83 FR 3767 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Converse County Oil and Gas Project, Converse County, Wyoming
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 18 (January 26, 2018)
Bureau of Land Management
Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 18 (January 26, 2018)
| Page Range | 3767-3768 | |
| FR Document | 2018-01320 |
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 18 (Friday, January 26, 2018)] [Notices] [Pages 3767-3768] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2018-01320] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLWYP06000.LL13100000.DB0000.17X] Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Converse County Oil and Gas Project, Converse County, Wyoming AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as the lead Federal agency, and the United States Forest Service (USFS), participating as a cooperating agency, have prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) that evaluates, analyzes, and discloses to the public direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of a proposal to develop oil and natural gas in Converse County, Wyoming. This notice announces a 45-day public comment period to meet the requirements of NEPA and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive written comments on the Converse County Oil and Gas Project Draft EIS within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its 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 http://bit.ly/2oxHxeq. ADDRESSES: Comments on the Converse County Oil and Gas Project may be submitted by any of the following methods:Website: http://bit.ly/2oxHxeq. Email: blm_wy_casper_wymail@blm.gov. Fax: 307-261-7587. Mail or hand delivery: Converse County Oil and Gas Project EIS, BLM Casper Field Office, Attn: Mike Robinson, Project Manager, 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, WY 82604; USFS Douglas Ranger District Office, 2250 East Richards Street, Douglas, WY 82633; and BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, WY 82009. Interested persons may also view the documents online at: http://bit.ly/2oxHxeq. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Robinson, Project Manager, telephone: 307-261-7520; address: 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604; email: blm_wy_casper_wymail@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above person 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, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Devon Energy, EOG Resources, Inc., and SM Energy, proposes 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 USFS. 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 percent of the 64 percent) of the Federal mineral ownership of land within the CCPA. The Draft EIS describes and analyzes the impacts of the OG's Proposed Action (Alternative B) and two alternatives, the No Action Alternative (Alternative A) and Alterative C. Additional alternatives were considered, but eliminated from detailed analysis. All alternatives incorporate best management practices [[Page 3768]] for oil and gas development and other measures necessary to address impacts to air quality, cultural resources, historic trails, public safety, recreational opportunities, threatened and endangered species, socioeconomic, transportation, vegetation, visual resources, water, wildlife habitats including Greater Sage-grouse and Greater Sage-grouse Priority Habitat Management Areas, and other relevant issues. The following is a summary of the alternatives: 1. Alternative A: The No Action Alternative assumes that approval of the OG's proposed Project would be denied and new drilling would continue under approval of the appropriate permitting agency. 2. Alternative B: The Proposed Action Alternative, which is also the Agency Preferred Alternative, consists of the OG's proposal to explore and develop potentially productive subsurface formations underlying the CCPA by drilling up to approximately 5,000 oil and natural gas wells on 1,500 single and multi-well pads within the CCPA over a period of 10 years. The production life of each well is estimated to be approximately 30 years. The OG would develop the CCPA using directional, vertical, horizontal, and other drilling techniques, as well as to develop infrastructure to support oil and gas production in the CCPA, including: Well pads, roads, pipelines, power lines, compressor stations, electrical substations, and ancillary facilities such as water supply wells and water disposal facilities. The total estimated new surface disturbance for development under Alternative B would be approximately 52,667 acres. This alternative includes requesting full-season exceptions, excluding USFS Administered lands (i.e. year-round drilling), to multiple timing limitation stipulations which serve to protect several wildlife species in the project area. 3. Alternative C: This alternative would reduce the surface disturbance and related impacts from oil and gas development based on assumptions that a higher average number of wells would be drilled from each pad. Specifically, 55 percent of well pads in the CCPA would have up to 4 wells, 35 percent of well pads in the CCPA would have 5 to 8 wells, and 10 percent of well pads in the CCPA would have 9 to 16 wells. This would provide for drilling the same number of wells (5,000) under the same drilling rate (500 wells per year) as Alternative B. Furthermore, this would reduce the total number of well pads to 938, which would reduce the miles of access roads, gas gathering pipelines, water pipelines, and overhead electrical lines needed, as well as the acreage encumbered by the proposed project. The total estimated new surface disturbance for development under Alternative C would be approximately 37,267 acres. This alternative would require that multiple timing stipulations be applied as outlined in the BLM RMP and the USFS LRMP, thus not allowing for year-round drilling. The