Osage County Oil and Gas Final Environmental Impact Statement, Osage County, Oklahoma, 65869 [2020-22783]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 201 / Friday, October 16, 2020 / Notices
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
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
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.
SUMMARY:
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/easternoklahoma/osage-agency/osage-oil-andgas-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:
mosby.halterman@bia.gov; 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
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:59 Oct 15, 2020
Jkt 253001
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:
D Alternative 1, No Action
Alternative.
D 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.
D 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.
D Alternative 4, Enhanced Resource
Protection. Apply additional protective
COAs in all areas and implement wellspacing requirements. The BIA would
not approve permits for new grounddisturbing 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00082
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65869
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
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0030991;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural
Items: University of California
Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The University of California
Berkeley, in consultation with the
appropriate Indian Tribes or Native
Hawaiian organizations, has determined
that the cultural items listed in this
notice meet the definition of sacred
objects and objects of cultural
patrimony. Lineal descendants or
representatives of any Indian Tribe or
Native Hawaiian organization not
identified in this notice that wish to
claim these cultural items should
submit a written request to the Office of
the Vice Chancellor for Research,
University of California Berkeley. If no
additional claimants come forward,
transfer of control of the cultural items
to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes,
or Native Hawaiian organizations stated
in this notice may proceed.
DATES: Lineal descendants or
representatives of any Indian Tribe or
Native Hawaiian organization not
identified in this notice that wish to
claim these cultural items should
submit a written request with
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM
16OCN1
]]>Agencies
[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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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
