[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 68 (Friday, April 8, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20668-20669]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-08024]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[15X LLUTG01100 L13110000.EJ0000 24 1A]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Crescent Point Energy Utah Federal-Tribal Well Development Project,
Duchesne and Uintah Counties, Utah
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Vernal Field
Office, Vernal, Utah, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Utah Federal-Tribal Well Development proposal
submitted by Crescent Point Energy. By this notice the BLM is also
announcing the beginning of the scoping process and is soliciting
public comments on the issues to be analyzed in the EIS.
DATES: This notice initiates a public scoping process for the EIS.
Comments on issues may be submitted in writing for 30 days following
the publication of this notice. The date(s) and location(s) of any
public scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance
through local news media, a project newsletter, and the BLM Web site
at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/info/newsroom.2.html. In order to be
included in the draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the
close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public
meeting, whichever is later. Additional opportunities for public
participation will be provided upon publication of the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: Comments on issues related to the Crescent Point Energy Utah
Federal-Tribal Well Development Project may be submitted by any of the
following methods:
Email: [email protected].
Fax: (435) 781-4410.
Mail: 170 South 500 East, Vernal, Utah 84078.
BLM NEPA Register: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do (go to the ``text'' tab, enter
the following search criteria ``Utah,'' ``UT--Vernal FO,'' and
``EIS'').
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Vernal
Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Howard, BLM Project Manager;
telephone at 435-781-4469; email [email protected]. Contact Stephanie
Howard to have your name added to our mailing list. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message
or question for the above individual. The FIRS is available 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, Crescent Point Energy U.S.
Corp, has filed a plan of development for their Federal, State,
private, and tribal trust leases. Crescent Point proposes to drill up
to 3,925 new oil and gas wells and build 863 miles of roads; 693 miles
of pipelines co-located with the proposed roads; 170 miles of cross-
country pipelines; 400 miles of trunk pipelines; 5 salt water disposal
wells; 5 produced water treatment facilities; 20 central tank
batteries; 4 gas processing plants; 8 oil storage areas; and, 4
equipment storage areas. These activities would occur on Federal-,
tribal trust-, allottee-, State-, and privately-owned or administered
lands. The project area is located within Duchesne and Uintah counties.
It encompasses lands from 1 mile east of Myton, Utah, to 1 mile west of
Highway 45. It is directly south of Roosevelt and Ballard cities, Utah,
and north of the Ouray Wildlife Refuge. It encompasses:
Salt Lake Meridian, Utah
T. 5 S., R. 19 E.,
Tps. 6 and 7 S., Rs. 19 thru 22 E.,
T. 8 S., R. 20 E.
Uintah Special Meridian, Utah
T. 3 S., R. 1 W.,
Tps. 3 S., Rs. 1 and 2 E.,
Tps. 4 S., Rs. 2 and 3 E.
The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis,
including alternatives and mitigation, and to guide the process for
developing the EIS. At present, the BLM has identified the following
resources as potentially being impacted by the project: Air quality and
air-related values; surface water and groundwater resources including
floodplains, wetlands, the Dry Gulch Creek, Pelican Lake, and the
Green, Uinta, and Duchesne Rivers; cultural and paleontological
resources; soils; special status plant and animal species; greater
sage-grouse habitat; livestock grazing; recreation; the Pelican Lake
Special Recreation Management Area; residences and residential areas;
local
[[Page 20669]]
and regional social programs and economics; and environmental justice
considerations.
Alternatives identified at this time include the proposed action
and the no action alternatives. Additional alternatives and mitigation
will be developed as a result of issues and concerns identified through
the scoping process. The BLM will identify and analyze impacts to
resources that could be expected to occur from the approval of this
project, and the BLM will consider potential mitigation measures to
address those impacts, where available. Mitigation may include
avoidance, minimization, rectification, reduction or elimination over
time, and compensatory mitigation; and may be considered at multiple
scales, including the landscape scale.
The BLM-Vernal Field Office Record of Decision and Approved
Resource Management Plan (RMP) (October 2008), as amended (September
2015), directs management of the BLM-administered public lands within
the project area. The RMP provides for development of valid existing
oil and gas leases. An amendment of the RMP is not required in
connection with this project.
The BLM is the designated lead Federal agency for preparation of
the EIS as defined in 40 CFR 1501.5. Agencies with legal jurisdiction
or special expertise have been invited to participate as cooperating
agencies in preparation of the EIS. These include: Ballard City; Myton
City; Roosevelt City; Duchesne County; Uintah County; Utah School and
Institutional Trust Lands Administration; Utah Public Lands Policy and
Coordination Office; Ute Indian Tribe; United States (U.S.)
Environmental Protection Agency Region 8; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Utah Field Office; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Utah/Nevada
Regulatory Office; Bureau of Reclamation Provo Area Office; Bureau of
Indian Affairs Uintah and Ouray Agency; Utah Reclamation Mitigation and
Conservation Commission; and, the Ouray Wildlife Refuge.
The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to
satisfy the public involvement process for Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3). The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-
to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due
consideration.
Comments regarding issues, alternatives, scope, mitigation, or
other concerns or ideas may be submitted in writing to the BLM at any
public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the BLM using one of
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. To be most helpful,
comments should be submitted by the end of the public scoping period
(within 30 days from the BLM's publication in the Federal Register).
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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7
Jenna Whitlock,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-08024 Filed 4-7-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P