News briefs

Public comment sought on natural gas well-development near Silt

SILT — The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on a proposed natural gas well development four miles southeast of Silt.

Up to 88 new wells on six new well pads could be drilled in the area, according to Bill Barrett Corporation's Gibson Gulch II Master Development Plan. The plan would call for the development to occur over the next five years beginning in the fall of 2011. Approximately three miles of new roads would be constructed under the proposal.

The bureau requires operators to submit these multi-year Master Development Plans in order to facilitate an orderly development of the federal leases. Master Development Plans help BLM better identify environmental impacts and appropriate measures to mitigate these impacts.

The bureau will prepare an environmental assessment on this master plan. Before it completes the assessment, the BLM wants to hear any specific issues, concerns and comments the public has about this proposal. The bureau recommends that comments be received by Aug. 10.

Written comments and questions should be directed to the Colorado River Valley Field Office at 2300 River Frontage Road, Silt, Colo., 81652.

Electronic comments may be submitted to gsfomail@co.blm.gov.

Copies of the Master Development Plan further detailing the proposed oil and gas development are available at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/crvfo/GSFO_MasterPlansOfDevelopment.html.

Input sought on proposed pipeline in western Colorado

GRAND JUNCTION — The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a proposed natural gas pipeline that would impact parts of Garfield County.

The Western Expansion Project II proposed by Enterprise Mid-America Pipeline proposes a 95-mile, 16-inch diameter pipeline that would follow an existing pipeline corridor across Rio Blanco, Garfield, and Mesa counties in Colorado, and Uintah and Grand counties in Utah. The pipeline would cross BLM lands administered by the White River and Grand Junction field offices in Colorado and the Vernal and Moab field offices in Utah.

The pipeline would increase the company's capacity for transporting natural gas liquids from Wyoming and Colorado to Hobbs, New Mexico. The company seeks to construct the pipeline in 2012.

The bureau seeks initial public comments as it begins an environmental assessment of the proposal and recommends that comments be provided by August 5. The bureau will offer a second opportunity for public comment on the environmental assessment once it is drafted.

Written comments and questions should be directed to the BLM Northwest Colorado District Office at 2815 H Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506. Comments may also be submitted via e-mail at gjfo_webmail@blm.gov.

Copies of the proposal are available for review at the BLM Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, in Grand Junction. A map of the proposed pipeline is available at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en.html.

For more information, contact Erin Dreyfuss at (970) 244-3008.