[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 21, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38570-38571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-15581]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-030-1310-DB]


Continental Divide/Wamsutter II Natural Gas Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the 
Continental Divide/Wamsutter II Natural Gas Project, Carbon and 
Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
implementing regulations, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces 
the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Continental 
Divide/Wamsutter II (CD/WII) Natural Gas Project in Sweetwater and 
Carbon Counties, Wyoming. The BLM adopts the Proposed Action as 
outlined in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) 
completed for this project; however, the BLM has elected to reduce the 
total number of proposed natural gas wells and associated facilities. 
Development will be reduced from the proposed 3,000 well at 3,000 well 
locations to allow up to 2,130 wells at 2,130 well locations within the 
project area. Associated access roads, pipelines, and other ancillary 
facilities will be reduced as well. Allowance of the remaining 870 
wells/well locations and associated facilities will be reconsidered 
pending completion of a planning review of the Great Divide Resource 
Area (GDRA) Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Rawlins Field Office 
(RFO) area. The Proposed Action, as modified, is the BLM's 
environmentally preferred alternative.

DATES: This decision may be appealed to the Interior Board of Land 
Appeals, Office of the Secretary, in accordance with the regulations 
contained in 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3165.4(c). If an 
appeal is filed, the notice of appeal must be filed with the BLM 
Wyoming State Director, 5353 Yellowstone Road, P.O. Box 1829, Cheyenne, 
Wyoming 82003, within 30 days of the date the notice of the decision 
appears in the Federal Register. The appellant has the burden of 
showing that the decision appealed from is in error.
    If you wish to file a petition pursuant to 43 CFR 3165.4(c) for a 
stay (suspension) of the effectiveness of this decision during the time 
that your appeal is being reviewed by the Board, the petition for a 
stay must accompany your notice of appeal. A petition for a stay is 
required to show sufficient justification based on the standards listed 
in 43 CFR 3165.4(c). Copies of the notice of appeal and petition for a 
stay must also be submitted to the Interior Board of Land Appeals and 
to the appropriate office of the Solicitor at the same time the 
original documents are filed with BLM Wyoming State Director. If you 
request a stay, you have the burden of proof to demonstrate that a stay 
should be granted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact either Clare Miller, BLM, 
Rawlins Field Office, at 307-328-4245; or Teri Deakins, BLM, Rock 
Springs Field Office, at 307-352-0211; or Tom Enright, BLM, Wyoming 
State Office, at

[[Page 38571]]

307-775-6329. Copies of the EIS and ROD are available from the BLM at 
the following locations: Rawlins Field Office, P.O. Box 2407, 1300 
North Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming, 82301; Rock Springs Field Office, 
280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901; the Wyoming State 
Office, P.O. Box 1828, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 82009; 
and on the Wyoming NEPA documents Web Site at www.wy.blm.gov./nepa/
nfdocs.html.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with Section 102 of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as amended, a Final EIS 
addressing a natural gas development project in Sweetwater and Carbon 
Counties, Wyoming, was issued by the BLM in December 1999. The Final 
EIS addressed the potential impacts of exploration and development of 
up to 3,000 natural gas wells and associated facilities. The BLM 
decision is to approve the Operators' development plan as described in 
the Proposed Action of the CD/WII Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) with the following modifications. Development will be reduced 
from the proposed 3,000 wells at 3,000 well locations to allow up to 
2,130 wells at 2,130 well locations within the project area along with 
associated access roads, pipelines, a gas processing facility, and 
associated ancillary facilities. Allowance of the remaining 870 wells/
well locations (not more than 435 wells or well locations on Federal 
lands, and/or Federal mineral estate) with associated facilities will 
be considered pending completion of a planning review of the Great 
Divide Resource Area Resource Management Plan for the Rawlins Field 
Office area.
    This ROD will allow approximately 930 new wells/well locations 
within the jurisdictional boundary of the Rock Springs Field Office 
(RSFO) area (not more than 465 wells or well locations on Federal lands 
and/or Federal mineral estate) and will allow 1,200 new wells/well 
locations within the jurisdictional boundary of the Rawlins Field 
Office (RFO) area (not more than 600 wells or well locations on Federal 
lands, and/or Federal mineral estate) for a total of 2,130 well 
locations. This is assuming 50 percent of the wells will be drilled on 
Federal lands and/or mineral estate. Should private/State land 
development trends exceed 50 percent of the wells, the number of wells 
permitted on Federal estate will be limited accordingly. The total 
amount of new roads and new pipelines, and the number of ancillary 
facilities will be reduced to accommodate the number of wells drilled. 
This will include approximately 1,100 miles of access road, 1,100 miles 
of pipeline, 3-4 compressor stations, 3-4 water disposal wells, 7 water 
evaporation facilities, 36 water wells, and 1 gas processing facility.
    Approval of the Proposed Action, as modified, provides for managing 
the CD/WII project area in accordance with the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act (FLPMA) (Sec. 202(e)), in a manner that allows for 
natural gas development while continuing to provide for the existing 
principal and major uses recognized by the land use plans (i.e. 
domestic livestock grazing, wildlife development and utilization, 
mineral exploration and production, and outdoor recreation) for this 
area. The Proposed Action, as modified, sustains the long-term 
availability of other resources while promoting stability of local and 
regional economies, environmental integrity, and conservation of 
resources for future generations. The approved action, as modified, 
will also provide for complete conformance with BLM RMPs for both the 
RSFO and the RFO areas. Reducing the number of wells and associated 
facilities to be developed within the jurisdictional boundary of the 
RFO area will help ensure the project will comply with the current 
reasonably foreseeable oil and gas development scenarios projected in 
the GDRA RMP and the planning decisions these projections may have 
influenced. Furthermore, the reduction in the allowable wells and the 
associated development for this project provides an opportunity for 
other oil and gas activity to occur outside the project area while a 
review of the existing GDRA RMP is being completed. The decision is 
consistent with all Federal, State, and county authorizing actions 
required to implement the project and with National policy. More 
detailed rationale and justification for the decision to select the 
Proposed Action with modifications are outlined in the ROD.

    Dated: June 14, 2000.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 00-15581 Filed 6-20-00; 8:45 am]
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