[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7474-7475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4009]
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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION
Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: United States Section, International Boundary and Water
Commission, United States and Mexico.
ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft Environmental Assessment.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Final
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508); and the Operational
Procedures of the United States Section, International Boundary and
Water Commission, United States and Mexico (USIBWC), for Implementing
Section 102 of NEPA, published in the Federal Register September 2,
1981 (46FR 44083-44094); the USIBWC hereby gives notice that a Draft
Environmental Assessment (DEA) prepared by TransTexas Gas Corporation
(TransTexas), Houston, Texas, to address the potential adverse
environmental impacts of placement of a natural gas well pad and
associated works within the Falcon Dam and Reservoir Project, Zapata
County, Texas, is available for review and comment. The DEA addresses
the proposed action for the USIBWC to issue a land use permit to
TransTexas to construct a drill pad for the purpose of drilling natural
gas wells on an island located on USIBWC real property within the
international Falcon Reservoir.
ADDRESSES: Mr. Yusuf E. Farran, Division Engineer, Environmental
Management Division, United States Section, International Boundary and
Water Commission, United States and Mexico, 4171 North Mesa Street, C-
310, El Paso, Texas 79902-1441. Telephone: 915/534-6704.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January, 1996, TransTexas Gas Corporation
(TransTexas) requested the United States Section, International
Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico (USIBWC), to
grant them permission to construct a drill pad site above the 307-foot
mean sea level elevation on an island located within USIBWC real
property below the 307-foot elevation traverse (the United States
property line also called the ``307-foot traverse'') within the
international Falcon Reservoir for the purpose of drilling eight
natural gas wells. The construction of the well pad at the location
referred to as Porcion 18 within the reservoir is desirable, due mainly
to technical constraints associated with current directional drilling,
to enable the full development of private and public gas reserves in
the western portion of TransTexas' gas lease area. The gas lease area
is situated entirely under Falcon Reservoir with very limited land
available to reach the required bottom hole locations.
The USIBWC began coordination with the United States Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), the federal authorizing agency which would approve an
application by TransTexas for a permit to drill for federal reserves
within the reservior. BLM indicated it would not approve the
application for permit to drill until the USIBWC determined whether it
would waive the stipulation that prohibits oil and natural gas
development at that site. Both agencies agreed that due to a lack of
both funding resources and human resources for an agency produced
document and an immediate need by TransTexas to gain access to private
and public reserves within the reservoir, a third party environmental
analysis would be acceptable for determination of the significance of
the impacts of the federal action of the USIBWC granting exceptions to
its policy of prohibiting any mineral exploration or development within
its property at Falcon Reservoir. A programmatic environmental
assessment that addresses the USIBWC's granting exceptions to its
policy of prohibiting any mineral exploration or development within its
property at Falcon Reservoir is being processed under separate notice
in the Federal Register. Although this site specific environmental
assessment is prepared and processed simultaneously with the Draft
Programmatic Environmental Assessment for potential oil and natural gas
development below the 307-foot traverse property line at Falcon
Reservoir but above the 307-foot mean sea level elevation, no final
action will be taken on this site specific document until the PEA is
complete and final action is declared on it.
Proposed Action
The action proposed is for the USIBWC to issue a land use permit to
TransTexas to construct a drill pad site on an island above the 307-
foot mean sea level elevation located on USIBWC real property below the
307-foot traverse property line within Falcon Reservoir for the purpose
of drilling eight natural gas wells. This would be the first time for
the USIBWC to grant an exception to its policy of prohibiting oil and
gas development upon USIBWC real property under Falcon Reservoir and is
dependent upon the outcome of the PEA.
Alternatives Considered
Two alternatives were considered in the Draft Environmental
Assessment (DEA):
The Proposed Action Alternative is for the USIBWC to issue a land
use permit to TransTexas to construct a drill pad site on an island
above the 307-foot mean sea level elevation located on USIBWC real
property below the 307-foot traverse property line within Falcon
Reservoir. The USIBWC would issue the land use permit if it makes the
determination to allow exceptions to its policy of prohibiting oil and
natural gas development upon USIBWC real property under the reservoir
and if BLM approves the application for permit to drill for public
reserves located within the reservoir. The USIBWC land use permit takes
into consideration that such works do not interfere with the
[[Page 7475]]
operation and maintenance of the Falcon Dam and Reservoir Project. No
final action will be taken on this site specific document until the
Programmatic Environmental Assessment is complete and final action is
declared on it.
