Pinedale Field Office
| Contacts: | Shelley Gregory | |||
| 307-315-0612 |
BLM Issues Preliminary Determination for Visibility Milestone
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has reviewed current emissions data and has made a preliminary determination that Pinedale Anticline Project Area (PAPA) operators have met the requirements for Visibility Milestone #2 as stipulated in the 2008 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision.
The preliminary determination is based on a combination of reported 2011 and estimated 2012 NOx (nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide) emissions. The estimated emissions total of 1,618.28 tons/year is below the modeled threshold value of 1,703.5 tons/year which predicted an impact of 10 days or less of visibility impairment greater than one deciview within the Bridger Wilderness Area.
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) will receive actual 2011 emissions inventories from PAPA operators by April 30. The BLM’s final determination of operator compliance with Visibility Milestone #2 will be based on the verified 2011 emissions data submitted to WDEQ and will be issued at the PAPA Annual Planning Meeting for Air Quality in August.
For more information, please contact Janet Bellis at 307-367-5316.
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.
Pinedale Field Office 1625 West Pine Street Pinedale WY 82941