[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 237 (Monday, December 12, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73481-73482]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23933]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-030-1310-DB]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Atlantic Rim Natural Gas Development Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the Atlantic Rim Natural Gas Development Project, 
Rawlins, Wyoming.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability 
of the Atlantic Rim Natural

[[Page 73482]]

Gas Development Project DEIS. The DEIS analyzes the environmental 
consequences of a proposed natural gas development and production 
operation on the 270,080 acre Atlantic Rim project area. The area is 
located within the administrative jurisdiction of the BLM Rawlins Field 
Office, and runs in an arc between Rawlins and Baggs in Townships 12-20 
North, Ranges 89-93 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Carbon County, 
Wyoming.

DATES: The DEIS will be available for review and comment for 60 
calendar days starting on the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The 
BLM can best utilize your comments and resource information submissions 
within the 60 day review period provided above.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the DEIS has been sent to affected Federal, State, 
and local government agencies and to interested parties. The document 
may be available electronically on the following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nhp/spotlight/state_info/planning.htm. If you are 
interested in viewing material referenced or posted to the BLM Web 
site, please contact the Rawlins Field Office as to its availability.
    Copies of the DEIS will be available for public inspection at the 
following locations:
     Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003.
     Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. 
Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Mr. David Simons, Project Lead, BLM 
Rawlins Field Office, 1300 N. Third Street, Rawlins, WY 82301. Requests 
for information may be sent electronically to: [email protected] 
with ``Attention: Atlantic Rim DEIS Information Request'' in the 
subject line. Mr. Simons may also be reached at (307) 328-4328.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Anadarko Petroleum is lead proponent for a 
proposal to explore for and develop natural gas resources from coal and 
other formations in the Atlantic Rim project area. Petroleum 
Development Corporation (PEDCO), Merit Energy Company, and Double Eagle 
Petroleum and Mining Company are also participating in this proposal. 
The companies propose to drill up to 2,000 wells, 1800 completed to 
coal formations and 200 to other geologic targets for natural gas. Over 
approximately the next 20 years, the Operators propose to explore for 
and develop the oil and gas resources held through their existing 
leases within the Atlantic Rim Project Area. Life-of-Project is 
expected to be 30 to 50 years. Well density completed in coal 
formations would usually be 8 wells per 640 acre section of land; wells 
in other geologic formations would be spaced no tighter than 4 wells 
per section.
    This proposal arises from the results of exploratory drilling under 
an interim drilling plan. Prior to preparation of the Atlantic Rim EIS, 
6 exploratory plans of development (pods) of up to 24 wells each were 
completed in areas believed to have potential for commercial quantities 
of natural gas within the project area. Approximately 325 oil and gas 
wells have been drilled or approved for drilling within the Atlantic 
Rim project area; up to 2,000 additional wells could be drilled over 
the next 20 years.
    The BLM published its Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the 
Atlantic Rim Natural Gas Development Project in the Federal Register on 
June 26, 2001. Based upon issues and concerns identified during scoping 
and throughout the NEPA process, the Atlantic Rim DEIS focuses on 
impacts to air quality, biological and physical resources, 
transportation, socio-economics, and cumulative effects. In compliance 
with Section 7(c) of the Endangered Species Act, as amended, the DEIS 
includes a biological assessment for the purpose of identifying 
endangered or threatened species which may be affected by the Proposed 
Action.
    The Atlantic Rim DEIS analyzed four alternatives in detail:
    1. The Proposed Action Alternative, as described below;
    2. The No Action Alternative, which means the project as proposed 
would be rejected by the BLM;
    3. Alternative A--Phased development; and,
    4. Alternative B--Special protection of sensitive resources.
    The agency's preferred alternative is Alternative B.
    The Atlantic Rim DEIS analyzes the impacts of the Proposed Action 
(development of 2,000 natural gas wells), principally including the 
construction of access roads, pipelines, and other ancillary facilities 
(gas processing plant, compressor stations, water disposal sites, 
etc.). In the No Action alternative, BLM would reject the proposed 
action, as submitted. Alternative A analyzes the sequential development 
of the Atlantic Rim proposed action in three phases. The development 
period for each phase would be 6 to 7 years over the 20 year period 
envisioned in the proposed action. For Alternative B, development would 
occur as in the proposed action, but would be intensively mitigated or 
limited where sensitive resource values exist or overlap. Examples of 
sensitive resources include threatened, endangered, and sensitive 
wildlife; fish and plant species; fragile soils; and unique cultural 
values.

How To Submit Comments

    The BLM welcomes your comments on the Atlantic Rim DEIS. Comments 
may be submitted as follows:
    1. Comments may be electronically mailed to [email protected]. Please submit electronic comments with ``Attn: Atlantic 
Rim Project Manager'' in the subject line and avoid using special 
characters and any form of encryption. Please do not include any 
attachments, as the BLM e-mail security system will not accept them. If 
you do not receive a confirmation from our system that your comment has 
been received, please contact Mr. David Simons, Project Lead, Rawlins 
Field Office, (307) 328-4328.
    2. Written comments may be mailed or delivered to the BLM at: 
Atlantic Rim DEIS, Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management Rawlins 
Field Office, 1300 N. Third Street, P.O. Box 2407, Rawlins, WY 82301.
    The BLM will only accept comments on the Atlantic Rim DEIS if they 
are submitted using one of the methods 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 disclosed as part of the EIS process. Individual respondents may 
request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold any information 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: October 25, 2005.
Alan L. Kesterke,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 05-23933 Filed 12-9-05; 8:45 am]
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