Moxa Arch Natural Gas Field, WY; EIS

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY-040-94-4110-03]

Moxa Arch Natural Gas Field, WY; EIS

agency: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

action: Notice of intent to conduct public scoping and prepare an

environmental impact statement.

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summary: The action proposed is to conduct scoping and to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposal of Amoco

Production Company, Union Pacific Resources Company, Wexpro/Celsius

Energy Company, Bannon Energy, Marathon Oil Company, Presidio

Exploration and other oil and gas companies (Companies) to drill

approximately 300 wells in the existing Moxa Arch natural gas field

beginning in 1994 and continuing into the following year. The Moxa Arch

area is generally located in Townships 15 through 23 North, Ranges 111

through 113 West of Lincoln, Sweetwater and Uinta Counties in

southwestern Wyoming, and encompasses approximately 450,000 acres.

dates: A scoping notice will be distributed by mail on or about the

date of this notice. Responses and comments will be accepted on or

before May 2, 1994. No public meetings are scheduled at this time. The

comments and concerns received in response to the scoping will aid the

BLM in identifying alternatives and assure all issues are analyzed in

the EIS. Should public demand warrant a public meeting, it will be

scheduled at a later date.

addresses: Information and a copy of the Scoping Notice for the

proposed Moxa Arch Natural Gas Development EIS can be obtained by

writing or visiting the following offices:

--BLM, Wyoming State Office, 2515 Warren Ave., P.O. Box 1828, Cheyenne,

Wyoming 82003.

--BLM, Rock Springs District Office, Highway 191 North of Rock Springs,

P.O. Box 1869, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82902-1869.

--BLM, Kemmerer Resource Area Office, 415 Highway 30 North, P.O. Box

632, Kemmerer, Wyoming 83101.

Scoping comments should be sent to: Bureau of Land Management, Rock

Springs District Office, ATTN: Dennis Stenger, P.O. Box 1869, Rock

Springs, Wyoming, 82902-1869.

for further information contact: Bill McMahan, Environmental

Specialist, Bureau of Land Management, Rock Springs District Office,

P.O. Box 1869, Rock Springs, Wyoming, 82902-1869, phone (307) 382-5350.

supplementary information: The intent of the expanded Moxa Arch natural

gas development is to enhance natural gas recovery from the Moxa Arch

lease area, allowing the Companies to provide more natural gas to

companies distributing and supplying natural gas to consumers. This

would benefit consumers by making additional supplies of clean-burning

natural gas available. The additional wells will maximize production in

an area where approximately 700 wells are already producing. In

addition to wellheads and production units, associated facilities will

include access roads, natural gas gathering pipeline systems and

individual well tank facilities. The existing wells plus the indicated

planned development wells would result in approximately 1,000 wells

within the expanded Moxa Arch area.

An environmental assessment and supplement were prepared on natural

gas development within the Moxa Arch field in 1991 and 1992

respectively. The decisions for these environmental analyses concluded

that a certain level of development could be authorized without

resulting in significant impact to the human environment. That level of

development has not been exceeded--thus development concurrent with the

preparation of the Expanded Moxa Arch Natural Gas Development EIS would

be authorized so long as it remains within the scope of the existing

environmental analyses and decisions.

Land and resource management issues and concerns associated with

the construction of roads, well pads, and pipelines; the drilling and

completion of well; and the operation and maintenance of a producing

well field that will be analyzed in the EIS are:

--Sensitive and threatened/endangered species (plant and animal).

--Black-footed Ferret, Bald Eagle, Whooping Crane, Peregrine Falcon,

Bonytail Chub, Humpbacked Chub and Colorado Squawfish.

--Antelope crucial winter range, sage grouse breeding and nesting

habitat and raptor use.

--Steep slopes and unstable soils.

--Three perennial streams--Hams Fork River, Blacks Fork River and Slate

Creek.

--Cultural resources.

--Surface and ground water resources.

--Areas of difficult rehabilitation due to poor soil conditions.

--Historic Oregon/Mormon Trail.

--Wetland/riparian and floodplain area protection pursuant to Executive

Orders 11990 and 11988.

--High and moderate visual resource sensitivity.

--Increased human activity.

--Social and economic effects to the local communities.

--Increased public access and road density.

--Hunting quality change.

--Cumulative impacts.

Opportunities that may be derived from the expanded Moxa Arch

development include: Increased royalties and tax revenues to local,

State and Federal Governments; added employment and economic benefits

to communities near the natural gas field; increase in Wyoming's share

of new and existing markets; and development of natural gas to assist

in the attainment of clean air in conformance with Presidential and

Congressional direction.

Dated: March 22, 1994.

David J. Walter,

Acting State Director.

[FR Doc. 94-7668 Filed 3-30-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-22-M