67334 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 248 / Friday, December 28, 2018 / Notices 

State and county Location and 

case No. 

Chief executive officer of 

community 

Community map 

repository 

Online location of letter of map 

revision 

Date of 

modification 

Community 

No. 

Monmouth ...... Borough of Atlantic Highlands 

(18–02– 

1965P). 

The Honorable Rhonda 

Le Grice, Mayor, Borough of Atlantic Highlands, Borough Hall, 

100 1st Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 

07716. 

Borough Hall, 100 1st Avenue, Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716. https://msc.fema.gov/portal/ 

advanceSearch. 

Mar. 21, 2019 .... 340286 

Monmouth ...... Borough of Highlands (18–02– 

1965P). 

The Honorable Rick 

O’Neil, Mayor, Borough 

of Highlands, Administrative Offices, 42 

Shore Drive, Highlands, 

NJ 07732. 

Municipal Office, 42 

Shore Drive, Highlands, 

NJ 07732. 

https://msc.fema.gov/portal/ 

advanceSearch. 

Mar. 21, 2019 .... 345297 

New York: Westchester.City of Rye (18– 

02–1994P). 

The Honorable Josh 

Cohn, Mayor, City of 

Rye, 1051 Boston Post 

Road, Rye, NY 10580. 

City Hall, 1051 Boston 

Post Road, Rye, NY 

10580. 

https://msc.fema.gov/portal/ 

advanceSearch. 

May 2, 2019 ....... 360931 

Washington: Spokane.City of Spokane 

Valley (18–10– 

1264P). 

The Honorable Rod Higgins, Mayor, City of 

Spokane Valley, Spokane Valley City Hall, 

10210 East Sprague 

Avenue, Spokane Valley, WA 99206. 

City Hall, 10210 East 

Sprague Avenue, Spokane Valley, WA 99206. 

https://msc.fema.gov/portal/ 

advanceSearch. 

Mar. 15, 2019 .... 530342 

Wisconsin: Dodge City of Watertown (18–05– 

4306P). 

The Honorable John 

David, Mayor, City of 

Watertown, P.O. Box 

477, Watertown, WI 

53094. 

City Hall, 106 Jones 

Street, Watertown, WI 

53094. 

https://msc.fema.gov/portal/ 

advanceSearch. 

Feb. 26, 2019 .... 550107 

[FR Doc. 2018–28149 Filed 12–27–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–12–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–7009–N–06] 

Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program 

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing 

Commissioner and Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Public and 

Indian Housing, Department of Housing 

and Urban Development (HUD). 

ACTION: Notice of a re-established 

matching program. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Computer 

Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 

1988, as amended, HUD is providing 

notice of its intent to execute a new 

computer matching agreement with the 

U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) for a recurring matching 

program with HUD’s Office of Public 

and Indian Housing (PIH) and Office of 

Housing, involving comparisons of 

information provided by participants in 

any authorized HUD rental housing 

assistance program with the 

independent sources of income 

information available through the 

National Directory of New Hires 

(NDNH) maintained by HHS. HUD will 

obtain HHS data and make the results 

available to: (1) Program administrators 

such as public housing agencies (PHAs) 

and private owners and management 

agents (O/As) (collectively referred to as 

POAs) to enable them to verify the 

accuracy of income reported by the 

tenants (participants) of HUD rental 

assistance programs, and (2) contract 

administrators (CAs) overseeing and 

monitoring O/A operations as well as 

independent public auditors (IPAs) that 

audit both PHAs and O/As. The most 

recent renewal of the current matching 

agreement expired on October 24, 2018. 

DATES:

Applicability Date: The applicability 

date of this matching program shall be 

January 11, 2019 or 30 days from the 

date that the Computer Matching 

Agreement, signed by HUD and HHS 

Date Integrity Boards, are sent to OMB 

and Congress, whichever is later, 

provided no comments that would 

cause a contrary determination are 

received. The matching program will 

continue for 18 months after the 

applicable date and may be extended for 

an additional 12 months, if the 

respective agency Data Integrity Boards 

(DIBs) determine that the conditions 

specified in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(D) have 

been met. 

