BIA Announces Public Comment Opportunity on Environmental Impacts of Moapa Band’s Proposed Southern Bighorn Solar Project

Press Release

WASHINGTON - The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians in Nevada today announced the opportunity to comment on potential environmental impacts of the proposed Southern Bighorn Solar Project (SBSP). The Project includes two solar energy ground leases providing for the construction, operation and maintenance, and eventual decommissioning of two solar electricity generation and battery energy storage facilities.

These facilities will be located on tribal lands within the Moapa River Indian Reservation located in Clark County, Nevada, about 40 miles northeast of the city of Las Vegas. Details of the environmental review are listed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act.

The BIA is now in the 45-day public comment and review period for the DEIS. In accordance with recent interim guidance for public participation processes during COVID-19 (U.S. Department of the Interior 2020), the BIA and Project sponsors will hold virtual public meetings to discuss and take comment on the draft.

These virtual meetings are open to the public and all interested parties are encouraged to attend. The meetings can be accessed through a link on the Project’s website at www.southernbighornsolar.com.

The first meeting will be held Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time, and the second on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time. To join a meeting by phone, call (699) 900-6833 or (346) 248-7799 and enter the Passcode 955341739. The Meeting Identification Number for both meetings is 904 140 7949.

A PowerPoint presentation will also be posted to the Project’s website prior to the virtual meetings. Those who cannot live-stream the presentation can access the meeting presentation and join by telephone. The live presentation will also be recorded and made accessible for viewing throughout the comment period.

The DEIS is available for review, and comments may be submitted via the Project’s website.

For more information on how to participate, contact Mr. Chip Lewis, BIA Regional Environmental Protection Officer, at chip.lewis@bia.gov or at 602-379-6750.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is headed by a director who is responsible for managing day-to-day operations through four offices – Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations. These offices directly administer or fund tribally based infrastructure, law enforcement, social services, tribal governance, natural and energy resources, and trust land and resources management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.

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