Debbie Coffey © Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved
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BLM Hoodwinks Judge
” Attempts at conversation or dialogue with this agency that claims transparency, but only spins inaccurate data, will only turn our heads to look in the wrong direction. If there is a water “emergency,” it is being created, in large part, by BLM’s mismanagement of public lands.”
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It seems while the BLM was in a Nevada Federal Court recently claiming a drought “emergency” as the reason they needed to remove wild horses from the federally protected Jackson HMA (Herd Management Area), the BLM may have omitted telling Judge McKibben about their big geothermal lease sale just 6 short months ago, in which they sold thousands of acres in/around southern Jackson HMA for about $2 an acre for geothermal exploration. BLM listed parcels for more than 17,500 acres, including and just around the southern portion of the Jackson HMA.
If the BLM did omit revealing this recent geothermal sale lease information to Judge McKibben in their big “drought” sob story in his courtroom, it seems they may have withheld relevant information. Just one geothermal exploration can use hundreds of gallons per minute (GPM) of water. Geothermal exploration also uses fracking (hydraulic fracturing), which has well publicized risks of contamination to water and aquifers.
On June 7, 2012, the BLM issued a press release stating that Gene Seidlitz, District Manager of BLM Winnemucca District in Nevada, claimed the BLM needed to do an “emergency” roundup of the wild horses in the Jackson HMA.
BLM rounded up horses from the southern Jackson HMA from June 8-22, and even though Judge McKibben enjoined the roundup in the northern area of Jackson HMA because of foaling season, the BLM was to resume the roundup July 1st.
If there isn’t enough water for wild horses, why is there enough water for geothermal exploration? Why doesn’t the BLM declare a drought “emergency” to stop the geothermal exploration?
Bye bye horses, hello Ormat
Looking at the results of the January 24, 2012 Geothermal Lease Sale, in the south area of the Jackson HMA, Ormat Nevada bought about 15,275 acres (parcels 9,10,11 & 12) for about $30,552. Allied Nevada Gold Corp. bought 2,411 acres (parcel 13) for about $4,822.
The BLM sold out the wild horses, and their federally protected Herd Management Area, for $35,374. Most of Nevada has geothermal potential, so there are other public lands, that don’t include HMAs, that are available for geothermal exploration.
In the January 2012 Geothermal Lease, the BLM offered a total of 33 parcels totaling 94,829 acres of public lands, but sold only 8 parcels (27,834 acres). 5 of the 8 parcels sold were in the area of the southern Jackson HMA.
Geothermal leases are for a 10-year period. Annual rental for a competitive lease is $2 per acre for the first year, and $3 per acre for lease years 2-10. Annual rental for a noncompetitive lease is $1 per acre for lease years 1-10.
After the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the BLM and Forest Service prepared a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Geothermal Leasing in the Western United States in October, 2008.
In the January 2012 geothermal lease sale in Nevada, the BLM got caught with their hands in the sage grouse cookie jar, and had to cough up some of the acres they were planning to sell to protect the little critter. But there has been no protection for wild horses, even on their own federally protected HMA, as the BLM continues their stampede to extinction.
Attempts at conversation or dialogue with this agency that claims transparency, but only spins inaccurate data, will only turn our heads to look in the wrong direction. If there is a water “emergency,” it is being created, in large part, by BLM’s mismanagement of public lands.