Comment Due Date: January 28, 2019. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit comments regarding 

this notice electronically through the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal at 

www.regulations.gov. HUD strongly 

encourages commenters to submit 

comments electronically. Electronic 

submission of comments allows the 

commenter maximum time to prepare 

and submit a comment, ensures timely 

receipt by HUD, and enables HUD to 

make them immediately available to the 

public. Comments submitted 

electronically through the 

www.regulations.gov website can be 

viewed by other commenters and 

interested members of the public. 

Commenters should follow the 

instructions provided on that site to 

submit comments electronically. 

Comments may also be submitted to the 

Rules Docket Clerk, Office of General 

Counsel, Department of Housing and 

Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, 

Room 10110, SW, Washington, DC 

20410. Communications should refer to 

the above docket number. A copy of 

each communication submitted will be 

available for public inspection and 

copying between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 

p.m. weekdays at the above address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

Bravacos, Senior Agency Official for 

Privacy, Department of Housing and 

Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street 

SW, Room 10139, Washington, DC 

20410, telephone number (202) 402– 

3053 (this is not a toll-free number). 

Hearing- or speech-impaired individuals 

may access this number via TTY by 

calling the toll-free Federal Information 

Relay Service at (800) 877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 

11, 2009, Section 239 of HUD’s 2009 

Appropriations Act modified Section 

904 of the Stewart B. McKinney Act of 

1988, as amended, to include the 

Disaster Housing Assistance Program 

(DHAP) as a ‘‘program’’ of HUD for the 

purpose of income verifications and 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 248 / Friday, December 28, 2018 / Notices 67335 

computer matching. As such, pursuant 

to the Computer Matching and Privacy 

Protection Act (CMPPA) of 1988, as 

amended; OMB’s guidance on this 

statute entitled, ‘‘Final Guidance 

Interpreting the Provisions of Public 

Law 100–503’’; OMB Circular No. A– 

108, ‘‘Federal Agency Responsibilities 

for Review, Reporting, and Publication 

under the Privacy Act;’’ and OMB 

Circular No. A–130, ‘‘Managing 

Information as a Strategic Resource’’; 

HUD is providing the public with notice 

of a new computer matching agreement 

with HHS (previous notice of a 

computer matching program between 

HUD and HHS was previously 

published at 81 FR 13403 on March 14, 

2016). The first HUD–HHS computer 

matching program was conducted in 

September 2005, with HUD’s Office of 

Public and Indian Housing (PIH). The 

scope of the HUD–HHS computer 

matching program was extended to 

include HUD’s Office of Housing in 

December 2007, and to HUD’s Disaster 

Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) in 

January 2011. 

The matching program will be carried 

out only to the extent necessary to: (1) 

Verify the employment and income of 

participants in certain rental assistance 

programs to correctly determine the 

amount of their rent and assistance, (2) 

identify, prevent, and recover improper 

payments made on behalf of tenants, 

and (3) after removal of personal 

identifiers, to conduct analyses of the 

employment and income reporting of 

individuals participating in any HUD 

authorized rental housing assistance 

program. 

HUD will make the results of the 

computer matching program available to 

public housing agencies (PHAs), private 

housing owners and management agents 

(O/As) administering HUD rental 

assistance programs to enable them to 

verify employment and income and 

correctly determine the rent and 

assistance levels for individuals 

participating in those programs, and 

contract administrators (CAs) overseeing 

and monitoring O/A operations. This 

information also may be disclosed to the 

HUD Office of Inspector General (HUD/ 

OIG) and the United States Attorney 

General in detecting and investigating 

potential cases of fraud, waste, and 

abuse within HUD rental assistance 

programs. 

In addition to the above noted 

information disclosures, limited 

redisclosure of reports containing 

NDNH information may be redisclosed 

to the following persons and/or entities: 

(1) Independent auditors for the sole 

purpose of performing an audit of 

whether these HUD authorized entities 

verified tenants’ employment and/or 

income and calculated the subsidy and 

rent correctly; and (2) entities and/or 

individuals associated with grievance 

procedures and judicial proceedings 

(i.e. lawyers, court personnel, agency 

personnel, grievance hearing officers, 

etc.) relating to independently verified 

unreported income identified through 

this matching program. 

