As part of its ongoing efforts to increase domestic energy production and ensure greater energy security, the Bureau of Land Management has initiated a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to support a commercial oil shale and tar sands leasing program on federal lands in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.
Following provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, BLM is required to complete the PEIS and initiate commercial leasing of strategic unconventional fuels. A Notice of Intent published in the December 13, 2005 Federal Register opened a public comment period on the scope of the PEIS. All comments should be postmarked or delivered by January 31, 2006.
Sally Wisely, BLM Colorado State Director stated that ‘Preparing a programmatic EIS will allow us to work collaboratively with our stakeholders to identify the leasing decisions that are best suited to local, regional, and national needs and concerns... Scoping is a crucial part of ensuring that federal oil shale and tar sands leasing programs take into account environmental and socio-economic impacts while allowing the Nation to realize tremendous benefits in terms of energy availability, reliability and security.’
According to the December 19 press release made by the BLM, the PEIS's planning area for oil shale will include the Uintah Basin in Utah, the Piceance Basin in Colorado, the Washakie Basin within Colorado and Wyoming, and the Green River Basin in Wyoming. The planning area for tar sands encompasses certain sedimentary portions of the Colorado Plateau in Utah. The press release also stated that the BLM ‘will use an interdisciplinary approach in developing the PEIS in order to consider the various resource issues and concerns identified.’
At its conclusion, the final PEIS will aid in the creation of the regulations for a commercial oil shale program mandated by the Energy Policy Act; the document will also amend the BLM's land use management plans related to public lands in the three States that contain oil shale or tar sands resources."
Details about the BLM's implementation of the Energy Policy Act are available on the Bureau's website: www.blm.gov/nhp/spotlight/epa2005/.
In addition to the comment periods, a series of public scoping meetings to obtain comments will be held from 1:00 PM to 4:00 P.M., and again from 7:00 P.M. to 10:000 P.M. at the following cities:
More information on the meetings will be announced through local media, newsletters and the project Web site: http://ostseis.anl.gov. Additional opportunities for public involvement and comment will also occur when the PEIS becomes available in draft form.
The BLM manages 261 million surface acres located mostly in 12 Western States, including Alaska - more land than any other Federal agency. With a budget of about $1.8 billion, the Bureau also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the U.S. Managing these lands gives the BLM a central role in implementing the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Acting as steward of numerous energy resources - coal, oil and gas, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind, and biomass energy resources is part of the agency's multiple-use mission to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
On the web:
Oil Shale and Tar Sands Leasing Programmatic EIS Information Center: http://ostseis.anl.gov.