The Bureau of Land Management NEWS |
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The Bureau of Land Management NEWS |
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Last updated: 04/04/03
Contacts: Michelle Barret, 601-898-0593 or Chris
Fontecchio,
202-452-5012
For Immediate Release: September 30, 1998
Industry Welcomes BLM "Plain Language" Geothermal Leasing Regulations
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today issued new geothermal resource regulations that are aimed at making current rules easier to understand.
BLM Director Pat Shea welcomed the new regulations, noting that they resulted from a joint effort involving the BLM and the geothermal industry. "I'm grateful that so many in the geothermal industry worked closely with us in developing the new rule," Shea said. "It's been a positive experience all the way around."
The new regulations, written in plain English, will enable the BLM to improve customer service. "We're committed to making our documents clearer and more straightforward," Shea said. "Using plain language is now a requirement for us. It's part of Vice President Gore's initiative to make government more user friendly to the American people."
In addition to clarifying previous regulatory language, the new geothermal rule eliminates obsolete requirements and arranges the regulations in a more orderly fashion.
"The new geothermal regulations are a fine example of collaborative work by the federal government and the geothermal industry," said Vince Signorotti of CalEnergy, a geothermal company based in Omaha, Nebraska. "The revised regulations now present leasing and operational requirements in a straightforward fashion and in language that can not only be easily understood, but which also reduces the potential for misunderstandings and disputes."
Geothermal plants on federal lands operate in numerous locations in California, Utah, and Nevada, producing enough energy for 1.1 million households.
As an example of the difference between the old and new rule, here is an excerpt from the old rule's section on how to apply for a utilization permit, which is required before construction of a geothermal site can begin:
"A permit to construct and operate a research and demonstration facility (involving one or more wells) of not more than 20-megawatt net capacity or heat energy equivalent, including all related on-lease facilities, must be obtained from the authorized officer prior to commencing any surface disturbing activities related to the construction or operations of each such facility. The application for a permit in this respect shall be filed in triplicate with the authorized officer..."
The entire three-paragraph section in the new rule reads this way:
"§ 3271.10 How do I get permission to start site preparation, construction and testing of a utilization facility located on Federal land leased for geothermal resources?
If you want to use Federal land to produce geothermal power, you have to get a site license and construction permit before you even start preparing the site. Send BLM a plan that shows what you want to do and write up a proposed site license agreement that you think is fair and reasonable. We will review it and decide whether or not to give you a permit and license to proceed with work on the site. Until and unless we do, don't even think about it.
The BLM published the new rule in today's Federal Register, which is available at BLM offices and many libraries. The rule may also be accessed from the BLM Internet Website at http://www.blm.gov/nhp/news/regulatory/3200f.html, or from the Federal Register Website at http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html. You may also obtain a copy of the rule from: Richard Hoops, BLM-Nevada, 702-861-6568; Erick Kaarlela, BLM-Washington, D.C., 202-452-0340; or Christopher Fontecchio, BLM-Washington, D.C., 202-452-5012.
More information on the plain language initiative is available at the Internet address: http://www.plainlanguage.gov/.