Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Staff Report
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Rawlins Field Office (RFO) are starting site-specific scoping to identify wind turbine layout for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre (CCSM) wind farm.
The scoping will involve two public meetings, one from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Platte Valley Community Center, 210 W. Elm Ave. in Saratoga, and another from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Depot, 400 W. Front St. in Rawlins. According to a BLM High Desert District RFO press release, the scoping meetings will provide an opportunity for the public and interested parties to ask questions one-on-one with BLM specialists, view maps and posters detailing the site-specific phases of the CCSM project, and provide written comments.
The release also stated the CCSM Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision amended the Rawlins Resource Management Plan to allow for wind development, but did not identify individual turbine locations. Environmental assessments (EAs) are needed to analyze site-specific issues, such as the number and layout of the turbines. The layout will also consider migratory bird and eagle avoidance and minimization.
The first thing to be analyzed will be an infrastructure component EA, which includes the Haul Road, West Sinclair rail facility and road rock quarry, according to the release. 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.
The proposed CCSM project consists of two wind farm sites encompassing 1,000 turbines on more than 227,638 acres of mixed public and private land located about 10 miles south of Rawlins in Carbon County. 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.
Access roads, underground electric gathering lines, an overhead transmission line and substations to interconnect the generated power to the electric grid are included in the proposal. It is anticipated construction will take four to five years with an estimated project life of 30 years.
Written comments will be accepted until Oct. 9. Comments may be emailed to [email protected] (please include “CCSM EA Scoping” in the subject line), faxed to 307-328-4224, or mailed to the BLM, Rawlins Field Office, CCSM EA Scoping, 1300 N. Third St., P.O. Box 2407, Rawlins, WY 82301.
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the individual listed below during normal business hours. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time.
For more information, contact Heather Schultz of the BLM RFO at 307-328-4215.
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