Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
and related transmission lines would require an estimated 387 jobs and $22.5 million
in income but would vary depending on the community. Job availability would vary
with different stages of construction. Expenditures for equipment, materials, fuel,
lodging, food, and other needs would stimulate the local economy over the duration
of construction. Economic impacts may occur if other land use activities (e.g., recre-
ation, grazing, hunting) are altered by geothermal development. Constructing facili-
ties will alter the landscape and could affect the nonmarket values of the immediate
area. Many of these land uses may be compatible; however, it is possible that some
land uses will be displaced by geothermal development.
Environmental Justice
Environmental justice impacts occur only if significant impacts in other resource areas
disproportionately affect minority or low-income populations. It is anticipated that
the development of geothermal energy could benefit low-income, minority, and tribal
populations by creating job opportunities and stimulating local economic growth via
project revenues and increased tourism. However, noise, dust, visual impacts, and
habitat destruction could have an adverse effect on traditional tribal life ways and reli-
gious and cultural sites. Development of wells and ancillary facilities could affect the
natural character of previously undisturbed areas and transform the landscape into a
more industrialized setting. Development activities could impact the use of cultural
sites for traditional tribal activities (hunting and plant-gathering activities, as well as
areas in which artifacts, rock art, or other significant cultural sites are located).
G
eothermal
e
nerGy
o
Perations
anD
m
aintenance
i
mPacts
Typical activities during the operations and maintenance phase include operation
and maintenance of production and injection wells and pipeline systems, opera-
tion and maintenance of the power plant, waste management, and maintenance and
replacement of facility components.
Air Quality
Emissions generated during the operations and maintenance phase include exhaust
from vehicular traffic and fugitive dust from traffic on paved and unpaved roads,
most of which would be generally limited to worker and maintenance vehicle traffic.
In addition, emission could include the release of geothermal fluid vapors (especially
hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, mercury, arsenic, and boron, if present in the res-
ervoir). Impacts would depend on the amount, duration, location, and characteristics
of the emissions and the meteorological conditions (e.g., wind speed and direction,
precipitation, relative humidity). Carbon dioxide emissions would be considerably
less than for comparable power plants using fossil fuel. State and local regulators
may require permits and air monitoring programs.
Cultural Resources
During the operations and maintenance phase, impacts on cultural resources could
occur primarily from unauthorized collection of artifacts and from visual impacts.
In the latter case, the presence of the aboveground structures could impact cultural
