[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 19, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7474-7475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4009]


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INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION


Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: United States Section, International Boundary and Water 
Commission, United States and Mexico.

ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft Environmental Assessment.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969; the Council on Environmental Quality Final 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508); and the Operational 
Procedures of the United States Section, International Boundary and 
Water Commission, United States and Mexico (USIBWC), for Implementing 
Section 102 of NEPA, published in the Federal Register September 2, 
1981 (46FR 44083-44094); the USIBWC hereby gives notice that a Draft 
Environmental Assessment (DEA) prepared by TransTexas Gas Corporation 
(TransTexas), Houston, Texas, to address the potential adverse 
environmental impacts of placement of a natural gas well pad and 
associated works within the Falcon Dam and Reservoir Project, Zapata 
County, Texas, is available for review and comment. The DEA addresses 
the proposed action for the USIBWC to issue a land use permit to 
TransTexas to construct a drill pad for the purpose of drilling natural 
gas wells on an island located on USIBWC real property within the 
international Falcon Reservoir.

ADDRESSES: Mr. Yusuf E. Farran, Division Engineer, Environmental 
Management Division, United States Section, International Boundary and 
Water Commission, United States and Mexico, 4171 North Mesa Street, C-
310, El Paso, Texas 79902-1441. Telephone: 915/534-6704.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January, 1996, TransTexas Gas Corporation 
(TransTexas) requested the United States Section, International 
Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico (USIBWC), to 
grant them permission to construct a drill pad site above the 307-foot 
mean sea level elevation on an island located within USIBWC real 
property below the 307-foot elevation traverse (the United States 
property line also called the ``307-foot traverse'') within the 
international Falcon Reservoir for the purpose of drilling eight 
natural gas wells. The construction of the well pad at the location 
referred to as Porcion 18 within the reservoir is desirable, due mainly 
to technical constraints associated with current directional drilling, 
to enable the full development of private and public gas reserves in 
the western portion of TransTexas' gas lease area. The gas lease area 
is situated entirely under Falcon Reservoir with very limited land 
available to reach the required bottom hole locations.
    The USIBWC began coordination with the United States Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM), the federal authorizing agency which would approve an 
application by TransTexas for a permit to drill for federal reserves 
within the reservior. BLM indicated it would not approve the 
application for permit to drill until the USIBWC determined whether it 
would waive the stipulation that prohibits oil and natural gas 
development at that site. Both agencies agreed that due to a lack of 
both funding resources and human resources for an agency produced 
document and an immediate need by TransTexas to gain access to private 
and public reserves within the reservoir, a third party environmental 
analysis would be acceptable for determination of the significance of 
the impacts of the federal action of the USIBWC granting exceptions to 
its policy of prohibiting any mineral exploration or development within 
its property at Falcon Reservoir. A programmatic environmental 
assessment that addresses the USIBWC's granting exceptions to its 
policy of prohibiting any mineral exploration or development within its 
property at Falcon Reservoir is being processed under separate notice 
in the Federal Register. Although this site specific environmental 
assessment is prepared and processed simultaneously with the Draft 
Programmatic Environmental Assessment for potential oil and natural gas 
development below the 307-foot traverse property line at Falcon 
Reservoir but above the 307-foot mean sea level elevation, no final 
action will be taken on this site specific document until the PEA is 
complete and final action is declared on it.

Proposed Action

    The action proposed is for the USIBWC to issue a land use permit to 
TransTexas to construct a drill pad site on an island above the 307-
foot mean sea level elevation located on USIBWC real property below the 
307-foot traverse property line within Falcon Reservoir for the purpose 
of drilling eight natural gas wells. This would be the first time for 
the USIBWC to grant an exception to its policy of prohibiting oil and 
gas development upon USIBWC real property under Falcon Reservoir and is 
dependent upon the outcome of the PEA.

Alternatives Considered

    Two alternatives were considered in the Draft Environmental 
Assessment (DEA):
    The Proposed Action Alternative is for the USIBWC to issue a land 
use permit to TransTexas to construct a drill pad site on an island 
above the 307-foot mean sea level elevation located on USIBWC real 
property below the 307-foot traverse property line within Falcon 
Reservoir. The USIBWC would issue the land use permit if it makes the 
determination to allow exceptions to its policy of prohibiting oil and 
natural gas development upon USIBWC real property under the reservoir 
and if BLM approves the application for permit to drill for public 
reserves located within the reservoir. The USIBWC land use permit takes 
into consideration that such works do not interfere with the

