60892 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 2, 2013 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Alaska 

OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning 

Area, Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale 

237 (Lease Sale 237) MMAA104000 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 

ACTION: Correction; Call for Information 

and Nominations. 

SUMMARY: This Notice is a correction of 

the notice published as docket number 

2013–23670. The only correction is the 

addition of the map entitled ‘‘Chukchi 

Sea Planning Area for Information and 

Nominations Lease Sale 237’’. This Call 

for Information and Nominations 

(‘‘Call’’) is the initial step in the prelease 

process for Lease Sale 237 in the 

Chukchi Sea Planning Area, scheduled 

to be held in 2016, as included in the 

Proposed Final OCS Oil and Gas 

Leasing Program 2012–2017 (‘‘Five Year 

Program’’). The purpose of this Call is 

to obtain nominations and information 

on oil and gas leasing, exploration, and 

development that might result from an 

OCS oil and gas lease sale for the 

Chukchi Sea Planning Area. The lease 

sale area addressed in this Call 

(‘‘Program Area’’) is located offshore 

Alaska in the Chukchi Sea Planning 

Area. As identified in the Five Year 

Program, the Program Area is a sub-area 

of the larger Chukchi Sea Planning Area. 

DATES: All responses to the Call must be 

received no later than November 18, 

2013. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael S. Rolland, Chief, Leasing 

Section, BOEM, Alaska OCS Region, 

3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, 

Anchorage, Alaska 99503–5823, or at 

(907) 334–5271. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Five 

Year Program states: While BOEM has 

determined that it is appropriate to 

continue areawide leasing in the GOM 

* * * BOEM will not be conducting 

areawide leasing in the Arctic, 

consistent with rigorous internal 

analysis as well as a number of outside 

recommendations to develop alternative 

leasing approaches for Arctic areas. 

Rather, potential sales are deliberately 

set late in the five year program 

schedule to allow for further analysis 

and information-gathering. These would 

be geographically targeted in scope, in 

order to achieve an appropriate balance 

between making resources available 

while limiting conflicts with 

environmentally sensitive areas and 

subsistence use by making certain 

determinations from the outset about 

which blocks within the planning areas 

are most suitable for leasing. See, 

Proposed Final Outer Continental Shelf 

Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2012– 

2017, page 94. 

In light of the targeted leasing strategy 

for the Arctic in the current Five Year 

Program, this Call differs in two ways 

from Calls issued in the Gulf of Mexico 

and in earlier Calls issued in the Alaska 

OCS Region under previous Five Year 

Programs: (1) Because the leasing will 

not be areawide, BOEM is requesting 

more specific nominations within the 

Program Area (as defined below), 

including specific support of those 

nominations in terms of geological and 

geophysical data, and (2) this Call is not 

accompanied by a Notice of Intent to 

Prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement (NOI). After BOEM identifies 

the area for the proposed lease sale 

based upon the information and 

nominations received from this Call, 

BOEM will initiate the formal National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

process through publication of an NOI. 

By proceeding in this order, BOEM will 

be able to use the information obtained 

through this Call in developing the 

proposed action and possible 

alternatives to be identified and scoped 

in the NOI. 

In addition to seeking area 

nominations, this Call is requesting 

information concerning geological 

conditions, including bottom hazards; 

archaeological sites on the seabed or 

nearshore; multiple uses of the Program 

Area, including navigation, recreation, 

and fisheries; and other socioeconomic, 

biological, and environmental 

information, including but not limited 

to, information regarding oil and gas 

resource potential, sensitive habitats, 

subsistence use, unique conditions, and 

important other uses of the Program 

Area. This Call and targeted leasing 

strategy also embraces the principles of 

an Integrated Arctic Management (IAM) 

approach as defined by the Interagency 

Working Group on Coordination of 

Domestic Energy Development and 

Permitting in Alaska in its Report to the 

President: Managing for the Future in a 

Rapidly Changing Arctic dated March 

2013. The IAM approach was also 

adopted as a key component of the 

President’s National Strategy for the 

Arctic Region, dated May 2013. 

Call for Information and Nominations 

1. Authority 

This Call is published pursuant to the 

Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 

(OCSLA), as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331– 

1356), and the regulations issued 

thereunder (30 CFR part 556). 

