STEP UP FOR STEPTOE VALLEY: Keep Groundwater Where it Belongs
URGENT: SUBMIT COMMENTS TO FERC FOR PUBLIC SCOPING
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is undertaking the next phase of the project’s review required under federal law for hydro power projects on public land. This new process is the first step in a multi-phase study required via the National Environmental Policy Act. Please Click on the button below to submit comments to FERC and ensure that regulators know that the community rejects this dangerous experiment with precious desert groundwater in our beloved mountains.
READ THE REPORT ON THE DANGERS TO GROUNDWATER POSED BY THE PROJECT
About the Project
The White Pine Pumped Storage Project, led by Salt Lake City-based developer rPlus Hydro, is a proposed energy storage project that would develop 1,444 acres of Steptoe Valley and blast an 8-story hole in the Duck Creek Range, posing potential threats to local agriculture, tourism, recreation, wildlife, and groundwater resources.
The project aims to provide battery-like energy storage through a closed loop system of reservoirs – one atop the Duck Creek Range and another in the foothills of Steptoe Valley – interconnected by underground waterways that pass through a subterranean powerhouse complex.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) identified more than 115 deficiencies and troubling information gaps with the proposal, citing serious concerns about impacts to ecosystems, local communities and existing businesses. So far, rPlus has failed to conduct necessary hydrologic or geologic studies on the project site.
rPlus has been clear from the beginning that they plan to sell off the project as soon as possible, which could excuse them of responsibility for future damages. We cannot let federal, state and local officials hand over our land and water to real-estate interests for the promise of short-term jobs.
READ THE REPORT ON THE DANGERS TO GROUNDWATER POSED BY THE PROJECT
SALT LAKE CITY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS ARE PUSHING THIS PROJECT. IT IS “GREED” ENERGY, NOT “GREEN” ENERGY.
What Will be affected
Water availability in White Pine County for current residents, agriculture, existing water rights holders, and other users could be impacted.
Scenic viewsheds in the Duck Creek Range will be forever altered.
The best Dark Skies in the nation could be degraded.
The viability of the Nevada Northern Railway, which is a National Historic Landmark in operation for over 35 years, could be in jeopardy.
Sage-grouse habitat, including sensitive lek breeding grounds, is slated to be in the heart of the project.
Essential social services like police, fire, emergency response and public education face much uncertainty.
The future of outdoor recreation opportunities hangs in the balance.
This Project WOuld
Pump more than 1.6 billion gallons of groundwater
Blast the footprint of an 8-story building in the Duck Creek Mountain Range near multiple Wilderness Areas and recreational resources
Leave more than 1 million cubic feet of waste rock on the side of the Duck Creek Range, potentially threatening groundwater quality for Ely and McGill and irreparably damaging the viewshed
Likely consume more energy than it provides/stores
Likely hit ratepayers hard with new, exorbitant costs
Tie into the existing grid — meaning it will pump water uphill with electricity produced by fossil fuels
Our Aquifers ARE not sacrifice Zones
READ THE REPORT ON THE DANGERS TO GROUNDWATER
There is not enough water to support this project
We are enduring the worst megadrought since the year 800 A.D.
The project would draw 1,600,000,000 gallons of groundwater annually for the operation in an already over-allocated, over-used basin.
This project would jeopardize Steptoe Valley family-run farms and water that the county’s population centers in Ely and McGill rely on.
Steptoe Valley has more water on paper than in reality. Our precious water resources should not be sacrificed for out-of -state companies.
There is not water available. There is more paper water on the books in Duck Creek Basin than wet water.
This project would harm existing water rights holders: With more water on paper than wet water, folks in the community who already rely on the water could be harmed down the road.
The project would harm the public interest. Our shared scenic, recreational, and community values should not be sacrificed for a project pitched by out-of-state interests looking to profit off of our most important resources.
Landscapes Of Wonder
Nevada’s Basin and Range province is a marvel of the natural world.
The proposed project is situated amidst critical wildlife habitat, including sensitive breeding grounds for sage-grouse.
The scenic viewsheds in the Duck Creek Range, which are surrounded by Wilderness Areas in the Schell Creek and Egan Mountain Ranges, would be forever altered.
The Nevada Northern Railway’s scenic tours, known around the world for providing access to unspoiled vistas near Great Basin National Park, would have a massive industrial project in the line of sight.
The site's geology is fragile and fractured. And, so far, the developers have failed to submit any hydrologic or geologic studies demonstrating the project’s viability.
Community IN THE CROSSHAIRS: A PUMP AND DUMP PROJECT
rPlus claims it will bring in 700 temporary jobs to a community that is currently short on housing for its own residents.
The company envisions man camps in the middle of Steptoe Valley near popular camping destinations, fishing holes, and hunting grounds.
The community’s independent farming and ranching families would be caught in the crosshairs, as their water would be threatened by the project’s water use.
With this project, tourism is on the chopping block: stargazing, hiking, bike riding, wildlife viewing, and train-riding would all face impacts.
The energy stored at the site will not even be used to serve residents in the community. The developer plans to flip the project to a big utility. Can urban ratepayers afford this $3 billion effort?
StEP up FOR STEPTOE VALLEY and Quack for Duck Creek Basin
Sign the petition today and support our campaign keep water in the ground and communities intact.
