------- U S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management September 2019 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale Environmental Assessment Pecos District Office DOI-BLM-NM-P000-2019-0003 Location: Eddy, Lea & Chaves Counties, New Mexico U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Pecos District Offices: Roswell Field Office 2909 W. 2nd Street Roswell, New Mexico 88201 Carlsbad Field Office 620 East Greene Street Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 5 1.1. Background ................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2. Purpose and Need ......................................................................................................................... 6 1.3. Decision to Be Made ..................................................................................................................... 6 1.4. Conformance with BLM Land Use Plans, Other Statutes, Regulations, and Plans ...................... 6 1.4.1. Carlsbad RMP/ROD 1988 .................................................................................................... 6 1.4.2. Carlsbad RMPA/ROD 1997 .................................................................................................. 7 1.4.3. Roswell RMP/ROD 1997 ...................................................................................................... 7 1.4.4. Pecos District Office Special Status Species RMPA/ROD 2008 (PDO SSS RMPA) .......... 7 1.4.5. Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, and Other Plans ........................................................ 7 1.5. Scoping and Issues ........................................................................................................................ 8 1.5.1. Internal Scoping .................................................................................................................... 8 1.5.2. External Scoping ................................................................................................................... 8 1.5.3. Issues ..................................................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 2. Proposed Action & Alternatives ..................................................................................... 24 2.1. Proposed Action .......................................................................................................................... 24 2.2. Alternative A – No Action Alternative ....................................................................................... 27 CHAPTER 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Impacts ........................................................ 27 3.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 27 3.2. Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................................... 27 3.3. Impacts of Alternative A — No Action Alternative for all Issues .............................................. 28 3.4 Issue 1: How would air quality (particularly with respect to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards [NAAQS] and volatile organic compounds [VOCs]) in the BLM Pecos District Office be affected by emissions generated as a result of the future potential development of nominated lease parcels? .......................................................................................................................................... 28 3.4.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................................. 29 3.4.2 Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................................... 32 3.4.3 Cumulative Impacts ................................................................................................................. 34 3.4.4 Mitigation Measures and Residual Effects ............................................................................ 34 3.5 Issue 2: How would the future potential development of nominated lease parcels contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions? ......................................................................................................... 35 3.5.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................................. 35 3.5.2 Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................................... 37 Methodologies and Assumptions ................................................................................................. 37 3.5.3 Cumulative Impacts ................................................................................................................. 39 1 3.5.4 Mitigation Measures and Residual Effects ............................................................................ 42 3.6 Issue 3: What are the impacts of future potential development of the nominated lease parcels to Air Quality Related Values (visibility and deposition) at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park? ........... 43 3.6.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................................. 43 3.6.2 Environmental Impacts, Including Cumulative .................................................................... 44 3.6.3 Potential Mitigation Measures and Residual Effects ............................................................ 46 3.7 Issue 4: How would future potential development of the nominated lease parcels impact surface and groundwater quantity? ...................................................................................................................... 47 3.7.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................................. 47 3.7.2 Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................................... 47 3.7.2.1 Impacts from the Proposed Action ...................................................................................... 47 3.7.2.2. Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................................................... 48 3.7.3. Potential Mitigation Measures and Residual Effects ........................................................... 49 CHAPTER 4. Consultation and Coordination ....................................................................................... 49 4.1. ESA Consultation ........................................................................................................................ 49 4.2. Tribal Consultation ..................................................................................................................... 50 4.3. SHPO and THPO Consultation ................................................................................................... 51 CHAPTER 5. List of Preparers .............................................................................................................. 51 CHAPTER 6. Literature Cited ............................................................................................................... 53 CHAPTER 7. Appendices ...................................................................................................................... 59 7.1. Appendix A – Nominated Parcels and EA Analysis Status for Pecos District September 2019 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale ............................................................................................. 59 7.2. Appendix B – Maps .................................................................................................................... 63 7.3. Appendix C – Pecos District Lease Stipulation Summary .......................................................... 66 7.4. Appendix D – Phases of Oil and Gas Development ................................................................... 69 7.5. Appendix E – Social Cost of Carbon .......................................................................................... 73 7.6. Appendix F– Water Quality and Quantity……………………………………………………76 7.7. Appendix G– Well Emission Estimates ....................................................................................... 95 7.8. Appendix H - Induced Seismicity ............................................................................................... 97 2 LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS APD Application for Permit to Drill AQI Air Quality Index AQRV Air Quality Related Value ARTSD Air Resources Technical Support Document bbl barrel(s) BLM Bureau of Land Management CCNP Carlsbad Caverns National Park CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CFO Carlsbad Field Office CFR Code of Federal Regulations CH4 methane CO carbon monoxide CO2 carbon dioxide CO2e CO2 equivalent COA condition of approval DAT N DAT threshold DSL dunes sagebrush lizard EA Environmental Assessment EIS Environmental Impact Statement EOI Expression of Interest EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EUR estimated ultimate recovery FLAG Federal Land Managers’ Air Quality Related Values Work Group FLPMA Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 GHG greenhouse gas 3 GIS geographic