Supplemental EA for the Bull Mountain Unit MDP EIS and Dual Operator 5-Pad Proposal EA
Project Information
Project Description
The purpose of this Supplemental EA is to further analyze GHG emissions, and cumulative hazardous air pollutant (HAPs) emissions and impacts, that may result from the extraction, processing, transmission and combustion of oil and natural gas produced through operations proposed under the 5-Pad Project EA and the BMUMDP EIS. Both projects are located northeast of Paonia, Colorado, within the Uncompahgre Field Office boundaries. BLM has prepared the supplemental analysis to address the SDR remand dated February 5, 2024, to review and, as appropriate, provide additional analysis as directed by the court in Citizens for a Healthy Community v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management, No. 17-cv-2519, and consistent with more recent analyses and case law. This EA supplements the analyses of GHG emissions and HAPs in the 5-Pad Proposal EA and the BMUMDP EIS (DOI-BLM-CO-S050-2015-0029-EA and DOI-BLM-CO-S050-2013-0022-EIS, respectively).
What's New
Location
The center of the area encompassed by the two adjacent
projects addressed in this Draft Supplemental EA is approximately 15 miles northeast of Paonia,
Colorado. Both projects are located in western Gunnison County. The
BMUMDP includes lands east and west of State Highway (SH) 133, north of Paonia
Reservoir. The 5-Pad project area lies west of the BMUMDP.
The EA for the Dual Operator 5-Pad Proposal, published in 2015, was prepared jointly by the BLM and the Paonia Ranger District of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG). Three of the five pad locations proposed for that project are on National Forest System lands, with the other two on private surface lands. The EIS for the Bull Mountain Unit MDP, published in 2017, involves private surface lands almost entirely, with a small area of BLM surface lands. No portion of the BMUMDP project area involves National Forest System lands.
Public Participation
The BLM is providing a 30-day public review and comment period on the Draft Supplemental EA (NEPA Number DOI-BLM-CO-G020-2025-0009-EA) and unsigned Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) from March 14, 2025, to April 14, 2025. The Draft Supplemental EA and unsigned FONSI available for public review and comment are posted on this site under the Documents tab. The comments will be reviewed and considered by the BLM. The final version of the EA, when issued, will include synopses of the comments and corresponding responses by the BLM.