[[Page 7475]]

operation and maintenance of the Falcon Dam and Reservoir Project. No 
final action will be taken on this site specific document until the 
Programmatic Environmental Assessment is complete and final action is 
declared on it.
    The No Action Alternative is for the USIBWC to not issue a land use 
permit to TransTexas to construct a drill pad and associated works on 
an island on USIBWC real property at Porcion 18 at Falcon Reservoir. 
BLM would only be able to approve an application for permit to drill 
from a site above the 307-foot traverse property line; hence outside 
the reservoir. TransTexas would need to consider use of alternative 
means to recover private and public natural gas reserves within the 
reservoir. The no action alternative would result in no development 
below the 307-foot traverse for private and public reserves in the 
western portion of TransTexas' lease area; avoidance of any potential 
impacts associated with the proposed action; the loss of tax and 
royalty revenues to the local, state and federal governments; the loss 
of royalty revenues to mineral owners; and the loss of an otherwise 
recoverable clean energy source.

Environmental Assessment

    The USIBWC has coordinated with BLM, the agency responsible for 
permitting Federal reserves within the reservoir, and TransTexas in the 
development of the Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA). The DEA is 
tiered from the PEA and describes the historical and existing 
development of oil and natural gas in the general vicinity (but above 
the 307-foot traverse property line) of the reservoir and the planned 
oil and natural gas activities within or adjacent to the Porcion 18 
site. It analyzes the specific impacts expected from natural gas 
development in the foreseeable future and the cumulative environmental 
impacts of natural gas development upon USIBWC real property at Falcon 
Reservoir. The Draft EA discusses mitigation measures to avoid impacts 
to and minimize degradation of environmental resources within and 
adjacent to the reservoir. The USIBWC approved the completed DEA from 
TransTexas for proposed natural gas development at Porcion 18, and it 
is currently available for review and comment.

Finding of the Environmental Assessment

    Final action on this site specific DEA will not be taken until the 
Programmatic Environmental Assessment is complete and final action is 
declared on it. The DEA indicates that the proposed action for the 
USIBWC to issue a land use permit for natural gas development within 
the USIBWC real property at Porcion 18 at Falcon Reservoir does not 
constitute a major federal action which would cause a significant 
local, regional, or national adverse impact on the environment based on 
the following facts:
    1. Construction, drilling and production activities at the Porcion 
18 swell pad site will have no significant adverse impacts on air 
quality. Standard construction practices to control fugitive dust shall 
be used, and emissions will be minimized through properly maintained 
equipment.
    2. The slight impacts from construction, drilling and production 
activities associated with noise at the Porcion 18 well pad site are 
fully mitigable through vegetative buffer zones, equipment noise 
suppressors, and avoidance of critical wildlife use periods.
    3. Negligible impacts to geologic and water resources are mitigable 
through the use of erosion and sediment control measures and devices, 
secondary containment measures, best management practices during all 
phases of development at the Porcion 18 well pad site, and use of site 
specific spill prevention control and countermeasure plans.
    4. Biological resources shall be protected from impacts by total 
avoidance of clearing within the heavy brush corridor adjacent to 
Porcion 18, reptile exclusion fences around the drill pad location, and 
an interior least tern monitoring plan coordinated by the appropriate 
federal and state conservation agencies. Based on site surveys, 
federally listed species are not likely to be adversely affected by the 
proposed action provided these mitigation measures are followed.
    5. Impacts to cultural resources shall be mitigated through 
avoidance of sites determined to be eligible for the National Register 
of Historic Places and implementation of a Memorandum of Agreement for 
mitigating impacts if avoidance is not viable. These measures shall be 
completed prior to BLM approval of the application for permit to drill, 
USIBWC issuance of a land use permit, and any development at the 
Porcion 18 drill site. Additionally, construction activity shall be 
monitored by a qualified archaeologist with full authority to terminate 
construction if cultural resources are likely to be impacted at the 
site.
    6. Negligible impacts associated with land use and transportation 
will not require additional mitigation.
    7. Negligible impacts associated with visual resources are 
mitigable through properly placed night lighting, painting of the 
facility to blend with the surrounding terrain and vegetation, and 
alignment of the access road and utility corridor to limit the view of 
the facility from the shoreline.

Availability

    The DEA is available for public review at the USIBWC Falcon Dam 
Field Office, Falcon Road, Falcon Heights, Texas 78545; and it has also 
been distributed to Federal, State, and local agencies and 
organizations that have been consulted and coordinated with in the 
preparation of the DEA. A limited number of copies are available to 
fill single copy requests at the above address. The USIBWC will not 
take final action on this DEA until the Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Assessment is complete and final action is declared on 
it.

    Dated: February 10, 1997.
Randall A. McMains,
Attorney.
[FR Doc. 97-4009 Filed 2-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-03-M