[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2270-2271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-283]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-100-06-1310-DB]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Jonah Infill Drilling Project, Sublette 
County, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and associated 
regulations, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the 
availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that 
evaluates, analyzes, and discloses to the public direct, indirect, and 
cumulative environmental impacts of a proposal to further develop the 
Jonah natural gas field through infill drilling in Sublette County, 
Wyoming.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the FEIS has been sent to affected Federal, State, 
and local government agencies, and to interested parties.
    An electronic copy of the FEIS may be viewed or downloaded from the 
BLM Web site at http://www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/nepadocs.htm. Copies of the 
FEIS are available for public inspection at the following BLM office 
locations:

 Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming.
 Bureau of Land Management, Pinedale Field Office, 432 East 
Mill Street, Pinedale, Wyoming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mike Stiewig, Project Manager, BLM 
Pinedale Field Office, 432 East Mill Street, Pinedale, Wyoming 82941. 
Mr. Stiewig may also be reached at (307) 367-5363.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to a proposal submitted by 
EnCana Oil and Gas (USA), Inc. (EnCana), BP America Production Company 
(BP), and other companies, referred to collectively as the Companies, 
the BLM published in the March 13, 2003, Federal Register a Notice of 
Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published in February 2005. On 
April 14, 2005, the BLM notified the public of its intent to prepare 
supplemental air quality information and that comments on the DEIS Air 
Quality information would continue to be accepted until the 
supplemental information was completed. On August 9, 2005, the BLM 
announced the availability of the JIDP DEIS supplemental air quality 
information and summary and a 60 day review period during which BLM 
would accept comments.
    The Jonah Infill Drilling Project Area (JIDPA) covers approximately 
30,500 acres in Townships 28 and 29 North, Ranges 107, 108, and 109 
West, 6th Principal Meridian, approximately 32 miles southeast of 
Pinedale, Sublette County, Wyoming. The FEIS analyzes a proposal by the 
Companies to infill drill and develop Federal natural gas resources in 
an area known as the Jonah Field. The Companies' proposal includes 
drilling 3,100 additional natural gas wells and constructing associated 
ancillary transportation and transmission facilities within the JIDPA. 
The proposed life of the project (LOP) is approximately 76 years, with 
the majority of drilling and development activities to occur within the 
first 12 years following approval of the BLM Record of Decision (ROD). 
The total 30,500 acre project area comprises approximately 28,580 acres 
of Federal surface and mineral estate administered by the BLM, 1,280 
acres of State of Wyoming surface and mineral, and 640 acres of split 
estate (private surface/Federal mineral) lands. To offset expected 
impacts from closely spaced infill drilling, EnCana has volunteered 
varying levels of off-site compensatory mitigation based on the level 
of new surface disturbance authorized in the ROD for this project.
    The FEIS describes in detail and analyzes the impacts of five 
alternatives, including the No Action Alternative and the Companies' 
Proposed Action. The following is a summary of the alternatives:
    1. Proposed Action--Up to 3100 new gas wells would be drilled and 
developed, with associated ancillary facilities, on up to 16,200 acres 
of new surface disturbance. Bottom-hole well spacing is expected to 
range from 16 wells per 640-acre section (40-acre spacing) to 128 wells 
per section (5-acre well spacing). Additionally, compensatory (off-
site) mitigation has been volunteered by EnCana.
    2. No Action Alternative--The no action alternative means that the 
project as proposed would not be approved.
    3. Alternative A--This alternative proposes to maximize economic 
recovery of gas resources. New surface disturbance would be comparable 
to the Proposed Action, but many of the existing BLM Conditions of 
Approval, stipulations and mitigations would be exempted.
    4. Alternative B--This alternative proposes to minimize surface 
disturbance by requiring directional drilling from existing well pads. 
This alternative requires expansion of existing well pads but results 
in the least amount of new surface disturbance while still providing 
for a higher level of resource recovery.
    5. Alternative C (Agency Preferred)--This alternative proposes to 
achieve high levels of natural gas recovery approaching that of the 
Proposed Action, while minimizing resource impacts by the use of 
outcome-based performance objectives, mitigation, and Best Management 
Practices. This alternative manages surface disturbance on a field-wide 
level, not to exceed 46 percent at any given time. Once interim 
reclamation meets BLM standards, credit would be applied to the 
allowable surface disturbance acreage limits. Maximum cumulative 
surface disturbance or number of wells would not exceed those of the 
proposed action.

[[Page 2271]]

    Features common to all action alternatives: The Companies would 
agree to some ``operator committed'' mitigation measures when operating 
on Federal surface lands.

DATES: The FEIS will be available for review for 30 calendar days 
following the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
publishes its NOA in the Federal Register. A Record of Decision (ROD) 
will be prepared following the close of the 30 day review period.

How To Submit Comments

    Comments may be mailed directly or delivered to the BLM at: Jonah 
Infill Drilling Project FEIS, Project Manager, Bureau of Land 
Management, Pinedale Field Office, 432 East Mill Street, PO Box 768, 
Pinedale, Wyoming 82941.
    You may mail comments electronically to [email protected]. Please put ``Attention: Mike Stiewig'' in the subject 
line.
    To receive full consideration by the BLM all FEIS 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 the business hours (8 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: December 1, 2005.
Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 06-283 Filed 1-12-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P