Impact study released on Boysen dumping

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released their Environmental Impact Study (EIS) on the Moneta Divide Natural Gas and Oil Development Project proposed by Aethon Energy and Burlington Resources Oil and Gas Company last Friday.

The BLM report comes on the heels of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking for an extension to the public comment period and public meetings between the Wyoming Department of Environmental Protection (DEQ).

The DEQ has announced an extension of the comment period to July 5 and two public meetings will be held, one in Riverton at Central Wyoming College on Monday, May 20 starting at 5:30 p.m. and a second in Thermopolis on Tuesday, May 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium.

During the meeting DEQ staff will present information on the proposed permit and the public will have an opportunity to make statements.

According to the permit application, millions of gallons of tainted water, 8.27 million per day in fact, is slated to be dumped into Boysen Reservoir along with 2,161 tons of dissolved oilfield pollutants per month from the Moneta Divide oilfield if Aethon Energy is granted their permit.

The company is expanding to 4,250 wells between Shoshoni and Moneta, which is good for the oil industry, but their plan for dumping into our waterways is far from good.

These pollutants would go directly into Alkali and Badwater Creek as mixing zones before falling into Boysen. Allegedly, this will mix with the water in Boysen to dilute the pollution before its sent over the dam into the Wind River.

The Moneta Divide project has actually been in existence for approximately six years and the BLM was in contact with tribal consultants, in May of 2013 to initiate a government to government consultation.

At the time, the BLM held three field tours in the area for tribal representatives and invited other federal, state, and local government agencies and tribal governments to participate in the process.

The BLM’s need is to allow the companies to develop their existing federal leases in accordance with the rights and limitations of the leases while also preventing unnecessary or undue degradation to public land.

The initial permit granted for the Moneta Divide Project expired in 2017, so the current permitting process is simply an attempt at a renewal of the previous permit.

The production area encompasses approximately 265,434 acres which will include treated water discharge pipelines, disposal wells and associated facilities in the Shotgun and Madison disposal areas and a product pipeline that will travel through Fremont and Sweetwater counties to carry the product to Rawlins.

Aethon proposes to drill 4,100 directional and vertical natural gas and oil wells from single and multi-well pads during a 15-year development period. Burlington proposes to drill a maximum of 150 directional and vertical natural gas wells from single-well pads during that same 15 year period.

The life of the project, including drilling, production, and final reclamation, would be approximately 65 years.

This proposal would include two treated water discharge pipelines to Boysen Reservoir.

Poison Creek is the main drainage in the Lower Wind subbasin on the east side of Boysen Reservoir, where the production and disposal areas would be located. Poison, Badwater and Muskrat creeks flow through the production area and drain into the reservoir, as well.

Water is diverted from these creeks for direct irrigation of hay fields or to fill stock ponds.

Areas around the creeks contain important habitats for a wide range of wildlife, including sage grouse, widespread raptor nesting and foraging locations, mountain plover nesting habitat, migratory bird habits, white-tailed prairie dog colonies and crucial seasonal ranges for big game.

Boysen Reservoir is the only year-round fishery in the vicinity, providing fish habitat to several species, including three species (burbot, flathead chub, and sauger) that are designated by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as species of greatest conservation need.

According to the BLM report, the air quality assessment predicts an exceedance of ambient air quality standards for coarse particulate matter, fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide within 3 miles of the project.

In addition, there is a good chance of disturbing paleontological resources in the area as well.

The water, however, is what Hot Springs County residents are most concerned about.

The project could cause changes to stream channels and flows, increased sediment loads and increased ion or salt concentrations as well as contamination from hydrocarbons or other pollutants.

Changes to water table levels could also be an issue and potential increased salt concentration from injection of produced water could become an issue.

Because of the long life of the project, much of what is being presented by all sides is speculation as there is no way to definitively determine what impacts this enormous project may have over the ensuing 65 years.