From: Subject: FR Doc E7-25585 Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:50:59 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E7-25585.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3198 FR Doc E7-25585 
[Federal Register: January 4, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 3)]
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[Page 879]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-080-2005-9141-EJ]

=20
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement=20
for the Chapita Wells--Stagecoach Area (CWSA), Uintah County, UT

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of=20
1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and=20
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of=20
Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact=20
Statement (FEIS) for the Chapita Wells--Stagecoach Area, Uintah County,=20
Utah.

DATES: The 30-day public availability period will begin on the date the=20
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its Notice of=20
Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. To assure that public=20
comments will be considered, the BLM must receive written comments on=20
the FEIS on or before the end of the comment period at the address=20
listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Howard, Project Manager, BLM=20
Vernal Field Office, 170 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078. Ms. Howard=20
may also be reached at 435-781-4400.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the FEIS may be submitted by any of the=20
following methods:
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Vernal Field Office, 170=20
South 500 East, Vernal, Utah 84078.
     E-mail: UT_Vernal_Comments@blm.gov=
.
     Fax: (435) 781-4410.

Please reference the CWSA when submitting your comments. Comments and=20
information submitted on the FEIS for the CWSA, Uintah County, Utah,=20
including names, e-mail addresses, and street addresses of respondents,=20
will be available for public review at the Vernal Field Office address=20
listed above. The BLM will not accept anonymous comments. Before=20
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal=20
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your=20
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be=20
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your=20
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public=20
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All=20
submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals=20
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations=20
or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their=20
entirety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CWSA involves approximately 31,872 acres=20
located in Townships 8 to 10 South, Ranges 22 and 23 East, Salt Lake=20
Base Meridian, about 30 miles south of Vernal, in Uintah County, Utah.=20
Approximately 22,693 acres (71%) of surface and mineral estate are=20
administered by the BLM; approximately 6,577 acres (21%) are owned by=20
the Ute Tribe and/or its allottees and administered by the BIA;=20
approximately 1,914 acres (6%) are administered by the State of Utah's=20
School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA); and the=20
remaining 688 acres (2%) are privately owned.
    The CWSA encompasses an already developed oil and gas field. As of=20
March 2004, the CWSA contained approximately 325 existing gas wells.=20
Also, about 121 miles of roads and 115 miles of pipeline have been=20
constructed within the region.
    A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS was published in the=20
Federal Register on October 1, 2004, which announced the beginning of=20
the scoping period. Nine scoping letters were received from agencies=20
and organizations during the scoping period. The scoping comments were=20
taken into account during the drafting of the EIS. A summary of the=20
scoping comments can be found in section 1.6 of the FEIS.
    A NOA for the Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register on=20
January 20, 2006. During the public comment period, eight comment=20
letters were received from various agencies and organizations. Comments=20
received on the Draft EIS, and the responses to those comments, are=20
found in Chapter 6 of the FEIS.
    The FEIS analyzes the effects of a natural gas and oil development=20
scenario within the CWSA that is conceptual in nature. The final=20
location of well pads, roads, and pipelines will be determined through=20
future site-specific assessments required for each facility. Any=20
additional environmental analyses will be tiered to this FEIS.
    The FEIS analyzes the impacts of the Proposed Action and the No=20
Action Alternative. The following is a summary of the alternatives:
    Alternative A--Proposed Action (BLM's preferred alternative): The=20
proposed action includes up to 627 natural gas wells, about 99.5 miles=20
of new roads and 104.5 miles of pipelines, and 5,000 hp of compression.=20
EOG Resources Inc. proposes to drill 627 wells at the rate of 90 wells=20
per year over a period of seven years, or until the resource base is=20
fully developed. Of this total number, 473 wells would be drilled at=20
new locations and 154 wells would be twin wells. In all, approximately=20
1,735 acres, or 5% of the total project area, would be disturbed by the=20
proposal.
    The Proposed Action incorporates standard operating procedures and=20
applicant-committed best management practices currently employed on=20
BLM-administered public lands in the Uintah Basin that mitigate impacts=20
to the environment.
    Alternative B--No Action: Oil and gas development on Federal lands=20
proposed under Alternative A would not be implemented. However=20
development would continue to occur under Applications for Permits to=20
Drill (APDs) previously approved by the BLM based upon other NEPA=20
documents. Development would also continue on non-Federal lands. An=20
additional 148 wells would be drilled on 20-acre and 40-acre spacing=20
patterns (91 new wells and 57 twin wells).
    Seven additional alternatives were considered but eliminated from=20
detailed analysis because of technical or economical reasons, because=20
of their resource impact, or because they did not meet the purpose and=20
need of BLM's proposed action.
    Copies of the FEIS for the CWSA have been sent to Federal, State,=20
and local government agencies, and to parties who commented during the=20
public comment period.

William Stringer,
Field Office Manager.
 [FR Doc. E7-25585 Filed 1-3-08; 8:45 am]

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