[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 12 (Friday, January 17, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2570-2572]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-1082]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-090-03-1610-DQ]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Powder River Basin Oil and Gas Project and Proposed 
Resource Management Plan Amendments; Johnson, Sheridan, Campbell, and 
Converse Counties, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS), and Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) 
Amendments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the FEIS for the Powder River Basin Oil and Gas Project and Proposed 
Plan Amendments to the Buffalo RMP (1985), Platte River RMP (1985) and 
Thunder Basin National Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) (Forest 
Service 2002). The FEIS documents the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
environmental impacts from the development of oil and gas resources 
within the project area in Sheridan, Campbell, Johnson, and Converse 
Counties, Wyoming. The FEIS

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describes and analyzes options for developing oil and gas resources 
while providing protection to other land uses and resource values. The 
Forest Service and the State of Wyoming (Wyoming Department of 
Environmental Quality) are cooperating agencies.

DATES: The Powder River Basin Oil and Gas Project FEIS and Proposed 
Plan Amendments will be available for review for 30 calendar days from 
the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its NOA in 
the Federal Register. Comments on the Powder River Basin Oil and Gas 
Project FEIS (PRB EIS) must be filed within the 30-day review period. 
Under the provisions of 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Sec.  
1610.5 protests of proposed BLM RMP amendments must be filed with the 
Director in accordance with the instructions described in the FEIS and 
included in the Supplemental Information section of this notice. 
Protest of the proposed amendments to the Buffalo and Platte River RMPs 
will be accepted no later than 30 calendar days from the date the EPA 
publishes its NOA in the Federal Register. The Forest Service would 
amend the Thunder Basin National LRMP under its land and resources 
management planning processes and authorities.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the FEIS has been sent to affected Federal, State, 
and local government agencies and to interested parties. The document 
will be available electronically on the following Web site: http://www.prb-eis.org. Copies of the FEIS are available for public inspection 
at the following BLM office locations:
    [sbull] Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003
    [sbull] Bureau of Land Management, Buffalo Field Office, 1425 Fort 
Street, Buffalo, Wyoming 82834
    [sbull] Bureau of Land Management, Casper Field Office, 2987 
Prospector Drive, Casper, Wyoming 82604-2968