2. Purpose of This Call 

The purpose of this Call is to gather 

information to determine the Area 

Identification under 30 CFR 556.26 for 

Lease Sale 237 in the Program Area. 

BOEM seeks information and 

nominations on oil and gas leasing, 

exploration, development, and 

production in the Program Area from all 

interested parties. This early planning 

and consultation step is important to 

ensure that all interests and concerns 

are communicated to the U.S. 

Department of the Interior for 

consideration in future decisions in the 

leasing process pursuant to OCSLA and 

the regulations at 30 CFR part 556. 

3. Description of Program Area 

The Program Area is located offshore 

Alaska in the Chukchi Sea Planning 

Area. The Chukchi Sea Planning Area 

extends from the 3-nautical mile (4.8- 

kilometer) limit of State of Alaska 

waters, northward from approximately 

latitude 68°30′ N to latitude 75° N, and 

from longitude 156° W (roughly north of 

the village of Barrow) on the east to the 

United States-Russia Provisional 

Maritime Boundary on the west at 

longitude 168°58′ 37′′ W. As identified 

in the Five Year Program, the Program 

Area is a sub-area of the larger Chukchi 

Sea Planning Area. As depicted on the 

page-size map accompanying this Call, 

the southern boundary of the Program 

Area generally begins about 25 nautical 

miles offshore along the coastline, 

except near Barrow, where it begins 

approximately 50 nautical miles 

offshore. The northern boundary of the 

Program Area is approximately 300 

nautical miles from shore. Water depths 

vary from approximately 65 feet (20 

meters) to more than 13,100 feet (4,000 

meters) in the Program Area. This 

Program Area consists of approximately 

10,128 whole and partial blocks (about 

55.16 million acres, or 22.32 million 

hectares). A larger scale Call map 

showing the boundaries and blocks of 

the Program Area is available without 

charge on the BOEM Web site at 

http://www.boem.gov/leasesale237. 

Copies of Official Protraction Diagrams 

also are available without charge on the 

Web site at http://www.boem.gov/Oiland-Gas-Energy-Program/Mapping-andData/Alaska.aspx. 

4. Nominations on This Call 

Written nominations must be received 

no later than November 18, 2013. In 

their letters of nomination, interested 

parties should describe explicitly their 

interest by ranking the areas nominated 

according to priority using five interest 

classifications: (1) Critical interest, (2) 


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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 2, 2013 / Notices 60893 

high interest, (3) general interest, (4) low 

interest, or (5) no interest. The area(s) 

nominated must be described accurately 

and shown on the large-scale Call map 

available at http://www.boem.gov/

leasesale237. An interested party 

nominating areas for inclusion in the 

sale must provide a detailed explanation 

of the basis for classifying each 

nominated area as (1) through (5), 

including a summary of the relevant 

geologic, geophysical, and economic 

information. Interested parties are 

encouraged to be as specific as possible 

in prioritizing blocks and supporting 

nominations of specific blocks in the 

Program Area with detailed data and/or 

information. Interested parties should 

be prepared to discuss their range of 

interest classifications and anticipated 

activity regarding the nominated area(s). 

Interested parties are requested to 

provide the telephone number and 

name of the individual to contact. 

BOEM’s Alaska OCS Region office will 

contact this individual to set up a 

mutually agreeable meeting date and 

time to review more fully the interested 

parties level of interest where an area is 

classified as critical interest or high 

interest, and possibly as general interest. 

Submittals should indicate 

‘‘Nominations to Call for Chukchi Sea 

Lease Sale 237.’’ 

To avoid inadvertent release of 

proprietary information, interested 

parties should mark all documents and 

every page containing such information 

with ‘‘Confidential—Contains 

Proprietary Information.’’ To the extent 

a document contains a mix of 

proprietary and nonproprietary 

information, interested parties should 

mark clearly which portion of the 

document is proprietary and which is 

not. The OCSLA states that the 

‘‘Secretary shall maintain the 

confidentiality of all privileged or 

proprietary data or information for such 

period of time as is provided for in this 

subchapter, established by regulation, or 

agreed to by the parties’’ (43 U.S.C. 

1344(g)). BOEM considers each 

interested parties written nominations 

of specific blocks to be proprietary, and 

it will not release such information to 

the public. 

