[Federal Register: January 13, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 2270-2271]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13ja06-126]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY-100-06-1310-DB]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Jonah Infill Drilling Project, Sublette
County, WY
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and associated
regulations, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the
availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that
evaluates, analyzes, and discloses to the public direct, indirect, and
cumulative environmental impacts of a proposal to further develop the
Jonah natural gas field through infill drilling in Sublette County,
Wyoming.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the FEIS has been sent to affected Federal, State,
and local government agencies, and to interested parties.
An electronic copy of the FEIS may be viewed or downloaded from the
BLM Web site at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/nepadocs.htm. Copies of the
FEIS are available for public inspection at the following BLM office
locations:
Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office, 5353
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Bureau of Land Management, Pinedale Field Office, 432 East
Mill Street, Pinedale, Wyoming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mike Stiewig, Project Manager, BLM
Pinedale Field Office, 432 East Mill Street, Pinedale, Wyoming 82941.
Mr. Stiewig may also be reached at (307) 367-5363.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to a proposal submitted by
EnCana Oil and Gas (USA), Inc. (EnCana), BP America Production Company
(BP), and other companies, referred to collectively as the Companies,
the BLM published in the March 13, 2003, Federal Register a Notice of
Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The
Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published in February 2005. On
April 14, 2005, the BLM notified the public of its intent to prepare
supplemental air quality information and that comments on the DEIS Air
Quality information would continue to be accepted until the
supplemental information was completed. On August 9, 2005, the BLM
announced the availability of the JIDP DEIS supplemental air quality
information and summary and a 60 day review period during which BLM
would accept comments.
The Jonah Infill Drilling Project Area (JIDPA) covers approximately
30,500 acres in Townships 28 and 29 North, Ranges 107, 108, and 109
West, 6th Principal Meridian, approximately 32 miles southeast of
Pinedale, Sublette County, Wyoming. The FEIS analyzes a proposal by the
Companies to infill drill and develop Federal natural gas resources in
an area known as the Jonah Field. The Companies' proposal includes
drilling 3,100 additional natural gas wells and constructing associated
ancillary transportation and transmission facilities within the JIDPA.
The proposed life of the project (LOP) is approximately 76 years, with
the majority of drilling and development activities to occur within the
first 12 years following approval of the BLM Record of Decision (ROD).
The total 30,500 acre project area comprises approximately 28,580 acres
of Federal surface and mineral estate administered by the BLM, 1,280
acres of State of Wyoming surface and mineral, and 640 acres of split
estate (private surface/Federal mineral) lands. To offset expected
impacts from closely spaced infill drilling, EnCana has volunteered
varying levels of off-site compensatory mitigation based on the level
of new surface disturbance authorized in the ROD for this project.
The FEIS describes in detail and analyzes the impacts of five
alternatives, including the No Action Alternative and the Companies'
Proposed Action. The following is a summary of the alternatives:
1. Proposed Action--Up to 3100 new gas wells would be drilled and
developed, with associated ancillary facilities, on up to 16,200 acres
of new surface disturbance. Bottom-hole well spacing is expected to
range from 16 wells per 640-acre section (40-acre spacing) to 128 wells
per section (5-acre well spacing). Additionally, compensatory (off-
site) mitigation has been volunteered by EnCana.
2. No Action Alternative--The no action alternative means that the
project as proposed would not be approved.
3. Alternative A--This alternative proposes to maximize economic
recovery of gas resources. New surface disturbance would be comparable
to the Proposed Action, but many of the existing BLM Conditions of
Approval, stipulations and mitigations would be exempted.
4. Alternative B--This alternative proposes to minimize surface
disturbance by requiring directional drilling from existing well pads.
This alternative requires expansion of existing well pads but results
in the least amount of new surface disturbance while still providing
for a higher level of resource recovery.
5. Alternative C (Agency Preferred)--This alternative proposes to
achieve high levels of natural gas recovery approaching that of the
Proposed Action, while minimizing resource impacts by the use of
outcome-based performance objectives, mitigation, and Best Management
Practices. This alternative manages surface disturbance on a field-wide
level, not to exceed 46 percent at any given time. Once interim
reclamation meets BLM standards, credit would be applied to the
allowable surface disturbance acreage limits. Maximum cumulative
surface disturbance or number of wells would not exceed those of the
proposed action.
[[Page 2271]]
Features common to all action alternatives: The Companies would
agree to some ``operator committed'' mitigation measures when operating
on Federal surface lands.
DATES: The FEIS will be available for review for 30 calendar days
following the date that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes its NOA in the Federal Register. A Record of Decision (ROD)
will be prepared following the close of the 30 day review period.
How To Submit Comments
Comments may be mailed directly or delivered to the BLM at: Jonah
Infill Drilling Project FEIS, Project Manager, Bureau of Land
Management, Pinedale Field Office, 432 East Mill Street, PO Box 768,
Pinedale, Wyoming 82941.
You may mail comments electronically to
WYMail_Jonah_Infill@blm.gov. Please put ``Attention: Mike Stiewig'' in the subject
line.
To receive full consideration by the BLM all FEIS comment
submittals must include the commenter's name and street address.
Our practice is to make comments, including the names and street
addresses of each respondent, available for public review at the BLM
office listed above during the business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.),
Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays. Your comments may
be published as part of the EIS process. Individual respondents may
request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name or street
address, or both, from public review or from disclosure under the
Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the
beginning of your written comments.
Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. We will
not consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations or
businesses will be made available for public inspection in their
entirety.
Dated: December 1, 2005.
Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 06-283 Filed 1-12-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P