BLM releases EIS draft on SunZia project

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input on the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the SunZia Southwest Transmission Line Project in New Mexico and Arizona. A Notice of Availability for the draft EIS was published in the Federal Register on May 29, 2012. Comments about the proposed project will be accepted until Aug. 22, 2012.

SunZia Transmission, LLC, proposes to construct, operate and maintain two parallel overhead 500 kilovolt transmission lines located on federal, state and private lands from the proposed SunZia East Substation in Lincoln County, N.M., to the existing Pinal Central Substation in Pinal County, Ariz.

The EIS draft provides a comprehensive analysis of potential environmental impacts that could result from project development.

The BLM will host several public meetings in Arizona and New Mexico during a 90-day public comment period. Project specialists will be available at the meetings to provide information about the Draft EIS and to answer questions about the proposed project. All interested parties are encouraged to attend the meetings which will be announced at least 15 days prior to their scheduled date at locations to be determined.

The draft, and other information about the project, is available from the project website at www.blm.gov/nm/sunzia or by contacting the BLM Project Lead Adrian Garcia at 505-954-2199.