CU2Gk Me Tb35¢/2:H 15 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Rawlins Field Office January 2002 Environmental Assessment for the Hanna Draw Coalbed Methane Exploration Project, Carbon County, Wyoming ALLY -L070 9 FC 7, a Cy MISSION STATEMENT lt is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. WY-030-EA1-171 BLM/WY/PL-02/005+1310 United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Rawlins Field Office P.O. Box 2407 (1300 North Third Street) Rawlins, Wyoming 82301-2407 In Reply Refer To: 1790 Ja1 n6 20 02 Re: Hanna Draw Coalbed Methane (CBM) Exploration Project Dear Reader: Enclosed for your review and comment is the Environmental Assessment (EA) for Williams Production RMT Company’s (formerly Barrett Resources), Hanna Draw Coalbed Methane Exploration Project. In order to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, the EA was prepared to analyze impacts associated with the exploration of coalbed methane resources north of the Town of Hanna in Carbon County, Wyoming. Analysis of the environmental consequences has led to the determination that this proposed project, with the appropriate mitigating measures, will not have a significant effect on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement will not be required. Pending the results of a public review of this document, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will prepare a formal Decision Record. Your comments should be as specific as possible. Comments on the alternatives presented and on the adequacy of the impact analysis will be accepted by BLM until February 19, 2002. Comments may be submitted via regular mail to: Brenda Vosika Neuman, Project Manager Bureau of Land Management Rawlins Field Office P.0. Box 2407 1300 North Third Street Rawlins, Wyoming 82301 In the past, we have allowed comments to be submitted via electronic mail. However, at this time, we are unable to receive e-mail and are uncertain when it may become available. To ensure that your comments are considered, we asked that you do not send responses to the Hanna Draw CBM Exploration Project EA electronically. Please note that comments, including names, e-mail addresses, and street addresses of the respondents, will be available for public review and disclosure at the above address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentially. If you wish to withhold your name, e-mail us address, or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this plainly at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. Please retain this EA for future reference. A copy of the EA has been sent to affected government agencies and to those who responded to scoping or otherwise indicated that they wished to réceive a copy of the EA. The EA may also be reviewed at the following locations: Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Land Management Wyoming State Office Rawlins District Office 5353 Yellowstone Road 1300 N. Third Street Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009 Rawlins, Wyoming 82301 If you require additional information regarding this project, please contact Brenda Vosika Neuman at the above address or phone (307) 328-4389. Sincerely, Field Manager Enclosure 7M ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE HANNA DRAW COALBED METHANE EXPLORATION PROJECT, CARBON COUNTY, WYOMING Prepared for Bureau of Land Management Rawlins Ficid Office Rawlins, Wyoming This Environmental Analysis was prepared by TRC Mariah Associates Inc., an environmental consulting firm, with the guidance, participation, and independent evaluation of the Bureau of Land Managemeni (BLM). The BLM, in accordance with Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1506(a) and (b), is in agreement with the findings of the analysis and approves and takes responsibility for the scope and content of this document. January 2002 EA, Hanna Draw Coalbed Methane Exploration Project TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 10 INTRODUCTION .... 