[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 146 (Friday, July 30, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44976-44977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18863]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLUT020000-10-L13110000-EJ0000-24-1A]


Notice of Availability of the West Tavaputs Plateau Natural Gas 
Full Field Development Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement and 
Record of Decision

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as 
amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the West Tavaputs Natural Gas 
Full Field Development Plan and by this notice is announcing its 
availability. Concurrently, the BLM announces the availability of the 
Record of Decision (ROD) for this project, located in Carbon, Duchesne, 
and Uintah Counties, Utah. The Utah State Director signed the ROD on 
July 2, 2010, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM.

DATES: The decision is effective 30 days from the date that the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its notice in the 
Federal Register. The Council on Environmental Quality regulations 
normally requires a minimum 30-day availability period between the 
Notice of Availability for the Final EIS and the issuance of a ROD. 
Because this ROD is subject to a 30-day appeal to the Interior Board of 
Land Appeals (IBLA), the BLM has decided to issue this ROD at the same 
time as the Final EIS as allowed by 40 CFR 1506.10(b). This allows the 
30-day appeal period for this ROD and the 30-day availability period 
for the Final EIS to run concurrently.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS and ROD are available for public 
inspection at the Price Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 125 
South 400 West, Price, Utah 84501, or via the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/price.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Tyler 
Ashcroft, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, telephone (435) 636-
3613; address 125 South 600 West, Price, Utah 84501; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The West Tavaputs Plateau (WTP) Project Area 
is located in Carbon, Duchesne, and Uintah counties approximately 30 
miles east-northeast of Price, Utah. All surface disturbance related to 
the project would be located in Carbon County. The WTP Project Area is 
bounded on the west by Sheep Canyon, on the north by Nine Mile Canyon, 
and on the east by Desolation Canyon of the Green River. The southern 
boundary of the WTP Project Area is a straight line reflecting an 
anticline in the sub-surface that limits the southern extent of the 
natural gas resources targeted by the project. Surface ownership in the 
137,930-acre WTP Project Area is approximately 87 percent Federal, 8 
percent State of Utah, and 5 percent private. Mineral ownership closely 
parallels surface ownership.
    During preparation of the WTP EIS, the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA), United States Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Utah, 
Carbon County, Duchesne County, and Uintah County participated as 
Cooperating Agencies.
    Under the Proposed Action (Alternative A) of the WTP EIS, the 
project proponent, Bill Barrett Corporation (BBC), and other operators 
with leases in the WTP Project Area, proposed development of up to 807 
natural gas wells from up to 538 well pads. The BLM considered four 
additional alternatives: Alternative B--

[[Page 44977]]

No Action Alternative; Alternative C--Transportation Impact Reduction 
Alternative; Alternative D--Conservation Alternative; and Alternative 
E--Agency Preferred Alternative. Major differences between alternatives 
focused on the mitigation measures applied to protect resources.
    Public scoping was initiated on August 26, 2005, with the 
publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. On 
February 1, 2008, a Notice of Availability announcing the availability 
of the Draft EIS for a 90-day public comment period was published in 
the Federal Register (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/) and the EPA's 
Federal Register of Environmental Documents (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/). The public comment period officially closed on May 1, 2008. 
During the Draft EIS public comment period, the Price Field Office 
received approximately 55,000 comment letters from Federal agencies, 
state and local governments, Indian tribes, and interested groups and 
publics. The majority of the concerns that were raised by the public on 
the Draft EIS were focused on impacts to cultural resources, air 
quality, lands with wilderness characteristics, and wildlife.
    In December 2008, between the Draft EIS and Final EIS, and as a 
result of concerns regarding impacts to cultural resources, the BLM 
recommended development of a Programmatic Agreement. Sixteen 
governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations 
participated in the development of, and were signatories to, the 
Agreement on January 5, 2010. The Agreement identifies measures that 
will minimize the impacts of project-related activity on cultural 
resources.
    In addition, the BLM conducted project specific air quality 
modeling for ozone for analysis in the Final EIS. The BLM has 
determined that the range of alternatives considered within the Draft 
EIS evaluates sufficient mitigation measures to address wildlife and 
wilderness concerns.
    The Agency Preferred Alternative identified in the Draft EIS and 
Final EIS was not carried forward as the Selected Alternative in ROD. 
Rather, the decision is a combination of elements selected from the 
alternatives discussed in the EIS. Regulations allow the agency to 
select a combination of alternatives if the effects of such combined 
elements of alternatives are reasonably apparent from the analysis in 
the relevant environmental document (43 CFR 46.420(c)).
    During preparation of the Final EIS, BBC voluntarily contracted 
their plan of development from their original Proposed Action 
(Alternative A). According to BBC, as a result of interim drilling 
during the preparation of the EIS, they increased their knowledge of 
the extent of the natural gas deposits, and refined their operational 
practices, which will allow BBC to maximize natural gas recovery while 
minimizing surface disturbance.
    The Selected Alternative in the ROD provides for natural gas 
drilling on leased Federal lands as proposed within the contracted plan 
of development, with minor modifications. The ROD also provides for 
development of leased lands held by other lessors within the WTP 
Project Area. The decision in the ROD to approve the Selected 
Alternative is consistent with the goals, objectives, and decisions in 
the Price and Vernal Field Offices' RMPs, which were completed in 
October 2008.
    When compared to the action alternatives considered in the Final 
EIS, the Selected Alternative in the ROD will substantially reduce the 
footprint of the project upon the land by making extensive use of 
directional drilling from a lesser number of well pads. Under the 
Selected Alternative, BBC will not construct new well pads within the 
Jack and Desolation Canyon Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), and will 
minimize the amount of development on non-WSA lands with wilderness 
characteristics. In addition, the ROD includes a decision to restrict 
public motorized access on certain roads in the WTP Project Area. 
Restricted use of these roads is in conformance with the goals and 
objectives of the 2008 Price RMP and modifies the Travel Management 
Plan Map contained in that document.
    The ROD is effective 30 days from the date that the EPA publishes 
its Notice of Availability of the Final EIS and ROD in the Federal 
Register. During the 30 days between the EPA publication and the 
effective date of the ROD, the ROD may be appealed to the IBLA, Office 
of Hearings and Appeals, U.S. Department of the Interior, 801 North 
Quincy Street, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22203, in accordance with 
the regulations contained in 43 CFR part 4. The appeal must also be 
filed with the State Director, BLM, Utah State Office, P.O. Box 45155, 
Salt Lake City, Utah 84145-0155.
    If you wish to file a petition for stay of the ROD pursuant to 43 
CFR 4.21 during the pendency of your appeal before the IBLA, the 
petition for stay must accompany your notice of appeal. A petition for 
stay must show sufficient justification based on the standards listed 
in 43 CFR 4.21(b) which include:
    (1) The relative harm to the parties if the stay is granted or 
denied;
    (2) The likelihood of the appellant's success on the merits;
    (3) The likelihood of irreparable harm to the appellant or resource 
if the stay is not granted; and
    (4) Whether the public interest favors granting the stay.
    If a petition for stay is submitted with the notice of appeal, a 
copy of the notice of appeal and petition for stay must be served on 
the IBLA at the same time it is filed with the State Director.
    A copy of the notice of appeal, and statement of reasons and all 
pertinent documents must be served on each adverse party named in the 
decision from which the appeal is taken and on the Office of the 
Regional Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior, 6201 Federal 
Building, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1180, no 
later than 15 days after filing documents with the State Director or 
IBLA.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.

Jeff Rawson,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-18863 Filed 7-29-10; 8:45 am]
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