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SOURCES:
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/june/winnemucca__blm_to.html
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/nv/minerals/geothermal/leasesales.Par.42262.File.dat/20120124_Geo_Sale_Parcel_List.pdf
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/january/state_office__geothermal.html
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/january/blm_defers_parcels.html
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/nv/minerals/geothermal/leasesales.Par.2009.File.dat/Mar2011.competitve.geo.sale.results.pdf
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/nv/minerals/geothermal/leasesales.Par.45698.File.dat/20120124_Geo_Sale_Results_Noncompetitive.pdf
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/nv/minerals/geothermal/projects.Par.77901.File.dat/geothermal_energy_projects_table.pdf
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/MINERALS__REALTY__AND_RESOURCE_PROTECTION_/energy/geothermal_eis/final_programmatic.Par.95063.File.dat/Geothermal_PEIS_final.pdf
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_11001835
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1475015/
http://rtfitchauthor.com/2012/06/22/court-ruling-continues-wild-horse-roundup/
Aug 13, 2012 @ 06:33:14
To “Geologist” Looking at Ormat Nevada’s August 2011 Environmental Assessment for facilities near Tuscarora, NV, it states there were concerns that the groundwater required for a facility cooling system, which would use 1,200 gallons per minute from groundwater from 2 wells, 2 miles south of the power plant, would reduce water available for livestock.
The EA also states “It is conceivable that a potential impact could reduce water flow from the hot springs to Hot Creek. Reduced flow would be a result of volumetric losses associated with geo fluid heat losses or injection or operations systems reducing pressure support for the surface geo fluid flows…this could impact the volume of water available for irrigation…”
Besides decreases in supporting flows, other concerns were drainage, seeps & springs, sediment, erosion and spill risks. (As an aside, Ormat utilizes pentane as a working fluid, and since it’s flammable, a HAZMAT response plan is required.) Thanks for sharing your opinion, but it seems you minimized a few issues. Debbie Coffey
Aug 13, 2012 @ 06:24:21
“To Geologist,” in looking at the Ormat NV August 2011 Environmental Assessment for geothermal near Tuscarora, NV, there were concerns that groundwater required for the facility cooling system, which would use 1,200 gallons per minute from groundwater, that came from 2 wells 2 miles south of the power plant, would mean less water for livestock. Also, in looking at the EA, it states that “It is conceivable that a potential impact could reduce water flow from the hot springs into Hot Creek. Reduced flow would be the result of volumetric losses associated with geo fluid heat losses or injection or operations systems reducing pressure support for surface geo fluid flows…this could impact volume of water available for irrigation…”
It seems there are concerns for decreases in the supporting flows, drainage, seeps & springs, sediment, erosion, and spills. (As an aside, Ormat utilizes pentane as a working fluid. It is flammable and requires a HAZMAT response plan.)
Aug 11, 2012 @ 11:31:51
wonder who this “geologist” is? probably works for Ormat or BLM. too much of a coward to put his name.
Jul 05, 2012 @ 16:33:36
Thats good cause thats not the water we are talking about.
Jul 05, 2012 @ 08:26:35
The water used to run a geothermal plant is over 270F,usually has dissolved salts high enough to make it undrinkable, and is found hundreds to thousands of feet below the surface. That doesn’t sound like water a horse could drink.
BLM Hoodwinks Judge | Protect Mustangs
Jul 04, 2012 @ 07:33:02
Jul 03, 2012 @ 21:27:18
The level of corruption in the world today is unparalled. The next generation of slaves is going to hate us for throwing away our health and liberty so that a few jerks could get mega-wealthy.
Jul 03, 2012 @ 16:19:38
$2 bucks an acre?
you have to be joking?
when they stand to make millions off PUBLIC land?
poor horses. maybe a get together to lease land may be a work round for future , you have a certain time to prove lease..I think it called, so youlease it and stall for as long as possible, and try and move horses to another area and re lease under another bus name?
be worth a try.
Jul 03, 2012 @ 15:43:41
And guess who’s an “honorary member” on the Board of Trustees?
Senator HARRY REID
Senator PAUL LAXALT
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/nevada/contact/index.htm
Nevada Board of Trustees
Chair:
Walter M. Higgins III, Reno
Vice Chair:
Joanne Hall, Minden
Susan Antinori, Incline Village
Michael J. Brown, Washington, D.C.
