[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 104 (Friday, May 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30717-30718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11498]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-030-1310-DB]


Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Desolation Flats Natural Gas Field Development Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the Desolation Flats Natural Gas Field Development 
Project, Wyoming.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Desolation Flats Natural Gas Field Development Project FEIS that 
analyzes the environmental consequences of the Desolation Flats 
proposed natural gas development and production operation. The 233,542 
acre Desolation Flats project area is located within the administrative 
jurisdictions of the BLM Rawlins and Rock Springs Field Offices, 
approximately 21 miles south of Wamsutter and 14 miles west of Baggs, 
Wyoming in Townships 13-16 North, Ranges 93-96 West, Sixth Principal 
Meridian, Sweetwater and Carbon Counties.

DATES: The FEIS will be available for review for 30 calendar days from 
the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its NOA in 
the Federal Register. The BLM can best utilize your comments and 
resource information submissions within the 30 day review period 
provided above.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the FEIS has been sent to affected Federal, State, 
and local government agencies and to interested parties. Copies of the 
FEIS will be available for public inspection at the following 
locations:
     Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009.
     Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. 
Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301.
     Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs Field Office, 280 
Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Simons, Project Manager, BLM 
Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301. Mr. 
Simons may also be reached at (307) 367-5309. Ms. Teri Deakins, 
Environmental Protection Specialist, BLM Rock Spring Field Office, 280 
Highway 191 North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901 may also be contacted 
and reached at (307) 352-0211.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EOG Resources, Inc., Tom Brown, Inc., Basin 
Exploration, Inc., Yates Petroleum Corporation, Questar Exploration and 
Production Company, Merit Energy Company, Santa Fe Snyder Corporation 
and other companies (referred to the Operators) propose to drill up to 
592 wells. Over the next 20 years the Operators propose to explore and 
develop the oil and gas resources held through their existing leases 
within the Desolation Flats Project Area. Well density would range from 
two wells per 640 acres to four wells per 640 acres, depending on 
geologic conditions.
    Expansion of natural gas exploration and development is proposed in 
and adjacent to other oil and gas developments including the Willow 
Reservoir, Wedge, Mulligan Draw, Powder Mountain, Desolation Flats, 
Ruger, Dripping Rock, Cedar Chest, Triton, and Lookout Wash Units and 
the surrounding areas, collectively referred to as the Desolation Flats 
Area. Of the approximately 233,500 acres area surface ownership of the 
project area is 96 percent Federal lands administered by the BLM, 3 
percent private, and less than 1 percent State of Wyoming. Currently, 
there are approximately 127 producing oil and gas wells drilled within 
the Desolation Flats project area, and up to 592 additional wells could 
be drilled over the next 20 years.
    The BLM published its Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Desolation Flats Natural Gas Development 
Project in the Federal Register, on May 18, 2000. The Notice of 
Availability of a Desolation Flats Draft EIS was published by the EPA 
in the Federal Register May 2, 2003. Based upon issues and concerns 
identified during scoping and throughout the NEPA process, the 
Desolation Flats FEIS analyses focus on the impacts to air quality, 
biological and

[[Page 30718]]

physical resources, transportation, socio-economics, and cumulative 
effects. The FEIS, 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.
    The Desolation Flats FEIS analyzed 3 alternatives in detail:
    1. The Proposed Action Alternative, as described below;
    2. Alternative A, an alternative that proposes to expand oil and 
gas development into less productive areas within the project area;
    3. Alternative B, the No Action Alternative, which means to project 
as proposed would not be authorized.
    Agency Preferred Alternative: BLM's preferred alternative is the 
Proposed Action Alternative.
    The Desolation Flats FEIS analyzes the impacts of the Proposed 
Action, economic field development of 385 natural gas wells, along with 
access roads, pipelines, and other ancillary facilities (gas processing 
plant, compressor stations, water disposal sites, etc.).
    Alternative A, which is similar to the Proposed Action, would 
expand well development into the economically marginal areas of the 
leases that may become economically viable in the future, increasing 
the number of wells to approximately 592 wells within the project area.
    Alternative B is the no-action alternative. Applications for Permit 
to Drill (APDs) and Right-of-Way actions would be granted by the BLM on 
a case-by-case basis through individual project and site-specific 
environmental analysis.

How To Submit Comments

    The BLM welcomes your comments on the Desolation Flats FEIS. 
Comments may be submitted as follows:
    Written comments may be mailed directly or delivered to the BLM at: 
Desolation Flats FEIS, Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management 
Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. Third Street, P.O. Box 2407, Rawlins, WY 
82301.
    BLM will only accept comments on the Desolation Flats FEIS if they 
are submitted in one of the methods as described above. To be given 
consideration by BLM all DEIS comment submittals must include the 
commenter's name and street address.
    Our practice is to make comments, including the names and street 
addresses of each respondent, available for public review at the BLM 
office listed above during 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 or street 
address or both from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom 
of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your written comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent 
allowed by law. We will not consider anonymous comments. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses will be made available for 
public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: March 18, 2004.
Alan L. Kesterke,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 04-11498 Filed 5-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P