Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Comments Letter
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION IX 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, CA 94105 May 2, 2011 Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Attn: Ms. Linda Resseguie BLM Solar PEIS Project Manager 1849 C Street, N.W., Room 2134LM Washington DC, 20240 Subject: Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States [CEQ# 20100466] Dear Ms. Resseguie, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reviewed the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS; Solar PEIS; Draft PEIS) for Solar Energy Development in Six Southwestern States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. Our review was conducted pursuant to Section 309 of the Clean Air Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA implementing regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508). EPA Region 9 has coordinated with EPA Regions 6 and 8 and EPA Headquarters to provide these comments. EPA strongly supports the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Department of Energy (DOE) efforts to develop a new Solar Energy Program. Accelerating the pace of development of renewable energy resources, such as solar power, will help the nation meet its energy demand, create new jobs, reduce our dependence on imported oil, and provide for increased energy security, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As with any program of this magnitude, thoughtful planning is critical to avoid and minimize unintended adverse consequences. Based on our review of the Draft PEIS, we have rated the document as Environmental Objections – Insufficient Information (EO-2). An “EO” signifies that EPA’s review of the Draft PEIS has identified potential significant environmental impacts that should be avoided in order to provide adequate protection for the environment, including but not limited to disruption of surface and groundwater hydrology, and fragmentation of desert ecosystems.
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