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Environmental Assessment. August 2012 Oil & Gas Lease Sale. Timeline. April 6: End of Comment Period May 11: Notice of Lease Sale May 11: Beginning of Protest Period June 11: End of Protest Period August 9: Lease Sale. Decision To Be Made. BLM can:
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Environmental Assessment August 2012 Oil & Gas Lease Sale
Timeline • April 6: End of Comment Period • May 11: Notice of Lease Sale • May 11: Beginning of Protest Period • June 11: End of Protest Period • August 9: Lease Sale
Decision To Be Made • BLM can: • Offer all of the nominated parcels for sale • Offer some of the parcels for sale • Offer none of the parcels for sale
Alternatives Considered • Proposed Action • Preferred Alternative • No Action/No Leasing Alternative
Proposed Action 22 parcels 29,400 acres 860 acres of split-estate Preferred Alternative 21 parcels 24,300 acres 846 acres of split-estate Comparison of Alternatives • No Action • 0 parcels • 0 acres • 0 acres of split-estate
“Area Of Influence” • North Fork Valley • Consists of 381,000 acres • Current oil & gas activity • 259,000 acres of federal mineral estate • 124,000 acres already leased • 43 active wells • 17 APDs pending
“Area Of Influence” • Future Projected Oil & Gas Activity • 150 wells proposed by SGI on 60 well pads in Bull Mountain Unit • 20 wells drilled/year on 10 well pads
The EA On Agriculture • “There are no prime farmlands that need to be considered or will be affected”
The EA On Hunting/Outfitting • The EA fails to analyze the impacts to wildlife or wildlife-based recreation that depends on healthy populations of deer and elk
The EA On Grazing • Oil and gas development could “lead to increased harassment of livestock, grazing strategies foiled due to gates being left open, an increase in noxious weeds, and increases in livestock losses, especially calves, due to increases in diseases”
The EA On The Economy • Oil & gas development will “likely affect consumer’s perceptions about the area...serving to negatively impact local agriculture, tourism, and the attraction to retirees. These impacts could result in significant economic costs to the North Fork Valley”
Air quality Greenhouse gases/climate change Surface & ground water quality Wildlife Endangered & Threatened Species Noise Dark skies Recreation Roads (access & transportation Socio-economics Many other environmental indicators Required Analysis Of Impacts
Results Of BLM’s Analysis Of Impacts “…the act of leasing would produce no impacts…”
However… “…potential future development of the parcels may impact (air, water, wildlife, etc.)”
Trust Us, We’ll Do Our Job Sometime In The Future “Any impacts to (air, water, wildlife, etc.) would be addressed at the APD stage and appropriate mitigation would be developed.”
Cumulative Impacts • No analysis done • A list of potential impacts provided instead
Mitigation • Conditions of Approval • Interim & long-term reclamation • Re-seeding • Re-contouring • Stipulations • Seasonal timing restrictions to protect wildlife • Restrictions on steep slopes • Etc.
Deficiencies Of Stipulations • Seasonal timing stipulations apply only to ground-disturbing activities • Operator can apply for waiver • Operator must be allowed on the leased property • Must be consistent with rights granted in lease
Rights Granted In A Lease “The right to use so much of the leased lands as is necessary to explore, drill for, mine, extract, remove, and dispose of all the leased resource in a leasehold.”
Once Leased… The toothpaste won’t go back into the tube.
This Is Where We Make Our Stand This EA is the only point in the NEPA process where the parcels can be withdrawn
