BLM doing supplemental EIS for NE NPR-A

The Bureau of Land Management said Nov. 17 that it will develop a supplemental environmental impact statement for the northeast portion of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to address cumulative impacts of oil and gas activities in the region. The agency said the official start date would be announced soon in the Federal Register.

BLM said a Sept. 25 decision by the U.S. District for Alaska found that the Northeast NPR-A amended integrated activity plan/EIS failed to adequately address cumulative impact, and vacated BLM’s January 2006 record of decision which had opened lands that had been closed to oil and gas leasing or were under a no surface activity restriction in the 4.6 million acre northeast NPR-A. The plan had also established performance-based stipulations and required operating procedures “to increase flexibility in protecting important surface resources,” the agency said.

Acting BLM State Director Julia Dougan said “the North Slope Borough has expressed an interest in participating with the BLM as a cooperating agency during the preparation of the supplemental plan.”

BLM said that in response to the court order it intends to develop “a supplemental plan that will use previous data and study results as a knowledge base.”

—Petroleum News