[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 8 (Friday, January 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1497-1499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-070-1310-EJ]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) and Draft Planning Amendments on the Powder River Basin Oil and 
Gas Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Cooperating Agencies--United States 
Forest Service, Agriculture; State of Wyoming, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) and Draft Plan Amendments on the Powder River Basin Oil and Gas 
Project in Johnson, Sheridan, Campbell and Converse Counties, Wyoming.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Powder River Basin Oil and Gas Project DEIS which evaluates, 
analyzes, and discloses to the public direct, indirect, and cumulative 
environmental impacts from continued development of oil and gas 
resources in the Project Area in Sheridan, Campbell, Johnson, and 
Converse Counties, Wyoming. The DEIS also considers amendments to the 
BLM's Buffalo Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Platte River RMP and 
the Forest Services' Thunder Basin National Grassland (TBNG) Land and 
Resource Management Plan (LRMP) as a result of the impacts of this 
development. The Forest Service and the State of Wyoming are 
Cooperating Agencies.
    The DEIS analyzes a proposal by companies to drill and develop 
wells on their leased acreage within the Powder River Basin Project 
Area (approximately 8 million acres) in northeastern Wyoming. The lands 
analyzed include all of the BLM Buffalo Field Office, the northern 
portion of Converse County of the Casper Field Office, and the TBNG 
within the four counties.

DATES: Comments on the DEIS will be accepted for 90 days following the 
date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will notify all 
parties on the project mailing list of the dates when comments will be 
accepted. The BLM asks that those submitting comments on the DEIS make 
them as specific as possible and should refer to page numbers and 
chapters in the document. Comments are more helpful if they include 
suggested changes, sources, or methodologies. Comments that contain 
only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response, 
however, they will be considered and included as part of the BLM 
decisionmaking process.
    Future notification of public meetings (anticipated during March 
2002) or other public involvement activities concerning the proposed 
project and resource management plan amendment, will be provided 
through public notices, news media releases, the Wyoming BLM homepage 
at www.wy.blm.gov and/or mailings. These notifications will provide at 
least 15 days notice of public meetings or gatherings and 30 days 
notice of written comment requests.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the DEIS should be sent to the Bureau of Land 
Management, Paul Beels (Project Manager), 1425 Fort Street, Buffalo, 
Wyoming 82834. A copy of the DEIS has been sent to affected Federal, 
State, and local government agencies and to those persons who responded 
to the BLM that they wished to receive a copy of the DEIS. Copies of 
the DEIS are available

[[Page 1498]]

for public inspection at the following BLM office locations:

Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, 
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
Bureau of Land Management, Buffalo Field Office, 1425 Fort Street, 
Buffalo, Wyoming 82834
Bureau of Land Management, Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive, 
Casper, Wyoming 82604-2968

