BY ELECTRONIC MAIL AND U.S. CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN … Rio... · 2019-06-20 · Rio Puerco Field Office. The proposed RMP relied on a 2010 Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario

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June20,2019

BY ELECTRONIC MAIL AND

U.S. CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

TimSpisakDirectorNewMexicoStateOfficeU.S.BureauofLandManagement301DinosaurTrailSantaFe,[email protected]

DanitaBurnsDistrictManagerAlbuquerqueDistrictOfficeU.S.BureauofLandManagement100SunAve.,NEPanAmericanBuilding,Suite330Albuquerque,[email protected]

AngelMartinezActingFieldManagerRioPuercoFieldOfficeU.S.BureauofLandManagement100SunAve.,NEPanAmericanBuilding,Suite330Albuquerque,[email protected]

Re: RequestthatBLMHaltOilandGasLeasinginGreaterChacoRegionoftheRio

PuercoFieldOffice,RestartRioPuercoResourceManagementPlanRevisionProcess

DearStateDirectorSpisak,DistrictManagerBurns,andFieldManagerMartinez:

TheundersignedarewritingtocallonyoutobackdownfromplanstoleasepubliclandsforoilandgasdevelopmentintheGreaterChacoregionoftheRioPuercoFieldOfficeofNewMexico.WearealsocallingonyoutorestarttheResourceManagementPlan(“RMP”)revisionprocessfortheFieldOfficeandtointegratetheprocesswiththeRMPAmendmentcurrentlyunderwayfortheadjacentFarmingtonFieldOffice.

OnJune20,theU.S.BureauofLandManagement(“BLM”)intendstosellmorethan

37,000acresofpubliclandsoilandgasleasesinthenorthernportionoftheRioPuercoFieldOffice,allofwhichareinnorthernSandovalCounty,NewMexico.Thiscomesontheheelsofthesaleofmorethan2,500acresofleasesinthesameportionoftheFieldOfficeinMarch2019and41,000acresinDecember2018.What’smore,thisNovember,theagencyintendstoselloffanadditional2,800acresoflandsinthenorthernRioPuercoFieldOffice.

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AllindicationsarethattheseleaseswillfacilitatedevelopmentoftheMancosshalewithhorizontaldrillingandhydraulicfracturing.TheyareallincloseproximitytocurrentMancosshalehorizontaloilandgasdevelopmentoccurringintheadjacentFarmingtonFieldOffice.EventheBLMhasacknowledgedthatthisareaoftheRioPuercoFieldOfficeislocatedinanareawith“veryhigh”potentialforoilandgasoccurrencethatcouldbedevelopedusinghorizontaldrillingandalsolocatedinanareawithmediumtohighMancosshaledevelopmentpotentialbetween2018and2037.1

Asthemapbelowshows,manyoftheseleaseparcelsareincloseproximitytoChaco

NationalHistoricalParkandarewithintheGreaterChacoregion,aculturallysignificantlandscapethatisvitaltoNavajoandPuebloIndigenouspeopleswholiveinandhavesignificanttiestotheregion.

LocationofChacoCultureNationalHistoricalParkandRioPuercoOilandGasLeaseParcelsOfferedforSale

orProposedforSaleSinceDecember2018.

WhiletheBLMissellingpubliclandsfordevelopmentoftheMancosshaleintheRioPuercoFieldOffice,ithasneveraccountedforthecumulativeeffectsofMancosshaledevelopmentwithintheFieldOfficeandneveraddressedMancosshaledevelopmentinitsRMP.Infact,thecurrentRMPguidingoilandgasdevelopmentintheRioPuercoField 1 According to the BLM’s most recent Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario for the neighboring Farmington Field Office, https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/110578/161453/197157/2018.02.27_Crocker_Glover_FFO_RFD.pdf. Although this analysis looked specifically at reasonably foreseeable Mancos shale development within the Farmington Field Office, the study’s maps clearly indicate that the areas of medium to high horizontal development potential overlap with the northern portion of the Rio Puerco Field Office where leasing is proposed.

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Officewasapprovedin1986,morethan30yearsago.AlthoughtheBLMattemptedtorevisetheRMPin2012,itnevercompletedtherevision.Importantly,evenundertheproposedRMPcirculatedforpubliccommentin2012,theagencyneveraccountedfororevenacknowledgedtheprospectofhorizontaldrillingandfrackingofMancosshaleintheRioPuercoFieldOffice.TheproposedRMPreliedona2010ReasonablyForeseeableDevelopmentScenarioreportthatprojectednohorizontalwellswouldbedevelopedintheFieldOfficeoverthelifeoftheRMP.

InlightoftheU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheTenthCircuit’sMay7,2019opinionin

DinéCitizensAgainstRuiningourEnvironmentv.Bernhardt,No.18-2089,2019WL1999298(10thCir.May7,2019),it’scleartheBLMhasnolegalbasistoauthorizeleasingintheRioPuercoFieldOfficethatwouldenabledevelopmentoftheMancosshale.Mancosshaledevelopmentintheregionposesuniqueenvironmentalthreats,includingimpactstoculturalvalues,waterquantityandquality,airquality,andlocalcommunities.

