USBR to hold public meeting on desalting plant pilot run

The Bureau of Reclamation is proposing to initiate a pilot run next year of the Yuma Desalting Plant and is preparing an environmental assessment of the planned project.
 
To help gather information to determine the scope of issues associated with the proposed run, the USBR Yuma Field Office will host an open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Cocopah Conference Room at the Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park, 201 N. 4th Ave.
 
Members of the public, organizations and agencies that have an interest in this project are invited to attend the meeting and provide comments.
 
Reclamation staff will make a brief presentation at 6:30 p.m. and provide project information on the environmental assessment schedule and objectives, then be available to accept comments or answer questions throughout the remainder of the meeting.
 
Reclamation proposes to operate the plant for up to one year at up to one-third capacity, likely beginning in mid-2009, said Robert Walsh, USBR spokesman in Boulder City, Nev. The pilot run would be in partnership with water entities in the three lower Colorado River Basin states of Arizona, Neveda and California.
 
This extended pilot operation is proposed to obtain data that can only be adequately evaluated under actual longer-term operating conditions, Walsh said. Other goals are to identify and initiate technology improvements in the plant's existing desalination process; to refine and validate current cost estimates for operation, maintenance and management of the plant; and to acquire updated process-related effluent and emissions data over an extended period of time for analysis of potential environmental consequences associated with operation of the plant as intended by Title I of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act.
 
The pilot run would be a longer-term followup to the trial run of 90 days at 10 percent capacity in 2007.
 
For those unable to attend the open house, Reclamation will also accept written comments through Oct. 16.
 
Address comments, questions and mailing list requests regarding this project to Mr. Sean Torpey, environmental compliance and planning group manager, by calling 343-8268, or by e-mail to storpey@lc.usbr.go