[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 238 (Tuesday, December 13, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73791-73792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23976]



[[Page 73791]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO-300-1310-PP-OSHL]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Plan Amendments for Oil Shale and Tar Sands 
Resources Leasing on Lands Administered by the Bureau of Land 
Management in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 369(d)(1) of the Energy Policy Act 
of 2005, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) intends to prepare a 
Programmatic EIS for Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resources Leasing on Lands 
Administered by the BLM in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and by this 
notice is announcing public scoping meetings. The Programmatic EIS will 
amend existing applicable Resource Management Plans to open lands for 
oil shale and tar sands resources leasing in these three states. The 
Programmatic EIS will also inform the development of the regulations 
required by section 369(d)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

DATES: The BLM will accept written comments on the scope of the 
Programmatic EIS that are postmarked or delivered by January 31, 2006, 
and electronic comments that are received by January 31, 2006. The BLM 
will hold public scoping meetings to obtain comments at the following 
locations on the dates specified below:

Salt Lake City, Utah: Tuesday, January 10, 2006;
Price, Utah: Wednesday, January 11, 2006;
Vernal, Utah: Thursday, January 12, 2006;
Rock Springs, Wyoming: Friday, January 13, 2006;
Rifle, Colorado: Wednesday, January 18, 2006;
Denver, Colorado: Thursday, January 19, 2006;
Cheyenne, Wyoming: Friday, January 20, 2006;

    The BLM will announce exact times and locations for all public 
meetings through the local media, newsletters, and the project Web site 
(http://ostseis.anl.gov) at least 15 days prior to the meeting. We will 
provide formal opportunities for public participation upon publication 
of the Draft Programmatic EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by the following methods:
    Written: Mail or deliver to BLM Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resources 
Leasing Programmatic EIS Scoping, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. 
Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439.
    Electronic: Through the Web site at http://ostseis.anl.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, contact Sherri Thompson, Bureau of 
Land Management, Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, 
Lakewood, CO 80215, (303) 239-3758 or visit the Oil Shale and Tar Sands 
Resources Leasing Programmatic EIS Web site at http://ostseis.anl.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice Of Intent provides public notice 
that the BLM intends to prepare the Programmatic EIS to amend 
applicable resource management plans to open BLM lands for oil shale 
and tar sands leasing in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. It also announces 
opportunities for the public to provide comments relating to the 
preparation, scope, and content of the Programmatic EIS. The 
Programmatic EIS will also inform the development of the regulations 
required by section 369(d)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
    The planning area for the oil shale resources is the Piceance and 
Washakie Basins in Colorado, the Uintah Basin in Utah, and the Green 
River and Washakie Basins in Wyoming. For the tar sands resources, the 
planning area is certain sedimentary provinces in the Colorado Plateau 
in Utah. The plan will fulfill the needs and obligations set forth by 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act (FLPMA), and BLM policies. The BLM will work 
collaboratively with interested parties to identify the leasing 
decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs 
and concerns. The Programmatic EIS will analyze the no action 
alternative and leasing under stipulations to protect other resource 
values and other alternatives identified during scoping. The purpose of 
the public scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will 
influence the scope of the environmental analysis and the alternatives. 
These issues also guide the planning process. You may submit comments 
on issues and planning criteria in writing to the BLM at any public 
scoping meeting, or by using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES 
section above. The minutes and list of attendees for each scoping 
meeting will be available to the public and open for 30 days after the 
meeting should participants wish to clarify their views. Individual 
respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your 
name and/or address from public review or disclosure under the Freedom 
of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your written comment. The BLM will honor such requests 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, are available for public inspection in 
their entirety.
    Preliminary issues and management concerns have been identified by 
BLM personnel, other agencies, and in meetings with individuals and 
user groups. They represent the BLM's knowledge to date regarding the 
issues and concerns with current land management. The major issues that 
will be addressed in this planning effort include: Management of the 
oil shale and tar sands resources; surface and groundwater protection; 
air quality protection; wildlife and wildlife habitat quality and 
fragmentation; protection of wilderness, riparian, and scenic values; 
cultural resource protection; threatened and endangered species and 
habitat protection; transportation corridors; multiple mineral 
development; and socio-economic impacts on local economies.
    After BLM has gathered public input on issues the plan should 
address, we will categorize comments as follows:
    1. Issues to be resolved in the plan;
    2. Issues to be resolved through policy, regulation, or 
administrative action; or
    3. Issues beyond the scope of this plan.
    The BLM will provide an explanation in the Programmatic EIS as to 
why we placed an issue in category two or three. In addition to these 
major issues, a number of management questions and concerns will be 
addressed in the Programmatic EIS. The public is encouraged to help 
identify these questions and concerns during the scoping phase.
    Planning criteria are the standards, rules, and other factors used 
in formulating judgments about data collection, analysis and 
decisionmaking associated with preparation of the Programmatic EIS. 
These criteria establish parameters and help focus preparation of the 
EIS. We welcome public comment on the following preliminary planning 
criteria, which will be utilized in the preparation of the Programmatic 
EIS:
    A. The Programmatic EIS and plan amendments will be completed in

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compliance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and all 
other applicable laws.
    B. BLM will work collaboratively with the States of Colorado, Utah, 
and Wyoming, tribal governments, county and municipal governments, 
other Federal agencies, and all other interested groups, agencies and 
individuals. Public participation will be encouraged throughout the 
process.
    C. The Programmatic EIS will amend the appropriate individual land 
use plans to address leasing of oil shale and tar sands resources on 
BLM-administered lands.
    D. A strategy to mitigate socio-economic impacts including the 
infrastructure to accommodate the required workforce will be addressed 
in the Programmatic EIS and plan amendments.
    E. Preparation of the Programmatic EIS and plan amendments will 
involve coordination with Native American Tribal governments and will 
provide strategies for the protection of recognized traditional uses.
    F. BLM will coordinate with local, State, and Federal agencies in 
the Programmatic EIS and plan amendments to strive for consistency with 
their existing plans and Policies, to the extent practicable.
    G. The Programmatic EIS will comply with the legislative directives 
set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
    The BLM will use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the 
Programmatic EIS in order to consider the variety of resource issues 
and concerns identified. Specialists with expertise in the following 
disciplines will be involved in the planning process: Minerals and 
geology, wildlife and fisheries, air quality, outdoor recreation, 
archeology, paleontology, hydrology, soils, sociology and economics.

Thomas P. Lonnie,
Assistant Director, Minerals, Realty, and Resource Protection.
[FR Doc. 05-23976 Filed 12-12-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P