Klamath and Modoc National Forests, CA; Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-920-06-1330-00]

Klamath and Modoc National Forests, CA; Environmental Impact

Statement

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Alturas

Resource Area.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

for a Plan of Utilization for a proposed geothermal power plant,

ancillary facilities, and transmission line on the Klamath and Modoc

National Forests in Siskiyou and Modoc Counties, California.

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SUMMARY: Notice is given that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Department of

Energy, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and Siskiyou County Air

Pollution Control District (APCD) will jointly prepare an Environmental

Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for a proposed a

49.9 megawatt (MW) (gross) geothermal electric power plant with

associated facilities and operations, and a 24-mile 230-kilovolt (kV)

transmission line. This proposed action (known as the Fourmile Hill

Geothermal Development Project) would be located on the Klamath and

Modoc National Forests in northeastern California. BPA will participate

in the EIS/EIR process as a cooperating agency to analyze potential

effects.

Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA), and 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., the BLM, USFS, BPA, and

Siskiyou County APCD will be directing a third-party contractor in the

preparation of the EIS/EIR on the impacts of the proposed action.

Comments are being requested to help identify significant issues or

concerns related to the proposed action, determine the scope of issues,

identify and refine alternatives to the proposed action.

DATES: Federal, state, and local agencies and the public are invited to

participate in the scoping process for the EIS/EIR. Scoping meetings to

encourage and facilitate public participation will be held in Yreka

(June 25, 1996), Klamath Falls (June 26), and Alturas (June 27). Times

and locations of the scoping meetings will be announced in the local

news media.

ADDRESS FOR COMMENTS: In addition to the public scoping meetings, the

BLM is inviting written comments and suggestions on the proposed action

and the scope of the analysis. Written comments or requests to be added

to the project mailing list should be submitted by July 8, 1996.

Written comments should be addressed to Mr. Randall Sharp, USFS/BLM,

Fourmile Hill Geothermal Development Project EIS/EIR Coordinator, 800

W. 12th Street, Alturas, CA 96101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION contact: Mr. Randy Sharp (916) 233-5811.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Calpine Corporation submitted a Plan of

Utilization (POU) to the BLM for constructing, operating, and

maintaining a 49.9 MW (gross), dual flash geothermal power plant, with

associated geothermal production and injection wells, well pads, roads,

interconnected geothermal fluid pipelines, and an accompanying 24-mile

230 kV transmission line. This project, known as the Fourmile Hill

Geothermal Development Project, would be located at the Glass Mountain

Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA) on the Klamath and Modoc National

Forests.

The proposed geothermal power plant, well pads, and fluid pipelines

would be located within Federal geothermal leases CA21924, CA21925, and

CA21926, all within the Glass Mountain KGRA. Leases CA21924 and CA21926

are located on the Klamath National Forest, while lease CA21925 is

located on the Modoc National Forest. The proposed power plant site

would be located in Section 28 within a six-section area known as the

Fourmile Hill project area, located in Sections 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, and

30, Township 44 North, Range 3 East, MDB&M, Siskiyou County,

California. The planned period of commercial operation for the proposed

action is 45 years.

The proposed action would involve production of geothermal fluids

(hot water and steam) from an underground reservoir. These fluids would

be produced from 9 to 11 two-phase production wells located at five

proposed production well pad sites (well pads 88-28, 84-28, 56-28, 26-

28, and 18-28). The fluids would be transported via surface pipelines

to the proposed dual flash geothermal power plant, where the steam

would be directed to two steam turbine-driven generators. Spent brine

and condensate would be pumped through surface pipelines to the three

proposed injection well pads (well pads 87-29, 13-28, and 67-21) for

injection to the subsurface geothermal reservoir. There would be one

injection well located at each injection well pad.

Each of the production and injection well pads would occupy

approximately 2.5 acres, for a total well pad area of about 20 acres.

The power plant site would occupy approximately 3.0 acres. There would

be a total of 4.25 miles of surface pipelines (1.5 miles of production

lines, and 2.75 miles of injection lines), and about 2.5 miles of new

roads associated with the power plant and well pads.

The proposed action would also include development of a

transmission line that would extend from the proposed geothermal power

plant in an easterly direction for approximately 24 miles to a proposed

intertie station along the BPA Malin-Warner transmission line. The

Malin-Warner line is a 230-kV system that parallels Highway 139. The

proposed transmission line would be constructed using H-frame wood

poles with steel structures used at certain locations. The transmission

line would be located primarily on the Modoc National Forest, with only

a small portion of the line near the power plant site being located on

the Klamath National Forest. Right-of-way width would be approximately

125 feet along the constructed length of the transmission line.

Construction of access roads for installation of structures and

maintenance would be required along portions of the right-of-way.

Alternatives thus far identified for evaluation in the EIS/EIR are:

(1) the proposed action, (2) the no action (the consequences of not

developing the project), and (3) alternate transmission line route

alternatives. The principal issues identified thus far for

consideration in the EIS/EIR include potential effects to listed

wildlife species, Tribal concerns, potential recreation conflicts, and

potential visual impacts. The EIS/EIR will also address other issues

such as geology, geothermal resources, hydrology, cultural resources,

vegetation, air quality, noise, land use, plans and policies,

transportation, human health and safety, socioeconomics, cumulative

impacts, as well as any issues raised during the scoping process.

Federal, state, and local agencies and other individuals or

organizations who may be interested in or affected by the BLM's

decision for the proposed action are invited to participate in the

scoping process. Input and comments received during this process will

be considered during preparation of the EIS/EIR.

Dated: May 29, 1996.

Rich Burns,

Alturas Resource Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 96-14216 Filed 6-5-96; 8:45 am]

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