Montana record of decision for the final supplement to the Montana statewide oil and gas environmental impact statement and proposed amendment of the Powder River and Billings resource management plans : record of decision

2008·26.3 MB·English

by  United States. Bureau of Land Management. Miles City Field Office

BLM LIBRARY
880660 7
Record of Decision for the Final Supplement
to the Montana Statewide Oil and Gas
Environmental Impact Statement and
Proposed Amendment of the Powder
k. River and Billings Resource Management
Plans
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Record of Decision
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The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the stewardship of our public lands. It is
committed to manage, protect, and improve these lands in a manner to serve the needs of the
American people for all times. Management is based on the principles of multiple use and
sustained yield of our nation’s resources within a framework of environmental responsibility and
scientific technology. These resources include recreation; rangelands; timber; minerals;
watershed; fish and wildlife; wilderness; air; and scenic, scientific, and cultural values.
BLM Library
Denver Federal Center
B!dg. 50, OC-521
P.Q. Box 25047
Denver, CO 80225
BLM/MT/PL-09/001
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Montana State Office
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, Montana 59101-4669
IN REPLY TO: 1610 http://www.blm.gov/mt
http://www.blm.gov/mt/milescity_seis/
December 30, 2008
Dear Reader:
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has
prepared the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final Supplement to the Montana Statewide Oil and Gas
Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Amendment of the Powder River and Billings Resource
Management Plans (SEIS). The ROD approves BLM’s proposed decisions in the Final SEIS.
The ROD is a result of U.S. District Court issued orders, dated February 25, 2005, and April 5, 2005,
requiring BLM to prepare a Supplemental EIS to evaluate a phased development alternative tot coal bed
natural gas production.
BLM consulted with the Montana Governor on the FSEIS. The Governor’s review did not result in
substantive changes to the plan amendment.
The ROD serves as the Department of Interior’s decision to be implemented by the BLM. Since the ROD
contains no implementation decisions, no further administrative remedies are available. Additional
project-level NEPA analyses will be conducted prior to BLM’s approval of individual and project
proposals, and subsequent on-the-ground implementation.
There are a limited number of hard-copy books available upon request. If you would like a book, or have
any questions, please contact the BLM Miles City Field Office at [phone].
Sincerely,
Gene R. Terland
State Director, Montana/Dakotas
ITEM HAS BEEN DIGITIZED
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RECORD OF DECISION
a. 2.
MONTANA STATEWIDE OIL AND GAS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
AND
AMENDMENT OF THE
POWDER RIVER AND BILLINGS
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLANS
Prepared by:
United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Miles City Field Office
Miles City, Montana
Cooperating Agencies: Bureau of Indian Affairs; Crow Tribe; Department of Energy; Environmental
Protection Agency; Lower Brule Sioux Tribe; Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation; Montana
Department of Environmental Quality; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; and Big Horn, Carbon, Golden
Valley, Musselshell, Powder River, Rosebud, Treasure, and Yellowstone counties, Montana
,
Date: Dwemtw 30 2008
Assistant Secretary Land and Minerals Management
Department of the Interior
ITEM HAS BEEN DIGITIZED

Record of Decision
Supplement to the Montana Statewide Oil and Gas
Environmental Impact Statement and Amendment of the Powder River and Billings
Resource Management Plans
Lead Agency: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Type of Action: Administrative
Jurisdiction (Planning Area): The planning area encompasses BLM-administered lands and minerals in the
Powder River Resource Management Plan (RMP) area - Powder River, Carter, and Treasure counties and portions
of Big Horn, Custer and Rosebud counties; and the Billings RMP area - Carbon, Golden Valley, Musselshell,
Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Wheatland, and Yellowstone counties and the remaining portion of Big Horn County. The
planning area contains about 1,506,011 acres of federally managed surface, and 5,009,784 acres of federal mineral
estate.
Abstract: As a result of lawsuits, the U.S. District Court issued orders, dated February 25, 2005, and April 5, 2005,
that required the BLM to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to evaluate a phased
development alternative for coal bed natural gas (CBNG) production. The U.S. District Court’s February 25, 2005,
order also advised the BLM to include the proposed Tongue River Railroad in the cumulative impact analysis and
analyze the effectiveness of water well mitigation agreements.
Alternative H is the Approved Alternative. The Approved Alternative provides a comprehensive framework for
managing oil and gas resources on public lands in the planning area. This alternative amends the Powder River and
Billings RMPs and provides for CBNG exploration and development while minimizing impacts on environmental
resources.
Further information regarding this ROD is available via the contact below or at the BLM website
(http://www.blm.gov/eis/mtymilescity_seis/).
Bureau of Land Management
Miles City Field Office
111 Garryowen Road
Miles City, MT 59301
Telephone [phone]
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS.iv
RECORD OF DECISION.1
DECISION.1
ALTERNATIVES.1
ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.2
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS.2
MITIGATION.3
Air Quality.3
Cultural Resources.3
Fire .3
Hydrology.3
Indian Trust and Other Interests.3
Lands and Realty.3
Livestock Grazing.3
Paleontology.3
Recreation.3
Solid and Hazardous Waste.4
Soils.4
Vegetation.4
Visual Resource Management.4
Wilderness Study Areas.5
Wildlife and Aquatics.5
MONITORING.5
Land Use Plan Monitoring.5
Project Monitoring.5
Resource Monitoring.5
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.5
Tribal Consultation.6
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Consultation.6
APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN AMENDMENT.7
INTRODUCTION.7
ISSUES.7
Issues Identified for the Statewide Document.7
Issues Identified for the SEIS.12
Issues or Alternatives Considered But Not Analyzed in Detail.14
PLANNING CRITERIA.16
Introduction.16
Overall Considerations.16
WHAT’S BEING AMENDED IN THE POWDER RIVER AND BILLINGS RMPs.17
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General Management.17
APPROVED ALTERNATIVE H MANAGEMENT.r..18
Screens to be Applied.20
Water Screen.20
Wildlife Screen.20
All Wildlife Species.20
Native American Concerns Screen.22
Air Quality Impact Screen.23
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.24
POD Requirements.24
Wells and Well Pads.24
Coal Mines.24
Roads, Pipelines and Other Infrastructure.24
Produced Water Management.25
Wildlife Monitoring Program and Mitigation Measures.25
CONSISTENCY WITH APPLICABLE POLICIES, PLANS AND PROGRAMS.27
Achieving Air and Water Quality Program Requirements.27
Interagency Work Group (IWG).27
ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND REGULATORY PROCESS...27
STATE OF MONTANA.29
Air Quality Program.29
Water Quality Program.30
BLM.30
Steps to Obtain Approval to Drill.30
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A.1
APPENDIX B.1
APPENDIX C.1
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