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News Release

 

For More Information, Contact:
Patti Watson — 1-800-687-3417/505-269-9691 cell
Rick Carpenter — 505-955-4206; 660-5696 cell

U.S. Department of Interior Affirms Bureau of Land Management Decision to Grant Rights of Way to Buckman Diversion Project

Agency is Second to Uphold NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Process and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Buckman Direct Diversion Project

For Immediate Release—July 11, 2008

SANTA FE - Yesterday the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) of the U.S. Department of the Interior affirmed the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to grant the rights-of-way across federal lands for the Buckman Direct Diversion Project.

The IBLA decision upheld the BLM decision, and denied a request for a petition for stay by Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (CCNS), Los Amigos Bravos and Joni Arends., who is executive director of CCNS.

“I’ve always known that we did what we needed to do, but that did not mean we would not have a long and arduous process.  I am thrilled with this decision,” said Rebecca Wurzburger, chair of the BDD Board and Santa Fe City Councilor.

BDD Board Vice-Chair and Santa Fe County Commission Chair Virginia Vigil thanked the Board’s legal counsel and all the lawyers who worked on the appeal for their hard work in responding to the appeal.

The IBLA said it found “no flaw” in the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process and that the contamination issue was raised and addressed through the NEPA process.
The U.S. Forest Service, the other lead federal agency involved in the FEIS (Final Environmental Impact Statement) and the NEPA process, affirmed the decision and denied a similar appeal in April 2008.  For a copy of the IBLA statement, click here.


About the Buckman Direct Diversion Project
The Buckman Direct Diversion (BDD) project will provide a sustainable way for the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County and their limited partner, Las Campanas, to access surface water supplies by diverting San Juan-Chama Project water and native Rio Grande water to reduce their reliance on over-taxed ground water resources.  The BDD will divert water from the Rio Grande, pipe it underground to a water treatment plant near the Municipal Recreational Complex, then treat and deliver the water to customers of the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County. Las Campanas will receive and treat a portion of the water for its residents at a facility that is not part of the BDD. Design and construction on the BDD is expected to begin in 2008.