Bush administration approves expanded Wyoming drilling
Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times
Federal land managers are recommending companies be allowed to drill almost 4,400 new natural gas wells in western Wyoming, where energy development already is blamed for a spike in air and water pollution.
The Bureau of Land Management's final drilling plan for the Pinedale Anticline also calls for new air pollution controls. The plan is subject to a 30-day public review before a final decision is issued.
Agency representative Caleb Hiner said Friday that companies would have to use "any means necessary" to lower pollution.
Shell, Ultra Resources and Questar want to relax drilling restrictions meant to protect wildlife so they can tap into an estimated 20-25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. That's equivalent to about a year's supply for the entire country.
About 1,000 wells already have been drilled into the Anticline, a geological formation about an hour south of Jackson, Wyo.
A citizens' group has filed a petition with the Environmental Protection Agency to declare the Pinedale area in "non-compliance" with federal clean-air rules, as a tactic to force measures that would decrease ozone emissions from drilling operations.
A separate suit has been filed accusing BLM of failing to follow through on promises to consider environmental impacts as the drilling progresses.
