Wilds group cites 'staggering' impact from gas, oil drilling

Fears raised about effects on the land; drillers dispute it

Matthew Brown, Associated Press

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

BILLINGS, Mont. - Oil and gas drilling on federal lands across the Rocky Mountain West could increase by more than 160 percent over the next two decades due, in part, to pro-industry regulations enacted by the Bush administration, according to a report released Monday by an environmental group.

The Washington, D.C.-based Wilderness Society analyzed drilling plans and said oil and gas exploration was poised to push into some of the West's most environmentally sensitive areas.

That includes plans to drill in Colorado's Roan Plateau, the Upper Green River Basin in Wyoming and Montana's portion of the Powder River Basin.

"The impacts of this type of development would be truly staggering," said the Wilderness Society's Nada Culver, who authored the report. "It would likely well exceed 1 million acres. This is the time to take a step back and consider what current levels of drilling are already doing to our public and private lands."

At least one federal official questioned the accuracy of the report, arguing that it appeared to be based partially on plans that are not yet final.

The report comes amid a bitter debate in Washington over the national security benefits of domestic drilling versus its potential effects on water, air quality and wildlife. Congress is considering legislation that would reverse portions of the administration's 2005 Energy Policy Act to tighten oversight of drilling.

Backers of the legislation, sponsored by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, contend that reforms are needed to ensure adequate environmental protection wherever drilling occurs.

Industry representatives counter that the proposed changes would hamper future development and undermine attempts to wean the country off foreign fuels.

"The fact that energy companies are working with the federal government to ensure our nation has an adequate supply of energy for years to come - that seems like a good thing," said Marc Smith, executive director of the Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States.

Smith said the Rockies now produce about 25 percent of the country's natural gas and 9 percent of its oil.

That figure has risen steadily under the Bush administration, which has exempted some drilling proposals from environmental reviews and told federal regulators to speed up the approval process for new permits.

More than 126,000 new oil and gas wells have been approved or are under review for federal lands in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Utah and New Mexico, according to the Wilderness Society report.

Wyoming would see the most activity: 58,000 new wells.

By comparison, the five states had 77,000 wells producing oil or natural gas as of earlier this year.

Plans to sharply increase that number have not gone unchallenged.

In Colorado, for example, a proposal to drill up to 1,570 new wells over 20 years on the Roan Plateau west of Denver has drawn opposition from hunting and fishing groups, environmentalists and members of the state's congressional delegation.

Monday's report analyzed drilling plans under consideration or already approved by the federal Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. Wells proposed for private or state lands were not considered.

A similar analysis in 2006 found 118,730 wells were planned. The increase in this year's figure was due largely to new drilling proposals in Wyoming and Colorado.

BLM spokeswoman Michelle Barret said the numbers used in the report appeared to be "at the high end of what is even possible." Many of the drilling projections cited, she added, included figures from long-range "scoping" documents or other planning documents that are not final.

"It's clear they're trying to imply all of these wells are all going to be approved and drilled," Barret said. "I'm confident that's not going to happen."

The Pelosi-sponsored energy bill was approved by the House in August on a 241-172 vote. Most of the reforms it called for were not included in a Senate energy bill passed in June.

That means the two chambers will have to work out compromise legislation sometime this fall.