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS analyzes a proposal by companies to 
drill and develop coalbed methane (CBM) wells in their leased acreage 
within the Powder River Basin Project Area (approximately 7,911,000 
acres) in northeastern Wyoming. The area encompasses all of Johnson and 
Sheridan Counties except the Bighorn National Forest, all of Campbell 
County, and the northern portion of Converse County from township 37 
north to the Campbell County line. The area is accessed by Interstates 
25 and 90.
    The DEIS describes the physical, biological, cultural, historic, 
and socioeconomic resources in and surrounding the project area. The 
focus for impact analysis was based upon resource issues and concerns 
identified during an extensive public scoping process. Potential 
impacts of concern from development (not in priority order), are 
Buffalo, Sheridan, Gillette, and surrounding communities economic, 
social, health and safety effects, crucial elk winter range, sage 
grouse and raptor breeding and nesting, soil erosion, groundwater draw 
down and contamination, Historic Bozeman Trail condition and viewshed, 
and cumulative effects. The primary issues driving alternative 
development are water and air quality.
    Three alternatives were analyzed in detail: (1) Proposed Action, 
(2) Proposed Action with Reduced Emission Levels and Expanded Produced 
Water Handling Scenarios, and (3) No Action.
    Alternative 1--The companies' proposed action has been combined 
with the BLM's Reasonable Foreseeable Development (RFD) scenario. A RFD 
scenario is a model or projection of anticipated oil and gas 
exploration and/or development activity (leasing, exploration, 
development, production, and abandonment) in a defined area for a 
specified period of time. The RFD scenario is based primarily on 
geology (potential for oil and gas resource occurrence) past and 
present oil and gas activity, with consideration of other significant 
factors, such as economics, technology, and physical limitations on 
access, existing or anticipated infrastructure and transportation. 
Along with industry's Proposed Action, which relates only to CBM 
activity, the BLM's RFD scenario forecasts the continued drilling of an 
estimated 3,200 oil wells. The RFD scenario also forecasts there could 
be an estimated 51,000 CBM wells in the EIS area over the next 10 
years.
    The companies' projections of CBM well drilling and production 
include various ancillary facilities within the Project Area. The 
ancillary facilities include access roads, pipelines for gathering gas 
and produced water, electrical utilities, facilities for treating and 
compressing gas and disposing of produced water, and pipelines for 
delivering gas under high pressure to transmission pipelines. Although 
the Companies would develop new wells throughout the 10-year period 
beginning in 2002, most of the drilling would occur during the first 8 
years. All 51,000 wells would not be drilled into a single coal seam. 
Wells drilled into different coal seams can be collocated on common 
well pads. The projected number of well pads is 35,589. The total 
numbers of wells and well pads is based on an 80 acre well spacing 
pattern (eight pads per square mile). The 51,000 proposed CBM wells 
include an estimated 12,000 existing wells.
    Under the Proposed Action, the Companies would construct, operate, 
and maintain wells and ancillary facilities in 10 of the 18 sub-
watersheds that comprise the Project Area. However, most of the new 
wells (63 percent) and facilities would be constructed in two sub-
watersheds: The Upper Powder River and Upper Belle Fourche River sub-
watersheds. Sub-watersheds with relatively high numbers of wells and 
facilities include Clear Creek, Crazy Woman Creek, Tongue River, and 
Little Powder River.
    Overall, implementation of the Proposed Action could disturb as 
many as 212,000 acres. This short-term disturbance would encompass 
about 3 percent of the Project Area. Most of this would be associated 
with the construction of pipelines and roads. Long-term disturbance is 
projected to be approximately 109,000 acres. Compressor stations would 
account for the smallest amount of the overall disturbance.
    Construction of the Powder River Basin wells would begin during 
2002. Generally, construction of most wells would be completed over the 
first 8 years (by the end of 2010). The production lifetime of the 
wells is expected to be about 7 years and final reclamation is expected 
to be completed during the 2 to 3 years following the end of 
production.
    Emphasis for water handling for Alternative 1 is untreated surface 
discharge. All compression would be CBM powered.
    Alternative 2 proposes the same number of CBM and conventional 
wells as the proposed action. There are two additional water-handling 
methods analyzed: A--Emphasis on infiltration and B--emphasis on 
treatment for beneficial use.
    There are also two air quality options: A--Fifty percent of the 
booster compression would be electrically powered and B--One hundred 
percent of the booster compression would be electrically powered.
    Alternative 3--No Action. This alternative would consist of no new 
Federal wells. Wells would only be developed on State and private 
mineral ownership.
    Agency-Preferred Alternative: The BLM's preferred alternative is 
Alternative 1-Proposed Action. This alternative provides for the best 
balance of effects to costs and development of the CBM. Most of the 
Federal minerals in the project area have already been leased. The 
pattern of Federal and non-Federal mineral ownership coupled with the 
BLM's responsibilities under 43 CFR 3162.2 to prevent drainage of 
Federal CBM preclude the BLM from choosing Alternative 3 as the 
preferred alternative.
    Alternatives 2A and 2B offer some advantages over Alternative 1, 
however, the advantages are insufficient to justify the additional 
costs and disturbance. Both alternatives 2A and 2B would increase 
short- and long-term disturbance over Alternative 1 by at least 10 
percent. However, as documented in the analysis they would not 
substantially decrease effects to air quality, visibility, water 
quality, the primary issues for which the alternatives were developed. 
The amount of CBM water produced by alternatives 1, 2A, and 2B would be 
the same. The costs of implementing the water handling procedures of 
alternatives 2A and 2B would be substantially higher than those 
associated with Alternative 1, but the difference between the effects 
of these two alternatives and Alternative 1 does not reflect or justify 
these additional costs. The analysis documents that the benefits to air 
quality and visibility from electrifying half or all of the booster 
compressors would be insufficient to justify the additional costs of 
requiring the Companies to use electric booster compressors. It is 
estimated that few booster compressors would be built on surface that 
is Federally owned. The BLM does not have the ability to require

