[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 108 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30886-30888]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-14676]
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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO
Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact
AGENCY: United States Section, International Boundary and Water
Commission, United States and Mexico.
ACTION: Notice of availability of final environmental assessment and
finding of no significant impact.
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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 (46 FR 44083-44094); the USIBWC hereby gives notice that the Final
Environmental Assessment (EA) and Final Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) 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, are available.
The USIBWC finds that the proposed action to issue a land use permit to
construct a drill pad for the purpose of drilling natural gas wells on
an island located on USIBWC real property within the reservoir is not a
major federal action that would have a significant adverse effect on
the quality of the human environment. A notice of availability was
signed February 10, 1997, and published in the Federal Register on
February 19, 1997 (62 FR 7475-7477) for a thirty (30) day review and
comment period.
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:
Proposed Action
The action proposed is for the USIBWC to issue a land use permit to
TransTexas Gas Corporation (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 elevation traverse (the United
States
[[Page 30887]]
property line also called the ``307-foot traverse'') within Falcon
Reservoir for the purpose of drilling natural gas wells. The
construction of the drill pad on an island within the reservoir is
desirable, due mainly to the constraints associated with current
directional drilling, to enable the full development of private and
public gas reserves in the western portion of TransTexas' lease area.
The gas lease area is situated entirely within Falcon Reservoir with
very limited land available to reach the required bottom hole
locations.
Alternatives Considered
Two alternatives were considered in the Final Environmental
Assessment (EA):
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 proposes to issue the land use permit based on
its determination to allow limited exceptions to its policy of
prohibiting oil and natural gas development upon USIBWC real property
within the reservoir. Approval of the application for permit to drill
for public reserves located within the reservoir by the United States
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would occur once the USIBWC land use
permit is issued.
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
TransTexas requested the 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 within the international Falcon Reservoir for the
purpose of drilling natural gas wells. The USIBWC began coordination
with BLM regarding the application by TransTexas for a permit to drill
for federal reserves within the reservoir. 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 determining the
significance of the impacts of the federal action of the USIBWC issuing
a land use permit to TransTexas to construct a natural gas well drill
pad site on an island within Falcon Reservoir.
The Final EA prepared by contract by TransTexas is tiered from a
Programmatic Environmental Assessment also prepared by TransTexas that
address the impacts of oil and natural gas development within the
Falcon Dam and Reservoir Project. The Final EA describes the historical
and existing development of oil and natural gas in the general vicinity
of Porcion 18 (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 at
the Porcion 18 site 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
Final EA discusses mitigation measures to avoid impacts to and minimize
degradation of environmental resources on and adjacent to the Porcion
18 site. The USIBWC approved the completed Final EA for proposed
natural gas development at Porcion 18, and it is currently available.
Finding of the Environmental Assessment
The Final EA finds 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. The USIBWC has determined
that an environmental impact statement is not required to issue a land
use permit and hereby provides notice of FONSI based on the following
facts:
1. Construction, drilling and production activities at the Porcion
18 well 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
Copies of the Final EA and Final FONSI are available for public
review at
[[Page 30888]]
the USIBWC Falcon Dam Field Office, Falcon Road, Falcon Heights, Texas
78545, and have been distributed to Federal, State, and local agencies,
organizations and individuals that have commented on or have been
consulted and coordinated with in the preparation of the EA. A limited
number of copies are available to fill single copy requests at the
above address.
Dated: May 29, 1997.
Randall A. McMains,
Attorney.
[FR Doc. 97-14676 Filed 6-4-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-03-M
