UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BADLANDS PROPOSES TO DRILL 16 WELLS FROM THREE EXISTING WELL PADS DOI-BLM-UT-G010-2017-0008- EA October 2017 Location: Uintah County, Utah Sections 29 and 30, T9S, R19E Applicant/Address: Badlands Production Company 7979 E Tufts Ave., Suite 1150 Denver, CO 80237 Vernal Field Office 170 South 500 East Vernal, Utah 84078 435-781-4400 435-781-4410 BADLANDS PROPOSES TO DRILL 16 WELLS FROM THREE EXISTING WELL PADS DOI-BLM-UT-G010-2017-0008-EA TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................1 Background ............................................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action .............................................................................................................2 Conformance with BLM Land Use Plan(s) ................................................................................................................2 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, or Other Plans.......................................................................................... 3 Identification of Issues ......................................................................................................................................................3 Resource 1 Air Quality & Greenhouse Gas Emissions ..................................................................................... 3 Resource 2 Invasive Plants/Noxious Weeds, Soils & Vegetation ............................................................... 3 Resource 3 Paleontology .............................................................................................................................................4 Resource 4 Plants: Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ................................................... 4 Resource 5 Wildlife: Migratory Birds (Including Raptors) ........................................................................... 4 Resource 6 Wildlife: Non-USFWS Designated ....................................................................................................4 Resource 7 Wildlife: Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ................................................ 4 Summary .................................................................................................................................................................................4 2.0 Description of Alternatives ...........................................................................................................................................5 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................5 Alternative A – Proposed Action ...................................................................................................................................5 Roads ...................................................................................................................................................................................6 Pipelines.............................................................................................................................................................................6 Water Used .......................................................................................................................................................................7 Reclamation ......................................................................................................................................................................8 Alternative B – No Action .................................................................................................................................................8 Roads ................................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Water Used ....................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1 Reclamation ...................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.0 Affected Environment .....................................................................................................................................................9 Resources/Issues Brought Forward for Analysis ..................................................................................................9 Resource 1 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions ................................................................................ 9 Resource 2 Invasive Plants/Noxious Weeds, Soils, and Vegetation ...................................................... 16 Resource 3 Paleontology .......................................................................................................................................... 19 Resource 4 Plants: Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ................................................ 20 Resource 5 Wildlife: Migratory Birds (Including Raptors) ........................................................................ 20 Resource 6 Wildlife: Non-USFWS Designated ................................................................................................. 21 Resource 7 Wildlife: Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ............................................. 21 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ..................................................................................................................................... 22 4.1 Alternative A – Proposed Action......................................................................................................................... 22 Resource 1 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions ............................................................................. 22 Resource 2 Invasive Plants/Noxious Weeds, Soils, and Vegetation ...................................................... 26 Resource 3 Paleontology .......................................................................................................................................... 27 Resource 4 Plants: Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ................................................ 28 Resource 5 Wildlife: Migratory Birds (Including Raptors) ........................................................................ 30 Resource 6 Wildlife: Non-USFWS Designated ................................................................................................. 30 Resource 7 Wildlife: Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ............................................. 30 Monitoring and/or Compliance ............................................................................................................................ 32 4.2 Alternative B – No Action ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Resource 1 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emmisions ........................................................................... 32 Resource 2 Invasive Plants/Noxious Weeds, Soils, and Vegetation ...................................................... 32 Resource 3 Paleontology .......................................................................................................................................... 32 Resource 4 Plants: Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ................................................ 32 Resource 5 Wildlife: Migratory Birds (Including Raptors) ........................................................................ 33 Resource 6 Wildlife: Non-USFWS Designated ................................................................................................. 33 Resource 7 Wildlife: Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ............................................. 33 Monitoring and/or Compliance ............................................................................................................................ 33 4.4 Cumulative Impacts ................................................................................................................................................. 34 Resource 1 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emmisions ........................................................................... 34 Resource 2 Invasive Plants/Noxious Weeds, Soils, and Vegetation ...................................................... 36 Resource 3 Paleontology .......................................................................................................................................... 36 Resource 4 Plants: Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ................................................ 37 2 Resource 5 Wildlife: Migratory Birds (Including Raptors) ........................................................................ 38 Resource 6 &7 Wildlife: Non-USFWS Designated and THreatened, Endangered, Proposed, or Candidate ........................................................................................................................................................................ 38 5.0