Ely District Office
| Contacts: | Chris Hanefeld | , 775-289-1842 | , chris_hanefeld@blm.gov |
BLM Issues Environmental Document on One Nevada Transmission Line Project
Ely, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District has announced in the Federal Register the availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the One Nevada Line (ON Line) project. The NV Energy-proposed 500kV transmission line would extend approximately 236 miles from the Harry Allen substation, north of Las Vegas, Nevada, to a substation to be constructed west of Ely, Nevada, and connect the public utility’s southern and northern electrical transmission systems. The line could also transmit power generated by some of the renewable energy facilities proposed for east central Nevada, if constructed.
The BLM will accept comment on the Draft SEIS through January 8, 2010. The BLM has scheduled three public comment meetings in Nevada from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dates and locations are:
· Tuesday, Dec. 8, BLM Southern Nevada District Office, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Dr., Las Vegas
· Wednesday, Dec. 9, Caliente Railroad Depot, 100 Depot Ave., Caliente
· Thursday, Dec. 10, Bristlecone Convention Center, 150 6th Street, Ely
Copies of the Draft SEIS are available at the BLM offices in Ely, Caliente, Reno, and Las Vegas, and at public libraries in Ely, Caliente, and North Las Vegas. The document can be downloaded at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/. Click on the Ely District on the map and then click on the ON Line Draft SEIS under “In the Spotlight.”
The BLM prepared a Draft SEIS because the proposed transmission line had been analyzed as a component of the Ely Energy Center (EEC), an NV Energy-proposed coal-fired power plant that was to be constructed north of Ely. The BLM released the Draft EIS for the EEC in January 2009. In February NV Energy announced it would postpone construction of the EEC pending development of feasible carbon capture technology. The BLM received an amended application from NV Energy in April. The ON Line Draft SEIS ‘supplements’ the draft EEC EIS to reflect the changes in the amended application. Comments received on the draft EEC EIS that apply to the transmission line were used in developing the ON Line Draft SEIS.
The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. 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.
Ely District Office 702 N. Industrial Way Ely, NV 89301