BLM NEPA Handbook (H-1790-1) calls for expression of the BLM's preferred alternative in the Draft EIS if one exists (BLM 2008c). The BLM selected Alternative B, the Proposed Action, as a preferred alternative for the Converse County Oil and Gas Development Project. The BLM believes that the Proposed Action has the necessary elements that would address the purpose and need for the Draft EIS and will review public comments on the Draft before the preferred alternative is identified in the Final EIS. The No Action Alternative (Alternative A) and each of the action alternatives (Alternative B and C) are discussed in terms of alternative-specific activities and schedule, design features, and surface disturbance summaries. Alternatives considered, but eliminated from detailed analysis also are discussed. The analysis of each alternative focuses on the new disturbance that would occur under each alternative and would be in addition to existing and permitted disturbance. The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2014 (79 FR 28538). Key issues identified during scoping included: Potential impacts on private landowners over Federal mineral estate; socioeconomic impacts on local communities and residents, including new jobs and economic activity in the community, as well as 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 Greater 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 and the USFS ask that those submitting comments make them as specific as possible with reference to chapters, page numbers, and paragraphs in the Draft EIS document. 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. Comments that contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response; however, they will be considered and included as part of the BLM and the USFS decision-making process. The most useful comments are those that include new technical or scientific information, identification of data gaps in the impact analysis, or technical or scientific rationale for opinions or preference. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10) Mary Jo Rugwell, State Director, Wyoming. [FR Doc. 2018-01320 Filed 1-25-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 18 / Friday, January 26, 2018 / Notices 3767
San Bernardino and Base Meridian, Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, Documents pertinent to this proposal
California 43 CFR 2200 may be examined at the following
T. 5 S., R. 5 E., Douglas J. Herrema, offices:
Section 7, • BLM Casper Field Office, 2987
Field Manager, Palm Springs—South Coast
Section 19, Field Office. Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604;
Section 20, W1/2W1/2. • USFS Douglas Ranger District
[FR Doc. 2018–01437 Filed 1–25–18; 8:45 am]
The area described aggregates 1,471.24 Office, 2250 East Richards Street,
BILLING CODE 4310–40–P
acres. Douglas, WY 82633; and
• BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353
The purpose of the land exchange is Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, WY
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 82009.
to reduce the extent of ‘‘checkerboard’’
land ownership, thereby providing the Bureau of Land Management Interested persons may also view the
BLM and the Tribe with more effective documents online at: http://bit.ly/
and efficient land management [LLWYP06000.LL13100000.DB0000.17X] 2oxHxeq.
responsibilities within the Monument. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The public interest will be well served Notice of Availability of the Draft Mike Robinson, Project Manager,
by making this exchange. Environmental Impact Statement for telephone: 307–261–7520; address: 2987
Lands acquired by the BLM will be the Converse County Oil and Gas Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604;
managed in accordance with applicable Project, Converse County, Wyoming email: blm_wy_casper_wymail@blm.gov.
statutes and regulations, as well as the Persons who use a telecommunications
AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management,
California Desert Conservation Area device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Interior.
Plan, as amended, and the Santa Rosa Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–
and San Jacinto Mountains National ACTION: Notice of availability. 877–8339 to contact the above person
Monument Management Plan. Lands SUMMARY: In accordance with the during normal business hours. The FRS
acquired by the Tribe will be managed National Environmental Policy Act of is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
in accordance with its Land Use 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of week, to leave a message or question
Ordinance, Indian Canyons Master Plan, Land Management (BLM) as the lead with the above individual. You will
and Tribal Habitat Conservation Plan. Federal agency, and the United States receive a reply during normal business
In 2008, the proposed land exchange Forest Service (USFS), participating as a hours.
was announced in a Notice of Exchange cooperating agency, have prepared a SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An
Proposal (NOEP), which included a 45- Draft Environmental Impact Statement Operator Group (OG) comprised of
day public comment period. In 2010, an (Draft EIS) that evaluates, analyzes, and Anadarko Petroleum Company,
Environmental Assessment was released discloses to the public direct, indirect, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Devon
for public review, which allowed for a and cumulative environmental impacts Energy, EOG Resources, Inc., and SM
30-day comment period. Based on their of a proposal to develop oil and natural Energy, proposes to develop oil and gas
findings, the BLM determined that gas in Converse County, Wyoming. This leases within the Converse County
preparation of an EIS was necessary. notice announces a 45-day public Project Area (CCPA) in Converse
comment period to meet the County, Wyoming.
