, and 27, Township 37
South, Range 33 East of the Willamette Meridian. Geothermal fluid (hot
water) would be pumped from an underground reservoir and produced
initially from 6 to 10 geothermal production wells. The hot water would
be transported via surface pipelines to a proposed binary power plant
where it would be used to heat a second fluid system, which in turn
would run turbines to generate electricity. After heat extraction, the
cooled geothermal water would be pumped via surface pipelines to six to
eight injection wells to be returned to the subsurface geothermal
reservoir. The plant would use a closed production loop with no release
of geothermal liquid or gases to the surface environment. Well spacing
would be approximately one well per 25 acres and well pads would occupy
between 1.2 and 2.2 acres. The production facility would occupy 12.6
acres. The proposed plan includes monitoring of Borax Lake and the
collection of seismic data in the area as well as a suite of mitigation
measures to reduce adverse impacts. The estimated viable life of the
project is expected to be 30 years.
This EIS will address potential impacts to nearby Borax Lake as
well as to geology, minerals, gothermal resources, groundwater, soil,
vegetation, grazing management, wildlife, recreation, visual resources,
air quality, cultural and paleontological resources, land use, access,
and social and economic values related to development of the project.
Federal, State, and local agencies and other individuals or
organizations who may be interested in or affected by the BLM's
decision are invited to participate in the scoping process. The
Authorized Officer will respond to public input and comment as part of
the final EIS through the third party contractor. The decision
regarding the proposal will be recorded as a Record of Decision, which
is subject to appeal under 43 CFR Part 4.
Date: July 5, 1995.
Jerome A. Petzold,
Assistant District Manager for Operations.
[FR Doc. 95-17073 Filed 7-11-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-M
