BLM announces public scoping period for proposed Overland Conveyor Project
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CARLSBAD, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management Carlsbad Field Office invites you to participate in a public scoping process to gather input regarding the preparation of an environmental assessment (EA) for OLC Kermit, LLC’s (OLC) proposed Kermit Overland Conveyor Project (BLM Serial No. NM-140852). OLC is a subsidiary of Atlas Sand Company, LLC. The BLM received an application for a right-of-way (ROW) on federal land for the proposed conveyor system. The BLM is the lead federal agency for the undertaking. The public scoping period will end on Feb. 4, 2020.
OLC is seeking a permanent 70-foot-wide ROW across federal lands for the construction, operation and maintenance of an approximate 16.5-mile-long covered overland conveyor belt system in southeast New Mexico. This project would transport sand from a proposed 60-acre offloading facility in Loving County, Texas, to a proposed 140-acre loadout facility in Lea County, New Mexico. The project objective is to carry sand into New Mexico for use in hydraulic fracturing operations, by means other than heavy vehicle trucking, the current method to transport sand in New Mexico. The overland conveyor system would annually reduce the number of miles driven by sand-hauling trucks on public roadways by approximately 25 million miles, or 47 percent.
The project would utilize existing roads wherever possible to access the ROW. Temporary workspace areas located outside of the permanent ROW are needed during construction for material handling, temporary storage and project staging activities. The locations of the temporary workspace areas have not yet been determined.
Additional information about the project, including the preliminary plan of development and description of the proposed project details, are available on the ePlanning, the BLM National NEPA register, at: https://go.usa.gov/xpyxw.
The BLM is requesting comments from the public within 30 days from the date of this notice. The public can submit comments to the BLM via the following methods:
- Online submission via the e-planning link provided above.
- Mail: BLM Carlsbad Field Office, Attn: Tessa Cisneros, 620 E. Greene St., Carlsbad, NM 88220.
- In person submission at the BLM Carlsbad Field Office from 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
For more information, please contact Carlsbad Field Office Project Lead Tessa Cisneros at 575-234-5980.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.