In 2012, the BLM initiated a public The CCPA encompasses
scoping process and subsequently requirements of NEPA and section 106
of the National Historic Preservation approximately 1.5 million acres of land,
released a Draft EIS with a 90-day of which approximately 88,466 surface
public comment period, which Act.
acres (6 percent of the CCPA) are public
concluded on March 29, 2015. DATES: To ensure that comments will be lands administered by the BLM and
Comments on the Draft EIS received considered, the BLM must receive approximately 63,911 surface acres (4
from the public and internal BLM written comments on the Converse percent of the CCPA) are administered
review were considered and County Oil and Gas Project Draft EIS by the USFS. The remaining surface
incorporated as appropriate into the within 45 days following the date the estate consists of approximately 101,012
Final EIS. The BLM concluded that Environmental Protection Agency surface acres (7 percent) administered
changes to the Draft EIS were minor, publishes its Notice of Availability in by the State of Wyoming and
and as a result, an abbreviated Final EIS the Federal Register. The BLM will approximately 1,247,477 surface acres
was completed. Those changes were announce future meetings and any other (83 percent) that are privately owned.
primarily related to the exchange value public involvement activities at least 15 The BLM administers approximately
equalization efforts based on a current days in advance through public notices, 964,525 acres of mineral estate (64
appraisal. As a result, the amount of media releases, mailings, and/or at the percent) within the CCPA. Split estate
trails that were identified for disposal BLM website http://bit.ly/2oxHxeq. lands, lands with private surface and
by the BLM were reduced. ADDRESSES: Comments on the Converse Federal mineral ownership, comprise
Before including your phone number, County Oil and Gas Project may be approximately 812,189 acres of those
email address, or other personal submitted by any of the following 964,525 acres (54 percent of the 64
identifying information in your protest, methods: percent) of the Federal mineral
you should be aware that your entire • Website: http://bit.ly/2oxHxeq. ownership of land within the CCPA.
protest—including your personal • Email: blm_wy_casper_wymail@ The Draft EIS describes and analyzes
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
identifying information—may be made blm.gov. the impacts of the OG’s Proposed Action
publicly available at any time. While • Fax: 307–261–7587. (Alternative B) and two alternatives, the
you can ask the BLM in your protest to • Mail or hand delivery: Converse No Action Alternative (Alternative A)
withhold your personal identifying County Oil and Gas Project EIS, BLM and Alterative C. Additional alternatives
information from public review, we Casper Field Office, Attn: Mike were considered, but eliminated from
cannot guarantee that we will be able to Robinson, Project Manager, 2987 detailed analysis. All alternatives
do so. Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604. incorporate best management practices
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![3768 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 18 / Friday, January 26, 2018 / Notices
for oil and gas development and other pipelines, water pipelines, and and paragraphs in the Draft EIS
measures necessary to address impacts overhead electrical lines needed, as well document.
to air quality, cultural resources, as the acreage encumbered by the Before including your address, phone
historic trails, public safety, recreational proposed project. The total estimated number, email address, or other
opportunities, threatened and new surface disturbance for personal identifying information in your
endangered species, socioeconomic, development under Alternative C would comment, you should be aware that
transportation, vegetation, visual be approximately 37,267 acres. This your entire comment—including your
resources, water, wildlife habitats alternative would require that multiple personal identifying information—may
including Greater Sage-grouse and timing stipulations be applied as be made publicly available at any time.
Greater Sage-grouse Priority Habitat outlined in the BLM RMP and the USFS While you can ask us in your comment
Management Areas, and other relevant LRMP, thus not allowing for year-round to withhold your personal identifying
issues. The following is a summary of drilling. information from public review, we
the alternatives: The BLM NEPA Handbook (H–1790– cannot guarantee that we will be able to
1. Alternative A: The No Action 1) calls for expression of the BLM’s do so. Comments that contain only
Alternative assumes that approval of the preferred alternative in the Draft EIS if opinions or preferences will not receive
OG’s proposed Project would be denied one exists (BLM 2008c). The BLM a formal response; however, they will be
and new drilling would continue under selected Alternative B, the Proposed considered and included as part of the
approval of the appropriate permitting Action, as a preferred alternative for the BLM and the USFS decision-making
agency. Converse County Oil and Gas process. The most useful comments are
2. Alternative B: The Proposed Action Development Project. The BLM believes those that include new technical or
Alternative, which is also the Agency that the Proposed Action has the scientific information, identification of
Preferred Alternative, consists of the necessary elements that would address data gaps in the impact analysis, or
OG’s proposal to explore and develop the purpose and need for the Draft EIS technical or scientific rationale for
potentially productive subsurface and will review public comments on the opinions or preference.
