[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30886-30888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14676]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO


Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

AGENCY: United States Section, International Boundary and Water 
Commission, United States and Mexico.

ACTION: Notice of availability of final environmental assessment and 
finding of no significant impact.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Final 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508); and the Operational 
Procedures of the United States Section, International Boundary and 
Water Commission, United States and Mexico (USIBWC), for Implementing 
Section 102 of NEPA, published in the Federal Register September 2, 
1981 (46 FR 44083-44094); the USIBWC hereby gives notice that the Final 
Environmental Assessment (EA) and Final Finding of No Significant 
Impact (FONSI) to address the potential adverse environmental impacts 
of placement of a natural gas well pad and associated works within the 
Falcon Dam and Reservoir Project, Zapata County, Texas, are available. 
The USIBWC finds that the proposed action to issue a land use permit to 
construct a drill pad for the purpose of drilling natural gas wells on 
an island located on USIBWC real property within the reservoir is not a 
major federal action that would have a significant adverse effect on 
the quality of the human environment. A notice of availability was 
signed February 10, 1997, and published in the Federal Register on 
February 19, 1997 (62 FR 7475-7477) for a thirty (30) day review and 
comment period.

ADDRESSES: Mr. Yusuf E. Farran, Division Engineer, Environmental 
Management Division, United States Section, International Boundary and 
Water Commission, United States and Mexico, 4171 North Mesa Street, C-
310, El Paso, Texas 79902-1441. Telephone: 915/534-6704.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Action

    The action proposed is for the USIBWC to issue a land use permit to 
TransTexas Gas Corporation (TransTexas) to construct a drill pad site 
on an island above the 307-foot mean sea level elevation located on 
USIBWC real property below the 307-foot elevation traverse (the United 
States

[[Page 30887]]

property line also called the ``307-foot traverse'') within Falcon 
Reservoir for the purpose of drilling natural gas wells. The 
construction of the drill pad on an island within the reservoir is 
desirable, due mainly to the constraints associated with current 
directional drilling, to enable the full development of private and 
public gas reserves in the western portion of TransTexas' lease area. 
The gas lease area is situated entirely within Falcon Reservoir with 
very limited land available to reach the required bottom hole 
locations.

Alternatives Considered

    Two alternatives were considered in the Final Environmental 
Assessment (EA):
    The Proposed Action Alternative is for the USIBWC to issue a land 
use permit to TransTexas to construct a drill pad site on an island 
above the 307-foot mean sea level elevation located on USIBWC real 
property below the 307-foot traverse property line within Falcon 
Reservoir. The USIBWC proposes to issue the land use permit based on 
its determination to allow limited exceptions to its policy of 
prohibiting oil and natural gas development upon USIBWC real property 
within the reservoir. Approval of the application for permit to drill 
for public reserves located within the reservoir by the United States 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would occur once the USIBWC land use 
permit is issued.
    The No Action Alternative is for the USIBWC to not issue a land use 
permit to TransTexas to construct a drill pad and associated works on 
an island on USIBWC real property at Porcion 18 at Falcon Reservoir. 
BLM would only be able to approve an application for permit to drill 
from a site above the 307-foot traverse property line; hence outside 
the reservoir. TransTexas would need to consider use of alternative 
means to recover private and public natural gas reserves within the 
reservoir. The no action alternative would result in no development 
below the 307-foot traverse for private and public reserves in the 
western portion of TransTexas lease area; avoidance of any potential 
impacts associated with the proposed action; the loss of tax and 
royalty revenues to the local, state and federal governments; the loss 
of royalty revenues to mineral owners; and the loss of an otherwise 
recoverable clean energy source.

