[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 67 (Friday, April 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20841-20842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-8247]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLUTG01100-12-L13100000-EJ0000]


Notice of Availability of the Greater Natural Buttes Final 
Environmental Impact Statement, Uintah County, UT

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, and associated regulations, the 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) that evaluates, analyzes, and discloses to the 
public anticipated impacts of the Greater Natural Buttes proposal to 
develop natural gas in Uintah County, Utah. This notice announces a 30-
day availability period prior to preparation of a Record of Decision 
(ROD).

DATES: The Final EIS will be available for 30 calendar days following 
the date on which the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS have been sent to affected Federal, 
state, and local government agencies and to other stakeholders. Copies 
of the Final EIS are available for public inspection at the BLM Vernal 
Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, Utah, and on the Internet at: 
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/nepa_.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact 
Stephanie Howard, Environmental Coordinator; telephone 435-781-4400; 
address 170 South 500 East, Vernal, Utah, 84078; email [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal 
business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to 
leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive 
a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Greater Natural Buttes Project Area 
encompasses approximately 162,911 acres in the townships listed below 
in Uintah County, Utah:

Salt Lake Meridian

T. 8 S., R. 20-23 E.
T. 9 S., R. 20-24 E.
T. 10 S., R. 20-23 E.
T. 11 S., R. 21-22 E.

    Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Onshore LP (KMG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of 
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, proposed this project to develop their 
existing oil and gas leases by drilling 3,675 wells from 3,041 new well 
pads over a period of 10 years. The proposed action would result in 
approximately 12,685 acres of additional disturbance (about 7.8 percent 
of the total project area). The total estimated surface disturbance 
under this alternative would be 25,125 acres, or about 15.4 percent of 
the project area. BLM's purpose and need for the project is to respond 
to KMG's proposal while minimizing environmental impacts.
    In response to a proposal submitted by KMG (Alternative A) the BLM 
published in the October 5, 2007, Federal Register a Notice of Intent 
to prepare an EIS. The scoping comments received in response to this 
Notice were used during preparation of the Draft EIS to help identify 
impacts expected as a result of the proposed action and to develop 
Alternatives B and C.
    A 45-day public comment period for the Draft EIS was held from July 
16, 2010, through August 30 2010, as announced through the Federal 
Register. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressed concerns 
with the air quality analysis in the Draft EIS, so a Supplement to the 
Draft EIS was prepared by the BLM in close coordination with the EPA to 
address those concerns. A 45-day public comment period was then held 
from June 10, 2011, through July 25, 2011, for the Supplement to the 
Draft EIS, as announced through the Federal Register. An updated 
inventory of lands with wilderness characteristics was completed for 
the project area and lands with wilderness characteristics were 
identified. This information was analyzed in the draft EIS.
    The BLM prepared the Final EIS in coordination with the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs and Uintah County, who participated as formal 
cooperating agencies during the EIS process. The BLM also closely 
coordinated with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the 
EPA to ensure their concerns were adequately addressed. The Final EIS 
describes the changes made between the Draft EIS and Final EIS, and 
includes responses to the comments

[[Page 20842]]

received during the public comment period.
    Under the Resource Protection Alternative (the Agency Preferred 
Alternative), up to 3,675 new gas wells would be drilled from 1,484 new 
well pads over a period of 10 years, resulting in approximately 8,147 
acres of additional disturbance (about 5.0 percent of the total project 
area). The total estimated surface disturbance under this alternative 
would be 20,615 acres, or about 12.7 percent of the project area. In 
coordination with the EPA, a Water Monitoring Plan was developed to 
address water quality impacts, and extensive applicant-committed 
measures, including an adaptive management strategy, were developed or 
refined to minimize air quality impacts.
    This Final EIS is not a decision document. Following conclusion of 
the 30-day availability period, a ROD will be signed to disclose the 
BLM's final decision and any project Conditions of Approval. 
Availability of the ROD will be announced through local media, the BLM 
Vernal Web site, and the BLM's Utah Environmental Notification Bulletin 
Board.

Shelley J. Smith,
Acting Assoc. State Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-8247 Filed 4-5-12; 8:45 am]
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