[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 81 (Friday, April 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17884-17885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08288]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWYP06000.LL13100000.DB0000]


Notice of Availability of a Supplement to the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Converse County Oil and Gas Project, Converse 
County, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(Draft EIS) released January 26, 2018 that evaluates, analyzes, and 
discloses to the public direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental 
impacts of the proposal to amend the Casper Resource Management Plan 
(Casper RMP) to allow for timing stipulation relief for non-eagle 
raptors only within the Converse County Oil and Gas Project area in 
Converse County, Wyoming. This notice announces a 90-day public comment 
period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Converse County Oil and Gas Project Supplement 
to the Draft EIS within 90 days

[[Page 17885]]

following the date of this Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register. The BLM will announce future meetings and any other public 
involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, media releases, mailings, and/or at the BLM website https://go.usa.gov/xEFvQ.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the Converse County Oil and Gas Project 
may be submitted by any of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected],
     Fax: 307-261-7587,
     Mail or hand delivery: BLM Casper Field Office, 2987 
Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
following offices:
     BLM Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, 
Wyoming 82604;
     BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, 
Wyoming 82009.
    Interested persons may also view the documents online at: https://go.usa.gov/xEFvQ. Please reference the Converse County Oil and Gas EIS 
Attn: Mike Robinson, Project Manager, when submitting your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Robinson, Project Manager, 
telephone: 307-261-7520; address: 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, 
Wyoming 82604; 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 Mr. Robinson 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: An operator group (OG) comprised of Anadarko 
Petroleum Company (Anadarko), Chesapeake Energy Corporation 
(Chesapeake), Devon Energy (Devon), EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG), and 
Northwoods Energy, propose to develop oil and gas leases within the 
Converse County Project Area (CCPA) in Converse County, Wyoming.
    The CCPA encompasses approximately 1.5 million acres of land, of 
which approximately 88,466 surface acres (6 percent of the CCPA) are 
public lands administered by the BLM and approximately 63,911 surface 
acres (4 percent of the CCPA) are administered by the United States 
Forest Service. The remaining surface estate consists of approximately 
101,012 surface acres (7 percent) administered by the State of Wyoming 
and approximately 1,247,477 surface acres (83 percent) that are 
privately owned. The BLM administers approximately 964,525 acres of 
mineral estate (64 percent) within the CCPA. Split estate lands, lands 
with private surface and Federal mineral ownership, comprise 
approximately 812,189 acres of those 964,525 acres (54 of the 64 
percent) of the Federal mineral ownership of land within the CCPA.
    The Supplement to the Draft EIS describes and analyzes the impacts 
of the OG's Proposed Action (Alternative B) consisting of five options 
as amendments to the Casper RMP. The following is a summary of those 
options:

    Option 1: The No Action Option assumes that no amendment would 
be approved but that Alternative B would be approved with the 
standard stipulations for non-eagle raptor nest timing limitations 
applied as directed in the Casper RMP.
    Option 2: This option consists of an amendment to the Casper RMP 
that would modify all existing leases and development within the 
Converse County Oil and Gas Project area, removing all non-eagle 
raptor nest timing limitations (lease stipulations, conditions of 
approval, mitigations or other stipulations) through the operation 
of the pertinent resource's laws, rules and regulations. Future 
leases or development within the Converse County Oil and Gas Project 
area would not apply the non-eagle raptor nest timing limitations.
    Option 3: This option consists of an amendment to the Casper RMP 
that would allow for development within non-eagle raptor nest timing 
limitations within the Converse County Oil and Gas Project area 
contingent upon the proponent committing to measures detailed in 
this option.
    Option 4: This option consists of an amendment to the Casper RMP 
that would allow for development within non-eagle raptor nest timing 
limitations within the Converse County Oil and Gas Project area 
contingent upon the proponent's proposed practices or plans that the 
BLM determines alleviates impacts to non-eagle raptors.
    Option 5: This option consists of an amendment to the Casper RMP 
that would allow for development within non-eagle raptor nest timing 
limitations within the Converse County Oil and Gas Project area 
contingent upon completion of a Migratory Bird Conservation Plan 
with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in coordination with the BLM.

    The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on May 16, 2014. Key issues identified during scoping 
included: Potential impacts on private landowners over Federal mineral 
estate; socioeconomic impacts on local communities and residents, 
particularly from increased noise, traffic, and population growth; 
potential impacts on air quality and climate change; potential impacts 
to groundwater and surface water supply and quality; potential impacts 
to historic trails; enforcement of reclamation and other mitigation on 
non-Federal lands; impacts to area recreation, grazing, and hunting; 
the potential to impact sage grouse, migratory birds, big game, and 
other wildlife; and adequate analysis of cumulative impacts.
    The public is encouraged to comment on any and all portions of the 
document. The BLM asks that those submitting comments make them as 
specific as possible with reference to chapters, page numbers, and 
paragraphs in the Supplement to the Draft EIS document. Comments that 
contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal 
response. The most useful comments will include new technical or 
scientific information, identification of data gaps in the impact 
analysis, or technical or scientific rationale for opinions or 
preference.
    Comments and information submitted on the Supplement to the Draft 
EIS for the Converse County Oil and Gas project including names, email 
addresses, and street addresses of respondents will be available for 
public review online at: https://go.usa.gov/xEFvQ. The BLM will not 
accept anonymous comments, false names or unidentified emails.
    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

Mary Jo Rugwell,
State Director, Wyoming.
[FR Doc. 2019-08288 Filed 4-25-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P