[[Page 1499]]

electrification of compressors constructed off Federal surface. The 
permitting of the compressors is the responsibility of the State of 
Wyoming.
    Draft RMP/ LRMP Amendments: The Forest Service is using the 
analysis documented in this DEIS to make a decision on authorization of 
leases on those portions of the TBNG that have potential for CBM 
development. The Forest Service has released a Final EIS and Proposed 
LRMP for the TBNG. In that analysis, they deferred the lease 
authorization decision for this analysis. The lease availability 
decision will be made in the Record of Decision (ROD) for the LRMP EIS.
    The outcome of the impact analysis has shown no need for changes to 
areas open and closed to oil and gas leasing or stipulations proposed 
in the Final LRMP EIS. Several new mitigation measures would be 
required for lease authorization.
    The BLM has also reviewed the existing RMP's decisions relative to 
this EIS impact analysis. The Agency Preferred Alternative would result 
in amendments to the Buffalo and Platte River RMPs. The RMP decisions 
with this alternative would be to continue oil and gas exploration and 
development including coalbed methane at the higher level of intensity 
evaluated in this alternative and including new mitigation measures.
    Draft Amendments for the Buffalo RMP:
    (1) No changes to current designations of areas open or closed to 
leasing.
    (2) No changes to current, or addition of any new, lease 
stipulations.
    (3) No changes to current resource objectives or decisions.
    (4) Several new mitigation measures would be implemented.
    (5) Impact analysis of the new RFD scenario for oil and gas.
    Draft Amendments for the Platte River RMP:
    (1) No changes to current designations of areas open or closed to 
leasing.
    (2) No changes to current, or addition of any new, lease 
stipulations.
    (3) No changes to current resource objectives or decisions.
    (4) New mitigation measures.
    The Final EIS and ROD would serve as an amendment to the Buffalo 
and Platte River RMPs. The Forest Service would need a ROD for their 
authorization decision.
    This DEIS, in compliance with section 7(c) of the Endangered 
Species Act (as amended), includes the Biological Assessment for the 
purpose of identifying any endangered or threatened species likely to 
be affected by the proposed action.
    Two Technical Report Documents have also been prepared in 
conjunction with the DEIS. They contain detailed technical information 
regarding air quality modeling, and groundwater modeling. A limited 
number of the technical report documents are available upon request or 
they may be reviewed at the BLM offices listed above.
    The DEIS was prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy 
Act, and other regulations and statutes, to address possible 
environmental and socioeconomic impacts which could result from the 
project and to solicit public comments and concerns. This DEIS is not a 
decision document. Its purpose is to inform the public of the impacts 
associated with implementing the companies' drilling proposal and to 
evaluate alternatives to the proposal. This DEIS is also intended to 
provide information to other regulatory agencies for use in their 
decisionmaking process for other permits required for implementation of 
the project.
    Comments, including the names and street addresses of respondents, 
will be made available for review by the public at the addresses listed 
below during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday 
through Friday, except holidays, and will be published as part of the 
Final EIS. However, 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 inspection in their 
entirety.

    Dated: December 18, 2001.
Alan R. Pierson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 02-2 Filed 1-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P