Furthermore,giventhattheagency’spreviouslyproposed2012RMPrevisionalso

didnotaccountfordevelopmentoftheMancosshale,it’scleartheagencycannotfinalizetheRMPrevisionasoriginallyproposed.TheBLMhasmovedtoamendtheRMPfortheneighboringFarmingtonFieldOfficeinordertoaddresstheimpactsofMancosshaledevelopment.2Similarly,theBLMmustrestarttheRMPrevisionprocessfortheRioPuercoFieldOfficeandissueanewproposalthataddressesMancosshaledevelopment.ThismustincludepreparingandcirculatinganewdraftenvironmentalimpactstatementandprovidinganewopportunityforpublicinvolvementonaproposedRMP.

ThereisprecedentforrestraintintheRioPuercoFieldOffice.WhentheBLM

initiallyproposedtoleaselandsforoilandgasdevelopmentinthenorthernRioPuercoFieldOfficeinJanuary2014,theagencyultimatelydeferredthesaleonthebasisthat“leasingtheparcelswouldharmresourcevaluesandmaylimitthechoiceofreasonablealternativeactionsbeingconsideredintheRioPuercoDraftRMP-EIS.”3

Further,inMarch2018,formerSecretaryoftheInteriorRyanZinkedirectedthe

BLMtodeferleasingintheportionofnorthernSandovalCountythatisintheFarmingtonFieldOfficependingthecompletionofanongoinganalysisofmorethan5,000culturalsitesinthearea.4

Asthemapbelowshows,thelocationsofthesedeferredparcelsareliterallystones’throwsawayfromparcelstheagencyofferedforsaleinDecember2018andMarch2019andthattheagencyisproposingtosellinJuneandNovember2019.Infact,someofthedeferredparcelsfromMarch2018wereevenfurtherawayfromChacoCultureNationalHistoricalParkthantheRioPuercoparcelstheBLMhasofferedforsaleorisproposingto

2 See 81 Fed. Reg. 72,819 (Oct. 21, 2016). 3 BLM, Rio Puerco Field Office, EA January 2014 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale at 11, https://www.nm.blm.gov/oilGas/leasing/leaseSales/2014/january2014/Jan%202014%20OG%20Lease%20Sale%20 EA_Public%20Review_Rio%20Puerco.pdf. 4 See https://www.blm.gov/press-release/blm-defers-oil-and-gas-lease-sale-parcels-new-mexico.

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sell.ItmakesnosensethatitwouldbeappropriatetodeferleasingintheportionofSandovalCountythathappenstobeintheFarmingtonFieldOffice,butnotappropriatetodeferleasinginotherportionsofnorthernSandovalCountysimplybecauseofthearbitraryboundarybetweentheRioPuercoandFarmingtonFieldOffices.

LeaseParcelsDeferredforSaleinMarch2018(orange)andLeaseParcelsOfferedandProposedforSalein

theRioPuercoFieldOffice. Inlightoftheagency’spastrestraint,inlightofthe10thCircuit’srecentrulingonMancosshaledevelopmentinnorthwestNewMexico,andinlightoftheclearinadequaciesofthecurrentRioPuercoRMP,theBLMhasnoreasonablebasisforcontinuingtoleaseoilandgasparcelswithintheRioPuercoFieldOffice. Furthermore,inlightofthefactthattheRioPuercoFieldOfficeisclearlyfacingincreasingpressuretodeveloptheregion’sMancosshaleusinghorizontaldrillingandfracking,theBLMmustrestartitsRMPrevisioninordertoaccountforthisnewpressureandthereasonablyforeseeableimpacts.ArestartoftheRioPuercoRMPrevisionprocessisnotonlywarranted,butalsocompelledunderapplicableregulations.

UnderregulationsimplementingtheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(“NEPA”),ifadraftenvironmentalimpactstatementis“soinadequateastoprecludemeaningfulanalysis,”theBLMisobligatedtorevisethedraftandcirculateitforreviewandpubliccomment.40C.F.R.§1502.9(a).Additionally,BLM’splanningregulationsclearlycontemplatethatRMPsmustaccountfor“newdata,neworrevisedpolicy,achangeincircumstancesoraproposedactionthatmayresultinachangeinthescopeofresourceusesorachangeintheterms,conditionsanddecisionsoftheapprovedplan.”43C.F.R.§1610.5-5.

