| 6/2/2006 9:19:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Artists change tack, request environmental impact statement
by Jason Starr
Mail Staff Writer
Sensing negative results from the Bureau of Land Management environmental assessment of their proposed “Over the River” project, Christo and Jeanne- Claude requested a more extensive environmental impact statement.
The BLM received more than 1,100 written comments about the artists’ plan to stretch fabric across the Arkansas River in Bighorn Sheep Canyon.
The comments came in February as part of the early stages of the environmental assessment of the project by the bureau.
About 60 percent of the comments were negative, Pete Zwaneveld, environmental coordinator for the bureau, said. Some raised worries about wildlife impact and traffic congestion raising doubts about the ability of the bureau to issue a “finding of no significant impact” for the project.
BLM officials told Christo this spring the direction public comment was headed and the artist responded by requesting an environmental impact statement.
If the environmental assessment had come back negative, Christo would have had to request an environmental impact statement to continue with the application process.
The environmental assessment would not have been complete until early winter, Zwaneveld said. In filing the request for the environmental impact statement, Christo decided not to wait until then for a possibly negative decision.
“We weren’t certain we could work out all of the (issues) and we wanted to be up front with Christo and let him know so he wasn’t surprised at the end of the year,” Zwaneveld said.
The BLM is expected to make a decision about whether to grant the environmental impact statement review this month.
An environmental impact statement is a 14-16 month process involving public comment and two drafts.
Zwaneveld said the BLM would likely carry over comments received as part of the environmental assessment to use in the impact statement review.
“It takes more time,” he said. “It’s a more involved document.”
He said most opposing comments came from residents of Chaffee and Fremont counties while most comments favoring the project were from Denver residents and those of other major cities.
Zwaneveld, who retires today, will be replaced in his Christo duties by Joe Vieira.
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