Stillwater Field Office, Nevada FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Ormat Technologies, Inc. Dixie Meadows Geothermal Exploration Project DOI-BLM-NV-C010-2011-0516-EA U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Carson City District Stillwater Field Office 5665 Morgan Mill Road Carson City, NV 89701 775-885-6000 December 2011 It is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. DOI-BLM-NV-C010-2011-0516-EA DIXIE MEADOWS GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION PROJECT – ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. DECEMBER 2011 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT i TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE AND NEED ....................................................................1 1.1 PURPOSE AND NEED ..................................................................................................3 1.2 LAND USE PLAN CONFORMANCE STATEMENT ..........................................................4 1.3 PLANS, STATUTES, AND OTHER REGULATIONS .........................................................4 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES.............................................................5 2.1 PROPOSED ACTION ...................................................................................................5 2.1.1 Project Access ..............................................................................................6 2.1.2 Operations Plan ............................................................................................8 2.1.2.1 Well Pad Design and Construction ................................................... 9 2.1.2.2 Geothermal Well Drilling Plan ....................................................... 12 2.1.2.3 Ancillary Facilities and Equipment ................................................. 17 2.1.3 Actions Proposed on Private Lands ...........................................................20 2.1.4 Road Construction Activities .....................................................................20 2.1.5 Water Required ..........................................................................................21 2.1.6 Aggregate Material Required .....................................................................22 2.1.7 Workforce and Schedule ............................................................................24 2.1.8 Project Reclamation ...................................................................................25 2.1.8.1 Interim Reclamation ........................................................................ 25 2.1.8.2 Final Reclamation ........................................................................... 26 2.1.9 Environmental Protection Measures ..........................................................27 2.2 ACTION ALTERNATIVES ..........................................................................................34 2.2.1 No Action Alternative ................................................................................34 2.2.2 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated From Detailed Analysis .............35 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .....36 3.1 SCOPING AND ISSUES ..............................................................................................36 3.2 PROPOSED ACTION .................................................................................................39 3.2.1 Land Use Authorizations ............................................................................39 3.2.2 Visual Resources ........................................................................................41 3.2.3 Soils ............................................................................................................42 3.2.4 Vegetation ..................................................................................................46 3.2.5 Water Quality (Surface and Ground) .........................................................49 3.2.6 Wetlands and Riparian Areas .....................................................................57 3.2.7 Floodplains .................................................................................................61 3.2.8 Migratory Birds ..........................................................................................62 3.2.9 Wildlife and Key Habitat ...........................................................................66 3.2.10 Special Status Species ................................................................................69 3.2.11 Cultural Resources .....................................................................................78 3.2.12 Native American Religious Concerns ........................................................81 3.3 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ......................................................................................85 DIXIE MEADOWS GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION PROJECT – ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. DECEMBER 2011 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ii 4.0 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ............................................................................................86 4.1 PAST, PRESENT, AND REASONABLY FORESEEABLE FUTURE ACTIONS ....................86 4.2 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS TO AFFECTED RESOURCES .................................................88 4.2.1 Visual Resources ........................................................................................88 4.2.2 Soils ............................................................................................................89 4.2.3 Vegetation ..................................................................................................90 4.2.4 Migratory Birds ..........................................................................................91 4.2.5 Special Status Species and Wildlife and Key Habitat ................................92 5.0 CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION ................................................................95 5.1 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ............................................................................................95 5.2 LIST OF PREPARERS ................................................................................................95 5.3 TRIBES, INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND AGENCIES CONSULTED ...................96 6.0 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................97 DIXIE MEADOWS GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION PROJECT – ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. DECEMBER 2011 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT iii LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Dixie Meadows Federal Geothermal Leases ...........................................................1 Table 2 Proposed Drill Pad and Geothermal Well Sites .......................................................2 Table 3 Potential Regulatory Responsibilities ......................................................................4 Table 4 Maximum Potential Surface Disturbance Attributed to Proposed Action ...............9 Table 5 Well Pad and Reserve Pit Size per Exploratory Well Type ...................................10 Table 6 Common Materials and Additives Used During Drilling ......................................14 Table 7 Project Aggregate Requirements ...........................................................................23 Table 8 Reclamation Seed Mix ...........................................................................................27 Table 9 Supplemental Authorities .......................................................................................37 Table 10 Resources or Uses other than Supplemental Authorities .......................................39 Table 11 Land Use Authorizations .......................................................................................40 Table 12 Land Cover Types Within the Project Area and Lease Area .................................46 Table 13 Migratory Bird Species ..........................................................................................63 Table 14 Nevada BLM Sensitive Species .............................................................................69 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Project Location Figure 2 Proposed Action Figure 3 Proposed Action and Land Administration Figure 4 Typical Temperature Gradient Well Pad Layout Figure 5 Typical Observation Well Pad Layout Figure 6 Typical Production Well Pad Layout Figure 7 Typical Temperature Gradient Well Cross-Section Figure 8 Typical Observation Well Cross-Section Figure 9 Typical Production Well Cross-Section Figure 10 Soils Map Figure 11 Vegetation Land Cover Types Figure 12 Dixie Hot Springs and Nearby Seeps Figure 13 100-Year Floodplain Map Figure 14 CIAA Map LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Geothermal Leases and Stipulations Appendix B Noxious Weed Management Plan DIXIE MEADOWS GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION PROJECT – ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. DECEMBER 2011 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT iv LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ARPA Archaeological Resources Protection Act BLM Bureau of Land Management BMPs best management practices BOPE blowout prevention equipment CFR Code of Federal Regulations CIAA cumulative impact assessment area COE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers DoN Department of the Navy EA Environmental Assessment FLPMA Federal Land Policy and Management Act H2S hydrogen sulfide MDBM Mount Diablo Base and Meridian NEPA National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service PVC polyvinyl chloride USGS U.S. Geological Society DIXIE MEADOWS GEOTHERMAL EXPLORATION PROJECT – ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. DECEMBER 2011 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT v ENVIRONMENTAL