![[logo] US EPA](http://www.epa.gov/epafiles/images/logo_epaseal.gif){kind=logo}
Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Desolation Flats Natural Gas Field Development Project.
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: April 25, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 80)]
[Notices]
[Page 20403-20404]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25ap03-67]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY-030-1310-DB]
Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for the Desolation Flats Natural Gas Field Development Project.
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for the Desolation Flats Natural Gas Field Development Project.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability
of the Desolation Flats Natural Gas Field Development Project Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) which analyzes the environmental
consequences of the proposed Desolation Flats natural gas development
and production operation. Expansion of natural gas exploration and
development is proposed in and adjacent to other oil and gas
developments in the Willow Reservoir, Wedge, Mulligan Draw, Powder
Mountain, Desolation Flats, Ruger, Dripping Rock, Cedar Chest, Triton,
Lookout Wash Units, and the surrounding areas, collectively referred to
as the Desolation Flats Area. The 233,542 acre Desolation Flats project
area is located within the administrative jurisdictions of the BLM
Rawlins and Rock Springs Field Offices, approximately 21 miles south of
Wamsutter, Wyoming, and 14 miles west of Baggs, Wyoming, in Townships
13-16 North, Ranges 93-96 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, Sweetwater
and Carbon Counties, Wyoming. Surface owners of the project area lands
are: Federal Government, 96 percent; private, 3 percent; and the State
of Wyoming, less than 1 percent. Currently, there are approximately 63
oil and gas wells drilled within the proposed project area. If
approved, up to 592 additional wells could be drilled over the next 20
years.
DATES: Written comments on the DEIS will be accepted for 60 days
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes
its Notice of Availability of the DEIS in the Federal Register.
Two formal hearings are scheduled to obtain public comments on the
proposed project and the DEIS at the BLM Rock Springs Field Office,
Rock Springs, Wyoming; and at the BLM Rawlins Field Office, Rawlins,
Wyoming. All meetings or hearings and any other public involvement
activities will be announced at least 15 days in advance through public
notices, media news releases, and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any
one of several methods. You may send written comments to: John Spehar,
Project Manager, Rawlins Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 1300
N. Third Street, P.O. Box 2407, Rawlins, Wyoming 82301. You may also
comment via the Internet to: rawlins_wymail@blm.gov. Please submit
Internet comments as an ASCII file avoiding the use of special
characters and any form of encryption.
Please also include: ``Attn: Desolation Flats Project Manager'' and
your name and return address in your Internet message. If you do not
receive a confirmation from the system that we have received your
Internet message, contact us directly at the BLM Rawlins Field Office,
John Spehar, 307-328-4264. You may hand-deliver comments to Rawlins
Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 1300 N. Third Street, Rawlins,
Wyoming, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information including
public meeting times, dates, and locations or to obtain a copy of the
DEIS, contact John Spehar, telephone 307-328-4264 or you may view or
download an electronic version of the document from our BLM State Web
site at http://www.wy.blm.gov. 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Marathon Oil Company, EOG Resources, Inc.,
Tom Brown, Inc., Basin Exploration, Inc., Yates Petroleum Corporation,
Questar Exploration and Production Company, Merit Energy Company, Santa
Fe Snyder Corporation and other companies (Operators) have submitted a
proposal to drill up to 592 wells in the Desolation Flats area. Over
the next 20 years, the Operators propose to explore and develop the oil
and gas resources held through their existing leases within the
Desolation Flats Project Area. Well density would range from two wells
per 640 acres to four wells per 640 acres, depending on geologic
conditions.
[[Page 20404]]
The Desolation Flats DEIS analyzes the impacts of the Proposed
Action: economic field development of 385 natural gas wells at 361 well
locations and associated access roads (approximately 542 miles of new
or upgraded), pipelines (approximately 361 miles), and other ancillary
facilities (one gas processing plant, four compressor stations, water
disposal sites, etc.). The DEIS also analyzes Alternative A, which is
similar to the Proposed Action but would expand well development into
the economically marginal areas of the leases and increase the density
of wells. Alternative A proposes to increase the number of wells to
approximately 592 wells at 555 locations with a proportional increase
of access roads (approximately 833 of new or upgraded), pipelines (555
miles) and other ancillary facilities (two gas processing plants, six
compressor stations, water disposal sites etc.).
Alternative B is the No Action Alternative. This alternative would
deny the proposal as submitted but would allow consideration of
individual APDs on Federal lands on a case-by-case basis through
individual project and site-specific environmental analysis. No Action
would allow drilling and development of 23 additional wells in the
Mulligan Draw project area, and drilling and development of 34
additional wells in the Dripping Rock/Cedar Breaks project area.
Drilling outside the Mulligan Draw and Dripping Rock/Cedar Break
project areas but within the DFPA project area could continue on a
case-by-case basis until BLM made a determination that further drilling
activity would result in field development.
Based upon issues and concerns identified during the scoping
process, the DEIS focuses on the impacts to air quality, biological and
physical resources, transportation, and socio-economic environment and
their cumulative effects. In compliance with Section 7(c) of the
Endangered Species Act as amended, this DEIS includes the Biological
Assessment that identifies endangered or threatened species that would
potentially be affected by the Proposed Action.
The proposed Desolation Flats Natural Gas Field Development
activities are in conformance with the Great Divide Resource Management
Plan (USDI-BLM 1990), and Green River Resources Management Plan (USDI-
BLM 1997).
Our practice is to make comments, including the names and street
addresses of each respondent, available for public review at the BLM
offices listed above during regular business hours (7:45 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 and/or street address from public review or from disclosure under
the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the
beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the
extent allowed by law. However, we will not consider anonymous
comments. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be made available for public
inspection in their entirety.
Dated: March 10, 2003.
Alan L. Kesterke,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 03-9668 Filed 4-24-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P