A major natural gas development in the Uintah Basin that could create more than 4,000 jobs over the life of the project moved closer to reality Thursday following the announcement of a plan to mitigate air quality impacts of developing more than 3,675 natural gas wells. The wells could produce more than 6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas over 10 years.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Thursday that the Bureau of Land Management and the Environmental Protection Agency worked closely with Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Onshore LP to develop a mitigation plan to significantly reduce the project's potential impact on air quality in the surrounding area.
The Greater Natural Buttes Area Gas Development Project has been delayed over concerns about its impacts on air quality in the Vernal area, which has some of the unhealthiest ozone levels in the nation.The air quality Supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Greater Natural Buttes Project will be published in the Federal Register shortly. A public comment period will follow. Deseret News
