[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 194 (Friday, October 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52055-52056]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25449]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[UT-060-06-1310-00]


Notice of Availability of Draft Price Coalbed Methane 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft Price Coalbed Methane 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 102 of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has 
been prepared for the Price Coalbed Methane Project and is available 
for distribution to the public.
    River Gas Corporation of Northport, Alabama proposes to develop a 
coalbed methane (CBM) gas production field in Carbon and Emery 
Counties, Utah. The proposed project would involve the construction 
(wellpads), drilling, and completion/stimulation of 601 CBM gas wells 
and associated access roads, pipelines, and electrical distribution 
lines over approximately a 10-year period within an approximately 290-
square mile project area. Life of project would be approximately 30 
years. A maximum of four CBM gas wells per square mile (160-acre 
spacing) would be developed on leased acreage (Federal, state, and 
private) in accordance with procedures and guidelines of the Utah 
Division of Oil, Gas & Mining and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
    Copies of the DEIS will be available at libraries in Moab, Price, 
and Castle Dale, Utah. Copies will also be available from the Moab 
District Office, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532, the Price BLM 
Office, 125 South 600 West, Price, Utah 84501, and the BLM Utah State 
Office, 324 South State, P.O. Box 45155, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84105-
0155.

DATES: Written comments on the DEIS will be accepted for a period of 45 
days following Federal Register publication of the Notice of 
Availability by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The 
anticipated date of EPA Federal Register publication is October 18, 
1996. Comments must therefore be

[[Page 52056]]

submitted or postmarked no later than December 2, 1996 in order to be 
considered. Oral and/or written comments may also be presented at 
public meetings to be held November 13 at the Courthouse in Price, Utah 
and November 14 at the Courthouse in Castledale, Utah. Meeting times 
will be announced through local news media.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the DEIS should be addressed to: Kate 
Kitchell, Moab Field Office Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 82 East 
Dogwood, Moab, Utah, 84532.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daryl Trotter, Project Coordinator, 
Moab Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, 
Utah, 84532, (801) 259-6111.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this EIS is to provide 
decision makers and the public with information pertaining to River 
Gas's proposal, and to disclose environmental impacts and identify 
mitigation measures to reduce impacts.
    The DEIS analyzes a proposal by River Gas Corporation of Northport, 
Alabama, to locate, drill, complete, and produce 601 CBM wells over a 
10-year period in an approximately 290-square mile project area in 
Carbon and Emery Counties, Utah at 160-acre spacing. The proposed 
action would also include the construction and operation of access 
roads, gas and water collection pipelines/flowlines, high-pressure 
delivery pipelines, and electrical utilities within a transportation 
corridor system accessing all wells.
    The DEIS also analyzes four alternatives: (1) Field development at 
80-acre spacing; (2) field development at 160-acre and 80-acre spacing, 
precluding well drilling on Federal mineral estate within boundaries of 
critical deer and elk winter range; (3) field development at 160-acre 
and 80-acre spacing, precluding well drilling and operations on Federal 
mineral estate in security habitat areas (concentration areas) within 
critical winter range for mule deer and elk; and (4) No Action 
alternative.
    BLM's preferred alternative is field development at 160-acre 
spacing, precluding well drilling and operations on Federal mineral 
estate in security habitat areas.

    Dated: September 27, 1996.
Kate Kitchell,
Moab Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-25449 Filed 10-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P