5. Exclusion Areas and Other Comments 

BOEM is seeking recommendations 

either to exclude specific blocks or areas 

from oil and gas leasing, or to be leased 

under special conditions due to 

conflicting values, uses or 

environmental concerns (hereinafter 

referred to as ‘‘proposed exclusion 

areas’’). Interested parties should 

indicate proposed exclusion areas on 

the large-scale Call map available at 

http://www.boem.gov/leasesale237. 

Interested parties also may use the 

interactive map tool for the Arctic at 

http://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-GasEnergy-Program/Leasing/Five-YearProgram/Lease-Sale-Schedule/

Interactive-Maps.aspx. Interested parties 

are encouraged to be as specific as 

possible in explaining why the area 

should be excluded or leased under 

special conditions, provide supporting 

information, and be prepared to discuss 

the proposed exclusion areas with 

BOEM. Interested parties are requested 

to provide the telephone number and 

name of the individual to contact. 

BOEM’s Alaska OCS Region office may 

contact this individual to set up a 

mutually agreeable meeting date and 

time to review more fully the proposed 

exclusion areas. 

BOEM also is seeking comments and 

information from all interested parties 

regarding areas that should receive more 

detailed consideration and analysis; 

geological conditions, including bottom 

hazards; archaeological sites on the 

seabed or nearshore; other uses of the 

Program Area, including navigation and 

subsistence; and other socioeconomic, 

biological, or environmental 

information. BOEM previously had 

received comments on the Program Area 

as part of the Five Year Program 

process. Those comments included 

information on the importance of Hanna 

Shoal and Herald Shoal. While already 

excluded from the Program Area, 

comments were also received on the Pt. 

Barrow area, Kaseguluk Lagoon, Peard 

Bay, the nearshore lead system, and the 

bowhead whale migration area. While 

BOEM will consider information 

submitted previously on the Five Year 

Program, BOEM also encourages 

interested parties who submitted 

comments on the Five Year Program to 

refine their earlier comments and 

provide greater detail or new 

information, where appropriate, 

concerning the importance of these 

areas or associated activities. 

6. Submissions of Nominations, 

Requests for Exclusion Areas, and Other 

Comments 

Interested parties who are requesting 

area(s) for inclusion in the sale should 

send their recommendations, along with 

an explanation of the basis of their 

interest priority, including a summary 

of the relevant geologic, geophysical, 

and economic information supporting 

their nomination, to: Chief, Leasing 

Section, BOEM, Alaska OCS Region, 

3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, 

Anchorage, Alaska 99503–5823. 

Requests for proposed exclusion areas 

or general proposed inclusion areas 

(absent a formal nomination) and all 

other comments to this Call, including 

general information from interested 

parties, Federal agencies, state and local 

governments, tribes, and other 

interested parties, will be accepted only 

through http://www.regulations.gov, 

using docket designation BOEM–2013– 

0015. All comments received via this 

Web site, including names and 

addresses of the commenter, are public 

and will be posted for public review. 

BOEM will not consider anonymous 

comments. BOEM will make available 

all nonproprietary submissions in their 

entirety on http://www.regulations.gov. 

7. Tracking Table and Interactive Map 

In the Five Year Program, BOEM 

established a mitigation/program 

tracking table (hereinafter referred to as 

the ‘‘Table’’), which is designed to track 

the history and treatment of suggestions 

for inclusion or exclusion of acreage, 

temporal deferrals, and/or mitigation 

from the Five Year Program stage 

through the lease sale stage to the plan 

stage. This Table will allow commenters 

to see how and where their concerns are 

considered, while ensuring that a 

reasonable concern not suitable for 

consideration during one stage will be 

considered at an appropriate subsequent 

stage. The Table may be viewed at 

http://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-GasEnergy-Program/Leasing/Five-YearProgram/Lease-Sale-Schedule/TrackingTable.aspx. Appropriate suggestions 

collected during the comment period on 

this Call will be added to the Table and 

tracked throughout the process. 

Additionally, BOEM has created an 

interactive map through the 

Multipurpose Marine Cadastre (MMC) 

Web site for Alaska at http://

www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-EnergyProgram/Leasing/Five-Year-Program/

Lease-Sale-Schedule/InteractiveMaps.aspx. The MMC is an integrated 

marine information system that 

provides a more comprehensive look at 

geospatial data and ongoing activities 

and studies occurring in the area being 

considered. If interested parties believe 

that a data layer should be added for 

consideration, they should provide this 

information by following the 

commenting instructions above. 

