Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Continental Divide-Creston Natural Gas Project, Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, WY, 10989-10990 [E6-3043]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 2006 / Notices published four times in the Tundra Drums. The time limits for filing an appeal are: 1. Any party claiming a property interest which is adversely affected by the decision shall have until April 3, 2006 to file an appeal. 2. Parties receiving service of the decision by certified mail shall have 30 days from the date of receipt to file an appeal. Parties who do not file an appeal in accordance with the requirements of 43 CFR part 4, Subpart E, shall be deemed to have waived their rights. ADDRESSES: A copy of the decision may be obtained from: Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office, 222 West Seventh Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513–7599. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: D. Kay Erben, by phone at (907) 271–4515, or by e-mail at kay_erben@ak.blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunication device (TTD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 800–877–8330, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to contact Mrs. Erben. DATES: D. Kay Erben, Land Law Examiner, Branch of Adjudication II. [FR Doc. E6–3044 Filed 3–2–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [WY–030–1310–DB] Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Continental Divide—Creston Natural Gas Project, Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, WY Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and to conduct public scoping for the Continental Divide—Creston Natural Gas Project, Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming. wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: Under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Rawlins Field Office, announces its intent to prepare an EIS on the potential impacts of a proposed natural gas development project consisting primarily of conventional natural gas well development with some coalbed natural gas wells. VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:43 Mar 02, 2006 Jkt 208001 In April 2005, Devon Energy Corporation (Devon), representing itself and other lease holders, submitted to BLM a proposal to drill and develop up to 1,250 wells from an estimated 1,000 well pads and associated facilities. The Devon proposal was named ‘‘Creston/ Blue Gap II Natural Gas Project.’’ The BLM published its NOI to prepare an EIS for this project in the Federal Register on September 8, 2005. In November 2005, BP America Production Company (BP), representing itself and other lease holders, submitted a proposal to drill and develop up to 7,700 wells and associated facilities within a portion of the Continental Divide/Wamsutter II (CD/W2) Natural Gas Project area adjacent to the Creston/ Blue Gap II EIS (CBC2) project area. Upon reviewing BP’s proposal the BLM determined that the CD/W2 proposal and the CBC2 proposal were similar actions within the same geographic area, with similar timing. Based on these factors, the BLM has determined that the best way to analyze these actions and identify their cumulative impacts adequately is to treat them in a single impact statement. The combined proposals, henceforth known as the Continental Divide—Creston (CDC) Natural Gas Project, will be considered in one EIS. DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. The BLM can best use public input if comments and resources information are submitted within 60 days of the publication of this notice. To provide the public with an opportunity to review the proposal and project information, the BLM will host a scoping meeting in Rawlins, Wyoming. The BLM will notify the public of the meeting date, time, and location at least 15 days prior to the event. Announcement will be made by news release to the media, individual letter mailings, and posting on the BLM Web site listed below, if it is available. ADDRESSES: Please send written comments or resource information to the Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office, Eldon Allison, Team Leader, 1300 North Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301. Electronic mail may be sent to: rawlins_wymail@blm.gov. The scoping notice will be posted on the Wyoming BLM NEPA Web page at https:// www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/nepadocs.htm. Prior comments submitted in response to the September 8, 2005, NOI for the CBG2 EIS will be considered along with comments received from the CDC EIS scoping. If you have submitted comments in response to the CBG2 EIS and would like to supplement them in PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 10989 light of the combined proposals announced here, the BLM will accept supplemental comments during the public scoping period for CDC Natural Gas Development EIS. In your submittal please note that you have provided comments or resource information during the initial scoping period for the CBG2 EIS. All responses will be considered in the environmental analysis process. If you do respond, we will keep you informed of decisions resulting from this analysis. Please note that public comments and information submitted regarding this project, including names and email and street addresses of the respondents, will be available for public review and disclosure at the above address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name, e-mail address, or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this plainly