[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 81 (Friday, April 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17885-17886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08282]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLCAC06000.L13100000.DS0000.LXSIAREV0000.19XL1109AF.MO#4500131458]


Notice of Availability of the Bakersfield Field Office Hydraulic 
Fracturing Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, 
California

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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[[Page 17886]]

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), analyzing the 
potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on oil and gas leases within 
the Bakersfield Field Office planning area, and by this notice the BLM 
is announcing the opening of the 45-day public comment period.

DATES: To ensure consideration, the BLM must receive written comments 
on the Bakersfield Field Office Hydraulic Fracturing Draft Supplemental 
EIS within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. 
The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public 
involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments related to the Bakersfield 
Field Office Hydraulic Fracturing Draft Supplemental EIS by any of the 
following methods:
     Website: https://go.usa.gov/xE3Nw
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Bakersfield Field Office, 
Attn: Bakersfield Hydraulic Fracturing Analysis, 3801 Pegasus Drive, 
Bakersfield, CA 93308

    Copies of the Bakersfield Field Office Hydraulic Fracturing Draft 
Supplemental EIS are available during regular business hours in the 
Bakersfield Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carly Summers, Supervisory Natural 
Resources Specialist, telephone: 661-391-6000, email: [email protected]. 
Persons who use a 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. You will receive 
a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Bakersfield Field Office planning area 
includes Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, 
Tulare, and Ventura counties in California and encompasses 
approximately 400,000 acres of public land and 1.2 million acres of 
Federal mineral estate.
    The supplemental environmental analysis is being conducted in 
response to a May 2017, U.S. District Court Order.
    The BLM presented preliminary resource issues for public scoping 
review and comment in the August 8, 2018, Federal Register Notice of 
Intent (83 FR 39116). Issues identified by BLM personnel; Federal, 
State, and local agencies; and other stakeholders and analyzed in the 
Draft Supplemental EIS include: Air and atmospheric values; water 
quality and quantity; seismicity; special status species; and mineral 
resources (oil and gas). The U.S. District Court Order upheld the range 
of alternatives analyzed in the Proposed RMP/Final EIS. The five 
management alternatives as analyzed in the Proposed RMP/Final EIS were:
     The No Action alternative (Alternative A) would continue 
current management under the existing 1997 Caliente RMP and 1984 
Hollister RMP, as amended.
     The Proposed Plan (Alternative B) strives to balance 
resource conservation and ecosystem health with the production of 
commodities and public use of the land.
     Alternative C emphasizes conserving cultural and natural 
resources, maintaining functioning natural systems, and restoring 
natural systems that are degraded.
     Alternative D follows Alternative C in all aspects except 
with regard to livestock grazing. Alternative D would eliminate 
livestock grazing from the BLM-managed lands in the planning area for 
the life of this land use plan.
     Alternative E emphasizes the production of natural 
resources and commodities while emphasizing public use opportunities.
    The results of this draft supplemental analysis analyzing the 
impacts of hydraulic fracturing, additive to those identified in the 
2012 Final EIS, did not show notable increase in total impacts. No 
conflicts were found between the estimated impacts of hydraulic 
fracturing and the resource or program management goals and objectives 
stated in the RMP. The range of alternatives has not changed between 
the approved 2014 RMP and its 2012 Final EIS and the Draft Supplemental 
EIS. Therefore, no amendment to the 2014 RMP is necessary.
    You may submit comments on the Draft Supplemental EIS in writing to 
the BLM using one of the methods listed earlier in the ADDRESSES 
section. To be most helpful, you should submit comments by the close of 
the 45-day comment period.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA process to help 
fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic 
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108), as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). 
The BLM will continue to consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis, in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will continue to be given due 
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
proposed action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate 
in the comment period.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted, 
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who 
submit comments, will be available for public review and disclosure at 
the address listed earlier during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
    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)

Joe Stout,
Acting State Director, California.
[FR Doc. 2019-08282 Filed 4-25-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P