[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 81 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 25684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08913]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_Wyoming_FRN_MO4500168505]


Notice of Termination of Preparation of Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project, Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of termination.

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SUMMARY: The preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project is no longer required, and 
the process is hereby terminated.

DATES: The EIS development process for Hiawatha Regional Energy 
Development Project is terminated immediately.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: T.J. Franklin, Supervisory Natural 
Resource Specialist, Rock Springs Field Office, [email protected], 
307-352-0318. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, 
hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services for contacting 
Mr. Franklin. Individuals outside the United States should use the 
relay services offered within their country to make international calls 
to the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 6, 2006, the BLM initiated 
analysis of the Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project by 
publishing in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS 
and hold an associated scoping period (71 FR 52571). The EIS would have 
analyzed the No Action Alternative and three action alternatives, 
focused on achieving full field development in line with resource 
concerns.
    The original Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project proposal, 
submitted by Questar Exploration and Production Company and Wexpro 
Company, involved drilling about 4,208 wells and associated 
infrastructure such as well pads, production and storage equipment, and 
access roads on approximately 157,361 acres of existing oil and gas 
leases managed by BLM Wyoming and BLM Colorado, the States of Wyoming 
and Colorado, and private landowners in both states over a 20- to 30-
year time period. The BLM administers approximately 143,159 surface 
acres of the original proposed project area. The State of Wyoming 
manages 6,338 acres, the State of Colorado manages 4,806 acres, and 
private landowners manage 3,058 surface acres.
    In 2014, the original proponents revised their proposal downward to 
2,200 vertically, directionally, and horizontally drilled wells on the 
same surface area over a 27- to 81-year period. Approximately two-
thirds of the total proposed wells would have been in the Wyoming 
portion of the project area, and one-third would have been in the 
Colorado portion. In 2016, the proponents further reduced the proposal 
to 449 wells, with all oil and gas operations located on 47,407 acres 
in Wyoming.
    The BLM was preparing the Draft EIS for the Hiawatha Regional 
Energy Development Project as revised in 2014, but halted work when the 
current proponents elected to temporarily stop funding the analysis in 
2016. The proponents canceled the proposal by letter dated February 5, 
2019. Any new proposal for development in the area will be subject to 
National Environmental Policy Act analysis, and the existing Hiawatha 
Programmatic Agreement for cultural resources would be amended 
accordingly. Because the proponents notified the BLM Rock Springs Field 
Office of their decision to cancel the proposal, the BLM is canceling 
the planning process and terminating its preparation of the Draft EIS.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)

Andrew Archuleta,
Wyoming State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-08913 Filed 4-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-26-P