[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 33 (Friday, February 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7457-7458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3221]


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DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION


Notice of Public Hearing on Stone Energy Corporation Proposed 
Surface Water Withdrawal and Natural Gas Well Site

SUMMARY: Because of the high level of public interest in projects 
within the Delaware Basin that are associated with natural gas drilling 
activities, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC or 
``Commission'') will hold a special public hearing on two projects 
sponsored by the Stone Energy Corporation (hereinafter, ``Stone 
Energy'') to support natural gas exploration and development activities 
within the basin. One of the two projects entails a surface water 
withdrawal from the West Branch Lackawaxen River in Mount Pleasant 
Township, Pennsylvania (Docket No. D-2009-13-1). The other concerns an 
existing natural gas well drilling pad site in Clinton Township, 
Pennsylvania (Docket No. D-2009-18-1). Both projects are located in 
Wayne County, Pennsylvania, within the drainage area of a portion of 
the main stem Delaware River that the Commission has classified as 
Special Protection Waters.

DATES: The hearing will take place on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 from 
3 p.m. until 7 p.m. Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on 
March 12, 2010.

ADDRESSES: The hearing will take place at the Best Western Inn at 
Hunt's Landing, 126 Routes 6 & 209, Matamoras, Pennsylvania 18336, 
beginning at 3 p.m. and ending at 7 p.m. Written comments may be 
submitted at the hearing and may also be sent as follows: via e-mail to 
[email protected] and otherwise to the attention of the 
Commission Secretary, DRBC, either by fax to (609) 883-9522; U.S. Mail 
to P.O. Box 7360, West Trenton, NJ 08628-0360; or delivery service to 
25 State Police Drive, West Trenton, NJ 08628-0360. Regardless of the 
method of submission, comments should include the name, affiliation (if 
any) and address of the commenter and the subject line ``Public 
Comment--Stone Energy Dockets.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about the upcoming 
hearing that are not answered in the section of this notice entitled 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, please contact Ms. Paula Schmitt at 609-477-
7224 or Ms. Katharine O'Hara at 609-477-7205.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Draft dockets. Dockets Nos. D-2009-13-1 
(water withdrawal) and D-2009-18-1 (natural gas well drilling pad site) 
can be viewed on the Commission's Web site, DRBC.net, as a link from 
this notice.
    Hearing Procedure. In order to give everyone who wishes to testify 
a fair and equal opportunity to do so at the public hearing, which is 
expected to be heavily attended, the following procedures will be in 
effect:
     Registration to testify. Individuals who wish to speak at 
the hearing will be requested to print their names on a numbered list 
and complete a separate DRBC commenter card. Registrations to present 
oral testimony will begin at approximately 2:30 p.m. (30 minutes prior 
to the beginning of the hearing) and will continue until the hearing is 
closed. There will be no advance registration prior to February 24. For 
the convenience of those who wish to speak, more than one registration 
list may be used. Accordingly, speakers will be called in roughly, but 
not exactly, the order in which they registered.
     Time allowances. In order to allow everyone who wishes to 
speak an opportunity to do so, individuals will be allotted no more 
than three minutes to present their oral testimony. Speakers will not 
be permitted to cede their time to others; however, after everyone who 
wishes to speak has had a chance to do so, the hearing officer will 
accept requests from those who wish to supplement their earlier 
remarks. Individuals who have prepared written testimony are asked to 
summarize their comments during the three-minute period for oral 
testimony and to submit their complete written comments either at the 
public hearing or via e-mail, fax, U.S. Mail, delivery service, or hand 
delivery in accordance with the ADDRESSES section above, before 5 p.m. 
on March 12.
     Stenographic record. A court stenographer will be present 
to capture all verbal comments for the public record.
     Other. The sole purpose of the hearing on February 24 is 
to provide members of the public with an opportunity for oral testimony 
on the proposed Stone Energy dockets. The Commissioners and staff will 
not respond to comments at the hearing, nor will they conduct any other 
business that day. Because a separate hearing on the Stone Energy 
dockets is being held on February 24, oral testimony on these dockets 
will not be accepted during the Commission's regularly scheduled 
business meeting and public hearing on March 3, 2010. A separate notice 
will be published listing the hearing items and other matters to be 
considered during the meeting on March 3.
    Project Descriptions. Detailed descriptions of the two projects are 
included in the draft dockets posted on the Commission's Web site 
(DRBC.net) as links from this notice. Brief descriptions of the two 
projects follow:
    Stone Energy Corporation D-2009-13-1. An application for approval 
of a surface water withdrawal project to supply up to 21.0 mg/30 days 
(0.70 mgd) of water from a withdrawal point located on the West Branch 
Lackawaxen River in Mount Pleasant Township,

[[Page 7458]]

Wayne County, Pennsylvania within the drainage area of the section of 
the Delaware River classified as Special Protection Waters (SPW). The 
water will be used to support natural gas well stimulation activities 
in an existing well located in Clinton Township, Wayne County, 
Pennsylvania (the Matoushek 1 well), also within the drainage 
area of SPW, and in proposed natural gas wells targeting the Marcellus 
Shale geologic formation within the SPW drainage area in the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Flow-back water from well stimulation 
activities is proposed to be exported to approved treatment facilities 
located outside of the Delaware River Basin.
    Stone Energy Corporation D-2009-18-1. An application for approval 
of an existing natural gas well drilling pad site, including an 
existing vertically orientated natural gas well known as Matoushek 
1, located in Clinton Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania. 
The well is proposed to be stimulated through hydraulic fracturing from 
a proposed surface water source. An application for the proposed 
surface water withdrawal is being reviewed by the Commission under 
Docket No. D-2009-13-1. The proposed surface water withdrawal is 
located on the West Branch Lackawaxen River in Mount Pleasant Township, 
Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The target gas bearing geologic formation 
of Matoushek 1 is the Devonian-age Marcellus Shale. Flow-back 
water resulting from stimulation activities at the well is proposed to 
be exported to approved treatment facilities outside of the Delaware 
River Basin. The proposed drilling site is located within the drainage 
area of the section of the non-tidal Delaware River known as the Upper 
Delaware, which is designated as Special Protection Waters.
    Additional public records relating to the draft Stone Energy docket 
may be available for review consistent with Article 8 of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (RPP) governing public 
access to records and information. The RPP are also available on the 
Commission's Web site, http://www.drbc.net.
    Individuals in need of an accommodation as provided for in the 
Americans with Disabilities Act who wish to attend the hearing should 
contact the Commission secretary directly at 609-883-9500 ext. 203 or 
through the Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) at 711, to discuss 
how the Commission can accommodate your needs.

    Dated: February 8, 2010.
Pamela M. Bush,
Commission Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-3221 Filed 2-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6360-01-P