at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by the law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management, Eldon Allison, Project Manager, 1300 North Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301. Mr. Allison may also be reached by telephone at (307) 328–4291, or by email to: rawlins_wymail@blm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Continental Divide—Creston Natural Gas Project is located in Townships 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 North, Ranges 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97 and 98 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming. The project area is about 25 air miles west of the city of Rawlins, Wyoming and comprises 1.1 million acres of mostly Federal (59 percent) and private (39 percent) surface, with some State land (2 percent). The BLM Rawlins Field Office manages the Federal surface lands and the Federal mineral estate. The proposed project is further development of natural gas fields previously analyzed for field development under the Continental Divide/Wamsutter II Natural Gas Project (CDW2) EIS and Record of Decision (2000) and the Creston/Blue Gap (CBG) EIS and Record of Decision (1994). E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM 03MRN1 wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES 10990 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 42 / Friday, March 3, 2006 / Notices Development to date includes 1,805 active wells and 394 plugged and reclaimed wells within the CDW2 area. Currently within the CBG project area, 369 wells are active and 105 wells have been plugged and reclaimed. Existing infrastructure developed for CDW2 and CBG projects approved under previous environmental documents include: Arterial, collector, and well pad roads; compressor stations; connecting and sales pipelines; water wells; and powerlines. BP America Production Company, the lead applicant representing itself, Devon, and other leaseholders, has proposed drilling and developing about 8,950 natural gas wells, including 100 to 500 coalbed natural gas wells, within the Continental Divide—Creston (CDC) project area. Wells would use a combination of vertical and directional drilling techniques. The proposal calls for a 15-year construction period with a 30 to 40 year life of project development and operational period. Associated project facilities would include additional roads, gas and water collection pipelines, compressor stations, water disposal systems, and an electrical distribution system. During the preparation of the EIS, any interim development on public lands within the CDC project area will require a detailed environmental review by the BLM. The purpose of the development is to extract and recover natural gas from the Continental Divide—Creston area for distribution to consumers. This project would help meet the need, goals and objectives of the President’s National Energy Plan. Natural gas consumption in the United States is expected to increase by 25% over the next decade. The EIS will analyze the environmental consequences of implementing the proposed action and alternatives. Identified agency concerns include, but are not limited to direct, indirect and cumulative effects to: Surface and ground water resources; air quality; wildlife populations and their habitats; cultural and paleontological resources; threatened and endangered wildlife and plant species; and local and regional socioeconomics. Other issues of concern include access to private and public land; impacts of road development and transportation to noxious weed control and livestock grazing operations; ability to successfully reclaim disturbed areas. In addition to the Proposed Action, the EIS will analyze the effects of a No Action alternative. Contents for alternatives being considered include: A range of drilling surface densities; phased development; a range of VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:43 Mar 02, 2006 Jkt 208001 mitigation measures; and best management practices. The proposed development is in conformance with the 1990 Great Divide Resource Management Plan (RMP). This RMP is currently being revised under the title Rawlins Resource Management Plan. BLM released the Draft EIS for the Rawlins RMP in December 2004. Robert A. Bennett, State Director. [FR Doc. E6–3043 Filed 3–2–06; 8:45 am] monitoring funding sources, and overall adaptive management implementation as it applies to the PAWG. At a minimum, public comments will be heard prior to lunch and adjournment of the meeting. Dated: February 24, 2006. Kathy Gunderman, Acting Field Office Manager. [FR Doc. 06–2028 Filed 3–2–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–22–P BILLING CODE 4310–22–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Minerals Management Service Bureau of Land Management Notice of Public Scoping Meetings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed 5-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007–2012 [WY–100–05–1310–DB] Notice of Meetings of the Pinedale Anticline Working Group Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of public meetings. AGENCY: SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (1976) and the Federal Advisory Committee Act (1972), the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) will meet in Pinedale, Wyoming, for a business meeting. Group meetings are open to the public. DATES: The PAWG will meet March 21, April 20, May 16, June 20, and August 1, 2006, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. ADDRESSES: The meeting of the PAWG will be held in the Lovatt room of the Pinedale Library, 155 S. Tyler Ave., Pinedale, WY. The June 20 meeting will be a field trip. