Oil Derrick 
Credit: John Ciccarelli/BLM

November 10, 2022 - WASHINGTON – To ensure consistency in responding to court challenges to greenhouse gas emissions analysis in its leasing program, the Bureau of Land Management has released an updated environmental assessment for public comment.

The additional review analyzes greenhouse gas emissions that may result from reasonably foreseeable development of 3,600 oil and gas leases that were sold in 74 lease sales between February 2015 and December 2020 that were the subject of litigation. The leases span approximately 3,433,615 acres in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota.  

The environmental analysis looks at the development activity that would result in greenhouse gas emissions due to well development and production operations, as well as the end-use of the petroleum products produced from oil and gas leases.  

The supplemental analysis is in response to numerous court rulings and settlements. It incorporates new information and ensures consistency with recent court decisions, Executive and Secretarial Orders, and Department of the Interior policy. This analysis of greenhouse gas emissions supplements the greenhouse gas analysis provided in the previous National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents supporting the 74 lease sales.  

The previous environmental assessments or determinations of NEPA adequacy, decision records, and findings of no significant impacts for the 74 lease sales are listed on BLM’s State Oil and Gas Lease Sale website, which contains detailed information for the lease sales in each field office. Decisions related to the affected lease sales will be made separately and will include additional analysis of impacts to other resources, as appropriate.  

The public comment period will run for 45 days through December 27, 2022. To view the supplemental environmental assessment and to comment, please visit https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022218/510. 
Source; BLM