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BLM Nevada issues Environmental Analysis for planned geothermal lease

BLM Nevada issues Environmental Analysis for planned geothermal lease Nevada State Route 305 Between Battle Mountain and Austin, Nevada (source: flickr/ Ken Lund, creative commons)
Alexander Richter 29 Jul 2019

Preceding a planned geothermal lease sales for eight parcels at Battle Mountain in the State of Nevada, the Bureau of Land Management has released an Environmental Assessment for public comment.

The Bureau of Land Management in the U.S. has launched a geothermal leasing process for a planned competitive geothermal lease sale at Battle Mountain in Nevada.

As part of that it has published an Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding document, highlighting that no significant impact has been found for the development of the leasing area.

The Proposed Action is to offer for competitive sale all of the eight nominated parcels that the BLM NVSO provided to Battle Mountain District for review.

These eight parcels total approximately 7,590.50 acres in Big Smoky Valley, Clayton Valley, and Whirlwind Valley (overview maps, Figures 1 through 3; parcels in relation to topography; parcels in relation to land status, Figures 4-6 in Appendix K; legal land descriptions, Appendix A).

Geothermal leases are issued for a 10-year period and continue for as long thereafter as geothermal energy is produced. If a lessee fails to produce geothermal, does not make annual rental payments, does not comply with the terms and conditions of the lease, or relinquishes the lease; ownership of the minerals revert back to the federal government and the lease can be resold. Lease notices and stipulations would be attached to each offered lease parcel; these are listed in Appendix B, with the parcels to which each stipulation would apply.

If leases are issued and lease operations are proposed in the future, BLM would conduct additional sitespecific, project-specific NEPA analysis when a Geothermal Drilling Permit (GDP) or other exploration, development or production project application is submitted. In addition to the stipulations and notices attached to the parcel, conditions of approval and best management practices would be applied.

For further details see the Environmental Analysis (pdf) and further details here.

Source: BLM Nevada