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Anderson, BLM/PAWG Liaison, Bureau of Land Management, Pinedale Field Office, 432 E. Mills St., PO Box 738, Pinedale, WY 82941; 307–367–5328. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Pinedale Anticline Working Group (PAWG) was authorized and established with release of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Pinedale Anticline Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Project on July 27, 2000. The PAWG advises the BLM on the development and implementation of monitoring plans and adaptive management decisions as development of the Pinedale Anticline Natural Gas Field proceeds for the life of the field. The agenda for these meetings will include discussions concerning any modifications task groups may wish to make to their monitoring recommendations, a discussion on PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) will hold Public Scoping Meetings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007–2012. Pursuant to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the MMS will hold Public Scoping Meetings on the Draft EIS for the 2007–2012 OCS Oil and Gas 5-Year Leasing Program. The MMS stated its intent to prepare an EIS in the August 24, 2005, Federal Register notice and Request for Information (RFI). In the Draft Proposed Program (DPP) and Federal Register notice and RFI on February 9, 2006, the MMS again solicited comments and provided procedures for submitting them, and again stated its intent to hold Public Scoping Meetings. The following Public Scoping Meetings are planned for the DEIS development. Dates and Locations for Public Scoping Meetings March 6, 2006—Inupiat Heritage Center, Barrow, Alaska, 7 p.m. Contact: Mr. Albert Barros, 907–334–5209. March 7, 2006—Qargi Center, Kaktovik, Alaska, 7 p.m. Contact: Mr. Albert Barros, 907–334–5209. March 8, 2006—Kisik Community Center, Nuiqsut, Alaska, 6 p.m. Contact: Mr. Albert Barros, 907–334– 5209. March 9, 2006—Arctic Slope Native Association Building, Wainwright, Alaska, 3 p.m. Contact Mr. Albert Barros, 907–334–5209. March 13, 2006—City of Dillingham Council Chambers, Dillingham, Alaska, 7 p.m. Contact: Mr. Albert Barros, 907–334–5209. E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM 03MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 42 (Friday, March 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10989-10990]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3043]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-030-1310-DB]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Continental Divide--Creston Natural Gas Project, Carbon and 
Sweetwater Counties, WY

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and to conduct public scoping for the Continental 
Divide--Creston Natural Gas Project, Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, 
Wyoming.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Under section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 
Rawlins Field Office, announces its intent to prepare an EIS on the 
potential impacts of a proposed natural gas development project 
consisting primarily of conventional natural gas well development with 
some coalbed natural gas wells.
    In April 2005, Devon Energy Corporation (Devon), representing 
itself and other lease holders, submitted to BLM a proposal to drill 
and develop up to 1,250 wells from an estimated 1,000 well pads and 
associated facilities. The Devon proposal was named ``Creston/Blue Gap 
II Natural Gas Project.'' The BLM published its NOI to prepare an EIS 
for this project in the Federal Register on September 8, 2005.
    In November 2005, BP America Production Company (BP), representing 
itself and other lease holders, submitted a proposal to drill and 
develop up to 7,700 wells and associated facilities within a portion of 
the Continental Divide/Wamsutter II (CD/W2) Natural Gas Project area 
adjacent to the Creston/Blue Gap II EIS (CBC2) project area. Upon 
reviewing BP's proposal the BLM determined that the CD/W2 proposal and 
the CBC2 proposal were similar actions within the same geographic area, 
with similar timing. Based on these factors, the BLM has determined 
that the best way to analyze these actions and identify their 
cumulative impacts adequately is to treat them in a single impact 
statement. The combined proposals, henceforth known as the Continental 
Divide--Creston (CDC) Natural Gas Project, will be considered in one 
EIS.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. The BLM can 
best use public input if comments and resources information are 
submitted within 60 days of the publication of this notice. To provide 
the public with an opportunity to review the proposal and project 
information, the BLM will host a scoping meeting in Rawlins, Wyoming. 
The BLM will notify the public of the meeting date, time, and location 
at least 15 days prior to the event. Announcement will be made by news 
release to the media, individual letter mailings, and posting on the 
BLM Web site listed below, if it is available.

ADDRESSES: Please send written comments or resource information to the 
Bureau of Land Management, Rawlins Field Office, Eldon Allison, Team 
Leader, 1300 North Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301. Electronic 
mail may be sent to: rawlins_wymail@blm.gov. The scoping notice will 
be posted on the Wyoming BLM NEPA Web page at https://www.wy.blm.gov/
nepa/nepadocs.htm.
