LAS VEGAS –– The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Pahrump Field Office announced the availability of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Amargosa Farm Road Solar Energy Project in the March 19 Federal Register.

Publication of the Notice of Availability initiates a 45-day public comment period ending on

May 3.

The draft EIS was prepared in response to a right-of-way application submitted to the BLM by Solar Millennium, LLC to construct and operate two concentrated solar thermal parabolic trough power plant facilities on public lands managed by the BLM in Amargosa Valley.

Public meetings will be held to review and comment on the draft EIS beginning April 6. The meetings will be in an open house format with information available about the draft EIS and the proposed project.

The meetings are scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on April 6, 7, 13 and 14 in Beatty, Amargosa Valley, Pahrump and Las Vegas.

The April 6 meeting will be held at Amargosa Valley Community Center, 821 E. Amargosa Farm Road, Amargosa Valley.

The April 7 meeting will be held at Beatty Community Center Hall, 100 S. A Ave., Beatty.

The April 13 meeting will be held at the Pahrump Library, 701 East St., Pahrump.

The April 14 meeting will be held at the Centennial Hills YMCA, 4141 Meadows Lane, Las Vegas.

The BLM is interested in the public’s review and comment on the accuracy and completeness of the draft EIS. Further details can be found on the BLM Web site at www.blm.gov/nv/st/en.html. Written comments will be accepted through May 3.

Comments can be submitted to the BLM Pahrump Field Office at the attention of Gregory Helseth, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130-2301; by e-mail at solar_millennium@blm.gov; by phone at (702) 515-5173 or by fax at (702) 515-5023.