[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 201 (Friday, October 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 65869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22783]



[[Page 65869]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[212D0102DR/DS5A300000/DR.5A311.IA000118]


Osage County Oil and Gas Final Environmental Impact Statement, 
Osage County, Oklahoma

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has 
prepared the Osage County Oil and Gas Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) and, by this notice, is announcing its publication. 
The FEIS is a programmatic analysis of the potential impacts that 
future oil and gas development may have on the surface estate and 
subsurface mineral estate (Osage Mineral Estate) in Osage County, 
Oklahoma.

DATES: The BIA will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed 
action no earlier than 30 days from the date this Notice of 
Availability is published in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: The FEIS is available on the Osage Agency's website at: 
https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/eastern-oklahoma/osage-agency/osage-oil-and-gas-eis. A paper copy of the FEIS is also available for 
examination at the BIA Osage Agency, 813 Grandview Avenue, Pawhuska, OK 
74056.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mosby Halterman, Regional 
Environmental Scientist, telephone: 918-781-4660; email: 
[email protected]; address: BIA Eastern Oklahoma Regional Office, 
PO Box 8002, Muskogee, OK 74402.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Osage Allotment Act of 1906 (1906 Act), 
as amended, reserved all rights to the subsurface mineral estate 
underlying Osage County, Oklahoma (Osage Mineral Estate) to the Osage 
Nation. In accordance with the 1906 Act, the Osage Mineral Estate is 
held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Osage Nation. 
All oil and gas leases, applications for permits to drill, and other 
site-specific permit applications in Osage County are approved under 
the authority of the 1906 Act, as amended, and 25 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR), part 226, Leasing of Osage Reservation Lands for Oil 
and Gas Mining.
    The purpose of the BIA's action is to administer leasing and 
development of the Osage Mineral Estate in the best interest of the 
Osage Nation, in accordance with the 1906 Act, as amended, balancing 
resource conservation and maximization of oil and gas production in the 
long term. The BIA is required, under more generally applicable 
statutes, to include in the best interest calculation the protection of 
the environment in Osage County to enhance conservation of resources 
and protection of the health and safety of the Osage people. Based on 
these considerations, the BIA's action promotes the maximization of oil 
and gas production from the Osage Mineral Estate in a manner that is 
economic, efficient, and safe; prevents pollution; and is consistent 
with the mandates of Federal law.
    The FEIS analyzes the following four alternatives for managing oil 
and gas development in Osage County:
    [ssquf] Alternative 1, No Action Alternative.
    [ssquf] Alternative 2, Emphasize Oil and Gas Development. Minimize 
the number of permit Conditions of Approval (COAs) to allow producers 
wider latitude in determining the methods by which they will comply 
with applicable laws and regulations, such as the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973 and Clean Water Act of 1972.
    [ssquf] Alternative 3, Hybrid Development. A hybrid approach, by 
applying additional protective COAs in sections with low levels of 
historical oil and gas development minimizing the number of COAs in 
sections with high levels of historical oil and gas development. The 
BIA would not approve permits for new ground-disturbing oil and gas 
development activities in certain sensitive areas.
    [ssquf] Alternative 4, Enhanced Resource Protection. Apply 
additional protective COAs in all areas and implement well-spacing 
requirements. The BIA would not approve permits for new ground-
disturbing oil and gas development activities in certain sensitive 
areas.
    The alternatives represent the range of reasonable actions that 
could be taken to satisfy the purpose of and need for the BIA's action. 
All alternatives incorporate measures necessary to address impacts on 
air quality, water resources, cultural resources, public health and 
safety, threatened and endangered species, and socioeconomics among 
other things. The Osage Draft EIS (DEIS), published on November 22, 
2019, did not identify a preferred alternative because the BIA did not 
have one at that time. The BIA identified Alternative 3, Hybrid 
Development, as the preferred alternative in the FEIS.
    Under all alternatives, the FEIS would serve as the NEPA review for 
the approval of leases and workover permits that do not require new 
ground disturbance. Site-specific environmental assessments (EAs) would 
be required for drilling and workover permits involving new ground 
disturbance but would be tiered to the analysis in the FEIS. Additional 
site-specific terms and conditions could be required prior to 
authorization of future oil and gas development activities.

    Authority: This notice of availability is published in 
accordance with Section 1503.1 of the Council on Environmental 
Quality regulations (40 CFR 1500 et seq.) and the Department of the 
Interior Regulations (43 CFR part 46) implementing the procedural 
requirements of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and in accordance 
with the authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary, Indian 
Affairs, in Part 209 of the Departmental Manual.

Tara Sweeney,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020-22783 Filed 10-15-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P