2.0.0..eet. e nees l 1.1 PURPOSE AND NEED ............... 00. 4 1.2 CONFORMANCE AND AUTHORIZING ACTIONS.................. 4 1.3 LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND CONCERNS... 10 2.0 THE PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ......................... 11 2.1 THE PROPOSED ACTION .............. 0... 11 2.1.1 Well Pad and Access Road Construction and Drilling Operations... 13 2.1.1.1 Well Pad and Road Construction..................... 15 2.1.1.2 Drilling, Casing, and Cementing ..................... 18 2.1.2 Completion and Production Testing ......................005. 23 2.1.3 Production ............ 0.0.00 ete een 24 2.1.4 Compressor Station .....0..... ....ce.e 27 2.1.5 Workovers ......... 0.0.66tee n ees 27 2.1.6 Natural Gas Collection Lines ..................... 000000005. 28 2.1.7 Interconnect Pipeline ..........0( ..c.e..e.. 0e e 28 2.1.8 Water Supply and Disposal......................0..0..000.2.. 32 2.1.8.1 Water for Drilling ...................0.00.000.0002.. 32 2.1.8.2 Dewatering Operations ............................ 32 2.1.8.3 Disposal of Produced Water ........................ 33 2.1.8.4 Hydrostatic Testing ....................0 0.000.005. 35 2.1.9 Hazardous Materials...2.0.0..0.. .0.0..0 .00 .c.e.c.e. 35 2.1.10 Workforce Requirements ................0..00.0.00. 0.000 0 36 2.1.11 Field Camps ...........0..c. 0.0.0e0e0e0 37 2.1.12 Abandonment and Reclamation ............................ 37 2.1.12.1 Initial Reclamation .......................0...00.. 38 2.1.12.2 Final Reclamation/Abandonment .................... 39 2.1.13 Project-Wide Environmental Practices and Protection Measures .. 39 2.1.13.1 Preconstruction Planning and Design Measures ........ 40 2.1.13.2 Disposal of Sewage, Garbage, and Other Waste Material .... 0.12 40 2.1.13.3 Cultural Resources .....................0..00.00... 4] 2.1.13.4 Paleontological Resources ......................... 42 2.1.13.5 Nonnative Invasive Species ........................ 42 2.1.13.6 Vegetation ........... 0.0.0.0 eee 43 2.1.13.7 Wetlands, Other Special Aquatic Sites, and Other Waters ofthe U.S. ..........0.0.00.0 000.0000, 43 2.1.13.8 Road Construction/Transportation .................. 44 2.1.13.9 Hazardous Materials .....................0....... 46 2.1.13.10 Air Quality 20.2... ee, 46 2.1.13.11 Topography and Physiography..................... 46 2.1.13.12 Soils 20.02 47 ii EA, Hanna Draw Coalbed Methane Exploration Project TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page 2.1.13.13 Water Resources .......0.... 0.. c.cc. .ee.n 48 2.1.13.14 Noise and Odor ....0.0..... ..e.e.n 50 2.1.13.15 Wildlife and Fisheries .......................00004. 50 2.1.13.16 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, Candidate, and Sensitive Animal and Plant Species .................... 52 2.1.13.17 Socioeconomics .......0..... .ce.e. .e.e e ee 58 2.1.13.18 Livestock/Grazing Management.................... 58 2.1.13.19 Land Status/Use .....0.0..... c..e.e. 59 2.1.13.20 Recreation ............ 0.0... ee een 59 2.1.13.21 Visual Resources ......0..0..... c.cc .ee.e. e ee 59 2.2 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ............. 0.0000. eee 60 2.3 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT NOT ANALYZED IN DETAIL ... 62 2.4 SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ...................... 62 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT .....0..0..0.... ..c.c.c ..ee ns 67 3.1 PHYSICAL RESOURCES ................ 0.0000 eee 67 3.1.1 Climate and Air Quality .......00..0.000.. .cc.c .e0e.e 67 3.1.2 Topography and Physiography .............................. 70 3.1.3 Geology and Geological Hazards ............................ 70 3.1.3.1 Geology ......... 0.0.0. 70 3.1.3.2 Mineral/Oil and Gas Resources ...................... 72 3.1.3.2 GeologicalHazards .............0..0.. ....00.00.5 . 75 3.1.4 Paleontological Resources .................. 0.0.0.0... 00000. 