Feds: No significant impacts from Baca drilling

By The AP
Friday, January 7, 2011

DENVER — Federal officials are again saying they don’t believe exploratory drilling at the Baca National Wildlife Refuge will cause significant impacts.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service originally made that conclusion in 2008 after it reviewed plans from Lexam Explorations to drill wells to look for oil and gas in south-central Colorado refuge.

The agency said then that there were enough restrictions in place that the refuge wouldn’t be harmed. However, after conservation groups sued, the agency agreed to assess the environmental impacts again.

A new draft environmental assessment it released today found there would be “less than significant” impacts. It says Lexam’s activities would be temporary, and drilling restrictions would keep the refuge from being unreasonably degraded.

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