HUD and its third-party 

administrators (PHAs, O/As, and CAs) 

will use this matching authority to 

identify, reduce or eliminate improper 

payments in HUD’s rental housing 

assistance programs, while continuing 

to ensure that HUD rental housing 

assistance programs serve and are 

accessible by its intended program 

beneficiaries. 

I. Participating Agencies 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development and the Department of 

Health and Human Services. 

II. Authority for Conducting the 

Matching Program 

This matching program is being 

conducted pursuant to Section 217 of 

the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 

2004 (Pub. L. 108–199, Approved 

January 23, 2004), which amended 

Section 453(j) of the Social Security Act 

(42 U.S.C. 653(j)), Sections 3003 and 

13403 of the Omnibus Budget 

Reconciliation Act of 1993 (Pub. L. 103– 

66, approved August 10, 1993); Section 

542(b) of the 1998 Appropriations Act 

(Pub. L. 105–65); Section 904 of the 

Stewart B. McKinney Homeless 

Assistance Amendments Act of 1988, as 

amended by Section 239 of HUD’s 2009 

Appropriations, effective March 11, 

2009 (42 U.S.C. 3544); Section 165 of 

the Housing and Community 

Development Act of 1987 (42 U.S.C. 

3543); the National Housing Act (12 

U.S.C. 1701–1750g); the United States 

Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437– 

1437z); Section 101 of the Housing and 

Community Development Act of 1965 

(12 U.S.C. 1701s); the Native American 

Housing Assistance and SelfDetermination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 

4101 et seq.); and the Quality Housing 

and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (42 

U.S.C. 1437a(f)). 

The Housing and Community 

Development Act of 1987 authorizes 

HUD to require applicants and 

participants (as well as members of their 

household 6 years of age and older) in 

HUD-administered programs involving 

rental housing assistance to disclose to 

HUD their Social Security Numbers 

(SSNs) as a condition of initial or 

continuing eligibility for participation 

in the programs. Effective January 31, 

2010, all applicants and participants 

under the age of 6, are required to 

disclose their SSN to HUD, in 

accordance with regulatory revisions 

made to 24 CFR 5.216, as published at 

74 FR 68924, on December 29, 2009. 

Section 217 of the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 

108–199, approved January 23, 2004) 

authorizes HUD to provide to HHS 

information on persons participating in 

any programs authorized by: 

(i) The United States Housing Act of 

1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.); 

(ii) Section 202 of the Housing Act of 

1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q); 

(iii) Section 221(d)(3), 221(d)(5) or 

236 of the National Housing Act (12 

U.S.C. 17151(d) and 1715z–1); (iv) 

Section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez 

National Affordable Housing Act (42 

U.S.C. 8013); or (v) Section 101 of the 

Housing and Urban Development Act of 

1965 (12 U.S.C. 1701s); 

The Refinement of Income and Rent 

Determination Requirements in Public 

and Assisted Housing Programs: 

Implementation of the Enterprise 

Income Verification (EIV) System— 

Amendments; Final rule published at 74 

FR 68924 on December 29, 2009, 

requires program administrators to use 

HUD’s EIV system to verify tenant 

employment and income information 

during mandatory re-examinations or 

recertifications of family composition 

and income and reduce administrative 

and subsidy payment errors in 

accordance with HUD administrative 

guidance (HUD regulation at 24 CFR 

5.233). 

This matching program also assists 

HUD in complying with the following 

Federal laws, requirements, and 

guidance related to identifying and 

reducing improper payments: 

1. Improper Payments Elimination 

and Recovery Act of 2010 (IPERA) (Pub. 

L. 111–204) (July 22, 2010); 

2. Presidential Memorandum on 

Enhancing Payment Accuracy Through 

a ‘‘Do Not Pay List’’ (June 18, 2010); 

3. Office of Management and Budget 

M–18–20, Transmittal of Appendix C to 

OMB Circular A–123, Requirements for 

Payment Integrity Improvement’’ (June 

26, 2018); 

4. Presidential Memorandum on 

Finding and Recapturing Improper 

Payments (March 10, 2010); 

5. Reducing Improper Payments and 

Eliminating Waste in Federal Programs 

(Executive Order 13520, November 

2009); 

6. Improper Payments Information 

Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107–300); 

7. Office of Management and Budget 

M–03–13, Improper Payments 

Information Act of 2002; 


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67336 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 248 / Friday, December 28, 2018 / Notices 

8. Improper Payments Elimination 

and Recovery Improvement Act 

(IPERIA) of 2012, (Pub. L. 112–248) 

(January 10, 2013); and 

9. Office of Management and Budget 

M–13–20, Protecting Privacy while 

Reducing Improper Payments with the 

Do Not Pay Initiative (August 16, 2013). 