77 3.1.5 Soils 20.0... cee een ee eeney 8] 3.1.6 Water Resources ....0.0..0.0.... .c.e.e. . eee 84 3.1.6.1 Surface Water.......... 00.00 eee, 84 3.1.6.2 Ground Water............. 0.000. eee 87 3.1.7 Noise and Odor .......... 0.0... eeey 90 3.2 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES .................00.000 0000000000000... 94 3.2.1 Vegetation. ... 0.0... 20.000. ees 94 3.2.1.1 Plant Communities .....................0..0000005.. 94 3.2.1.2 Wetlands/Riparian Areas ........................... 94 3.2.1.3 Nonnative Invas:ve Species ......................... 96 3.2.2 Wildlife and Fisheries ........0..00.000.0 .c.e.e .e.ee . 96 3.2.2.1 Big Game Animals ..............0..... ..0..0.00.00 . 96 3.2.2.2 OtherMammals .......................-......... 100 3.2.2.3 Raptors ......... 0.0.0.0 .0 0002 eee 101 3.2.2.4 Upland Game Birds ...................0.0........ 101 3.2.2.5 Other Birds..............000 00.00.0000 104 3.2.2.6 Fisheries ....... 0.000. eee 106 3.2.2.7 Other Species .........0.0.00.0.0 00.e0ee , 106 EA, Hanna Draw Coalbed Methane Exploration Project iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page 3.2.3 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, Candidate, and State-Sensitive Species .......0.. c.c.c. ..e.e e 106 3.3 CULTURAL RESOURCES ................00. 0. 114 3.3.1 Prehistoric Resources ......0.0.... .0c. ce.ce .e.ee. ee e 115 3.3.2 Historic Resources ......0..... .c c.c.c ...ee e 117 3.4 SOCIOECONOMICS ........ 0.06c ee ees 118 3.5 LAND USE ..... 2.00...t eee nen 119 3.5.1 Agriculture/Rangeland .......2..0..... 00.0s. e.ee. e.en s 119 3.5.2 Recreation... .......0.0.. 0... ce ete eens 120 3.5.3 Land Status and Prior Rights ...................0...00.0.5. 120 3.6 AESTHETICS AND VISUAL RESOURCES ......................... (21 3.7 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS .............0.0 .cc.c c.e0ce. .ee0e . 121 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION ....................... 123 4.1 PHYSICAL RESOURCES .............0..00.0 .c.e.e. .e.ee 124 4.1.1 Air Quality 2.00.0. 124 4.1.1.1 The Proposed Action ..................0.0.00.005. 124 4.1.1.2 The No Action Alternative.....................2... 125 4.1.1.3 Mitigation ............. 0.00.2 125 4.1.2 Topography and Physiography ............................. 125 4.1.2.1 The Proposed Action .......................0.0405. 126 4.1.2.2 The No Action Alternative ......................... 126 4.1.2.3 Mitigation.............. 0.0000. 126 4.1.3 Minerals/Geologic Hazards.....................0.. 000.0005. 126 4.1.3.1 The Proposed Action .......................0.005. 126 4.1.3.2 The No Action Alternative ........................ 127 4.1.3.3 Mitigation ...............0 0.000. 128 4.1.4 Paleontology ......... 0.0.0.0... cee eee 128 4.1.4.1 The Proposed Action .......................0..... 128 4.1.4.2 The No Action Alternative ......................... 129 4.1.4.3 Mitigation.20..... 00.00. ..e..e.. . 129 4.1.5 Soils 2.0.00... cece nen 129 4.1.5.1 The Proposed Action .......................0.0... 129 4.1.5.2 The No Action Alternative ......................... 130 4.1.5.3 Mitigation......0..00.00.0 .c..e..e.0 0 130 4.1.6 Water Resources .....0.0..20.... .cc. ...ee e 130 4.1.6.1 The Proposed Action .........................0... 131 4.1.6.2 The No Action Alternative......................... 133 4.1.6.3 Mitigation....2.0..0..0.. 0.0.0.......0 . 133 4.1.7 Noise and Odor .......0.0.000. c..c. ...eee . 133 4.1.71 The Proposed Action .............................. 133 4.1.7.2 The No Action Alternative ......................... 133 4.1.7.3 Mitigation.2..0..0.0.. .0...0. ....eee , 135 iv EA, Hanna Draw Coalbed Methane Exploration Project TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page 4.2 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ................ 0.0002. 135 4.2.1 Vegetation... 0.0.0.0..ee.e e ens 135 4.2.1.1 Plant Communities ................0 0.000000. e eee, 135 4.2.1.2 The No Action Alternative ......................... 136 4.2.1.3 Mitigation .......... 