Tribe ready to supply power

Monday, April 16, 2001 | 11:46 a.m.

Public meetings on environmental impacts from building a natural gas-fired power plant on the Moapa River Indian Reservation, about 45 miles northeast of Las Vegas, have been scheduled. They are:

WEDNESDAY:

6 to 8 p.m., Tribal Hall, 1 Lincoln St., Moapa River Indian Reservation.

THURSDAY:

6 to 8 p.m., Guy Elementary School multi-purpose room, 4028 La Madre Way, North Las Vegas.

WRITTEN COMMENTS:

Send written comments to Amy L. Heuslein, Regional Environmental Protection Officer, Western Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Environmental Quality Services, P.O. Box 10, Phoenix, AZ, 85001 or to Deborah Hamlin, Realty Specialist, Southern Paiute Field Station, P.O. Box 720, St. George, Utah 84771.

A proposed 760-megawatt power plant on the Moapa Paiute reservation, 45 miles northeast of Las Vegas, has cleared its first major hurdle.

A draft environmental impact statement has found the natural gas-fired plant would not harm the air, water, soil or wildlife.

The tribal consultant's report also says there is ample ground water for the plant, which could provide up to 1,100 megawatts during peak summer usage. It also notes the ground water is too salty for domestic use.

The report puts the plant, to be built and operated by Calpine Corp., on a fast track toward a planned summer 2002 opening.

However, if other environmental concerns are raised at hearings later this week or in writing by the May 29 deadline, the tribe and Calpine may have to take time to address them before the the project is approved.

The environmental impacts are contained in three spiral-bound volumes published by PBS&J of Henderson that cover what would happen to the soil, water and air on 300 acres of the Paiute and federal lands.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for Indian lands, so it also must review the effect from the project, which could bring more than $200 million to the tribe over its 25-year lease.

The tribe also cooperated with the Bureau of Land Management on the project, because entry roads and transmission lines would cross about 82 miles of federal lands.

The main site, roughly in the middle of the reservation, and an alternative site, three miles closer to Harry Allen Substation, where electricity would flow onto the power grid for delivery, were studied.

The ground water, a total of 7,000 acre-feet a year, has been the most contentious feature of the project.

PBS&J performed a pumping test and discovered that the ground water -- up to 7,000 acre-feet a year, enough to serve 35,000 people -- is available for the plant. However, the water quality is so salty that it could not be used for drinking or growing crops, even if the plant is not built.

The final word on whether the tribe will receive rights to use the ground water is in the hands of the state engineer, who could conduct hearings on the Paiute request later this year.

Other environmental concerns that were addressed in the report:

* Neither the threatened Mohave Desert tortoise nor the endangered bird known as the southwestern willow flycatcher were observed in either area proposed for the power plant.

However, between 264 acres and 300 acres of wildlife habitat along with plants, animals and insects, could be lost during plant construction. The tribe would restore as much as possible of the affected lands by replanting disturbed areas.

* Although the plant could produce 889 tons a year of carbon monoxide and 352 tons of nitrous oxide a year, the best available pollution controls would reduce pollution emissions to a fraction of the estimated total.

Researchers also considered air pollution would affect the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The power project did not add enough pollution to violate federal or state standards.

* The tribe has a contract with Republic Services of Southern Nevada for hauling household and non-toxic solid wastes.

* Clark County's hazardous materials team would need about two hours to respond to an emergency at the plant site.

The tribe said it would have the Moapa Fire Department as a backup, and a federal hazardous materials technical team is available from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, the tribe is prepared to train its members for emergencies.