U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
BLM Canyons of the Ancients Natl Monument
BLM Canyons of the Ancients Natl Monument
| Contacts: | Tom Rice | , 970-882-6845 | , trice@blm.gov |
BLM ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON ANALYSIS OF DRILLING PROPOSAL IN CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT
DOLORES - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced a public comment period for the Kinder Morgan Goodman Point Environmental Assessment (EA).
The EA studies alternatives and mitigation measures for a proposal by Kinder Morgan to drill carbon-dioxide (CO2) wells and install collection and transportation facilities on public lands within the boundaries of the BLM Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. The project would take place on Burro Point, near the eastern boundary of the Monument and about 15 miles west-northwest of Cortez in Montezuma County.
The EA studies a proposal for drilling up to six CO2 wells. Four wells would be located on two new well pads, and two would be located on a reclaimed well pad, which would be cleared and expanded. The proposal also calls for construction of associated production and pipeline facilities, and the improvement of 3.47 miles of existing access road. Total surface disturbance of all activities is estimated to be 27 acres.
If all wells prove to be capable of producing in payable quantities, interim reclamation would be completed within one year to restore more than 50 percent of the acreage to native vegetation acres, leaving the remaining area disturbed until final reclamation is conducted. Reclamation of any locations not capable of producing commercial quantities would commence within three months.
The EA will be available on the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument web site here. Limited paper copies will also be available at the Anasazi Heritage Center, 27501 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323.
Written public comments must be postmarked by Tuesday, May 4, 2010, and mailed to Manager, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, 27501 Highway 184, Dolores, CO 81323. Electronic comments will also be accepted by the same deadline and can be sent to: trice@blm.gov.
About 80 percent of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is leased for oil and gas. Development of existing leases is allowed, subject to valid and existing rights, when those activities do not create new impacts that would interfere with proper care and management of the objects protected by the Monument Proclamation. The planned drilling would be on an existing lease issued by the BLM. The Proposed Action conforms to the BLM San Juan/San Miguel Resource Management Plan of 1985.
For more information, contact Tom Rice, BLM Natural Resource Specialist, at 970 882 6845, or trice@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.