El Paso Coal Gasification Project, San Juan County, New Mexico. Volume I. Final environmental statement

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7231670

El Paso Natural Gas Co. and Consolidation Coal Co. propose to construct and operate a coal gasification plant, the surface mining operation to supply the plant with coal and the necessary support facilities in northwestern New Mexico on the Navajo Indian Reservation 35 miles southwest of Farmington, N. Mex. The plant would have an initial output of 288 million cu ft/day (MMCFD) and would become operational in 1980. The plant would be expanded to a total capacity of 410 MMCFD in 1982. In 1981 the proposed project would emit 20 tons of sulfur dioxide and 20 tons of nitrogen oxides each day. Since the operation has zero liquid effluents, there should be no pollutants discharged to directly affect surface water quality. Ground water quality could be affected over the long term by the disposal of ash and other solid wastes in the mined-out area. The plant would occupy 1,915 acres of land. Mining operations would disturb 22,264 acres of land over the 25-yr life of the project. The land disturbance would, at least temporarily, destroy wildlife habitat and grazing. If the mining reclamation is not successful, this could be permanent displacement. Forty-eight families would be displaced over 25 yr. The proposed project would cause a peak influx of 4,439 construction workers and ultimately employ 2,032 persons during operation. These workers, their families, and the resulting population influx would exert pressure on existing social systems and infrastructures. The first volume contains a description of the proposed project; a description of the existing environment; the environmental impacts of the proposed action; mitigating measures; unavoidable adverse effects; the relationship between local short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity; irreversible and irretrievable commitment and resources; and alternative energy sources.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Reclamation, Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7231670
• Report Number(s): FES-77-03(Vol.1)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
012000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
530300 -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Environmental Impact Statements-- (-1987)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ASHES
CHALCOGENIDES
COAL GASIFICATION PLANTS
COAL MINING
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LAND RECLAMATION
MINING
NEW MEXICO
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RESIDUES
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SOUTHWEST REGION
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SURFACE MINING
USA
WATER POLLUTION