This matching program is also 

authorized by subsections 453(j)(7)(A), 

(C)(i), and (D)(i) of the Social Security 

Act (as amended and authorized by 

Section 217 of the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 

108–199)). Specifically, the 

aforementioned law authorizes HHS to 

compare information provided by HUD 

with data contained in the NDNH and 

report the results of the data match to 

HUD. The Social Security Act gives 

HUD the authority to disclose this 

information to CAs, O/As, and PHAs for 

the purpose of verifying the 

employment and income of individuals 

receiving benefits in the above 

programs. HUD shall not seek, use or 

disclose information relating to an 

individual without the prior written 

consent of that individual, and HUD has 

the authority to require consent as a 

condition of participating in HUD rental 

housing assistance programs. 

The NDNH contains new hire, 

quarterly wage, and unemployment 

insurance information furnished by 

state and Federal agencies and is 

maintained by HHS’ Office of Child 

Support Enforcement (OCSE) in its 

system of records ‘‘OCSE National 

Directory of New Hires,’’ No. 09–80– 

0381, published in the Federal Register 

at 80 FR 17894 (specifically pages 

17906–17909) on April 2, 2015. This 

system of records notice authorizes 

disclosure of NDNH information to HUD 

pursuant to Routine Use (12) ‘‘for the 

purpose of verifying the employment 

and income of the individuals and, after 

removal of personal identifiers, for the 

purpose of conducting analyses of the 

employment and income reporting of 

such individuals.’’ 

The HUD records used in the 

information comparison are retrieved 

from the Tenant Rental Assistance 

Certification System (TRACS) covered 

under HUD’s Tenant Rental Assistance 

Certification System (HSNG/ 

MF.HTS.02), published on August 22, 

2016 (81 FR 56684); and the Inventory 

Management System (IMS), also known 

as the Public and Indian Housing (PIH) 

Information Center (PIC) (HUD/PIH.01), 

published on April 13, 2012 (77 FR 

22337). The results of the information 

comparison are maintained within, the 

HUD system of records, Enterprise 

Income Verification System (EIV), No. 

HUD/PIH–5, last published in the 

Federal Register at 71 FR 45066 on 

August 8, 2006, and updated on 

September 1, 2009, at 74 FR 45235. 

‘‘Routine use’’ (1) of the system of 

records authorizes disclosure of HUD 

records to HHS. 

III. Purposes 

HUD’s primary objective of the 

computer matching program is to verify 

the employment and income of 

participants in certain rental assistance 

programs to determine the appropriate 

level of rental assistance, and to detect, 

deter and correct fraud, waste, and 

abuse in rental housing assistance 

programs. In meeting these objectives, 

HUD also is carrying out a responsibility 

under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1437f(K) to ensure 

that income data provided to PHAs, and 

O/As, by household members is 

complete and accurate. HUD’s various 

rental housing assistance programs 

require that participants meet certain 

income and other criteria to be eligible 

for rental assistance. In addition, tenants 

generally are required to report and 

recertify the amounts and sources of 

their income at least annually. However, 

under the Quality Housing and Work 

Responsibility Act (QHWRA) of 1998, 

PHAs operating Public Housing 

programs may offer tenants the option to 

pay a flat rent, or an income-based rent. 

Those tenants who select a flat rent will 

be required to recertify income at least 

every three years. In addition, the 

changes to the Admissions and 

Occupancy final rule (March 29, 2000 

(65 FR 16692)) specified that household 

composition must be recertified 

annually for tenants who select a flat 

rent or income-based rent. 

