Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Wyoming Pipeline Corridor Initiative (WPCI) Resource Management Plan Amendments to 9 BLM-Wyoming Resource Management Plans

Published date27 October 2020
Citation85 FR 68087
Record Number2020-23761
SectionNotices
CourtInterior Department,Land Management Bureau
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 208 (Tuesday, October 27, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 208 (Tuesday, October 27, 2020)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 68087-68088]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2020-23761]
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                DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
                Bureau of Land Management
                [LLWY925000.L13400000.PQ0000 20X]
                Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
                Statement for the Wyoming Pipeline Corridor Initiative (WPCI) Resource
                Management Plan Amendments to 9 BLM-Wyoming Resource Management Plans
                AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior
                ACTION: Notice of Availability.
                -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
                1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
                1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a
                Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Proposed Resource
                Management Plan (RMP) Amendment for the proposed Wyoming Pipeline
                Corridor Initiative(WPCI) within the BLM Cody, Worland, Buffalo,
                Casper, Lander, Pinedale, Kemmerer, Rawlins and Rock Springs field
                offices. This notice identifies the initiation of the 30-day protest
                period and the 60-day Governor's consistency review period for the
                Proposed RMP Amendment.
                DATES: BLM planning regulations state that any person who meets the
                conditions as described in the regulations may protest the BLM's Final
                Programmatic EIS and Proposed RMP Amendment. A person who meets the
                conditions and files a protest must file the protest within 30 days of
                the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice
                of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register.
                ADDRESSES: Requests for information regarding the Final EIS may be
                mailed to:
                 Mail: Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box 261117, Lakewood, CO
                80226, Overnight Delivery: Director (210), Attention: Protest
                Coordinator 2850, Youngfield Street, Lakewood, CO 80215.
                 Copies of the Final EIS are available on the project website at:
                https://go.usa.gov/xpCMr or https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1502028/570.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Schultz, Project Manager,
                telephone 307-775-6084; address 5353 Yellowstone Road Cheyenne Wyoming;
                email [email protected]. Contact Ms. Schultz to add your name to our
                mailing list. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf
                [[Page 68088]]
                (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to
                contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is
                available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question
                with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal
                business hours.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The State of Wyoming is proposing a pipeline
                corridor network for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS),
                enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and other compatible uses to be designated
                on BLM-managed lands in Wyoming through the land use planning process.
                The State of Wyoming proposes that roughly 2,000 miles and 25 segments
                of pipeline corridors be designated on BLM-managed lands and in those
                lands' associated RMPs. The proposed WPCI corridors are divided into
                segments based on proposed width and the regions they will service. The
                BLM analyzed the State's proposal by preparing an EIS. Based on the
                findings of the EIS process, the BLM is proposing to amend the nine
                RMPs containing lands proposed for pipeline corridors to designate
                those corridors. If the BLM were to receive a right-of-way application
                for CCUS and EOR pipelines or related facilities in the future, project
                specific NEPA would be completed separately at that time. The analysis
                has identified issues to address within the planning area, including
                Greater Sage-Grouse; big game habitat (including migration corridors);
                potential conflicts with coal mining and other resource uses; air
                quality; transportation; vegetation and reclamation success;
                anticipated oil and gas development in the planning area; existing
                rights-of-way, valid existing rights and other authorizations that may
                not be permitted in the corridor; and opportunities to apply best
                management practices and design features.
                 The BLM analyzed five alternatives:
                 Alternative A: No Action Under this alternative, none of the RMPs
                would be amended to establish additional corridors, and the existing
                corridors would remain and would not be dedicated to pipelines and
                facilities associated with CCUS, EOR and other uses. These corridors
                would remain available for any type of potential future project.
                 Alternative B: Proposed Action: Dedicates Corridors for CCUS and
                EOR Projects. Portions of existing corridors (300ft or 200ft wide)
                would be dedicated to pipelines and facilities associated with CCUS,
                EOR and other uses as outlined in the State of Wyoming Proposal. These
                corridors would be designated both in Sage Grouse Priority Habitat
                Management Areas (PHMA) and outside of PHMA as proposed by the state of
                Wyoming.
                 Alternative C: Maintain Existing Management in Existing Corridors
                and create new corridors dedicated to CCUS and EOR Projects. Routes
                would be modified or eliminated from the Proposal to avoid resource
                conflicts, Sage Grouse PHMA, pre-existing rights, existing uses and
                infrastructure. Use of existing corridors would be maximized.
                Management of existing corridors would remain the same and would not be
                dedicated to pipelines and facilities associated with CCUS and EOR.
                Additional corridors would be created (300ft or 200ft wide) dedicated
                to CCUS, EOR and other uses as outlined in the Proposal and analyzed in
                the EIS. Additional corridors would be not be created in Sage Grouse
                PHMA.
                 Alternative D: Dedicate portions of existing corridors and create
                new corridors dedicated to CCUS and EOR Projects. Routes would be
                modified or eliminated from the Proposal to avoid resource conflicts,
                Sage Grouse PHMA, pre-existing rights, existing uses and
                infrastructure. Portions of existing corridors (300ft or 200ft wide)
                would be dedicated to pipelines and facilities associated with CCUS and
                EOR and other uses as outlined in the State of Wyoming Proposal.
                Additional corridors would be not be created in Sage Grouse PHMA.
                 Preferred Alternative (Alternative E): The Preferred Alternative
                was developed in response to public comments received on the Draft EIS,
                and combines the uniqueness of each of the 25 segments with the current
                RMP's as well as specific siting, resource conflicts, restrictions,
                etc. identified in the robust WPCI analysis. Alternative E does not
                represent new analysis conducted but rather blends the analysis
                developed in the Draft EIS under Alternatives B and D.
                 Instructions for filing a protest regarding the Proposed Land Use
                Plan Amendment/Final EIS may be found in the ``Dear Reader'' Letter of
                the Final EIS and Proposed Land Use Plan Amendment and at 43 CFR
                1610.5-2.
                 A protest may raise only those issues which were submitted for the
                record during the planning process. The BLM will issue a Record of
                Decision no earlier than 30 days from the date of the Notice of
                Availability published by the Environmental Protection Agency.
                 All protests on the Proposed RMPA must be submitted in writing by
                any of the following methods:
                 Website: https://go.usa.gov/xpCMr or https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/1502028/570.
                 Regular Mail: Director (210).
                 Attention: Protest Coordinator, P.O. Box 261117, Lakewood, CO
                80226.
                 Overnight Delivery: Director (210) Attention: Protest Coordinator,
                2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, CO 80215.
                 The BLM encourages submission of protests using the ePlanning
                online tools rather than by mail.
                 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 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2.
                Kimber L. Liebhauser,
                BLM Wyoming State Director (Acting).
                [FR Doc. 2020-23761 Filed 10-26-20; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
                

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