[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 83 (Friday, April 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 23349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10822]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[WY-030-1310-00]


Continental Divide/Wamsutter II Natural Gas Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Continental Divide/Wamsutter II (CD/WII) Natural Gas Project 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) which analyzes the 
environmental consequences of the CD/WII proposed natural gas 
development and production operation. Expansion of natural gas 
exploration and development is proposed in and adjacent to other oil 
and gas developments including the Greater Wamsutter Area II, Creston/
Blue Gap, Table Rock field, Hay Reservoir, Patrick Draw, and Mulligan 
Draw. The 1,061,200 acre CD/WII project area is located within the 
administrative jurisdictions of the BLM Rawlins and Rock Springs Field 
Offices, approximately 25 miles west of Rawlins and 40 miles east of 
Rock Springs along Interstate Highway 80 in Townships 15-23 North, 
Ranges 91-99 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Sweetwater and Carbon 
Counties, Wyoming. Most of the 531,400 acres of Federal land in the 
project area lie within the ``checkerboard''--a land ownership pattern 
created when the United States conveyed alternate sections of land to 
the Union Pacific Railroad along their railroad right-of-way. Currently 
there are approximately 845 oil and gas wells drilled within the 
project area and up to 3,000 additional wells could be drilled over the 
next 20 years.

DATES: Written comments on the DEIS will be accepted for 60 days 
following the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes their notice of availability of the DEIS in the Federal 
Register. The EPA notice is expected to be published April 30, 1999.
    Two public meetings are scheduled to obtain public comments on the 
proposed project and the DEIS: May 24, 1999, 7 p.m., at the BLM Rock 
Springs Field Office conference room, 280 Highway 191 North, Rock 
Springs, Wyoming; and May 25, 1999, 7 p.m., at the BLM Rawlins Field 
Office conference room, 1300 North Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming. 
Also, the above field offices will hold open houses on the respective 
public meeting dates from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to answer any 
questions interested parties may have regarding the proposed project.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Clare Miller, Team Leader, Rawlins 
Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 1300 N. Third Street, P.O. Box 
2407, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301, or e-mail to Clare__M[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clare Miller, phone 307-328-4245, or 
Teresa Deakins, phone 307-352-0211.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amoco Production Company, Union Pacific 
Resources, Snyder Oil Corporation, Yates Petroleum Corporation, and 
other companies (Operators) propose to drill up to 3,000 wells over the 
next 20 years exploring and developing their existing leases within the 
CD/WII project area. Well density would range from one well per 640 
acres to eight wells per 640 acres.
    The CD/WII DEIS analyzes the impacts of the Proposed Action--full 
field development of 3,000 wells, along with access roads, pipelines, 
and other ancillary facilities (gas processing plant, compressor 
stations, water disposal sites, etc.). Alternative A is similar to the 
Proposed Action, but would limit disturbance on Federal lands in 
Sensitive Resource Areas (SRA)--areas containing high value resources--
to no more than 14 acres of additional disturbance per section. 
Alternative B also is similar to the Proposed Action, but would limit 
disturbance to no more than 30 acres of additional disturbance per 
section on Federal lands within SRAs. The No Action Alternative 
analyzes the current, ongoing level of development (845 wells) in the 
CD/WII area and continuation of that activity into the future. The 
Proposed Action would be denied under the No Action Alternative.
    Based upon issues and concerns identified during the scoping 
process, this DEIS focuses on the impacts to air quality, biological 
and physical resources, transportation, socio-economics, and cumulative 
effects. The DEIS, in compliance with Section 7(c) of the Endangered 
Species Act, as amended, includes the Biological Assessment for the 
purpose of identifying endangered or threatened species which may be 
affected by the proposed action.
    Comments, including the names and street addresses of respondents, 
will be available for public review at the BLM offices listed above 
during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through 
Friday, except for Federal holidays. Your comments may be published as 
part of the EIS process. Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name and/or street 
address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent 
allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and 
from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials 
of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public 
inspections in their entirety.

    Dated: April 26, 1999.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 99-10822 Filed 4-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P