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LAS VEGAS – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Southern Nevada District will host two public meetings during the public comment period to provide information and gather public input on the Solar Partners, XI LLC (Arevia) proposal to construct, operate and decommission the Gemini Solar Project.  The 90-day public comment period opened on June 7 and will end on September 5, 2019.

The proposed Gemini Solar Project consists of an approximately 690-megawatt alternating current solar photovoltaic power generating facility on approximately 7,100 acres of BLM administered public land located approximately 33 miles northeast of Las Vegas and directly south of the Moapa River Indian Reservation. 

Public meetings will be held on July 23 at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas (9090 Alta Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89145) and July 24 at the Moapa Community Center (1340 East State Highway 168, Moapa, NV 89025). 

Las Vegas schedule:

• 5 to 5:15 p.m.        Open House Format*
• 5:15 to 5:30 p.m.   Formal Presentation
• 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.   Open House Format*
• 6:15 to 6:30 p.m.   Repeat of Formal Presentation
• 6:30 to 7 p.m.        Open House Format*
• 7 to 8 p.m.             Public Comment

Moapa schedule:

• 5:30 to 5:45 p.m.  Open House Format*
• 5:45 to 6 p.m.        Formal Presentation
• 6 to 6:45 p.m.        Open House Format*
• 6:45 to 7 p.m.        Repeat Formal Presentation
• 7 to 7:30 p.m.        Open House Format*
• 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.   Public Comment

* - Ask questions to BLM staff, visit various resource stations and provide individual input to court reporter.

BLM is analyzing and disclosing environmental impacts in Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS.)  Three action alternatives were analyzed in the DEIS. The Proposed Action would involve solar development utilizing traditional development methods, which include disk and roll that removes all vegetation in the solar array areas. The Hybrid Alternative (BLM Preferred Alternative) would involve solar development utilizing a combination of traditional development methods in solar array areas (on approximately 2,500 acres) and mowing that leaves vegetation and natural land contours in place on the remaining solar array areas (on approximately 4,600 acres). The All Mowing Alternative would involve development of the facility utilizing only mowing in solar array areas. For both the hybrid and all mowing alternatives, desert tortoise would be reintroduced into the solar array areas after completion of construction, since habitat would remain.

The DEIS and other relevant documents have been made available at https://go.usa.gov/xntTQ.

Comments can be submitted until September 7, 2019 in the following ways:

• Email: blm_nv_sndo_geminisolar@blm.gov
• Mail: Herman Pinales

Attn: Energy & Infrastructure Project Manager

BLM Las Vegas Field Office,

4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive,

Las Vegas, NV 89130

• Fax: 702-515-5023

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can request to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, no guarantees can be made that we will be able to do so.

For more information, please contact, Herman Pinales, Energy & Infrastructure Project Manager, at 702-515-5284. 

-BLM-