BLM to hold public meeting on Borderlands Wind Project in New Mexico
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SOCORRO, N.M. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a public meeting on Sept. 18 on the proposed Borderlands Wind Project. The meeting will start at 5 p.m., and will be held at the Quemado Elementary School and High School Cafeteria, located at 3484 Highway 60, Quemado, NM 87829.
The BLM published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on August 9, 2019, for a draft Environmental Impact Statement and draft Resource Management Plan amendment to analyze and disclose environmental impacts associated with the proposed project. If constructed, the project would generate up to 100 megawatts of power in western Catron County, New Mexico. The 90-day public comment period will end on November 7, 2019.
Borderlands Wind, LLC (a subsidiary of NextEra Energy) is proposing to construct, operate, maintain and eventually decommission a wind-powered electrical generation facility near Quemado, New Mexico and the Arizona–New Mexico border. Ancillary facilities would include access roads, underground collection lines, fiber-optic communication, electrical distribution lines and a substation/switchyard in support of the turbines that would generate up to 100 megawatts of power. The project would also increase income, employment, and revenue in Catron County, creating 50 to 70 temporary and 10 permanent jobs.
The draft EIS and other relevant documents are available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/new-mexico/proposed-borderlands-wind-project. You may submit comments or resource information related to the project by any of the following methods:
- Electronically: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/new-mexico/proposed-borderlands-wind-project
- Mail: Jim Stobaugh, National Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management Socorro Field Office, Borderlands Wind Project, 901 S. Hwy 85, Socorro, NM 87801
- Orally: A court reporter will be available during the public meeting to take comments.
For further information and/or to have your name added to our mailing list, contact Kristen Long, BLM Socorro Field Office, 901 S. Hwy 85, Socorro, New Mexico 87801; phone (575) 838-1263, or email to kmlong@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
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.