2.0.0.0... cece ees 136 4.2.2 Wetlands and Riparian Areas ..........0..0..0..0 .00. c .ce e 136 4.2.2.1 The Proposed Action .......................00005. 136 4.2.2.2 The No Action Alternative ......................... 137 4.2.2.3 Mitigation .....0..0..0.0 .6 .c.e.e. .e ee 137 4.2.3 Nonnative Invasive Species.......0..00.00.0 .c.ece. e.e.e 137 4.2.3.1 The Proposed Action .... ........0..0..0. 0.00.05 . 137 4.2.3.2 The No Action Alternative ......................... 137 4.2.3.3 Mitigation ....20..0.0.... 0..... . 137 4.2.4 Wildlife and Fisheries .......2.0.0..0.... .ce.c.e. .eee . 138 4.2.4.1 The Proposed Action ......................0.0005. 138 4.2.4.2 The No Action Alternative ........................ 144 4.2.4.3 Mitigation ........... 0.00... eee 144 4.2.5 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, Candidate, and Sensitive cr 144 4.2.5.1 The Proposed Action ...................0..0.0005. 144 4.2.5.2 The No Action Alternative ......................... 146 4.2.5.3 Mitigation ......00...00. ..c0ee. .e ee 146 4.3 CULTURAL RESOURCES ..........0..0.00.20.0 .c. e.c .e.ee 146 4.3.1 The Proposed Action ...........0.0.0s. .ce.c.e 0e.en s 147 4.3.2 The No Action Alternative ........0..0..0..0 ..0. 0c. c.ee . 148 4.3.3 Mitigation ............ 0.0. eee ees 148 4.4 SOCIOECONOMICS ............. 0.0.06 148 4.4.1 The Proposed Action .........0..0.00 .c.ec.e. .ee.e e ee 148 4.4.2 The No Action Alternative ............0c .e.e .c.ec.e0 e e. 149 4.4.3 Mitigation .......... 00.0 cee 149 4.5 LAND USE .......... 0.0.00 .00o c teen. 150 4.5.1 The Proposed Action ............. 20.0.0... ccc cee ee 150 4.5.2 The No Action Alternative ..................000.0..0.0000 151 45.3 Mitigation .....0.00.0. ...c.e.c0e 151 4.6 VISUAL RESOURCES ..............00.0 ..b..e00e.0 0 151 4.6.1 The Proposed Action ......0..0..0.0..... c.ec.e .ee.e e ee 151 4.6.2 The No Action Alternatives ................ 0.0.0.0. .0 0000: 151 4.6.3 Mitigation .... 0.0.0.0... 00 cece ee 152 EA, Hanna Draw Coalbed Methane Exploration Project V TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Page 4.7 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ........0..0. c. c.e.c..e0 152 4.7.1 The Proposed Action ......0..0.... c.c .e.e. . es 152 4.7.2 The No Action Alternative ........0..0..0.0. c.c e.e e.e e 153 4.7.3 Mitigation .......... 0.0..t.een s 153 4.8 UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE IMPACTS .......................... 153 4.9 IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENT OF PEMD eee e renee reer erererseereneeseeceraces 154 4.10 SHORT-TERM USE OF THE ENVIRONMENT VS. LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY ........... 00... eee ees 154 4.11 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ASSESSMENT ..... ................ 155 4.11.1 Reasonably Foreseeable Development .................... 155 4.11.2 Cumulative Impacts .......0..0.0..... 0.. .e.ee. ee ns 157 4.11.2.1 Air Quality 60.0..c.ee ees 157 4.11.2.2 Topography/Physiography, Soils, Surface Water, and Vegetation ......0 0...ce eee 159 4.11.2.3 Geologic Hazards, Ground Water, Noise and Odors, Land Use, and Hazardous Materials ................ 160 4.11.2.4 Minerals and Socioeconomics ................... 160 4.11.2.5 Cultural Resources............................ 160 4.11.2.6 Paleontology ................ 0.0.0.0... eee e, 161 4.11.2.7 Wildlife and Fisheries .......................... 161 4.11.2.8 Aesthetics and Visual Resources ................. 162 5.0 RECORD OF PERSONS, GROUPS, AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES TOO ccc eee cece eee eee eeseeeeeneneeeeeeneeeeens 163 6.0 REFERENCES .....0...0 .....t.ee.n s 165 APPENDIX A: SCOPING ISSUES AND CONCERNS APPENDIX B: WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN APPENDIX C: NPDES PERMIT APPENDIX D: BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT APPENDIX E: LIST OF HAZARDOUS AND EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS APPENDIX F: PERMITTED WATER WELLS /X