[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 146 (Friday, July 30, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44976-44977]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18863]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLUT020000-10-L13110000-EJ0000-24-1A]
Notice of Availability of the West Tavaputs Plateau Natural Gas
Full Field Development Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement and
Record of Decision
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as
amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the West Tavaputs Natural Gas
Full Field Development Plan and by this notice is announcing its
availability. Concurrently, the BLM announces the availability of the
Record of Decision (ROD) for this project, located in Carbon, Duchesne,
and Uintah Counties, Utah. The Utah State Director signed the ROD on
July 2, 2010, which constitutes the final decision of the BLM.
DATES: The decision is effective 30 days from the date that the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its notice in the
Federal Register. The Council on Environmental Quality regulations
normally requires a minimum 30-day availability period between the
Notice of Availability for the Final EIS and the issuance of a ROD.
Because this ROD is subject to a 30-day appeal to the Interior Board of
Land Appeals (IBLA), the BLM has decided to issue this ROD at the same
time as the Final EIS as allowed by 40 CFR 1506.10(b). This allows the
30-day appeal period for this ROD and the 30-day availability period
for the Final EIS to run concurrently.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS and ROD are available for public
inspection at the Price Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 125
South 400 West, Price, Utah 84501, or via the Internet at http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/price.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Tyler
Ashcroft, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, telephone (435) 636-
3613; address 125 South 600 West, Price, Utah 84501; e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The West Tavaputs Plateau (WTP) Project Area
is located in Carbon, Duchesne, and Uintah counties approximately 30
miles east-northeast of Price, Utah. All surface disturbance related to
the project would be located in Carbon County. The WTP Project Area is
bounded on the west by Sheep Canyon, on the north by Nine Mile Canyon,
and on the east by Desolation Canyon of the Green River. The southern
boundary of the WTP Project Area is a straight line reflecting an
anticline in the sub-surface that limits the southern extent of the
natural gas resources targeted by the project. Surface ownership in the
137,930-acre WTP Project Area is approximately 87 percent Federal, 8
percent State of Utah, and 5 percent private. Mineral ownership closely
parallels surface ownership.
During preparation of the WTP EIS, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), United States Fish and Wildlife Service, State of Utah,
Carbon County, Duchesne County, and Uintah County participated as
Cooperating Agencies.
Under the Proposed Action (Alternative A) of the WTP EIS, the
project proponent, Bill Barrett Corporation (BBC), and other operators
with leases in the WTP Project Area, proposed development of up to 807
natural gas wells from up to 538 well pads. The BLM considered four
additional alternatives: Alternative B--
[[Page 44977]]
No Action Alternative; Alternative C--Transportation Impact Reduction
Alternative; Alternative D--Conservation Alternative; and Alternative
E--Agency Preferred Alternative. Major differences between alternatives
focused on the mitigation measures applied to protect resources.
Public scoping was initiated on August 26, 2005, with the
publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. On
February 1, 2008, a Notice of Availability announcing the availability
of the Draft EIS for a 90-day public comment period was published in
the Federal Register (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/) and the EPA's
Federal Register of Environmental Documents (http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/). The public comment period officially closed on May 1, 2008.
During the Draft EIS public comment period, the Price Field Office
received approximately 55,000 comment letters from Federal agencies,
state and local governments, Indian tribes, and interested groups and
publics. The majority of the concerns that were raised by the public on
the Draft EIS were focused on impacts to cultural resources, air
quality, lands with wilderness characteristics, and wildlife.
In December 2008, between the Draft EIS and Final EIS, and as a
result of concerns regarding impacts to cultural resources, the BLM
recommended development of a Programmatic Agreement. Sixteen
governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations
participated in the development of, and were signatories to, the
Agreement on January 5, 2010. The Agreement identifies measures that
will minimize the impacts of project-related activity on cultural
resources.
In addition, the BLM conducted project specific air quality
modeling for ozone for analysis in the Final EIS. The BLM has
determined that the range of alternatives considered within the Draft
EIS evaluates sufficient mitigation measures to address wildlife and
wilderness concerns.
The Agency Preferred Alternative identified in the Draft EIS and
Final EIS was not carried forward as the Selected Alternative in ROD.
Rather, the decision is a combination of elements selected from the
alternatives discussed in the EIS. Regulations allow the agency to
select a combination of alternatives if the effects of such combined
elements of alternatives are reasonably apparent from the analysis in
the relevant environmental document (43 CFR 46.420(c)).
During preparation of the Final EIS, BBC voluntarily contracted
their plan of development from their original Proposed Action
(Alternative A). According to BBC, as a result of interim drilling
during the preparation of the EIS, they increased their knowledge of
the extent of the natural gas deposits, and refined their operational
practices, which will allow BBC to maximize natural gas recovery while
minimizing surface disturbance.
The Selected Alternative in the ROD provides for natural gas
drilling on leased Federal lands as proposed within the contracted plan
of development, with minor modifications. The ROD also provides for
development of leased lands held by other lessors within the WTP
Project Area. The decision in the ROD to approve the Selected
Alternative is consistent with the goals, objectives, and decisions in
the Price and Vernal Field Offices' RMPs, which were completed in
October 2008.
When compared to the action alternatives considered in the Final
EIS, the Selected Alternative in the ROD will substantially reduce the
footprint of the project upon the land by making extensive use of
directional drilling from a lesser number of well pads. Under the
Selected Alternative, BBC will not construct new well pads within the
Jack and Desolation Canyon Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), and will
minimize the amount of development on non-WSA lands with wilderness
characteristics. In addition, the ROD includes a decision to restrict
public motorized access on certain roads in the WTP Project Area.
Restricted use of these roads is in conformance with the goals and
objectives of the 2008 Price RMP and modifies the Travel Management
Plan Map contained in that document.
The ROD is effective 30 days from the date that the EPA publishes
its Notice of Availability of the Final EIS and ROD in the Federal
Register. During the 30 days between the EPA publication and the
effective date of the ROD, the ROD may be appealed to the IBLA, Office
of Hearings and Appeals, U.S. Department of the Interior, 801 North
Quincy Street, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia 22203, in accordance with
the regulations contained in 43 CFR part 4. The appeal must also be
filed with the State Director, BLM, Utah State Office, P.O. Box 45155,
Salt Lake City, Utah 84145-0155.
If you wish to file a petition for stay of the ROD pursuant to 43
CFR 4.21 during the pendency of your appeal before the IBLA, the
petition for stay must accompany your notice of appeal. A petition for
stay must show sufficient justification based on the standards listed
in 43 CFR 4.21(b) which include:
(1) The relative harm to the parties if the stay is granted or
denied;
(2) The likelihood of the appellant's success on the merits;
(3) The likelihood of irreparable harm to the appellant or resource
if the stay is not granted; and
(4) Whether the public interest favors granting the stay.
If a petition for stay is submitted with the notice of appeal, a
copy of the notice of appeal and petition for stay must be served on
the IBLA at the same time it is filed with the State Director.
A copy of the notice of appeal, and statement of reasons and all
pertinent documents must be served on each adverse party named in the
decision from which the appeal is taken and on the Office of the
Regional Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior, 6201 Federal
Building, 125 South State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1180, no
later than 15 days after filing documents with the State Director or
IBLA.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.
Jeff Rawson,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-18863 Filed 7-29-10; 8:45 am]
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