    Prior comments submitted in response to the September 8, 2005, NOI 
for the CBG2 EIS will be considered along with comments received from 
the CDC EIS scoping. If you have submitted comments in response to the 
CBG2 EIS and would like to supplement them in light of the combined 
proposals announced here, the BLM will accept supplemental comments 
during the public scoping period for CDC Natural Gas Development EIS. 
In your submittal please note that you have provided comments or 
resource information during the initial scoping period for the CBG2 
EIS.
    All responses will be considered in the environmental analysis 
process. If you do respond, we will keep you informed of decisions 
resulting from this analysis. Please note that public comments and 
information submitted regarding this project, including names and email 
and street addresses of the respondents, will be available for public 
review and disclosure at the above address during regular business 
hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday, except holidays. 
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to 
withhold your name, e-mail address, or street address from public 
review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you 
must state this plainly at the beginning of your written comment. Such 
requests will be honored to the extent allowed by the law. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bureau of Land Management, Eldon 
Allison, Project Manager, 1300 North Third Street, Rawlins, Wyoming 
82301. Mr. Allison may also be reached by telephone at (307) 328-4291, 
or by e-mail to: rawlins_wymail@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Continental Divide--Creston Natural Gas 
Project is located in Townships 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 
and 24 North, Ranges 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97 and 98 West, Sixth 
Principal Meridian, Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming. The 
project area is about 25 air miles west of the city of Rawlins, Wyoming 
and comprises 1.1 million acres of mostly Federal (59 percent) and 
private (39 percent) surface, with some State land (2 percent). The BLM 
Rawlins Field Office manages the Federal surface lands and the Federal 
mineral estate.
    The proposed project is further development of natural gas fields 
previously analyzed for field development under the Continental Divide/
Wamsutter II Natural Gas Project (CDW2) EIS and Record of Decision 
(2000) and the Creston/Blue Gap (CBG) EIS and Record of Decision 
(1994).

[[Page 10990]]

Development to date includes 1,805 active wells and 394 plugged and 
reclaimed wells within the CDW2 area. Currently within the CBG project 
area, 369 wells are active and 105 wells have been plugged and 
reclaimed. Existing infrastructure developed for CDW2 and CBG projects 
approved under previous environmental documents include: Arterial, 
collector, and well pad roads; compressor stations; connecting and 
sales pipelines; water wells; and powerlines.
    BP America Production Company, the lead applicant representing 
itself, Devon, and other leaseholders, has proposed drilling and 
developing about 8,950 natural gas wells, including 100 to 500 coalbed 
natural gas wells, within the Continental Divide--Creston (CDC) project 
area. Wells would use a combination of vertical and directional 
drilling techniques. The proposal calls for a 15-year construction 
period with a 30 to 40 year life of project development and operational 
period.
    Associated project facilities would include additional roads, gas 
and water collection pipelines, compressor stations, water disposal 
systems, and an electrical distribution system. During the preparation 
of the EIS, any interim development on public lands within the CDC 
project area will require a detailed environmental review by the BLM.
    The purpose of the development is to extract and recover natural 
gas from the Continental Divide--Creston area for distribution to 
consumers. This project would help meet the need, goals and objectives 
of the President's National Energy Plan. Natural gas consumption in the 
United States is expected to increase by 25% over the next decade.
    The EIS will analyze the environmental consequences of implementing 
the proposed action and alternatives. Identified agency concerns 
include, but are not limited to direct, indirect and cumulative effects 
to: Surface and ground water resources; air quality; wildlife 
populations and their habitats; cultural and paleontological resources; 
threatened and endangered wildlife and plant species; and local and 
regional socioeconomics. Other issues of concern include access to 
private and public land; impacts of road development and transportation 
to noxious weed control and livestock grazing operations; ability to 
successfully reclaim disturbed areas.
    In addition to the Proposed Action, the EIS will analyze the 
effects of a No Action alternative. Contents for alternatives being 
considered include: A range of drilling surface densities; phased 
development; a range of mitigation measures; and best management 
practices.
    The proposed development is in conformance with the 1990 Great 
Divide Resource Management Plan (RMP). This RMP is currently being 
revised under the title Rawlins Resource Management Plan. BLM released 
the Draft EIS for the Rawlins RMP in December 2004.

Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E6-3043 Filed 3-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
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