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[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 217 (Wednesday, November 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69122-69123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-28355]

[[Page 69122]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Western and Central Planning 
Areas, Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Oil and Gas Lease Sales for the 2007-2012 
5-Year OCS Program

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement 
(BOEMRE), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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1. Authority

    This Notice of Intent (NOI) is published pursuant to the 
regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) implementing the provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq. (1988)).

2. Purpose of the Notice of Intent

    The BOEMRE is announcing its intent to prepare a supplemental 
environmental impact statement (SEIS) for Western Planning Area (WPA) 
Lease Sale 218 and Central Planning Area (CPA) Lease Sale 222 in the 
2007-2012 5-Year OCS Program. The proposed sales are in the Gulf of 
Mexico's WPA off the States of Texas and Louisiana and in the CPA off 
the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The SEIS will 
update the environmental and socioeconomic analyses in the Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2007-2012; WPA Sales 204, 207, 210, 
215, and 218; CPA Sales 205, 206, 208, 213, 216, and 222, Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007-018) (Multisale 
EIS), the NOI for which was published in the Federal Register on March 
7, 2006 (Vol. 71, No. 44, Page 11444). The SEIS will also update the 
environmental and socioeconomic analyses in the GOM OCS Oil and Gas 
Lease Sales: 2009-2012; CPA Sales 208, 213, 216, and 222; WPA Sales 
210, 215, and 218; Final SEIS (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2008-041), the NOI for 
which was published in the Federal Register on September 10, 2007 (Vol. 
72, No. 174, Page 51654). The SEIS for 2009-2012 was prepared after the 
Gulf of Mexico Energy and Security Act (Pub. L. 109-432, December 20, 
2006), which required BOEMRE to offer approximately 5.8 million acres 
in the CPA (``181 South Area'') for oil and gas leasing, ``as soon as 
practicable after the date of enactment of this Act.'' Lease Sales 218 
and 222 are proposed to be held in late 2011 or early 2012, before the 
end of the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Program.
    A SEIS is deemed appropriate to supplement the NEPA documents cited 
above for these lease sales in order to consider new circumstances and 
information arising, among other things, from the Deepwater Horizon 
blowout and spill. The SEIS analysis will focus on updating the 
baseline conditions and potential environmental effects of oil and 
natural gas leasing, exploration, development, and production in the 
WPA and CPA.
    Scoping Process: Federal, State, and local government agencies, and 
other interested parties may assist BOEMRE in determining the 
significant issues and alternatives to be analyzed in the SEIS. Early 
planning and consultation is important for ensuring that all interests 
and concerns are communicated to the Department of the Interior for 
future decisions in the leasing process pursuant to the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act and regulations at 30 CFR 256. At a 
minimum, alternatives that will be considered for the sales are no 
action (i.e., cancel the sale) or to exclude certain areas from the 
sales. Input is requested on additional measures (e.g., technology or 
water depth limitations) that would maximize avoidance and minimize 
impacts to environmental and socioeconomic resources. Formal 
consultation with other Federal agencies, the affected states, and the 
public will be carried out during the NEPA process and will be 
completed before a final decision is made on Lease Sales 218 and 222.
    For more information on the proposed sales or the SEIS, you may 
contact Mr. Gary Goeke, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park 
Boulevard, Mail Stop 5410, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 or by 
calling (504) 736-3233.

3. Description of the Area

    The general area proposed for Lease Sale 218 covers approximately 
28.57 million acres in 5,240 blocks in the western portion of the GOM 
(excluding whole and partial blocks within the boundary of the Flower 
Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary), Lease Sale 222 covers 
approximately 66.45 million acres in 12,409 blocks in the Central 
portion of GOM (excluding blocks that were previously included within 
the Eastern Planning Area (EPA) and that are within 100 miles of the 
Florida coast; or beyond the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone in the area 
known as the northern portion of the Eastern Gap). A map is available 
on the BOEMRE Web site at http://www.gomr.boemre.gov/homepg/lsesale/mau_gom_pa.pdf.

4. Cooperating Agency

    The BOEMRE invites other Federal agencies and state, tribal, and 
local governments to consider becoming cooperating agencies in the 
preparation of the SEIS. Following the guidelines from the Council of 
Environmental Quality (CEQ), qualified agencies and governments are 
those with ``jurisdiction by law or special expertise.'' Potential 
cooperating agencies should consider their authority and capacity to 
assume the responsibilities of a cooperating agency and to remember 
that an agency's role in the environmental analysis neither enlarges 
nor diminishes the final decisionmaking authority of any other agency 
involved in the NEPA process.
    Upon request, BOEMRE will provide potential cooperating agencies 
with an information package with a draft Memorandum of Agreement that 
includes a schedule with critical action dates and milestones, mutual 
responsibilities, designated points of contact, and expectations for 
handling predecisional information. Agencies should also consider the 
``Factors for Determining Cooperating Agency Status'' in Attachment 1 
to CEQ's January 30, 2002, Memorandum for the Heads of Federal 
Agencies: Cooperating Agencies in Implementing the Procedural 
Requirements of the NEPA. A copy of this document is available at 
http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/cooperating/cooperatingagenciesmemorandum.html and http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/cooperating/cooperatingagencymemofactors.html.
    The BOEMRE, as the lead agency, will not provide financial 
assistance to cooperating agencies. Even if an organization is not a 
cooperating agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and 
comments to BOEMRE during the normal public input phases of the NEPA/
EIS process. If further information about cooperating agency status is 
needed, please contact Mr. Gary Goeke at (504) 736-3233.

5. Comments

    Public meetings will be held in locations near these areas in early 
to mid November 2010. The meetings are being planned for, but not 
necessarily limited to:
     Tuesday, November 16, 2010, New Orleans, Louisiana, Hilton 
New Orleans Airport, 901 Airline Drive Kenner, Louisiana 70062, 1 p.m. 
CST.
     Wednesday, November 17, 2010, Houston, Texas, Houston 
Airport Marriott at George Bush Intercontinental, 18700 John F. Kennedy

[[Page 69123]]

Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77032, 1 p.m. CST.
     Thursday, November 18, 2010, Mobile, Alabama, The Battle 
House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa, 26 North Royal Street, Mobile, 
Alabama 36602 1 p.m. CST.
    The BOEMRE will use and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to 
satisfy the public involvement process for Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3).
    Federal, State, local government agencies, and other interested 
parties are requested to send their written comments on the scope of 
the SEIS, significant issues that should be addressed, and alternatives 
that should be considered in one of the following ways:
    1. Electronically to the BOEMRE e-mail address: 
sales218&222@boemre.gov.
    2. In written form, delivered by hand or by mail, enclosed in an 
envelope labeled ``Comments on the Sales 218 and 222 SEIS'' to the 
Regional Supervisor, Leasing and Environment (MS 5410), Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, Gulf of Mexico OCS 
Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394.
    Comments should be submitted no later than December 27, 2010.

    Dated: November 4, 2010.
L. Renee Orr,
Acting Associate Director for Offshore Energy and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 2010-28355 Filed 11-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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