,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bidi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #f1   
#bjba,mr4 ,lee introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,environment and   
,public ,works  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the
 ,energy ,policy ,act of #bjje and the  
,geothermal ,steam ,act of #aigj to     
describe the scope of activities subject
 to a presumption of the applicability  
of an exclusion under the ,national     
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi4   
#a4 ,,nepa review of geothermal         
exploration or development activities   
7a7 ,in general ,section #cij7;b7 of the
 ,energy ,policy ,act of #bjje 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #aeidb7;b77 is amended by     
adding at the end the following3  7#f7  
,conversion of an oil or gas well to a  
geothermal well4  4  7b7 ,geothermal    
,steam ,act of #aigj ,the ,geothermal   
,steam ,act of #aigj 7#cj ,u4,s4,c4     
#ajja et seq47 is amended by adding at  
the end the following3  #cj4 ,,nepa     

review of geothermal exploration or     
development activities  7a7 ,in general 
,action by the ,secretary in managing   
land subject to geothermal leasing under
 this ,act with respect to any of the   
activities described in subsection 7b7  
shall be subject to a rebuttable        
presumption that the use of a           
categorical exclusion under the         
,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of
 #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47    
7referred to in this section as ,,nepa7 
would apply if the activity is conducted
 pursuant to this ,act for the purpose  
of exploration or development of        
geothermal resources4  7b7 ,activities  
described ,the activities referred to in
 subsection 7a7 are the following3 7#a7 
,individual surface disturbances of less
 than #e acres1 on the condition that-- 
7,a7 the total surface disturbance on   
the lease is not greater than #aej      
acres2 and  7,b7 site-specific analysis 
in a document prepared pursuant to      
,,nepa has been previously completed4   

7#b7 ,drilling a geothermal well at a   
location or well pad site at which      
drilling has occurred during the #e-year
 period preceding the date of spudding  
the well4  7#c7 ,drilling a geothermal  
well within a developed field for which 
an approved land use plan or any        
environmental document prepared pursuant
 to ,,nepa analyzed the drilling as a   
reasonably foreseeable activity1 on the 
condition that the land use plan or     
environmental document was approved     
during the #e-year period preceding the 
date of spudding the well4  7#d7        
,placement of a pipeline or transmission
 line in an approved right-of-way       
corridor1 on the condition that the     
corridor was approved during the #e-year
 period preceding the date of placement 
of the pipeline or transmission line4   
7#e7 ,maintenance of a minor activity1  
other than any construction or major    
renovation of a building or facility4   
7#f7 ,conversion of an oil or gas well  
to a geothermal well4  4