Questions about the interactive map 

may be addressed to Donna Dixon, 

Chief, Leasing Division, at (703) 787– 

1215. 

8. Use of Information From This Call 

BOEM is undertaking a strategy of 

targeted leasing, whereby the BOEM 

Director will use the information 

provided in response to this Call to 

make an Area Identification decision. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
60894 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 2, 2013 / Notices 

BOEM will consider nominations, 

proposed exclusion areas, and areas 

proposed to receive special 

consideration and analysis, in light of 

resource estimates, information 

regarding exploratory drilling, 

environmental reviews, and other 

relevant information. Using this 

information, BOEM plans to target 

leasing by proactively determining 

which specific portions of the Program 

Area offer greater resource potential, 

while minimizing potential conflicts 

with environmental subsistence 

considerations. 

Information submitted in response to 

this Call will be used to: 

• Determine the Area Identification 

under 30 CFR 556.26(a) and (b); 

• Develop potential lease terms and 

conditions; 

• Identify potential use conflicts and 

potential mitigation measures; and 

• Assist in planning the NEPA 

scoping process. 

9. Existing Information 

An extensive Environmental Studies 

Program, including environmental, 

social, and economic studies in the 

Chukchi Sea Planning Area, has been 

underway in the Alaska OCS Region 

since 1976. The emphasis has been on 

environmental characterization of 

biologically sensitive habitats, marine 

mammals, physical oceanography, 

ocean-circulation modeling, subsistence 

uses, and ecological and sociocultural 

effects of oil and gas activities. 

Information on the BOEM 

Environmental Studies Program, 

completed studies, and a program status 

report for continuing studies in this area 

is available on the BOEM Web site at 

http://www.boem.gov/akstudies, or it 

may be obtained from the Chief, 

Environmental Sciences Management 

Section, Alaska OCS Region, by 

telephone request at (907) 334–5200. 

NEPA analyses were prepared for 

previous OCS lease sales held in the 

Chukchi Sea Planning Area. Previous 

NEPA analyses for Chukchi Sea lease 

sales and other actions are available at 

http://www.boem.gov/About-BOEM/

BOEM-Regions/Alaska-Region/

Environment/Environmental-Analysis/

Environmental-Impact-Statements-andMajor-EnvironmentalAssessments.aspx. Currently, there are 

460 active OCS oil and gas leases in the 

Chukchi Sea Planning Area, 

encompassing an area of approximately 

2.7 million acres (1.0 million hectares). 

Information on the leases and other 

lease-related activities is available at 

http://www.boem.gov/About-BOEM/

BOEM-Regions/Alaska-Region/Leasingand-Plans/Index.aspx. 

Dated: September 26, 2013. 

Tommy P. Beaudreau, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 191 / Wednesday, October 2, 2013 / Notices 60895 

[FR Doc. 2013–24053 Filed 9–27–13; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation 

and Enforcement 

[S1D1S SS08011000 SX066A000 67F 

134S180110; S2D2S SS08011000 SX066A00 

33F 13XS501520] 

Notice of Proposed Information 

Collection; Request for Comments for 

1029–0049 

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining 

Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation 

and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing 

that the information collection request 

for 30 CFR 822—Special Permanent 

Program Performance Standards— 

Operations in Alluvial Valley Floors, 

has been forwarded to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and reauthorization. The 

information collection package was 

previously approved and assigned 

control number 1029–0049. This notice 

describes the nature of the information 

collection activity and the expected 

burdens. 

DATES: OMB has up to 60 days to 

approve or disapprove the information 

collection but may respond after 30 

days. Therefore, public comments 

should be submitted to OMB by 

November 1, 2013, in order to be 

assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to the 

Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs, Office of Management and 

Budget, Attention: Department of the 

Interior Desk Officer, by telefax at (202) 

395–5806, or via email to OIRA_

submission@omb.eop.gov. Also, please 

send a copy of your comments to 

Adrienne L. Alsop, Office of Surface 

Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 

1951 Constitution Ave NW., Room 203– 

SIB, Washington, DC 20240, or 

electronically to aalsop@osmre.gov. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICESEN02OC13.003</GPH>