[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 76 (Friday, April 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16532-16533]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-07701]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWYR05000 L13140000.NB0000 19X]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Moneta Divide Natural Gas and Oil Development Project 
and Draft Casper Resource Management Plan Amendment, WY

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, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Draft Resource 
Management Plan (RMP) Amendment for the proposed Moneta Divide Natural 
Gas and Oil Development Project within the BLM Lander, Casper and 
Rawlins field offices, and by this notice is announcing the opening of 
a 90-day public comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft EIS and Draft RMP Amendment within 90 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
the notice of availability of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register. 
The BLM will announce future meetings or any other public participation 
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media 
releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Draft EIS by either 
of the following methods:

 Email: [email protected]
 Mail: Kristin Yannone, Moneta Divide EIS Project Manager, BLM 
Lander Field Office, 1335 Main Street, Lander, WY 82520

    Copies of the Draft EIS are available on the project website at: 
https://go.usa.gov/xnU9z or at the following locations:

 BLM Lander Field Office, 1335 Main Street, Lander, Wyoming

[[Page 16533]]

 BLM Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospect Drive, Casper, Wyoming
 BLM Rawlins Field Office, 1300 North Third Rawlins, Wyoming

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristin Yannone, Moneta Divide EIS 
Project Manager, BLM Lander Field Office, 1335 Main Street, Lander, WY 
82520, 307-332-8448, [email protected]. Persons who use 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during 
normal business hours. The FRS 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 Moneta Divide project is principally 
located along U.S. Route 20/26 near the town of Lysite in Fremont and 
Natrona counties, Wyoming. A proposed product pipeline extends south 
from the oil and gas production area through Fremont and Sweetwater 
counties to Wamsutter, Wyoming. The project spans the BLM Wind River/
Bighorn Basin, High Plains and High Desert districts. The project area 
encompasses approximately 327,645 acres of public, state and private 
lands. Approximately 67 percent of the project area is located on BLM-
administered public lands.
    Aethon Energy Operating, LLC and Burlington Resources Oil & Gas 
Company, LP are proposing to develop up to 4,250 wells and associated 
facilities over a 15-year period. Under the Plan of Development, Aethon 
would drill up to 4,100 wells, of which approximately two-thirds would 
be drilled vertically from single-well pads and one-third would be 
drilled directionally from multi-well pads, consisting of four wells 
per pad. Burlington would drill up to 150 wells from single-well pads. 
The proponents would utilize disposal wells, water treatment plants, 
evaporation ponds, surface discharge and other approaches to produced-
water management. Water pipelines delivering treated produced water to 
Boysen Reservoir could also be built. Associated access roads, 
pipelines, compressor stations and other ancillary facilities would be 
co-located where possible to further minimize surface disturbance.
    The BLM analyzed four alternatives: Alternative 1, the No Action 
Alternative, includes existing standard stipulations and oil and gas 
well development authorized during the preparation of the EIS in 
accordance with the Interim Drilling Plan.
    Alternative 2, the Proposed Action, is the proponents' Plan of 
Development.
    Alternative 3 emphasizes resource production, analyzing development 
using only single-well pads and other measures that facilitate oil and 
gas development within the project area.
    Alternative 4 addresses a range of resource issues identified 
during scoping and provides the proponents greater flexibility to treat 
and dispose of produced water. Specifically, Alternative 4 analyzes 
reduced surface disturbance through more directionally drilled wells 
placed on multi-well pads, wildlife and cultural resources protection 
measures, and a water management strategy that would involve greater 
surface discharge of produced water and more disposal wells.
    All action alternatives (Alternatives 2, 3 and 4) analyzed the same 
rate of development although Alternative 4 would allow a slower pace of 
development, if needed, for managing produced water in accordance with 
federal and state requirements.
    The Draft EIS also evaluates amendments to the Casper RMP, which 
are analyzed under Alternatives 3 and 4. Under Alternative 3, the 
Casper RMP would be amended to establish a Designated Development Area 
in the portion of the Moneta Divide oil and gas well production area in 
the Casper Field Office to facilitate intensive mineral production. 
Under Alternative 4, the Casper RMP would be amended to increase the 
protections of the Cedar Ridge Traditional Cultural Property. The 
proposed amendments are not required in order to authorize the Moneta 
Divide project, which as proposed, is in conformance with the Casper 
RMP. Depending upon the alternative selected, the BLM would issue its 
decision to amend the Casper RMP in a separate Record of Decision from 
the Moneta Divide project.
    All alternatives conform to the provisions of the Lander RMP Record 
of Decision (2014), Casper RMP Record of Decision (2007) and Rawlins 
RMP Record of Decision (2008), as amended.
    Treatment and disposal of produced water would be in compliance 
with State of Wyoming permit(s) including all protections against 
degradation of public lands. All alternatives require that interim and 
final reclamation activities would be implemented to return the 
landscape to proper biological and ecological function in conformance 
with the Moneta Divide Reclamation Plan and the relevant Resource 
Management Plans.
    Formal public scoping for the Moneta Divide project began on 
January 17, 2013, with the publication in the Federal Register of the 
Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS and a possible land use plan 
amendment to the Casper RMP (78 FR 3911). Public scoping comments were 
used to identify issues that informed the formulation of alternatives 
and framed the scope of analysis for the Draft EIS.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address or other 
personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware 
that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.

Mary Jo Rugwell,
BLM Wyoming State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019-07701 Filed 4-18-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-22-P