INL/MIS-16-38127-E Revision 1 DE-EE0007159 Updated Permitting Inventory May 2016 DISCLAIMER This information was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the U.S. Government. Neither the U.S. Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness, of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. References herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trade mark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government or any agency thereof. INL/MIS-16-38127-E Revision 1 Updated Permitting Inventory John S. Irving, Idaho National Laboratory Robert K. Podgorney, Idaho National Laboratory May 2016 Snake River Geothermal Consortium Hosted by Idaho National Laboratory Idaho Falls, Idaho www.snakerivergeothermal.org Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Under DOE Idaho Operations Office Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517 CONTENTS ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................................ v 1. SURFACE OWNERSHIP .................................................................................................................. 1 2. ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURAL CONDITIONS ................................................................ 3 2.1 Existing Environmental Activities ........................................................................................... 3 2.2 INL Environmental Assessment Summary .............................................................................. 3 2.3 Nearby Population Center Density ........................................................................................... 5 2.4 Nearby Wildlife Habitats (endangered species/habitat) ........................................................... 6 2.5 Nearby Scenic Vistas ............................................................................................................... 8 2.6 Nearby Areas of Critical Environmental Concern or Wilderness Areas .................................. 8 2.7 Nearby Wetlands or Scenic Waterways ................................................................................... 8 2.8 Nearby Native American Tribes .............................................................................................. 8 2.9 Potential for Landslides or Excessive Subsidence as a Result of Induced Seismic Activity..................................................................................................................................... 9 2.10 Existence of Historic Structures or Identified Cultural Resources in the Immediate Vicinity of the Project Area ................................................................................................... 11 2.11 Potential Issues Associated with the National Historic Preservation Act .............................. 11 2.12 Public Support ........................................................................................................................ 12 3. PERMITTING STATUS .................................................................................................................. 12 3.1 National Environmental Policy Act ....................................................................................... 12 3.2 Well Permitting ...................................................................................................................... 13 3.3 Exploratory Permits ............................................................................................................... 13 3.4 Approved Well Permits .......................................................................................................... 13 3.5 Permits Pending Approval ..................................................................................................... 14 3.6 Issues of Concern ................................................................................................................... 14 3.7 Mineral Rights........................................................................................................................ 14 3.8 Lease Status............................................................................................................................ 14 4. WATER AVAILABILITY .............................................................................................................. 14 4.1 Water Availability Onsite ...................................................................................................... 14 4.2 Water Rights .......................................................................................................................... 15 4.2.1 Water Rights Included/Secured with Land/Lease Deal ............................................ 15 4.2.2 Other Local Water Demands for Agricultural or other Purpose ............................... 15 5. STATE AND LOCAL REGULATIONS ......................................................................................... 15 5.1 Solid Waste Disposal Standards............................................................................................. 15 5.1.1 Access and Limitations on Waste Disposal .............................................................. 15 5.1.2 Sanitary Wastewater Disposal .................................................................................. 15 iii 5.2 Noise Standards ...................................................................................................................... 15 5.3 Air Quality Standards ............................................................................................................. 15 5.4 Drinking Water and Aquatic Life Protection ......................................................................... 15 5.5 Compatible Land Use ............................................................................................................. 16 5.6 Acceptable Local Effects of Heat Rejection .......................................................................... 16 6. POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURE ................................... 16 7. YEAR-ROUND ACCESSIBILITY ................................................................................................. 16 8. WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE INL SITE ............................................................................. 16 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................... 17 ATTACHMENTS ....................................................................................................................................... 18 FIGURES Figure 1. Map showing the INL Site and GRRA in relation to southeast Idaho and surrounding features such as national parks, a national monument, an Indian reservation, and cities. ............ 1 Figure 2. INL Site map showing the GRRA in relationship to the INL boundary, facility areas, roadways, and surrounding landforms. ......................................................................................... 2 Figure 3. Map showing population surrounding the GRRA (adapted from previous INL studies). ............. 6 Figure 4. Map of the GRRA and project area (see inset) showing the Sage-Grouse Conservation Area and sage-grouse leks (classified as active following the 2015 breeding season) in relationship to power lines, roads, and nearby INL facilities, i.e., the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) and Central Facilities Area (CFA). ..................................................................... 7 Figure 5. U.S. Highway 20 running through the GRRA near the project location (right of highway). ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Figure 6. View of the project area (looking south from the U.S. Highway 20) showing typical topography and vegetation in the surrounding area. ................................................................... 10 Figure 7. View of the project area (looking north and west across U.S. Highway 20) showing typical topography and vegetation in the surrounding area. ....................................................... 11 TABLES Table 1. Summary of three recent EAs at INL.............................................................................................. 3 iv ACRONYMS BLM Bureau of Land Management DOE U.S. Department of Energy DOE-ID Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office CRMP Cultural Resource Management Plan EA environmental assessment FONSI finding of no significant impact FORGE Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy GRRA Geothermal Resource Research Area IDWR Idaho Department Water Resources INL Idaho National Laboratory NGO non-governmental organization SHPO State Historic Preservation Office SOX Stand-Off Experiment SRGC Snake River Geothermal Consortium v vi Updated Permitting Inventory 1. SURFACE OWNERSHIP The site for the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) will be located within the boundaries of