Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
surface. The disturbance caused by all these activities could increase illegal collec-
tion and vandalism. Surveys conducted during this phase to evaluate the presence
and significance of paleontological resources in the area would assist developers in
locating significant resources so they can be studied and collected or so that project
facilities can be sited in other areas.
Transportation
No impacts on transportation are anticipated during the exploration and drilling
phase. Transportation activities would be temporary and intermittent and limited to
a low volume of light utility trucks and personal vehicles.
Visual Resources
Impacts on visual resources would be considered adverse if the landscape were
substantially degraded or modified. Exploration and drilling activities would have
only temporary and minor visual effects, resulting from the presence of drill rigs,
workers, vehicles, and other equipment (including lighting for safety), as well as
from vegetation damage, scarring of the terrain, and altering landforms or contours.
Reclamation following exploration and drilling to restore visual resources to pre-
disturbance conditions would lessen these impacts.
Socioeconomics
As the activities conducted during the exploration and drilling phase are temporary
and limited in scope, they would not result in significant socioeconomic impacts on
equipment, local services, or property values.
Environmental Justice
Exploration activities are limited and would not result in significant long-term
impacts in any resource area; therefore, environmental justice is not expected to be
an issue during this phase.
G
eothermal
e
nerGy
c
onstruction
i
mPacts
Activities that may cause environmental impacts during construction include site
preparation (e.g., clearing and grading), facility construction (e.g., geothermal power
plant, pipelines, transmissions lines), and vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The con-
struction of the geothermal power plant would disturb about 15 to 25 acres of land.
Transmission line construction would disturb about 1 acre of land per mile of line.
Impacts would be similar to but more extensive than those addressed for the explora-
tion and drilling phase; however, many of these impacts would be reduced by imple-
menting good industry practices and restoring disturbed areas once construction
activities have been completed.
Air Quality
Emissions generated during the construction phase include exhaust from vehicular
traffic and construction equipment, fugitive dust from traffic on paved and unpaved
roads, and the release of geothermal fluid vapors (especially hydrogen sulfide, carbon
