U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
| Contacts: | Tom Hurshman 970-240-2345 | |||
| Dennis Godfrey 602-417-9499 |
BLM Begins Evaluation of the Proposed Southline Electrical Transmission Line in Southern New Mexico and Arizona
Las Cruces, NM–The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has scheduled a series of meetings on the Southline Transmission Line, which is proposed to run through southern New Mexico and Arizona.
The public meetings are part of the scoping process in preparation for an environmental impact statement (EIS). Scoping is to identify issues and concerns related to the proposed project.
Each of the meetings will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The format will be open house with project specialists available for questions. A presentation on the project begins at 6 p.m. Here is the meeting schedule:
May 8 | Mesilla Valley Days Inn & Suites 901 Avenida de Mesilla Las Cruces, NM 88005 |
May 9 | Mimbres Valley Special Events Center 2300 E. Pine Street Deming, NM 88030 |
May 10 | Dugan-Tarango Middle School 1352 Hardin Street Lordsburg, NM 88045 |
May 15 | Quality Inn Willcox 1100 W. Rex Allen Drive Willcox, AZ 85643 |
May 16 | Benson Unified High School 360 S. Patagonia Street Benson, AZ 85602 |
May 17 | Palo Verde Magnet High School 1302 S. Avenida Vega Tucson, AZ 85710 |
The BLM published a notice of intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on April 4, 2012. The NOI is an announcement that the BLM will prepare an EIS on the proposed electrical transmission line. The publication of the NOI starts a 60-day scoping period, which runs through June 4, 2012.
Southline Transmission, LLC, proposes constructing a high-voltage power line in two segments. The first segment would be a new double circuit 345-kilovolt line from a substation in Afton, New Mexico, (south of Las Cruces) to a substation in Apache, Arizona (south of Willcox). This 225-mile segment would provide up to 1,500 megawatts of capacity. The second segment would be an upgrading and rebuilding of about 130 miles of existing transmission lines between the Apache Substation and the Saguaro Substation northwest of Tucson. It would provide capacity for an additional 1,000 megawatts of electricity.
The line would cross Federal lands managed by the BLM and other agencies, and state, and private lands. BLM New Mexico is the lead agency in preparing the EIS and in considering potential amendments to Federal land use plans that the project may require. Western Area Power Administration, a power-marketing arm of the Department of Energy, is a co-lead with BLM New Mexico.
The NOI is available at the BLM’s project web site: http://www.blm.gov/nm/southline
Comments on the project can be made at the meetings. The BLM will also accept comments by mail, e-mail or fax.
Mail comments can be sent by mail to:
Bureau of Land Management
Las Cruces District Office
Southline Transmission Project
Attention: Frances Martinez
1800 Marquess Street
Las Cruces, NM 88005
E-mail comments can be sent to:
Blm_nm_southline@blm.gov
Fax: (575) 525-4412
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.