State of Alaska approves Healy Creek CBM exploration Plan of Operations
On September 5, 2014, the State of Alaska approved a revised Plan of Operations for the Usibelli Healy Creek Coalbed Methane exploration well project, to be conducted on a 150-150 drill pad near the junction of Healy and Cripple Creeks. Drilling activities are slated to be conducted this fall at the site.
DCC did not oppose this project, however we made extensive comments on the Plan of Operations for the project, a draft of which appeared on July 18th, 2014. There were numerous inaccuracies in the draft plan, along with a lack of clarity regardinghow the process of planning and permit acquisition was moving forward.
It was only after direct requests that Usibelli Coal Mine, Inc., agreed to address the public at a Borough Assembly meeting, in Anderson. We hope that future plans will be more broadly noticed and clearly communicated to the public.
A copy of the Approval of the Plan of Operations, which is signed by William Barron, the Director of the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas, appears below. The Response to Comments section shows that several changes and clarifications were made to the Plan on the basis of DCC suggestions.
We are still concerned regarding the absence of a monitoring plan for this small project. We argued in our comments that a monitoring plan would not be onerous, and is an expectation for such activities. In addition, we are concerned that an exemption to such a plan was made without sufficient documentation to prove that it was not practicable, feasible or prudent.
Read the Plan of Operations approval at the link below.
Healy Creek Exploration Plan of Operations Approval
