The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has given prelimary approval to development plans for as many as 66,000 coalbed methane (CBM) wells in Wyoming and Montana, advising in two final environmental impact statements (FEIS) that with specified mitigation the wells can be accommodated without undue damage to the environment.

The FEIS’ would allow nearly 40,000 additional coalbed methane wells in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana and between 10,000 and 26,000 wells in other parts of Montana over the next 20 years.

The two environmental assessments regarding oil and natural gas development, and specifically coalbed methane development were issued by BLM Friday. One EIS covers public lands and federal mineral leases in northeastern Wyoming, the other addresses statewide oil and gas development throughout Montana.

The federal agency estimates that more than 25 Tcf of methane may be recoverable from the Powder River Basin alone. BLM said 14,300 methane wells have been drilled on the Wyoming side of the Powder River Basin, but indicated that as many as 51,000 more could be operating over the next 10 years, with about two-thirds in the Upper Powder River and Upper Belle Fourche river basins. The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality said that 51,000 potential wells would be “manageable.” The Wyoming portion of the Powder River Basin is about 8 million acres.

The two FEIS’, which took two years to complete, analyze options to develop resources and still protect other land uses and resource values. More than 35,000 public comments were received on the draft EISs, as the BLM worked with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation and the Wyoming and Montana Departments of Environmental Quality.

Bob Bennett, BLM Wyoming state director, said the environmental studies are crucial parts of the agency’s effort to mount an effective and environmentally sound response to the nation’s pressing energy needs.

“Environmentally responsible development of domestic supplies of energy, including clean-burning coalbed natural gas, is essential to our national security, our nation’s economy, and the quality of life of the American people,” Bennett said. “These studies represent a tremendous amount of data collection, analysis, consultation and collaboration with interested parties and the public. I’m confident that this work provides a framework that will allow us to move forward with development of a new, clean energy source while actively protecting the environment.”

BLM’s recommendations would better protect rivers and creeks from salty waste water from the wells that the region’s farmers and ranchers have said is not fit for drinking or irrigation. Because CBM drilling requires groundwater to be pumped to the surface, the BLM proposal would require the salty water to be captured in holding ponds to allow it to filter back into the ground and keep it from flowing downstream. The agency also would require natural gas-fired compressors at drilling sites, a less polluting alternative.

The Wyoming and Montana FEIS’ are being issued separately, primarily because the documents involved different co-operators and co-leads with independent jurisdictions and legal responsibilities. In addition, the Montana EIS covered the entire state of Montana while the Wyoming EIS addressed only lands within the Powder River Basin.

The Montana Statewide Oil and Gas FEIS also includes an amendment of the Powder River and Billings Resource Management Plans that addresses potential coalbed natural gas development. The Wyoming Powder River Basin Oil and Gas FEIS includes a plan to amend the Buffalo and Platte River (Casper) RMPs.

Nearly 14% of the entire basin is owned by the federal government, which also has the mineral rights on 63% of the basin, all of which is under BLM oversight.

The official release date for the FEIS’ for Wyoming and Montana in the Federal Register is next Friday (Jan.17). Comments on the two reports will be accepted through Feb. 18. Both documents and related information can be viewed on the BLM’s web site at www.blm.gov. Additional information on the Wyoming document is available at www.prb-eis.org.

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