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Oil Shale and Tar Sands Programmatic EIS Information Center

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) logoThe U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), is preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Oil Shale and Tar Sands resources on lands administered by the BLM in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. This Web site is the online center for public information and involvement in the PEIS process.

Announcements
2012 Draft OSTS PEIS Public Comment Period Closed
The public comment period began on February 3, 2012, and ended May 4, 2012. See Getting Involved for more information.

2012 Draft OSTS PEIS Available
The Draft OSTS PEIS is available on the Documents page.

Public Participation

Public participation in the Oil Shale and Tar Sands PEIS is important. This Web site provides information and services to help you participate in the PEIS process.

About the EIS
EIS purpose, scope, and schedule.

Getting Involved
How to participate in the PEIS process; public meetings schedule and information; and how public comments are used in the PEIS process.

Oil Shale and Tar Sands Resources Guide
Oil shale and tar sands basics, environmental issues, maps, and links to related resources on the World Wide Web.

EIS Documents
EIS-related documents for downloading or online browsing.

Other Resources

Other resources include a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs), news updates, and e-mail notices of important events.

Background Information

In 2008, the BLM published a Final PEIS that amended 10 resource management plans (RMPs) in Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming to make approximately 2 million acres of public lands potentially available for commercial oil shale leasing and development and 430,000 acres potentially available for tar sands leasing and development.

The 2008 PEIS summarized information on oil shale and tar sands technologies and their potential environmental and socio-economic impacts, along with potential mitigating measures that would be evaluated and applied when subsequent site-specific National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis is undertaken for lease issuance or project approval.

In the spring of 2011, the BLM initiated a new planning effort to reassess the appropriate mix of public lands to be made available for oil shale and tar sands leasing. The new planning initiative will provide the BLM an opportunity to consider what public lands might be best suited for this kind of development in light of the nascent character of oil shale and tar sands extraction technology development and in light of information not available in 2008.

For additional background information, see the Notice of Intent [PDF] of the 2012 Programmatic EIS and the Frequently Asked Questions page.

News
 Public Comment Period Closed
 GIS Data Available
 BLM News Release
 BLM Notice of Availability
 2012 Draft OSTS PEIS Available

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