US federal regulators have begun a multi-year process to write new regulations governing the about 693 private oil and natural gas wells that now exist in 12 national parks.
The National Park Service said Wednesday it is developing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement that will assess the impact of any new regulations. The EIS is the first step in developing regulations required under the National Environmental Policy Act.
The National Park Service, a division of the Department of the Interior, said new regulations are needed in part because they have not been updated in more than 30 years.
When regulations were adopted in 1978, they exempted half of the non-federal oil and gas operations in the parks. About 34% of the operations in existence at the time were grandfathered into the new regulatory scheme, while 16% of the operations were exempted because they can be reached without crossing federally owned land or waters, the park service said.
The EIS will analyze alternatives for new regulations and the potential environmental impacts of oil and gas operations on endangered species, water resources, soils, air resources, night skies, cultural resources and soundscapes, the park service said. Effects on oil and gas operators, visitor experience and public safety will also be considered.
The gas and oil operations in national parks tend to be very small, said Herbert Frost, associate director of natural resource stewardship and science at the NPS.
Oil operations in the parks accounted for an average of only 1,689 b/d in 2009, or 0.03% of US production. Gas operations in parks accounted for an average of only 885 Mcf/d in 2009, or 0.04% of US production.
No public scoping meetings are planned for the EIS, but individual parks may opt to hold meetings in their areas. The NPS is accepting public comment on the EIS for 60 days. The process of conducting the EIS could take about two years, Frost said.
--Gary Gentile
The National Park Service said Wednesday it is developing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement that will assess the impact of any new regulations. The EIS is the first step in developing regulations required under the National Environmental Policy Act.
The National Park Service, a division of the Department of the Interior, said new regulations are needed in part because they have not been updated in more than 30 years.
When regulations were adopted in 1978, they exempted half of the non-federal oil and gas operations in the parks. About 34% of the operations in existence at the time were grandfathered into the new regulatory scheme, while 16% of the operations were exempted because they can be reached without crossing federally owned land or waters, the park service said.
The EIS will analyze alternatives for new regulations and the potential environmental impacts of oil and gas operations on endangered species, water resources, soils, air resources, night skies, cultural resources and soundscapes, the park service said. Effects on oil and gas operators, visitor experience and public safety will also be considered.
The gas and oil operations in national parks tend to be very small, said Herbert Frost, associate director of natural resource stewardship and science at the NPS.
Oil operations in the parks accounted for an average of only 1,689 b/d in 2009, or 0.03% of US production. Gas operations in parks accounted for an average of only 885 Mcf/d in 2009, or 0.04% of US production.
No public scoping meetings are planned for the EIS, but individual parks may opt to hold meetings in their areas. The NPS is accepting public comment on the EIS for 60 days. The process of conducting the EIS could take about two years, Frost said.
--Gary Gentile
