[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 47 (Friday, March 10, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13163-13164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5927]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY-030-95-1310-01]

Continental Divide Natural Gas Project; Wyoming; Environmental 
Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) and to Conduct Scoping for the Continental Divide Natural Gas 
Project, Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming.

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SUMMARY: Under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 
Rawlins District Office, will direct the preparation of an EIS on the 
potential impacts of a proposed natural gas field development project. 
Between 500 and 2,000 gas wells and associated facilities could be 
constructed on approximately 660,000 acres of private, Federal, and 
State lands, over a 10-year development period. The project area is 
located in Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming. Affected Federal 
land is public land administered by the BLM Rawlins and Rock Springs 
Districts. The EIS will be prepared by a third party contractor.

DATES: Comments on the scoping process will be accepted through April 
7, 1995. Public Scoping Meetings are not planned at this time.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Bureau of Land Management, 
Rawlins District Office, Walter E. George, Project Leader, 1300 3rd 
Street, P.O. Box 670, Rawlins, WY 82301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bureau of Land Management, Walter E. George, Project Leader, 1300 3rd 
Street, P.O. Box 670, Rawlins, WY 82301, phone number 307-324-7171.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amoco Production Company and other oil and 
gas companies have proposed a 10-year field development project. The 
proposed project area, referred to as the Continental Divide Area, is 
generally located in Townships 15 through 23 North, Ranges 91 through 
99 West of Carbon and Sweetwater Counties in south-central Wyoming. The 
project area is located approximately 25 miles west of Rawlins and 40 
miles east of Rock Springs and is bisected by Interstate Highway 80 
from east to west. The project area is approximately 660,000 acres in 
size. Landownership is 52% Federal, 47% private, and 1% State. Federal 
land in the project is public land administered by the BLM Rawlins and 
Rock Springs Districts.
    Four alternatives are proposed for analysis in the EIS. A low 
development alternative will analyze the impact of a possible 250 wells 
(one well for every four square miles). The proposed action will 
analyze the impact of a possible 1,250 wells (one well per square 
mile). A high development alternative will analyze the impact of a 
possible 2,000 wells (two wells per square mile). The no action 
alternative will also be analyzed.
    If the project is approved, site-specific environmental assessments 
(EAs) will be tiered from this EIS for individual authorizations 
(Permits to Drill or Right-of-Way Grants). Drilling of exploratory or 
delineation wells on existing Federal leases will be permitted during 
the preparation of the EIS on a case-by-case basis. A site-specific EA 
will be prepared for each of these applications.
    This EIS will consider cumulative impacts from other proposed oil 
and gas projects, especially recently completed EISs for the Mulligan 
Draw Gas Field Project, the Creston/Blue Gap Natural Gas Project, and 
the Greater Wamsutter II Natural Gas Project. Potential issues to be 
addressed in the EIS include, but are [[Page 13164]] not limited to: 
prevention of Federal mineral drainage, access road development and 
transportation management, erosion control, reclamation, protection of 
cultural resources, noxious weed control, impacts to wildlife 
populations and their habitat, and cumulative impacts.
    Public comments and participation on three previous EISs adjacent 
to the Continental Divide Project area was low. Public scoping meetings 
were not held for these projects. No scoping meeting is scheduled for 
this project. Written comments on the scope and content of the EIS will 
be accepted until the close of the scoping period.

    Dated: March 6, 1995.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director, Wyoming.
[FR Doc. 95-5927 Filed 3-9-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-M