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[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 138 (Friday, July 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 42048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16958]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Western Planning 
Area; (WPA) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 238; MMAA 104000

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Record of Decision (ROD) for 
WPA Lease Sale 238, most recently analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS 
Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2014-2016; Western Planning Area Lease Sales 
238, 246, and 248; Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
(WPA 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS).

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SUMMARY: BOEM prepared a ROD for proposed oil and gas WPA Lease Sale 
238, scheduled for August 20, 2014. The Assistant Secretary, Land and 
Minerals Management (ASLM) has signed that ROD. The proposed lease sale 
is in the Gulf of Mexico's WPA off the States of Texas and Louisiana. 
Proposed WPA Lease Sale 238 is the third WPA lease sale scheduled in 
the OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017 (Five-Year Program). In 
preparing the ROD, BOEM considered alternatives to the proposed action, 
the potential impacts as presented in the WPA 238, 246, and 248 
Supplemental EIS, and all comments received throughout the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. The WPA 238, 246, and 248 
Supplemental EIS evaluated the environmental and socioeconomic impacts 
for proposed WPA Lease Sale 238. The WPA 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental 
EIS tiers from and incorporates by reference, the Gulf of Mexico OCS 
Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2013-2014 Western Planning Area Lease Sale 
233/Central Planning Area Lease Sale 231--Final Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement and the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas 
Lease Sales: 2012-2017; Western Planning Area Lease Sales 229, 233, 
238, 246, and 248; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 227, 231, 235, 
241, and 247--Final Environmental Impact Statement. One comment letter 
was received after publication of the Final WPA 238, 246, and 248 
Supplemental EIS from the United States Environmental Protection Agency 
(USEPA), which did not raise any new or significant issues not already 
discussed.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the WPA 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental 
EIS, BOEM evaluated the alternatives that are summarized below:
    Alternative A--The Proposed Action: This was BOEM's preferred 
alternative. This alternative would offer for lease all unleased blocks 
within the proposed WPA lease sale area for oil and gas operations with 
the following exception: Whole and partial blocks within the boundary 
of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (i.e., the 
boundary as of the publication of the WPA 238, 246, and 248 
Supplemental EIS).
    The unleased whole and partial blocks in the WPA that the 
Department of the Interior (DOI) will offer for leasing in proposed WPA 
Lease Sale 238 are listed in the document entitled ``List of Blocks 
Available for Leasing,'' which is included in the Final Notice of Sale 
Package for WPA Lease Sale 238. The proposed WPA lease sale area 
encompasses virtually all of the WPA's 28.58 million acres. As of June 
2014, approximately 21.5 million acres of the proposed WPA lease sale 
area are currently unleased. The estimated amount of resources 
projected to be developed as a result of the proposed WPA lease sale is 
0.116-0.200 billion barrels of oil and 0.538-0.938 trillion cubic feet 
of gas.
    Alternative B--The Proposed Action Excluding the Unleased Blocks 
Near the Biologically Sensitive Topographic Features: This alternative 
would offer for lease all unleased blocks within the proposed WPA lease 
sale area, as described for a proposed action (Alternative A), but it 
would exclude from leasing any unleased blocks subject to the 
Topographic Features Stipulation. The estimated amount of resources 
projected to be developed is 0.116-0.200 BBO and 0.538-0.938 Tcf of 
gas. The number of blocks that would not be offered under Alternative B 
represents only a small percentage of the total number of blocks to be 
offered under Alternative A; therefore, it is assumed that the levels 
of activity for Alternative B would be essentially the same as those 
projected for the WPA proposed action.
    Alternative C--No Action: This alternative is the cancellation of 
proposed WPA Lease Sale 238 and is identified as the environmentally 
preferred alternative.
    After careful consideration, the ASLM selected the proposed action, 
identified as BOEM's preferred alternative (Alternative A) in the WPA 
238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS. The ASLM's selection of the 
preferred alternative meets the purpose and need for the proposed 
action, as identified in the WPA 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS, 
and provides for an orderly resource development with protection of the 
human, marine, and coastal environments while also ensuring that the 
public receives an equitable return for these resources and that free-
market competition is maintained.
    Record of Decision Availability: To obtain a single printed or CD 
copy of the ROD for proposed WPA Lease Sale 238, you may contact BOEM, 
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (GM 335A), 1201 
Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-200-
GULF). An electronic copy of the ROD is available on BOEM's Internet 
Web site at http://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on the ROD, you 
may contact Mr. Gary D. Goeke, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf 
of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard (GM 623E), New 
Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. You may also contact Mr. Goeke by 
telephone at 504-736-3233.

    Authority:  This NOA is published pursuant to the regulations 
(40 CFR part 1506) implementing the provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 
et seq.).

    Dated: July 14, 2014.
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2014-16958 Filed 7-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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