The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the US has released a new draft in a bid to limit drilling on Roan Plateau in Colorado.
For the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Roan Plateau Resource Management Plan Amendment, the agency has given a 90-day period for public comments.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Expected to commence upon the publishing of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Notice of Availability for the Draft SEIS in the Federal Register on 20 November 2015, the comment period will run through 18 February 2016.
Under the BLM’s preferred alternative, the area on top the plateau has 17 oil and gas leases that were cancelled as part of a settlement between conservationists and energy company Bill Barrett in 2014 and would be closed to leasing.
Two leases on top and another 12 that are below the rim of the plateau would remain in place.
BLM Director Neil Kornze said: "For many years the Roan Plateau was a symbol of conflict in the American West.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData"This draft document moves that vision forward and protects some of the state’s most important fish and wildlife habitat while also allowing for oil and gas development in places where it makes sense."
The Roan Plateau hosts an array of game and sensitive species and was set aside as Naval Oil Shale Reserves #1 and #3 in the 1910s originally.
In 1997, the Department of Energy transferred it to the BLM directing to lease the area for oil and gas development while protecting the plateau’s wildlife, water as well as other natural resources.
During that time, a total of 56,238 acres of land was transferred and the legislation required that the 12,029 acre-area below the rim be leased within a period of year.
Colorado state director Ruth Welch said: "The release of the Draft SEIS represents another important step in the BLM’s fulfilment of its commitments under the Roan settlement.
"We are looking forward to continued engagement with the public on the alternatives in the Draft SEIS as the BLM continues working on this important project."
