## United States Department or the Interior 

# FILE

0re1!8 M. Worley U.S. EPA Region 4 61 Fonyth Street, SW Atlanta, GA 30303

Dear Mr. Worley: FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 

# """ .-. 1111 ...." .._ PauMa OIJ. 

### n. JlAIS-ml

Tel: (8l0) 769-0ll2 raJ(: (8l0) 763-2177

August 12, 2010

Re: Section 7 ESA

- Intcraaency Cooperation; 

### oes Drilling Operations in the Centnll and 

### Eastern GulfofMexico 1lw1k you for your letter ofMay 20, 2010, notifyiDfj the Fish 

### and Wildlife Service (Service) that the Environmental Prote<tion Agency (EPA) Region 4 had """,ivcd Ihn:e outer continental shelf 

### (oeS) air permit application> for explondory drilling projects in the GulfofMexico. We understand through this letter and our following discussions that these 

### oes sources will be locatcd in the DeSoto Cmyon 

### and Lloyd Ridge lcase blocks, beyond 200 km tiom the seaward boundaries ofany state. We acknowledge that EPA is the air permitting authority for these so"""", under the provi>ions ofthe 

### oes Air 

### Regulationa (40 C.F.R 

### Part 55) 

### and will likely lake 

### fedcnI action to issue air quality penni.. for these facilities. 

# rru. ttS[lODSe is provided in accordance with provisions ofthe Migratory Bini Treaty Act of 1918 (MeTA) (16 U.S.C. 703- 712), and Section 7 ofthe Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 el seq.). Tbc need to advise EPA on wbethcr formal or infonnaJ Endangered Species Act (ESA) con:JUItation would be appropriate for this proposed actioo is clear. No new coastal or marine species 01' habitats under thejurisdiction of

### the Service have been listed since the Service submitted a letter ofconcurrence on September 14, 2007 regarding the 

### Mineral MlUl88cment Service', (MMS, now the Bureau ofOffshon: Energy Management) Biological Assessment of the Five Ye", Outer Continental SbelfOil and Gas Leasing Program (2007-2012). The purpose ofthat concurn:nce letter was to inform the MMS that the proposed 

### actions ofthe 2007-2012 Leasing Program were no< likely to advencly affect 

### thn:atencd or endangered species or designated critical habitat under thejurisdiction ofthe Service. This holds true for the previously issued Biological Opinion for lease Sale 224 as it 

### n:mains cunent in terms ofspecies 

### and habitat 

### under Servicejurisdiction. The Service 

### does offer 

### that we 

### published a rule in the Federal Register on Februa<y 10,2009 (74 FR 67(0) separating the flatwoods salamander into two species : the 

### frosted flatwoods salamander (Amhysloma cinguJaIWII) and 

### reticulated flatwoods salamander (Amhysloma bishopl)' Critical habitat 

### was designated at the some time. This sr-iesMr Gregg M. Worley 2 OCCur! in mesic and wet flatwoods. dome swamp, basin swamp habitat. which is unlikely to be affected by 

### the propos«! work. The Service CODCut9 that the permitting ofair emissions at: a distance ofgreater than 200 km from State waters is not likely to adversely affect (NLAA) speeies prote<ted by 

### the ESA lDlder 

### the jurisdiction ofthe Service. The Service does not have new 

### data that indicaJ:e an elevation of risk to migratory bird species that may have a transient association with the air emissions that EPA intends 10 permit in 

### the OCS. 

# nu. fulfill. the consu1ta1ion requirements WIder 

### the ESA at this 

### time. However, 

### if

### additional information becomes available that relates to this consultation (new species. habitats, or 

### air emission toxicological or fate data), rcinitiation ofconsultation could 

### be necessary 10 ...... bowthis information may influence 

### the NLAA determination. We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments. Please contact Dr. Jon M. Hemming ofthis office (ext. 2238) ifyou have any questions or comments. Sincerely,

# ~LJ£) Dr. Donald W. bnm Assistant Field Supervisor