formations underlying the CCPA by Draft before the preferred alternative is
drilling up to approximately 5,000 oil identified in the Final EIS. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)
and natural gas wells on 1,500 single The No Action Alternative Mary Jo Rugwell,
and multi-well pads within the CCPA (Alternative A) and each of the action State Director, Wyoming.
over a period of 10 years. The alternatives (Alternative B and C) are [FR Doc. 2018–01320 Filed 1–25–18; 8:45 am]
production life of each well is estimated discussed in terms of alternative-
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
to be approximately 30 years. The OG specific activities and schedule, design
would develop the CCPA using features, and surface disturbance
directional, vertical, horizontal, and summaries. Alternatives considered, but
other drilling techniques, as well as to eliminated from detailed analysis also INTERNATIONAL TRADE
develop infrastructure to support oil are discussed. The analysis of each COMMISSION
and gas production in the CCPA, alternative focuses on the new
including: Well pads, roads, pipelines, disturbance that would occur under [USITC SE–18–005]
power lines, compressor stations, each alternative and would be in
electrical substations, and ancillary addition to existing and permitted Change to Date and Time of
facilities such as water supply wells and disturbance. Government in the Sunshine Act
water disposal facilities. The total The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS Meeting Notice
estimated new surface disturbance for was published in the Federal Register
development under Alternative B would on May 16, 2014 (79 FR 28538). Key AGENCY HOLDING THE MEETING: United
be approximately 52,667 acres. This issues identified during scoping States International Trade Commission.
alternative includes requesting full- included: Potential impacts on private ORIGINAL TIME AND DATE: January 25,
season exceptions, excluding USFS landowners over Federal mineral estate; 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Administered lands (i.e. year-round socioeconomic impacts on local NEW DATE AND TIME: January 26, 2018 at
drilling), to multiple timing limitation communities and residents, including 2:30 p.m.
stipulations which serve to protect new jobs and economic activity in the PLACE: Room 100, 500 E Street SW,
several wildlife species in the project community, as well as increased noise, Washington, DC 20436, Telephone:
area. traffic, and population growth; potential (202) 205–2000.
3. Alternative C: This alternative impacts on air quality and climate
would reduce the surface disturbance STATUS: Open to the public.
change; potential impacts to
and related impacts from oil and gas groundwater and surface water supply In accordance with 19 CFR
development based on assumptions that and quality; potential impacts to 201.35(d)(2)(i), the Commission hereby
a higher average number of wells would historic trails; enforcement of gives notice that the Commission has
be drilled from each pad. Specifically, reclamation and other mitigation on determined to change the date and time
55 percent of well pads in the CCPA non-Federal lands; impacts to area of the meeting originally scheduled for
would have up to 4 wells, 35 percent of recreation, grazing, and hunting; the January 25, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. to January
well pads in the CCPA would have 5 to potential to impact Greater Sage-grouse, 26, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. to consider Inv.
8 wells, and 10 percent of well pads in migratory birds, big game and other Nos. 701–TA–578 and 731–TA–1386
the CCPA would have 9 to 16 wells. wildlife; and adequate analysis of (Final) (100- to 150-Seat Large Civil
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
This would provide for drilling the cumulative impacts. Aircraft from Canada).
same number of wells (5,000) under the The public is encouraged to comment In accordance with Commission
same drilling rate (500 wells per year) on any and all portions of the policy, subject matter listed above, not
as Alternative B. Furthermore, this document. The BLM and the USFS ask disposed of at the scheduled meeting,
would reduce the total number of well that those submitting comments make may be carried over to the agenda of the
pads to 938, which would reduce the them as specific as possible with following meeting.
miles of access roads, gas gathering reference to chapters, page numbers, By order of the Commission:
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Document Created: 2018-10-26 10:07:19
Document Modified: 2018-10-26 10:07:19
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of availability. | |
| Dates | To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive written comments on the Converse County Oil and Gas Project Draft EIS within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its 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 http://bit.ly/2oxHxeq. | |
| Contact | Mike Robinson, Project Manager, | |
| FR Citation | 83 FR 3767 |
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