[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 67 (Thursday, April 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18121-18122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8439]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY/PL-00/012+1310]


South Baggs Area Natural Gas Development Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the South Baggs 
Area Natural Gas Project (Project). The FEIS analyzes the environmental 
consequences of Merit Energy Company's (Merit) proposal to drill up to 
fifty (50) additional natural gas wells in the Project area over the 
next 10 years. The Project area encompasses approximately 12,352 acres 
of Federal, State, and private lands located approximately 3 miles west 
of the town of Baggs in Carbon County, Wyoming, within the 
administrative jurisdiction of the BLM Rawlins Field Office. 
Approximately 43 oil and gas wells have been drilled within the Project 
area to date.

DATES: Written comments on the FEIS will be accepted for 30 days 
following the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes their notice of availability of the FEIS in the Federal 
Register. The EPA notice is expected to be published April 14, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Larry Jackson, Team Leader, 
Rawlins Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 1300 N. Third Street, 
P.0. Box 2407, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301, or e-mail to: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Jackson, phone 307-328-4231.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Project FEIS analyzes the impacts of 
drilling from 40 (Alternative A) to 90 (Alternative B) natural gas 
wells, along with constructing access roads, pipelines, and other 
ancillary facilities (compressor station, water disposal sites, etc.) 
on 10,067 acres of Federal land and 2,285 acres of non-Federal lands. 
The exact numbers of additional wells, the locations of those wells, 
and the timing for drilling them are contingent upon drilling success, 
production technology, and economic considerations. The No Action 
Alternative analyzes the current level of drilling and development (43 
wells) in the South Baggs Project area.
    If you wish to comment on the FEIS, we request you make your 
comments as specific as possible. Comments will be more helpful if they 
include suggested changes, sources, or methodologies. Opinions or 
preference will not receive a formal response; however, BLM will 
consider them in its decision.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the address listed above during 
regular

[[Page 18122]]

business hours (7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday, except 
holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you 
wish to withhold your name 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 inspection in their 
entirety.

    Dated: March 30, 2000.
Alan L. Kesterke,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 00-8439 Filed 4-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P