[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 215 (Friday, November 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60016-60017]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29933]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NM-050-7122-00-824G]


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and 
Conduct Public Scoping Meetings for the Proposed St. Johns, Arizona 
CO2-Helium Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS and to Conduct Public 
Scoping Meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(20)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), Council on Environmental Quality regulations 
(40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), the BLM, Socorro Field Office, New Mexico, 
will be preparing an EIS regarding the proposal to develop a carbon 
dioxide (CO2) and helium field in Apache County, Arizona, 
and Catron County, New Mexico. The CO2-helium field appears 
to underlie approximately 500 square miles of private, state, and 
federal lands. The EIS will identify the potential impacts that the 
development of a CO2-helium field and subsequent activities 
could have on the environment and identify appropriate measures to 
mitigate those impacts. A Federal Register Notice dated October 2, 
1998, announced the intent to prepare the EIS. In this notice, BLM 
announces public information and scoping meetings for the proposed 
action and EIS.

DATES: BLM's public information and scoping meetings will include: 
notification of the public, federal, state, tribal, and local agencies 
of the proposed action; identification by the public of issues to be 
considered in the EIS, and the solicitation of assistance from the 
public to identify reasonable alternatives. In addition, the public 
will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding the proposed 
project.
    The BLM will conduct four public scoping meetings in the area of 
the project. All of the public meetings will be informal to encourage 
public attendance and input. The dates, times, and locations for these 
meetings are as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Date                               Location
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Monday, December 7, 1998, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  St. Johns Council Chambers,
                                             245 W. Bursell Street, St.
                                             Johns, AZ.
Tuesday, December 8, 1998, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m  Senior Citizens Center, 356
                                             S. Papago Drive,
                                             Springerville, AZ.
Wednesday, December 9, 1998, 6 p.m. to 8    Village Community Center,
 p.m.                                        4th Street (Across from
                                             High School), Reserve, NM.
Thursday, December 10, 1998, 6 p.m. to 8    Quemado School Highway 60,
 p.m.                                        Quemado, NM.
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    Also, a press release announcing the meeting dates and times will 
be submitted to newspapers in each area where the meetings will be 
held.
    Comments: Comments on the EIS will be accepted throughout the NEPA 
process; however, comments specific to this early stage of scoping for 
the EIS will be accepted until the end of the

[[Page 60017]]

scoping period, which is December 21, 1998. Comments should address: 
(1) Issues to be considered, (2) feasible and reasonable alternatives 
to examine, and (3) relevant information having a bearing on the EIS. 
Comments should be sent to the Field Manager, Bureau of Land 
Management, Socorro Field Office, 198 Neel Ave., Socorro, NM 87801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CALL: BLM will maintain a mailing list of 
parties and persons interested in being kept informed about the 
progress of the EIS. If you are interested in obtaining more 
information about the scoping meetings, EIS, or receiving future 
information, please call Carol Van Dorn, Team Leader, at (505) 835-
0412.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The St. Johns, Arizona CO2-Helium 
Project is a proposal of Ridgeway Arizona Oil Corporation, a wholly 
owned subsidiary of Ridgeway Petroleum Corporation. The purpose of the 
proposal is to develop the CO2-helium field that appears to 
underlie approximately 500 square miles of lands in Apache County, east 
central Arizona and Catron County, west-central New Mexico. Ridgeway 
has been exploring the field since 1994 and results of the technical 
studies to date indicate that a large scale production of 
CO2 is viable. Ridgeway intends to develop the field 
primarily for enhanced oil recovery. To obtain and process the large 
volume of CO2, Ridgeway proposes to develop approximately 
200 wells, a network of access roads and gathering pipelines, and a gas 
processing plant.
    In both, Apache and Catron counties, some lands are privately 
owned, but the majority of lands in the project area are administered 
by state and federal agencies. The federal lands in the project area 
are administered by the BLM. In order to conduct development and 
production activities, the BLM, as lead federal agency, has determined 
that an EIS will be required in accordance with NEPA. The EIS will 
analyze the entire proposed action and associated cumulative effects. 
The EIS studies also will refine the proposed action and will develop 
alternatives, including no action and others that are identified 
through the scoping process. In addition, potential resource 
sensitivities and environmental impacts will be identified, as well as 
a mitigation plan to guide development and production. Resource 
concerns to be addressed include soils, water resources, hazardous 
materials, geology, minerals, air quality, noise, vegetation, wildlife, 
special status species, range resources, land use and access, 
recreation, wilderness study areas, visual resources, social and 
economic values, and cultural resources.
    It is anticipated that the EIS process will require approximately 
18 to 24 months to complete and will include public and agency scoping, 
coordination and consultation with Federal, state, tribal and local 
agencies, public review and possible hearings on the published draft 
EIS, and a published proposed final EIS. Publication of the Record of 
Decision is anticipated in mid-year 2000.

    Dated: November 3, 1998.
Jon Hertz,
Assistant Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 98-29933 Filed 11-5-98; 8:45 am]
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