News Release Archive

Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian Affairs Issue Navajo Generating Station Extension Lease Environmental Assessment

Environmental Assessment Now Available for Public Review and Comment

Media Contact: Dan DuBray/Reclamation, 202-513-0574
Nedra Darling/Indian Affairs, 202-219-4152

For Release: October 05, 2017

Navajo Generating StationPHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Indian Affairs have issued the environmental assessment for the Navajo Generating Station Extension Lease. It is now available for public review and comment. The environmental assessment describes the potential environmental impacts resulting from federal actions that would approve a new lease for the Navajo Generating Station and its related facilities.

Without the extension lease, NGS would cease operations by the end of December 2017, requiring retirement of the plant to be complete by 2020. However, to enable NGS operations to continue until December 2019, with plant retirement to begin in 2020, the Navajo Nation and SRP (on behalf of NGS non-Federal participants) have agreed to the extension lease. Reclamation and BIA have made preliminary determinations that the bureaus’ respective federal approvals and actions related to the extension lease would not result in findings of significant impact to the human environment.

Under the extension lease, coal combustion at NGS would cease by December 22, 2019. Retirement of NGS would begin at that point and be completed by December 22, 2024. The lease provides five years for the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District to complete plant retirement and 30 years for long-term monitoring and remediation. The lease extension would also allow time for new owners to come forward to operate the plant beyond 2019.

A public review and comment period will remain open until November 3, 2017, and both Reclamation and BIA will consider all relevant comments received throughout this time on the adequacy of the EA and draft decision documents. The Extension Lease is available for public review at https://www.usbr.gov/ngs.

Comments should be as specific as possible, and provide data and information to support statements or conclusions. Please send written communication to:

NGS Extension Lease Public Comments
ERO Resources Corporation
1842 Clarkson Street
Denver, CO  80218

You may fax your comments to ERO Resources Corporation at 303-830-1199, or send your written comments by email to NGS-EA@eroresources.com. To ensure comments are considered prior to Reclamation and BIA making final determinations regarding the extension lease, please ensure they are delivered by November 3, 2017.

If you would like a CD copy of the EA and draft FONSI, please call Ms. Alice Jenkins at the Phoenix Area Office, Reclamation, at 623-773-6251, or email her at ajenkins@usbr.gov.

Your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you may request that we withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Mr. Sean M. Heath, Bureau of Reclamation Phoenix Area Office at 623-773-6250, or Ms. Harrilene Yazzie, Bureau of Indian Affairs-Navajo Region at 404-863-8287.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.