The No Action Alternative is for the USIBWC to not issue a land use
permit to TransTexas to construct a drill pad and associated works on
an island on USIBWC real property at Porcion 18 at Falcon Reservoir.
BLM would only be able to approve an application for permit to drill
from a site above the 307-foot traverse property line; hence outside
the reservoir. TransTexas would need to consider use of alternative
means to recover private and public natural gas reserves within the
reservoir. The no action alternative would result in no development
below the 307-foot traverse for private and public reserves in the
western portion of TransTexas' lease area; avoidance of any potential
impacts associated with the proposed action; the loss of tax and
royalty revenues to the local, state and federal governments; the loss
of royalty revenues to mineral owners; and the loss of an otherwise
recoverable clean energy source.
Environmental Assessment
The USIBWC has coordinated with BLM, the agency responsible for
permitting Federal reserves within the reservoir, and TransTexas in the
development of the Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA). The DEA is
tiered from the PEA and describes the historical and existing
development of oil and natural gas in the general vicinity (but above
the 307-foot traverse property line) of the reservoir and the planned
oil and natural gas activities within or adjacent to the Porcion 18
site. It analyzes the specific impacts expected from natural gas
development in the foreseeable future and the cumulative environmental
impacts of natural gas development upon USIBWC real property at Falcon
Reservoir. The Draft EA discusses mitigation measures to avoid impacts
to and minimize degradation of environmental resources within and
adjacent to the reservoir. The USIBWC approved the completed DEA from
TransTexas for proposed natural gas development at Porcion 18, and it
is currently available for review and comment.
Finding of the Environmental Assessment
Final action on this site specific DEA will not be taken until the
Programmatic Environmental Assessment is complete and final action is
declared on it. The DEA indicates that the proposed action for the
USIBWC to issue a land use permit for natural gas development within
the USIBWC real property at Porcion 18 at Falcon Reservoir does not
constitute a major federal action which would cause a significant
local, regional, or national adverse impact on the environment based on
the following facts:
1. Construction, drilling and production activities at the Porcion
18 swell pad site will have no significant adverse impacts on air
quality. Standard construction practices to control fugitive dust shall
be used, and emissions will be minimized through properly maintained
equipment.
2. The slight impacts from construction, drilling and production
activities associated with noise at the Porcion 18 well pad site are
fully mitigable through vegetative buffer zones, equipment noise
suppressors, and avoidance of critical wildlife use periods.
3. Negligible impacts to geologic and water resources are mitigable
through the use of erosion and sediment control measures and devices,
secondary containment measures, best management practices during all
phases of development at the Porcion 18 well pad site, and use of site
specific spill prevention control and countermeasure plans.
4. Biological resources shall be protected from impacts by total
avoidance of clearing within the heavy brush corridor adjacent to
Porcion 18, reptile exclusion fences around the drill pad location, and
an interior least tern monitoring plan coordinated by the appropriate
federal and state conservation agencies. Based on site surveys,
federally listed species are not likely to be adversely affected by the
proposed action provided these mitigation measures are followed.
5. Impacts to cultural resources shall be mitigated through
avoidance of sites determined to be eligible for the National Register
of Historic Places and implementation of a Memorandum of Agreement for
mitigating impacts if avoidance is not viable. These measures shall be
completed prior to BLM approval of the application for permit to drill,
USIBWC issuance of a land use permit, and any development at the
Porcion 18 drill site. Additionally, construction activity shall be
monitored by a qualified archaeologist with full authority to terminate
construction if cultural resources are likely to be impacted at the
site.
6. Negligible impacts associated with land use and transportation
will not require additional mitigation.
7. Negligible impacts associated with visual resources are
mitigable through properly placed night lighting, painting of the
facility to blend with the surrounding terrain and vegetation, and
alignment of the access road and utility corridor to limit the view of
the facility from the shoreline.
Availability
The DEA is available for public review at the USIBWC Falcon Dam
Field Office, Falcon Road, Falcon Heights, Texas 78545; and it has also
been distributed to Federal, State, and local agencies and
organizations that have been consulted and coordinated with in the
preparation of the DEA. A limited number of copies are available to
fill single copy requests at the above address. The USIBWC will not
take final action on this DEA until the Draft Programmatic
Environmental Assessment is complete and final action is declared on
it.
Dated: February 10, 1997.
Randall A. McMains,
Attorney.
[FR Doc. 97-4009 Filed 2-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-03-M