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Here,giventhatthedraftenvironmentalimpactstatementpreparedin2012forthe

RioPuercoRMPrevisionisdevoidofanyanalysisorassessmentofMancosshaleoilandgasdevelopment,itmustberevisedandre-circulatedforreviewandpubliccomment.And,giventhattheproposedRMPreleasedin2012alsofailedtoaccountfordevelopmentofMancosshale,itmustberevisedand/oramended,andalsorecirculatedforreviewandpubliccomment.GiventhattheFarmingtonFieldOfficeiscurrentlyamendingitsRMPtoaccountforMancosshaledevelopment,itwouldappeartomakemostsensetoensureMancosshaledevelopmentintheRioPuercoFieldOfficeisaddressedinanRMPamendmentand/orrevisionthataddressesdevelopmentinbothFieldOffices.

Accordingly,wecallonyoutakethefollowingactionstoensureresponsibleandcarefulmanagementofpubliclandsandresourcesintheRioPuercoFieldOffice:

• WecallonyoutodenytheissuanceofoilandgasleaseparcelsthatweresoldintheRioPuercoFieldOfficeinDecember2018andMarch2019.AlthoughtheBLMsoldtheseleases,theagencyhasyettoformallyapprovetheissuanceoftheleasesandstillhasdiscretiontodenyissuance.

• WecallonyoutocancelplanstoselloilandgasleasesintheRioPuercoFieldOffice,includingplanstoofferleasesforsaleinJuneandNovember2019,unlessanduntiltheRioPuercoRMPisupdatedtoaccountfortheimpactsofMancosshaledevelopmentintheregion.

• WecallonyoutorestarttheRioPuercoRMPrevisionprocesstoensurethatthereasonablyforeseeableimpactsofMancosshaledevelopmentareproperlyaccountedforandeffectivelymanaged.Tothisend,wecallonyoutoprepareandcirculateanewdraftenvironmentalimpactstatementfortheproposedRioPuercoRMPrevisionthatfullyanalyzes,assesses,anddisclosestheimpactsofMancosshaledevelopment.

• WecallonyoutointegratetheRioPuercoRMPrevisionprocesswiththeFarmingtonFieldOfficeRMPamendmentprocessthatiscurrentlyunderwaytoensurethatthecumulativeimpactsofMancosshaledevelopmentarefullyanalyzed,assessed,andaddressedtoensureprotectionoftheGreaterChacoregion’sculturalvalues,water,air,andcommunities.

Thankyouforyourtimeandattentiontothismatter.Werequestthatyouprovidea

writtenresponsesettingforththeactionsyouintendtotakeintheRioPuercoFieldOfficetoensurefullprotectionoftheregion’sculturalvalues,publiclands,andotherresources.

Sincerely,

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DanielTsoCouncilDelegateNavajoNation:Littlewater,PuebloPintado,Torreon,WhitehorseLake,Baca/Brewitt,CasameroLake,OjoEncino,Counselor,[email protected],DirectorDoodaDesertRockNewcomb,[email protected],DirectorSouthwestNativeCultures8205SpainRdNESuite204Albuquerque,[email protected]

MarioAtencio,ExecutiveDirectorTorreonCommunityAllianceTorreon,[email protected],CampaignCoordinator350NewMexico2426CampbellRdNWAlbuquerque,[email protected],SeniorPublicLandsCampaignerCenterforBiologicalDiversityP.O.Box710Tucson,[email protected]

Dr.CarlStern,PresidentCyberVisionNewMexicoLLC192NaranjoCreekRdLaJara,[email protected]

BruceBaizel,EnergyProgramDirectorEarthworksDurango,[email protected]

EleanorBravo,NationalCampaignManagerFood&WaterWatch1616PSt.Ste300WashingtonDC20036ebravo@fwwatch.orgJenniSiri,FounderFrackFreeFourCorners133DamonSt.Unit5Belen,[email protected],CoordinatorFrackFreeNewMexicoSantaFe,NMsobel.rebecca@gmailcomSusanGordon,CoordinatorMulticulturalAllianceforaSafeEnvironmentAlbuquerque,NM87196sgordon@swuraniumimpacts.orgMitchBuszekMoveOnNewMexicoSantaFe,[email protected],ExecutiveDirectorNewEnergyEconomy343EastAlamedaSantaFe,[email protected],FounderNewMexicoClimateAction72ESaddlebackMesaSantaFe,[email protected]

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TeresaSeamster,ChairNorthernNMGroup,SierraClub1807SecondStreet,Ste.45SantaFe,[email protected]

ElaineCimino,Co-ChairPauseonFracking907NyasaRdSEAlbuquerque,[email protected]

WilliamClark,PresidentRioArribaConcernedCitizensP.O.Box267Cebolla,[email protected]

DavidCoss,ChapterChairSierraClub-RioGrandeChapterAlbuquerque,[email protected],OrganizerWeAreOneRiverAlbuquerque,[email protected],ClimateandEnergyProgramDirectorWildEarthGuardians301GuadalupeStreet,Suite201SantaFe,[email protected]

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BY ELECTRONIC MAIL AND U.S. CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN … Rio... · 2019-06-20 · Rio Puerco Field Office. The proposed RMP relied on a 2010 Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario