Geothermal Technologies Office
Public Service of Colorado Ponnequin Wind Farm
Geothermal Regulatory Roadmap
NEPA Database Overview
October 1, 2013
1 | US DOE Geothermal Program
Jay Nathwani
Geothermal Technologies Office
Kate Young
NREL Principal Investigator
eere.energy.gov
Permitting Analyses: NEPA Data
NEPA Data
• Populating a catalog of more than
150 recent geothermal NEPA documents
• Accommodates NEPA documents from all agencies,
including: BLM, USFS, BOR, DOE
• Includes all phases of development:
Land Use Planning
Exploration
Well Field
Power Plant
Transmission
• Information can be sorted, analyzed and compared by
different criteria, such as by type of planned activity,
by state or field office, by type of NEPA document
2 | US DOE Geothermal Program
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NEPA:
List of Suggested Data to Collect
Administrative Data
• Agency (State, Office, Document
Number/Serial Number, leases)
Project Data
• Applicant, Project Name, Project
Type (Exploration, Drilling/Field
Development, Utilization)
Consultation, Special Interest and
Concerns
• Wildlife: Critical Habitat, Special
Status Species
• Cultural Resources
• Visual Resources
• Mitigation measures
• Scope (brief narrative)
Timelines/Action Dates
Type of Analysis
•
•
•
•
• Casual Use
• Determination of NEPA
Adequacy
• Categorical Exclusion
• Environmental Assessment
• Environmental Analysis
3 | US DOE Geothermal Program
Application date
Public Notice
Decision
Processing Time
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1. Provide data for
future NEPA Analyses
User Story
BLM field office receives application for a reflective seismic survey. Agency personnel,
including geothermal permit processing agent, specialists (biologist, cultural specialist,
etc.) are unfamiliar with reflective seismic surveys or their potential impacts.
Database Input
• Users search for “reflective seismic survey.”
• Basic information is provided about the survey, including how it is conducted,
timeframes, output information, etc.,
• Links are provided for further information and potential “training” (videos,
presentations, papers, etc.)
• Lists of previous NEPA analyses conducted for reflective seismic surveys are listed,
including dates, timeframes, locations, impacted species and stipulations
Impact
The collection of this information helps to:
• Reduce misunderstanding about potential activity impacts
• Provide consistency among NEPA analyses conducted for similar activities
• Potentially reduce time required to determine impacts and stipulations
4 | US DOE Geothermal Program
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2. Aid in Development of
Categorical Exclusions
Definition
Categorical exclusion means a category of actions
which do not individually or cumulatively have a
significant effect on the human environment ... and
... for which, therefore, neither an environmental
assessment nor an environmental impact statement
is required.
40 CFR 1508.4
Note that a categorical
exclusion can significantly
reduce NEPA time requirements
Typical CE
Typical EA
3 months
10 months
Categorical exclusions (CEs) are actions which meet the definition contained in 40 CFR
1508.4, and, based on past experience with similar actions, do not involve
significant environmental impacts. They are actions which: do not induce significant
impacts to planned growth or land use for the area, do not require the relocation of
significant numbers of people; do not have a significant impact on any natural, cultural,
recreational, historic or other resource; do not involve significant air, noise, or water quality
impacts; do not have significant impacts on travel patterns; and do not otherwise, either
individually or cumulatively, have any significant environmental impacts.
23 CFR 771.117(a)
5 | US DOE Geothermal Program
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2. Aid in Development of
Categorical Exclusions
• Categorical exclusions (CX) are developed based on previous
experience, so collecting information from existing geothermal NEPA
documents for similar actions (e.g. specific exploration or drilling
activities) can be the basis for development of categorical exclusions for
geothermal.
• CXs can be:
• Implemented by administrative policies
• Mandated by congress (Sec. 390 EPAct of 2005 for O&G) or through
agency regulations.
• Developed during land use planning process and within NEPA
documents for multiple well and development projects, that provides
for the use of individual CXs or determination of NEPA adequacy
(DNA).
• Providing the upfront data collection and analysis can provide the federal
agencies the data needed for development of categorical exclusions.
6 | US DOE Geothermal Program
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Sources of NEPA Information
Source
Description of Available Data
Type of Data
Internet Search
Some EAs and EISs were available via web search,
largely because they were temporarily being made
available for public comment
EA and EIS reports
NEPA Register
BLM NEPA data base, records date from 2011, links
https://www.blm.gov/epl-frontto CX, DNA, EA, and EIS documents, not complete
office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_registe for all offices
Selected NEPA documents
LR2000
http://www.blm.gov/lr2000/
BLM serial register pages, case records for
transaction records of leases, ROWs, NOIs for
exploration, dates from 1970’s
BLM Serial register pages with
dates; no NEPA documents
Individual field office websites
NEPA documents, some offices from 2008, not
complete for all offices, must know documents, no
detailed list
Geothermal project files, dates from 1980’s, most
complete, must know documents for request
BLM EAs and EISs open for
public comment
r.do
Field office files
DOE NEPA Database
http://energy.gov/nepa/nepadocuments
7 | US DOE Geothermal Program
BLM reports, Applications,
FONSIs, decisions
This database is reported to have a complete set of Reports, FONSIs, decisions, for
data for DOE-led NEPA analyses from 2008 to the
DOE projects
present
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Summary of Information Collected
# of
Database
Entries
Applications
(many are
proprietary)
Reports
FONSIs
Decisions
Casual Use
26
18
19
NA
20
Determinations
of NEPA
Adequacy
27
1
27
NA
27
Categorical
Exclusions
53
17
13
NA
53
Environmental
Assessments
63
2
50
39
17
Environmental
Impact
Statements
5
5
NA
4
114
39
70
Type of
Document
TOTAL
8 | US DOE Geothermal Program
176
38
(not common)
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NEPA Database Queries
Query
Potential Uses
Technique
Users can look at the type of analysis typically needed for a given activity, and review
previous timeframes and mitigation measures typically imposed.
Development
Phase
Like the technique query, but on a broader scale, users can look at the type of analysis
typically needed for a given development phase, and review previous timeframes and
mitigation measures typically imposed.
Field Office
NEPA Analysis
Type
Users can review the analysis conducted at a field office and get a sense of the potential
impacts and mitigation proscribed.
Users can look at timeframes, techniques and other circumstances of NEPA analyses of a
given type. This can help to target areas where efficiencies could be increased.
Document Lists
Users can see and access, at a glance, all NEPA-related documents available on OpenEIs
Geothermal Area
Users can see all NEPA analyses that have been conducted at a specific location,
understanding mitigation measures and potential application of future tiered NEPA
analyses such as DNAs.
Users can look at mitigation measures proposed and imposed on previous projects for a
particular resource. This may lead to greater consistency in mitigating impacts, as well as
reduce time frames by not needing to re-invent mitigation measures for each project.
Resource
9 | US DOE Geothermal Program
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OpenEI Demo
http://en.openei.org/wiki/NEPA
What
links
here Program
Related changes
10 | US
DOE
Geothermal
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Browse
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Upcoming Plans
11 | US DOE Geothermal Program
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