American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2021 - 18

IndustryDigest
Ultimately, Winchester assesses, the
move appears to be part of a larger
project to frustrate American
hydrocarbon production. " Combined
with federal lease bans, permit bans and
other anti-oil-and-gas measures from
this administration, it is clear the
president and Interior secretary want
nothing more than to cut off billions of
dollars that fund public education,
public safety and public health measures
in New Mexico, " he concludes. ❒
BLM Says Leasing EAs
Must Consider GHGs
GRAND JUNCTION, CO.-In its
announcement that state offices will issue
draft environmental assessments and
solicit public feedback regarding
proposed 2022 oil and gas lease sales, the
Federal Bureau of Land Management
says that, for the first time, environmental
assessments will analyze greenhouse gas
emissions on a national scale and
consider GHGs' social costs. The EAs
also will analyze energy development's
impacts on air and water quality, wildlife
habitat, quality of life for nearby
communities and other factors.
In a related move, the bureau also
has removed 264 parcels from 2022 oil
and gas lease sales because of sage
grouse considerations.
" The BLM is committed to
responsible development on public
lands, including ensuring that our
environmental reviews consider the
climate impacts of energy development
on lands and communities, " says BLM
Director Tracy Stone-Manning. " We
will continue to exercise the authority
and discretion provided under law to
conduct leasing in a manner that fulfills
the Interior Department's legal
responsibilities. "
BLM mentions that its GHG analysis
for the proposed lease sales was
informed by " 2020 BLM Specialist
Report on Annual Greenhouse Gas
Emissions and Climate Trends from
Coal, Oil and Gas Exploration and
Development on the Federal Mineral
Estate, " which the bureau describes as a
comprehensive analysis of cumulative
GHG emissions from coal, oil and gas
activities on public lands. The report
uses long-term projections from the
U.S. Energy Information Administration
to analyze expected lifetime emissions
from existing and potential new fossil
fuel leases on BLM-managed lands.
According to BLM, the scoping
period for the proposed sales ended on
Oct. 1, and the bureau deferred a lot of
nominated parcels from further
consideration for reasons including the
need to prioritize leasing outside of
priority habitat for greater sage grouse,
and insufficient EA documentation.
Additional parcels may be deferred based
on public comment on the draft EAs.
The bureau's Wyoming office relates
its original scoping period sought input
on 459 parcels initially proposed for the
deferred BLM Wyoming March and June
2021 oil and gas lease sales. Based on
that input and its subsequent
environmental review, BLM Wyoming
says it has decided to carry forward 195
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American Oil and Gas Reporter - December 2021

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