IV. Categories of Individuals 

This notice of computer matching 

program applies to individuals receiving 

services from the following rental 

assistance programs: 

A. Disaster Housing Assistance Program 

(DHAP) 

B. Public Housing 

C. Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers 

(HCV) 

D. Project-Based Vouchers 

E. Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation 

F. Project-Based Section 8 

1. New Construction 

2. State Agency Financed 

3. Substantial Rehabilitation 

4. Sections 202/8 

5. Rural Housing Services Section 

515/8 

6. Loan Management Set-Aside 

(LMSA) 

7. Property Disposition Set-Aside 

(PDSA) 

G. Section 101 Rent Supplement 

H. Section 202/162 Project Assistance 

Contract (PAC) 

I. Section 202 Project Rental Assistance 

Contract (PRAC) 

J. Section 811 Project Rental Assistance 

Contract (PRAC) 

K. Section 236 Rental Assistance 

Program 

L. Section 221(d)(3) Below Market 

Interest Rate (BMIR) 

Note: This notice does not apply to the 

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) or 

the Rural Housing Services Section 515 

without Section 8 programs. 

V. Categories of Records 

The following are the categories of 

record in this matching agreement: 

A. HUD Input File 

• First name 

• Last name 

• Date of birth 

• Social Security number 

B. New Hire File 

• New hire processed date 

• Employee name 

• Employee address 

• Employee date of hire 

• Employee state of hire 

• Federal Employer Identification 

Number 

• State Employer Identification Number 

• Department of Defense status code 

• Employer name 

• Employer address 

• Transmitter agency code 

• Transmitter state code 

• Transmitter state or agency name 

C. Quarterly Wage File 

• Quarterly wage processed date 

• Employee name 

• Federal Employer Identification 

Number 

• State Employer Identification Number 

• Department of Defense code 

• Employer name 

• Employer address 

• Employee wage amount 

• Quarterly wage reporting period 

• Transmitter agency code 

• Transmitter state code 

• Transmitter state or agency name 

D. Unemployment Insurance File 

• Unemployment insurance processed 

date 

• Claimant name 

• Claimant address 

• Claimant benefit amount 

• Unemployment insurance reporting 

period 

• Transmitter state code 

• Transmitter state or agency name 

VI. System(s) of Records 

OCSE NDNH contains new hire, 

quarterly wage, and unemployment 

insurance information furnished by 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 248 / Friday, December 28, 2018 / Notices 67337 

state and federal agencies and is 

maintained by OCSE in its system of 

records ‘‘OCSE National Directory of 

New Hires,’’ No. 09–80–0381, published 

in the Federal Register at 80 FR 17906 

on April 2, 2015, and updated on 

February 14, 2018, at 83 FR 6591. The 

disclosure of NDNH information by 

OCSE to HUD constitutes a ‘‘routine 

use,’’ as defined by the Privacy Act. 5 

U.S.C. 552a(b)(3). Routine use (12) of 

the system of records authorizes the 

disclosure of NDNH information to 

HUD. 80 FR 17906, 17907 (April 2, 

2015). 

The HUD records used in the 

information comparison are retrieved 

from, and the results of the information 

comparison are maintained within, the 

HUD system of records ‘‘Enterprise 

Income Verification’’ (EIV), No. HUD/ 

PIH–5, last published in the Federal 

Register at 71 FR 45066 on August 8, 

2006, and updated on September 1, 

2009, at 74 FR 45235. ‘‘Routine use’’ (1) 

of the system of records authorizes 

disclosure of HUD records to OCSE. 

Dated: December 21, 2018. 

John Bravacos, 

Senior Agency Official for Privacy. 

[FR Doc. 2018–28361 Filed 12–27–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[18X.LLAK930000.LXSSL0120000.L13

1000.DP0000] 

Notice of Availability of the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing 

Program and Announcement of Public 

Subsistence-Related Hearings 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM), Alaska State Office, 

is issuing the Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) for the Coastal 

Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program and 

by this notice is announcing the 

opening of the public comment period. 

The BLM is also announcing that it will 

hold public meetings on the Draft EIS 

and subsistence-related hearings to 

receive comments on the Draft EIS and 

the program’s potential to impact 

subsistence resources and activities. 