William Coulthard, Las Vegas
Ken Creighton, Reno
William Douglass, Reno
Greg Ferraro, Reno
Arthur Hall, Minden
Ronald Krump, Reno
Joel Laub, Las Vegas
Reynaldo Martinez, Incline Village
Maureen Mullarkey, Reno
Thomas G. Warden, Las Vegas
Emeritus Trustees:
J. Robert Anderson, Incline Village
Joseph W. Brown, Las Vegas
Fred Gibson, Las Vegas
Gary Goodheart, Las Vegas
Michael Melarkey, Reno
Brad Pederson, Las Vegas
Bill Wright, Elko
Honorary Trustees:
Senator Paul Laxalt
Senator Harry Reid
Jul 03, 2012 @ 15:41:40
Our Independent Citizen Investigators have been busy. I just saw this post on another blog:
July 3, 2012 at 11:17 AM
looks like most of management for ormat are israeli: http://www.ormat.com/management
July 3, 2012 at 11:26 AM
Ormat is a member of NV Nature Conservancy, how wonderful: In Nevada, the Conservancy works in two key ways: first, in this the most arid state in the nation, we focus on safeguarding and restoring our freshwater systems. Second, in a state where more than 80% of the land is in public ownership, we must find ways to influence and participate in the way(s) our public lands are managed.
If there isn’t enough water for wild horses, why is there enough water for geothermal exploration? BLM sells land & rounds up Horses | Wind Wild Horse
Jul 03, 2012 @ 12:32:17
Jul 03, 2012 @ 10:02:42
Jul 03, 2012 @ 04:26:32
Where is Congressional oversight? Why has the Department of Interior been allowed to operate for over three years without an Inspector General? Why isn’t Senator Reid protecting the real “gold” in Nevada instead of going along to get along with this plan?
What fools these mortals be!
Jul 03, 2012 @ 02:39:41
There aren’t a lot of wild horses left in Colorado , but a small herd of mustangs fifty miles north of Grand Junction just got a reprieve. Besieged by legal challenges of its plan to relocate “excess” horses from public lands to private holding facilities and pastures, the Bureau of Land Management has abruptly withdrawn its latest proposal to remove the West Douglas herd — an isolated but hearty group of a hundred horses near Rangely that’s been targeted for decades.
Jul 03, 2012 @ 01:39:24
BLM knows quite well that this Jackson Mt. (and other HMA “emergency” captures) is nothing more than a pre-planned maneuver to rid the Wild Horses and Burros from their designated and legal land and to further the water use designation to other “multiple uses”.
For information and reference on water usage due to “other uses” allowed by BLM public land use decisions, I quote: “Given that water can be a limiting resource in many areas, and in light of the growth in competing water use demands, care must be taken to assure geothermal development takes place in ways in which this resource competition is adequately taken into account.”
http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/6/3/034023/pdf/1748-9326_6_3_034023.pdf
What is Drought?
Drought Occurs When Human Demand for Water Exceeds the Available Supply (excerpts)
Say “drought,” and most people think of a period of hot, dry weather with too little rain. While that condition can be present during a drought, the definition of drought is really more subtle and complex.
Drought is not purely a physical phenomenon that can be defined by the weather. Rather, at its most essential level, drought is defined by the delicate balance between water supply and demand. Whenever human demands for water exceed the natural availability of water, the result is drought.
What Causes Drought?
Drought can be caused by too little precipitation (rain and snow) over an extended period, as most people assume, but drought can also be caused by increased demand for the available supply of usable water.
Another factor that can affect water supply is a change in water quality.
If some of the available water sources become contaminated–either temporarily or permanently–that decreases the supply of usable water, makes the balance between water supply and demand even more precarious.
What are the Three Types of Drought?
There are three conditions that are generally referred to as drought:
Meteorological drought—This type of drought is about the weather and occurs when there is a prolonged period of below average precipitation, which creates a natural shortage of available water.
Agricultural drought—This type of drought occurs when there isn’t enough moisture to support average crop production on farms or average grass production on range land.
Hydrological drought—This type of drought occurs when water reserves in aquifers, lakes and reservoirs fall below average. Again, hydrological drought can happen even during times of average or above average precipitation, if human demand for water is high and increased usage has lowered the water reserves. http://environment.about.com/od/environmentalevents/a/whatisdrought.htm