[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 23, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 1780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-898]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[WY-030-96-1310-01]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement; 
South Baggs Area Natural Gas Project, Carbon County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and to conduct scoping for the South Baggs Area Natural 
Gas Project, Carbon County, 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 40 and 50 gas wells and associated facilities could be 
constructed on approximately 11,000 acres of private, Federal and State 
lands, over a 10-year development period. The project area is located 
in Carbon County, Wyoming. The proposed action may be modified, as a 
result of comments received during scoping or anytime during the 
preparation of the draft EIS, to include actions that may, upon review, 
require a plan amendment to the Great Divide Resource Management Plan. 
Also, in accordance with 43 CFR 3420.1-2, this notice serves as a call 
for coal and other resource information to solicit indications of 
interest and information on coal resource development potential in the 
proposed project area and on other resources which may be affected by 
the proposed project. Affected Federal Lands are administered by the 
BLM Rawlins District office. The EIS will be prepared by a third party 
contractor.

DATES: Comments on the scoping process will be accepted through March 
1, 1996. Public scoping meetings are not planned at this time.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Bureau of Land Management, 
Rawlins District Office, Larry Jackson, Team Leader, 812 E. Murray, 
Rawlins, Wyoming 82301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management, Larry 
Jackson, Team Leader, 812 E. Murray, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301, phone 307-
324-4841.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Meridian Oil, Inc., has proposed a 10-year 
field development project. The proposed project area, referred to as 
the South Baggs Area, is generally located in Townships 12 and 13 
North, Ranges 92 and 93 West sixth principal meridian, Carbon County, 
Wyoming. The project area is located approximately 2.5 miles west of 
Baggs, Wyoming, along the Wyoming-Colorado border. The project area is 
approximately 11,000 acres in size. Land ownership is 91 percent 
Federal and 9 percent private. The mineral estate is 5.8 percent State 
owned, 9 percent privately owned, and the remaining 85.2 percent is 
Federally-owned mineral administered by the BLM Rawlins District 
office. The Federal land surface involved is also administered by the 
BLM Rawlins District office.
    Meridian Oil, Inc.'s, proposal is to drill 40 to 50 new wells and 
construct associated facilities, including roads, well pads, pipelines, 
and compressor stations. Most of the subject area is within the South 
Baggs Oil and Gas Unit and not subject to spacing restrictions. 
Drilling of exploratory or confirmation/delineation wells on existing 
Federal leases will be permitted during the preparation of the EIS, on 
a case-by-case basis. A site-specific environmental assessment will be 
prepared for individual drilling proposals for each of these 
applications.
    This EIS will address cumulative impacts and will include 
consideration of affects of other proposed oil and gas projects, 
addressed in the recently completed EISs for the Mulligan Draw Gas 
Field Project, the Creston/Blue Gap Natural Gas Project, the Greater 
Wamsutter II Natural Gas Project and the Continental Divide Project 
Development Area. Potential issues to be addressed in the EIS include, 
but are not limited to: Impacts to wildlife populations and their 
habitat, access road development and transportation management, surface 
and ground water resources, impacts from additional drilling and 
production activities, reclamation, noxious weed control, conflicts 
with livestock grazing operations, protection of cultural resources, 
threatened and endangered species, and cumulative impacts.

    Dated: January 17, 1996.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 96-898 Filed 1-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P