DATES: Comments on the Draft EIS may 

be submitted in writing until 45 days 

after the Environmental Protection 

Agency’s publication of Notice of 

Availability of the Draft EIS in the 

Federal Register. The BLM will hold 

public meetings in: Anchorage, Arctic 

Village, Fairbanks, Fort Yukon, 

Kaktovik, Utqiag ̇vik, and Venetie, 

Alaska, and Washington, DC A public 

hearing on subsistence resources and 

activities will occur in conjunction with 

the public meeting for the Draft EIS in 

the potentially affected community of 

Kaktovik. The dates, times, and 

locations, of the meetings will be 

announced through local news media, 

newspapers, and the BLM website. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

• Website: https://www.blm.gov/ 

programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-indevelopment/alaska/coastal-plain-eis. 

• Mail to: BLM, Alaska State Office, 

Attention—Coastal Plain EIS, 222 West 

7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, AK 

99513–7599. 

• Hand Delivery: BLM Alaska Public 

Information Center (Public Room), 222 

W. 8th Avenue (First Floor), Anchorage, 

Alaska. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Nicole Hayes, 907–271–4354; by mail: 

Bureau of Land Management, 222 West 

7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, AK 

99513–7599. You may also request to be 

added to the mailing list for the EIS. 

Documents pertaining to the EIS may be 

examined at http://www.blm.gov/alaska 

or at the BLM Alaska State Office, BLM 

Alaska Public Information Center 

(Public Room), 222 West 8th Avenue 

(First Floor), Anchorage, Alaska. 

People who use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800– 

877–8339 to contact the above 

individual during normal business 

hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week, to leave a message 

or question with the above individual. 

You will receive a reply during normal 

business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM 

is undertaking this Leasing EIS to 

implement the leasing program 

consistent with Public Law 115–97. The 

Leasing EIS will serve to inform BLM’s 

implementation of Public Law 115–97, 

Section 20001(c)(1), which is the 

requirement to hold multiple lease 

sales. It may also inform post-lease 

activities, including seismic and drilling 

exploration, development, and 

transportation of oil and gas in and from 

the Coastal Plain. Specifically, the 

Leasing EIS considers and analyzes the 

environmental impact of various leasing 

alternatives, including the areas to offer 

for sale, and the indirect impacts that 

could result in consideration of the 

hypothetical development scenario. The 

alternatives analyze various terms and 

conditions (i.e., lease stipulations and 

required operating procedures) to be 

applied to leases and associated oil and 

gas activities, to properly balance oil 

and gas development with protection of 

surface resources. The lands comprising 

the Coastal Plain include approximately 

1.6 million acres within the 

approximately 19.3 million-acre Arctic 

National Wildlife Refuge. 

The purpose of the public comment 

period is to inform the public of the 

availability of the Draft EIS and solicit 

comment from the public. Information 

received during the public comment 

period will be used to develop the Final 

EIS. 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

The BLM has worked with interested 

parties to identify the management 

decisions best suited to local, regional, 

and national needs and concerns, as 

well as to develop a proposed action 

and alternatives consistent with the 

following criteria: 

• The EIS considers all Federal lands 

and waters within the Coastal Plain; 

• The EIS used scoping to identify 

issues; impacts and potential 

alternatives to be addressed; 

• Under Public Law 115–97, not 

fewer than two lease sales, each to 

include not fewer than 400,000 acres 

area-wide of the areas with the highest 

potential of hydrocarbons, must occur 

by December 2024; 

• The BLM considers subsistence 

resources and users, as well as potential 

actions to minimize adverse impacts to 

subsistence in accordance with section 

810 of the Alaska National Interest 

Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA); and 

• The EIS considers the surface 

management of the Coastal Plain. 

Future on-the-ground actions 

requiring BLM approval, including 

potential exploration and development 

proposals, would require further NEPA 

analysis based on the site-specific 

proposal. Potential applicants would be 

subject to the terms of the lease; 

however, the BLM Authorized Officer 

may require additional site-specific 

terms and conditions before authorizing 

any oil and gas activity based on the 

project level NEPA analysis. 

Section 810 of ANILCA requires BLM 

to evaluate the effects of the alternatives 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1