Notice2023-08913
Notice of Termination of Preparation of Environmental Impact Statement for the Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project, Wyoming
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 27, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
The preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project is no longer required, and the process is hereby terminated.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 81 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 81 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 25684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08913]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_Wyoming_FRN_MO4500168505]
Notice of Termination of Preparation of Environmental Impact
Statement for the Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project, Wyoming
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of termination.
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SUMMARY: The preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for
Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project is no longer required, and
the process is hereby terminated.
DATES: The EIS development process for Hiawatha Regional Energy
Development Project is terminated immediately.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: T.J. Franklin, Supervisory Natural
Resource Specialist, Rock Springs Field Office, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2357494551424d484f4a4d63414f4e0d444c55"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9de9f7fbeffcf3f6f1f4f3ddfff1f0b3faf2eb">[email protected]</span></a>,
307-352-0318. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind,
hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services for contacting
Mr. Franklin. Individuals outside the United States should use the
relay services offered within their country to make international calls
to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 6, 2006, the BLM initiated
analysis of the Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project by
publishing in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS
and hold an associated scoping period (71 FR 52571). The EIS would have
analyzed the No Action Alternative and three action alternatives,
focused on achieving full field development in line with resource
concerns.
The original Hiawatha Regional Energy Development Project proposal,
submitted by Questar Exploration and Production Company and Wexpro
Company, involved drilling about 4,208 wells and associated
infrastructure such as well pads, production and storage equipment, and
access roads on approximately 157,361 acres of existing oil and gas
leases managed by BLM Wyoming and BLM Colorado, the States of Wyoming
and Colorado, and private landowners in both states over a 20- to 30-
year time period. The BLM administers approximately 143,159 surface
acres of the original proposed project area. The State of Wyoming
manages 6,338 acres, the State of Colorado manages 4,806 acres, and
private landowners manage 3,058 surface acres.
In 2014, the original proponents revised their proposal downward to
2,200 vertically, directionally, and horizontally drilled wells on the
same surface area over a 27- to 81-year period. Approximately two-
thirds of the total proposed wells would have been in the Wyoming
portion of the project area, and one-third would have been in the
Colorado portion. In 2016, the proponents further reduced the proposal
to 449 wells, with all oil and gas operations located on 47,407 acres
in Wyoming.
The BLM was preparing the Draft EIS for the Hiawatha Regional
Energy Development Project as revised in 2014, but halted work when the
current proponents elected to temporarily stop funding the analysis in
2016. The proponents canceled the proposal by letter dated February 5,
2019. Any new proposal for development in the area will be subject to
National Environmental Policy Act analysis, and the existing Hiawatha
Programmatic Agreement for cultural resources would be amended
accordingly. Because the proponents notified the BLM Rock Springs Field
Office of their decision to cancel the proposal, the BLM is canceling
the planning process and terminating its preparation of the Draft EIS.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)
Andrew Archuleta,
Wyoming State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023-08913 Filed 4-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-26-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 27, 2023.
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