Environmental Assessment

    TransTexas requested the USIBWC to grant them permission to 
construct a drill pad site above the 307-foot mean sea level elevation 
on an island located within USIBWC real property below the 307-foot 
elevation traverse within the international Falcon Reservoir for the 
purpose of drilling natural gas wells. The USIBWC began coordination 
with BLM regarding the application by TransTexas for a permit to drill 
for federal reserves within the reservoir. Both agencies agreed that 
due to a lack of both funding resources and human resources for an 
agency produced document and an immediate need by TransTexas to gain 
access to private and public reserves within the reservoir, a third 
party environmental analysis would be acceptable for determining the 
significance of the impacts of the federal action of the USIBWC issuing 
a land use permit to TransTexas to construct a natural gas well drill 
pad site on an island within Falcon Reservoir.
    The Final EA prepared by contract by TransTexas is tiered from a 
Programmatic Environmental Assessment also prepared by TransTexas that 
address the impacts of oil and natural gas development within the 
Falcon Dam and Reservoir Project. The Final EA describes the historical 
and existing development of oil and natural gas in the general vicinity 
of Porcion 18 (but above the 307-foot traverse property line) of the 
reservoir and the planned oil and natural gas activities within or 
adjacent to the Porcion 18 site. It analyzes the specific impacts at 
the Porcion 18 site expected from natural gas development in the 
foreseeable future and the cumulative environmental impacts of natural 
gas development upon USIBWC real property at Falcon Reservoir. The 
Final EA discusses mitigation measures to avoid impacts to and minimize 
degradation of environmental resources on and adjacent to the Porcion 
18 site. The USIBWC approved the completed Final EA for proposed 
natural gas development at Porcion 18, and it is currently available.

Finding of the Environmental Assessment

    The Final EA finds that the proposed action for the USIBWC to issue 
a land use permit for natural gas development within the USIBWC real 
property at Porcion 18 at Falcon Reservoir does not constitute a major 
federal action which would cause a significant local, regional, or 
national adverse impact on the environment. The USIBWC has determined 
that an environmental impact statement is not required to issue a land 
use permit and hereby provides notice of FONSI based on the following 
facts:
    1. Construction, drilling and production activities at the Porcion 
18 well pad site will have no significant adverse impacts on air 
quality. Standard construction practices to control fugitive dust shall 
be used, and emissions will be minimized through properly maintained 
equipment.
    2. The slight impacts from construction, drilling and production 
activities associated with noise at the Porcion 18 well pad site are 
fully mitigable through vegetative buffer zones, equipment noise 
suppressors, and avoidance of critical wildlife use periods.
    3. Negligible impacts to geologic and water resources are mitigable 
through the use of erosion and sediment control measures and devices, 
secondary containment measures, best management practices during all 
phases of development at the Porcion 18 well pad site, and use of site 
specific spill prevention control and countermeasure plans.
    4. Biological resources shall be protected from impacts by total 
avoidance of clearing within the heavy brush corridor adjacent to 
Porcion 18, reptile exclusion fences around the drill pad location, and 
an interior least tern monitoring plan coordinated by the appropriate 
federal and state conservation agencies. Based on site surveys, 
federally listed species are not likely to be adversely affected by the 
proposed action provided these mitigation measures are followed.
    5. Impacts to cultural resources shall be mitigated through 
avoidance of sites determined to be eligible for the National Register 
of Historic Places and implementation of a Memorandum of Agreement for 
mitigating impacts if avoidance is not viable. These measures shall be 
completed prior to BLM approval of the application for permit to drill, 
USIBWC issuance of a land use permit, and any development at the 
Porcion 18 drill site. Additionally, construction activity shall be 
monitored by a qualified archaeologist with full authority to terminate 
construction if cultural resources are likely to be impacted at the 
site.
    6. Negligible impacts associated with land use and transportation 
will not require additional mitigation.
    7. Negligible impacts associated with visual resources are 
mitigable through properly placed night lighting, painting of the 
facility to blend with the surrounding terrain and vegetation, and 
alignment of the access road and utility corridor to limit the view of 
the facility from the shoreline.

Availability

    Copies of the Final EA and Final FONSI are available for public 
review at

[[Page 30888]]

the USIBWC Falcon Dam Field Office, Falcon Road, Falcon Heights, Texas 
78545, and have been distributed to Federal, State, and local agencies, 
organizations and individuals that have commented on or have been 
consulted and coordinated with in the preparation of the EA. A limited 
number of copies are available to fill single copy requests at the 
above address.

    Dated: May 29, 1997.
Randall A. McMains,
Attorney.
[FR Doc. 97-14676 Filed 6-4-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-03-M