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Mr. Paul Beels, Project Manager, 1425 
Fort Street, Buffalo, WY 82834, or [email protected]. Mr. Beels may 
also be reached at 307-684-1168.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FEIS analyzes a proposal by companies to 
drill and develop additional oil and gas resources, including coalbed 
methane (CBM), in Wyoming's Powder River Basin. Oil and gas development 
activities would include drilling, operating, and reclaiming almost 
39,400 new CBM wells and 3,000 oil and gas wells; and constructing, 
operating, and reclaiming various ancillary facilities needed to 
support the new wells. Drilling would begin in 2003 and continue for 10 
years.
    The project area includes almost 8,000,000 acres in northeastern 
Wyoming, encompassing all of Johnson and Sheridan Counties except the 
Bighorn National Forest System lands, all of Campbell County and the 
northern portion of Converse County. The public lands and Federal 
mineral resources analyzed include all of those administered by the BLM 
Buffalo Field Office (FO) and a small portion that is administered by 
the Casper FO. The mineral resources analyzed also include the Federal 
oil and gas underlying the National Forest System lands and surface 
resources (Thunder Basin National Grassland) administered by the USDA 
Forest Service.
    The FEIS 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 the public scoping process. Potential impacts of 
concern from development (not in priority order), are: economic, 
social, health and safety effects on the communities of Buffalo, 
Sheridan, and Gillette, Wyoming, and other surrounding communities; 
crucial elk winter range; sage grouse and raptor breeding and nesting; 
soil erosion; air quality effects; groundwater draw down and 
contamination; surface water quality; historic Bozeman Trail condition 
and its viewshed; and cumulative effects. The primary issues driving 
alternative development are water quality and quantity 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 consisted of 
a combination of the CBM development proposal submitted by the oil and 
gas companies and non-CBM oil and gas development possibilities 
described in BLM's Reasonable Foreseeable Development (RFD) scenario. 
Alternative 2 was developed in response to issues raised during the 
public and agency scoping process. This alternative, which consists of 
Alternatives ``2A'' and ``2B'', would replace some of the proposed gas-
fired compressors with electrical compressors and would involve a more 
limited amount of water that would be discharged directly to the 
watersheds. As required by National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
the No Action alternative is a basis for comparison with other 
alternatives analyzed in the EIS. For this project, the No Action 
Alternative would not authorize additional development of oil and gas 
on Federal leases within the Project Area. Drilling would continue on 
State and private leases, irrespective of the decisions resulting from 
this document.
    Agency-Preferred Alternative: BLM's preferred alternative is a 
combination of Alternative 2A and Alternative 1. The Preferred 
Alternative includes the use of natural gas powered compressors but 
does not preclude the use of electric powered compressor stations, as 
outlined in Alternative 1. All other parts of the Preferred Alternative 
are as outlined in Alternative 2A. The Preferred Alternative allows the 
Wyoming DEQ maximum flexibility to comply with applicable national and 
state air and water quality standards.
    Proposed Land Use Plan Amendments: The BLM RMPs would be amended to 
allow oil and gas exploration and development at the level analyzed in 
the FEIS and to adopt new conditions of use. In addition, the FEIS 
updates the NEPA analysis for the RMPs for management of oil and gas 
exploration and development on federal leases.
    For the U.S. Forest Service, the FEIS will be used to allow oil and 
gas exploration and development at the level analyzed in the FEIS, 
update the NEPA analysis for the LRMP and adopt the 2002 LRMP 
stipulations for the area west of the coal outcrop line.
    The Proposed Plan Amendments do not include changes to the leasing 
allocation decisions, as the FEIS does not address leasing.
    RMP amendments would provide complete and concise descriptions of 
applicable management practices for oil and gas development.
    The DEIS was available for public review and comment from January 
18, 2002, through May 15, 2002. The distribution list included the 
agencies, companies, organizations, and individuals that had expressed 
an interest in the project during scoping. The list included several 
Federal and State agencies and elected officials to whom BLM commonly 
sends EISs. During this period, the BLM encouraged reviewers to submit 
written comments on the DEIS. In addition, the BLM held public meetings 
on the DEIS on March 18-21, 2002, to provide the public with the 
opportunity to submit oral and written comments. All comments presented 
throughout the process have been considered.
    Ultimately, the BLM State Director's decision whether to adopt the 
proposed RMP amendment will be documented in a Record of Decision and 
issued under the authority of the Federal Land Policy

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and Management Act as codified at 43 CFR part 1610. If adopted, these 
proposed RMP amendments do not constitute authorization to the oil and 
gas companies to implement projects nor engage in any ground-disturbing 
activities. Decisions regarding these site-specific implementation 
activities are subject to further NEPA analysis and appeal, as provided 
by applicable regulations.
    Protest Instructions: Publication of this EIS prepared for a RMP 
amendment affords the public the opportunity to protest. Instructions 
for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the State 
Director's proposed amendments to the Buffalo and Platte River RMPs may 
be found at 43 CFR 1610.5. Any person who participated in the planning 
process and has an interest or may be adversely affected by the 
approval of the proposed Plan Amendment, may protest such approval. A 
protest may raise only those issues that were submitted for the record 
during the planning process. The protest must be in writing and must be 
filed with the Director. The protest must be filed within 30 days from 
the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the NOA in the 
Federal Register. The protest must contain:

i. The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the 
person filing the protest;
ii. A statement of the issue or issues being protested;
iii. A statement of the part, or parts, of the plan or amendment being 
protested;
iv. A copy of all documents addressing the issue, or issues, that were 
submitted during the planning process by the protesting party or an 
indication of the date the issue, or issues, were discussed for the 
record; and
v. A concise statement explaining why the State Director's decision is 
believed to be wrong.

    The Director must promptly render a decision on the protest. The 
decision must be in writing and must set forth the reasons for the 
decision. The decision must be sent to the protesting party by 
certified mail, return receipt requested. The decision of the Director 
must be the final decision for the Department of the Interior.
    Protest Filing Addresses: Protests submitted electronically will 
not be accepted. File written protests by: Surface mail: U.S. 
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Director (210), 
Attn: Ms. Brenda Williams, Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box 66538, 
Washington DC 20035 or Overnight mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Land Management, Director, Protest Coordinator (WO-210), 1620 
L Street, NW., Room 1075, Washington, DC 20036.

    Dated: December 18, 2002.
Robert P. Henry,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 03-1082 Filed 1-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-42-P