Public gives input on wind project

Interested members of the public became more informed on a key environmental assessment (EA) for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre (CCSM) Wind Energy Project Monday at the Platte Valley Community Center.

The site-specific scoping meeting provided an opportunity for the public and interested parties to ask questions one-on-one with Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Power Company of Wyoming (PCW) specialists, view maps and posters detailing the site-specific phases of the CCSM project, and provide written comments on the project. The infrastructure component EA analyzed at the meeting included the Haul Road and Facilities for Phase 1, West Sinclair Rail Facility and Road Rock Quarry, all of which are needed components for the wind energy project.

The proposed CCSM project consists of two wind farm sites (the Chokecherry portion being in the north and Sierra Madre in the south) encompassing 1,000 turbines on more than 227,638 acres of mixed public and private land, and located about 10 miles south of Rawlins in Carbon County. The two sites are separated by the Sage Creek Basin Area, and it is estimated that each wind turbine would generate between 1.5 to 3 megawatts (MW) of electricity, with a total capacity of 2,000 to 3,000 MW, which is enough energy to power nearly 1 million homes.

In between slides of the project’s maps and posters, BLM Project Manager Heather Schultz and PCW Director of Engineering and Construction Ryan Jacobson gave an overviewing presentation on the specific EA and wind project as a whole. Schultz said the point of the meeting was to get public input, for the purpose of including new information into the EA.

The public was also provided with comment sheets to turn in including their written opinions or ideas to add for the project.

“The BLM would like comments, concerns, issues and site-specific knowledge for the rail line, the Hall Road, the gravel quarries and the associated facilities,” Schultz said. “We want people to provide us information on that local knowledge that we can incorporate into our environmental assessment in the future. We’ll use those comments to help us develop the issues that we need to cover in our environmental assessment.”

Jacobson talked about a timeline for the project and when each of its two phases could be completed. Phase 1 would include work on the western portion of the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind farm sites, while Phase 2 would include the eastern portions of both sites.

“Right now the current schedule has a starting construction date of Sept. 1 for 2014, and we would finish Phase 1 construction at the end of 2017, which would have the first 500 turbines installed,” Jacobson said. “We have two-and-a-half year construction schedule for the second phase, of which that first year of construction for Phase 2 could overlap with the last year of construction for Phase 1. It depends on the pace of the project.”

Jacobson said also that the project’s completion point could occur as early as six years from now.

“We could have the entire project up and running in 2019, or it could be later than that for the second phase,” he said. “Right now the plan is for two 500-turbine phases. Phase 1 is the western half of the project, while Phase 2 is the eastern half, and the western half is the most productive part of the project.”

PCW Director of Communications Kara Choquette added that obtaining the necessary permits is also a major part of the project’s plan.

“Construction should begin in September of next year, assuming all the permits come through as planned, and then we still have to file for the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council permit as well next year,” she said.

Future EAs include analyses of Phase 1 development of approximately 500 turbines in the western portion of the project area, and Phase 2 development of the remaining roughly 500 turbines in the eastern portion of the project area. Meetings for those EAs are still to be determined.

Comments on the current EA involving the Haul Road and Facilities for Phase 1, West Sinclair Rail Facility and Road Rock Quarry are due by Oct. 9 to be considered in the EA. Comments can be submitted by fax at 307-328-4224, by email at [email protected] or by U.S. mail at the address below:

Bureau of Land Management

Rawlins Field Office

Heather Schultz,

Project Manager

P.O. Box 2407

1300 N. Third St.

Rawlins, WY 82301

According to the BLM RFO, before including an address, phone number, email or other personal identifying information in a comment, be aware that the entire comment, including personal identifying information, may be publicly available at any time. While it may be requested that we withhold personal information from public view, it cannot be guaranteed that it will be able to be done.

Online information on the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project can be obtained at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/rfo/Chokecherry.html.

 

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