Project Name: Geothermal Resource Confirmation Categorical Exclusion Substantiation

NEPA Number: DOI-BLM-HQ-2100-2024-0002-OTHER_NEPA

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Project Information

NEPA Number

DOI-BLM-HQ-2100-2024-0002-OTHER_NEPA
Project Name

Geothermal Resource Confirmation Categorical Exclusion Substantiation
Project Type
NEPA Status

In Progress - Analysis & Document Preparation
Lead Office

HQ-210
Last Updated

Project Description

The United States (U.S.) Department of the Interior (DOI) is proposing to establish a categorical exclusion (CX) for use by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to support authorizing geothermal resource confirmation (GRC) activities that include the drilling of wells for the purpose of direct testing of a geothermal resource by a lessee/operator on its lease or unit.   

This CX is proposed pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA Implementing Regulations, as amended (40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1500.4(a), 40 CFR 1501.4, and 40 CFR 1507.3(c)(8)). A CX is a category of actions that normally does not have a significant effect on the human environment, individually or in the aggregate, and therefore does not require preparation of an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS) unless extraordinary circumstances exist that make application of the CX inappropriate (42 USC 4336e (1); 40 CFR 1501.4(a), 1508.1(e)). 

This document introduces the BLM’s Geothermal Resources Program, explains why the BLM is proposing a new CX, presents the BLM’s text for the new CX, explains limitations on the BLM’s ability to rely on the CX should extraordinary circumstances exist, and provides an evaluation of the scope of activities described in the CX, demonstrating that the category of activities presented normally does not have a significant effect on the human environment. 

As documented in this report, the BLM: 1) analyzed previously conducted BLM EAs for proposed actions like those proposed for inclusion in the new CX that were anticipated to result in no significant impacts as documented with a finding of no significant impact (FONSI), and 2) provides a review of available post-project monitoring data and/or BLM staff perspectives concerning unanticipated impacts. The projects evaluated include similar surface disturbing activities. Although the proposed CX is limited to geothermal actions, the evaluation includes both geothermal and oil and gas projects, as both kinds of projects include similar surface disturbing activities; because fluid minerals projects have elements and effects similar to those of geothermal projects, they provide a useful comparison CX. This report includes the evaluation of that information and the rationale for the parameters of the GRC CX in the Methods and Findings sections.

What's New

None

Project Location

City	State/Territory	Zip Code	County(ies)
Washington		20240	District of Columbia

Application Information

Program

Renewable Energy
Sub-Program

Geothermal

Project Dates

Start Date

9/25/2024

Project Office Information

Lead Office

HQ-210
Offices

HQ-210, HQ-300

Contacts

Contact 1 Name

Amelia Savage
Contact 1 Email

[email protected]
Contact 1 Phone

(307) 480-8665