By R.W. JEMEZ DAILY POST
Yesterday's meeting concerning the proposed geothermal power plant in the Jemez Mountains took place in the Cuba Ranger Station of the Santa Fe National Forest. The Jemez Valley was well represented in the audience, with a vocal contingent occupying the front row.
Addressing the issues arising from this project was Larry Gore, a geologist from the National Forest Service, and consultants Kevin Rice and David Batts.
Neither the geologist nor the consultants were allowed to begin the meeting as planned; the introduction and presentation were immediately interrupted by urgent questions, mainly from Jemez residents.
Among the first items raised was why the meeting was being held in Cuba, and not in Jemez Springs, in the area most likely to be affected by the project. The Jemez contingent was reassured that the areas most affected would be on the north facing watershed of the Jemez Mountains, to the northwest of the Valles Caldera, and have little effect on the Jemez Valley.
Reassurance was the general tone adopted by the presenters. Currently, we were told, we have entered the scoping period, where public input was being sought. In each of the following steps of the project, public input would be invited and considered. The further steps of exploration, development and production would also be subject to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review.
The kind of input sought concerns the public's identification of specific areas considered being unsuitable for exploration, with "why" added, and what kind of environmental protection measures we would like to see included in the areas that will be made available for leasing.
The product of all this initial activity will be an Environmental Impact Study (EIS). This will be completed by the end of 2016, although a draft that can be commented upon will be produced next January.
So far the process has focused on identifying the lands that would be open or closed to leasing. To start, closed would be all areas of significant surface recourses, and also the entire Jemez Mountain National Scenic Byway, Jemez Historic Site National Landmark, Monument Canyon Research Natural Area and Administrative Site withdrawals.
Excluded would also be critical habitat zones for endangered species, areas of cultural properties, water bodies and riparian areas, recreation areas, springs (and hot springs of course), steep slopes, roadless areas and areas considered scenic. Consideration would also have to be given to seasonal ranges, breeding, and nesting habitats of wildlife.
Most reassuring among the reassurances offered by the National Forest representatives and the consultants was the promise that this will be a long and bureaucratic process, taking years, and that each stage, preceding energy production, will require public consultation and lengthy appraisal.
Least reassuring were questions answered with a kind of "who can tell?", or "it depends". Among the questions which I consider dangling unanswered are these:
Which way will the energy transmission lines travel. Will they go down south, through the Jemez Valley? The cell phone tower would droop in shame before pylons perched on the edge of Virgin Mesa.
Which way will the heavy traffic to the exploration and exploitation sites travel. There are few developed roads into the area except for NM Highway 4. We have enough heavy truck traffic travelling through the valley already.
What effect might a fracking-like procedure have on the area's delicately balanced geological structures, possibly producing earthquakes so close to the bomb factory, Los Alamos, just down the road. Will fracking reawaken the churning ocean of magma below the Caldera, producing a tourist attraction for our area that National Park could only dream of?
Fracking requires large quantities of water. Would drawing it from the so far designated areas affect the water flows and water temperatures in the Jemez Valley?
I was reassured that that there will be no surface contamination from the liquid travelling in the "loop", the closed circuit of the energy producing plant, but from images of geothermal plants that I have seen there appear to be dramatic clouds of steam rising from stacks. Aside from being unsightly in the landscape, they will contain not just water vapor, but a large dose of sulfuric acid derived from the content of the water below the site. This will settle on the land, and travel down the watershed.
Geothermal energy production does have an appeal to it. Producing energy from the natural condition of the Earth can help wean us from dependence on fossil fuels, and, in many instances, it beats landscape marring windmills and solar plants. But not at all times. Here in a serene natural wonderland they could turn out be an unwelcome intrusion.