Pahrump Field Office
| Contacts: | Hillerie C. Patton | , 702-515-5046 | , hillerie_c_patton@nv.blm.gov |
BLM to hold Scoping Meetings on Solar Energy Proposal in the Amargosa Valley
LAS VEGAS – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pahrump Field Office is seeking public input on issues to address in the development of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Amargosa Farm Road project by Solar Millennium, LLC. Four public meetings are scheduled in southern Nevada.
The scoping meetings are scheduled from 6 – 8 p.m. on the following dates, at the following locations:
• Monday, August 17: Beatty Town Community Center, 100 Avenue South, Ste. A, Beatty, NV;
• Tuesday, August 18: Amargosa Town Community Center, 821 East Amargosa Farm Road, Amargosa Valley, NV;
• Friday, August 21: Pahrump Community Library, 701 East Street, Pahrump, NV;
• Monday, August 24: Centennial Hills YMCA, 6601 N Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas NV.
The scoping meetings will be held in an open house format with the first half hour to allow the public to view the project poster boards, followed by a public comment and question and answer session.
The project is identified as NVN–084359 Amargosa Farm-Solar Power Project. A copy of the plan of development is located on the internet at www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/lvfo/blm_programs/energy/proposed_solar_millenium.html.
The BLM published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 13, 2009 opening the scoping period. Comments received during scoping assists in the preparation of an EIS to evaluate any potential impacts, which could occur from the construction and operation of the project. These public meetings are the first step in the EIS study process.
The solar-generating facility would be located on approximately 4,000 acres of public lands in the Amargosa Valley and would consist of two side-by-side 242 megawatt parabolic trough power plants.
Comments may be submitted in writing to: BLM Las Vegas Field Office, Attention: Gregory Helseth, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130-2301, by email: solar_millennium@blm.gov or fax 702-515-5023 (Attn: Greg Helseth).
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.
Pahrump Field Office 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, NV 89130