August 8, 2018 - BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office is seeking public input on the potential environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing during oil and gas production on new leases on public lands and Federal mineral estate. The 30-day scoping period starts Wednesday, Aug. 8.

The planning area includes approximately 400,000 acres of BLM-administered public land and an additional 1.2 million acres of Federal mineral estate in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura counties. This planning effort will only effect new oil and gas leases on public lands. No decisions made by this analysis will impact valid existing rights or the authority of private land owners or other surface management agencies.

This effort supports the Administration’s goals of promoting environmentally responsible development of oil and gas on public lands, while creating jobs and providing economic opportunities for local communities. 

The BLM intends to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement and a potential amendment for the 2014 Bakersfield Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan. Some of the issues that will be analyzed through this effort include air and atmospheric values, water quality and quantity, seismicity, special status species, mineral resources and socioeconomics. Public input will help the BLM determine the size and scope of analysis needed, additional issues to study and a range of alternative management strategies. 

To ensure public input is included in the assessment, please submit written comments timely by Sept. 7. Comments may be submitted via email to blm_ca_bkfo_oil_gas_update@blm.gov, hand-delivered, or by mail to the Bakersfield Field Office, Attn: Bakersfield RMP Hydraulic Fracturing Analysis, 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA  93308. For more information visit https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=149605.

Before including addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, or other personal identifying information in a comment, be aware that the entire comment—including personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While someone may ask the BLM to withhold personal identifying information from public review, the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.
Source: BLM