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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 223 (Friday, November 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71595-71598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29854]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Eastern Gulf of Mexico, Oil and 
Gas Lease Sales for Years 2012-2017

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

ACTION: Call for Information and Nominations/Notice of Intent (Call/
NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: This Call for Information and Nominations (hereinafter 
referred to as ``Call'') is the initial step in a multi-sale process 
covering all lease sales in the Eastern Planning Area (EPA) in the Gulf 
of Mexico (GOM) to be included in the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 
for 2012-2017. Two EPA lease sales are specifically covered by this 
Call. Simultaneously with this Call, BOEM is preparing a multi-sale EIS 
covering the same sales in the EPA. Comments received in response to 
the NOI will assist BOEM in developing the scope of the EIS.

DATES: Information and Nominations submitted in response to the Call 
must be received no later than December 19, 2011. Comments on the NOI 
must be received no later than January 3, 2012 at the addresses 
specified below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the Call, please 
contact Mr. Carrol Williams, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard (MS 5422), New Orleans, 
Louisiana 70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-2803. For information on the 
NOI, you may contact Mr. Gary Goeke, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard (MS 5412), New 
Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-3233.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 8, 2011, the Department of the 
Interior released a Proposed OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-
2017. The OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2012-2017 Draft PEIS, 
prepared by BOEM to support the Proposed Program, is available for 
comment through January 9, 2012. This multi-sale Call covers only the 
lease sales in the EPA that are proposed for inclusion in the OCS Oil 
and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017.
    Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 224 was held on March 19, 
2008. The EIS which will be prepared subsequent to this Call/NOI will 
analyze a larger area in the EPA than was addressed in the Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 224, Final Supplemental EIS (OCS EIS/
EA BOEMRE 2007-060); this EIS will address the lease Sale 224 area plus 
the 109,977-acre triangular area located immediately south of the Lease 
Sale 224 area.

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 et seq.), and the 
implementing regulations (30 CFR part 556).

2. Purpose of Call

    The purpose of the Call is to gather information for the following 
tentatively scheduled OCS lease sales:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Tentative
                  OCS planning  area sale                     lease sale
                                                                 year
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA Sale 225...............................................         2014
EPA Sale 226...............................................         2016
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    BOEM seeks information and nominations on oil and gas leasing, 
exploration, development, and production within this portion of the EPA 
from all interested parties. This early planning and consultation step 
ensures that all interests and concerns are communicated to the 
Department of the Interior for its future decisions in the leasing 
process pursuant to section 18 of OCSLA (43 U.S.C. 1344) and 
implementing regulations (30 CFR part 556).
    Pursuant to section 18 of OCSLA (43 U.S.C. 1344), the Secretary of 
the Interior is separately developing the 5-year Program for 2012-2017; 
this Call should not be construed as a prejudgment by the Secretary 
concerning any area to be made available for leasing under the 2012-
2017 5-year Program.
    This Call does not indicate a preliminary decision to lease in the 
area described below. Leasing within this area will be in compliance 
with applicable laws including all requirements of the National

[[Page 71596]]

Environmental Policy Act, Coastal Zone Management Act and OCSLA and 
established departmental procedures.

3. Description of Area

    The general area of this Call covers approximately 657,905 acres in 
the EPA in the GOM, which includes the Sale 224 Area and a triangular 
area south of the Sale 224 area. The entire Sale 225 area is bordered 
on the north by a 200-mile buffer drawn south of the Florida coastline, 
on the west by the Central Planning Area boundary, and on the east by 
the Military Mission Line (86[deg] 41' W). The area is south of eastern 
Alabama and western Florida; the nearest point of land is 125 miles 
northwest in Louisiana. A standard Call for Information Map depicting 
this portion of the EPA is available without charge from the Bureau of 
Ocean Energy Management, Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 
Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, or by 
telephone at 1-(800)-200-GULF. The map is also available via the BOEM 
Web site at http://www.boem.gov.

4. Instructions on the Call

    Indications of interest and comments must be received no later than 
30 days following publication of this document in the Federal Register 
in envelopes labeled ``Comments on the Call for Information for EPA 
Lease Sales for the years 2012-2017 in the GOM,'' submitted to the Gulf 
of Mexico OCS Region's Leasing and Financial Responsibility Section 
(Attention: Mr. Carrol Williams) at the previously noted address.
    The standard Call for Information Map delineates the Call area, all 
of which has been identified by BOEM as having potential for the 
discovery of accumulations of oil and gas.
    Comments are sought from all interested parties about particular 
geological, environmental (including natural disasters), biological, 
archaeological, and socioeconomic conditions or conflicts, or other 
information that might bear upon the potential leasing and development 
of this area. Comments are also sought on potential conflicts between 
future OCS oil and gas activities that may result from the proposed 
lease sale and State Coastal Management Programs (CMPs). If possible, 
these comments should identify specific CMP policies of concern, the 
nature of the conflict foreseen, and steps that BOEM could take to 
avoid or mitigate the potential conflict. Comments may be in terms of 
broad areas or restricted to particular blocks of concern. Those 
submitting comments are requested to list block numbers or outline the 
subject area on the standard Call for Information Map.

5. Use of Information From Call

    Information submitted in response to this Call will be used for 
several purposes. First, comments on possible environmental effects and 
potential use conflicts will be used in the analysis of environmental 
conditions in and near the Call area. Comments on environmental and 
other use conflicts will be used to make a preliminary determination of 
the potential advantages and disadvantages of oil and gas exploration 
and development to the region and the Nation. A second purpose for this 
Call is to use the comments collected in the scoping process to develop 
proposed actions and alternatives. Third, comments may be used in 
developing lease terms and conditions to ensure environmentally safe 
offshore operations. Finally, comments may be used to assess potential 
conflicts between offshore gas and oil activities and State CMPs.
    Individual indications of interest in areas for mineral leasing are 
considered to be privileged and proprietary information. The names of 
persons or entities submitting comments or indicating interest will be 
treated by BOEM as information that may be released to the public. 
Comments will likewise be released, except that actual individual 
indications of interest in areas for mineral leasing, trade secrets, 
commercial or financial information will be treated as confidential and 
proprietary information that is privileged and will not be released to 
the public.

6. Existing Information

    BOEM routinely assesses the status of information acquisition 
efforts and the quality of the information base for potential decisions 
on tentatively scheduled lease sales. An extensive environmental 
studies program has been underway in the GOM since 1973. The emphasis, 
including continuing studies, has been on ``environmental analysis'' of 
biologically sensitive habitats, physical oceanography, ocean-
circulation modeling, ecological and socio-economic effects of oil and 
gas activities, and the effects of hurricanes on coastal communities 
and environments.
    You may obtain a complete listing of available study reports and 
information for ordering copies from the Public Information Office 
referenced above. You may also order the reports for a fee by 
contacting the U.S. Department of Commerce at: U.S. Department of 
Commerce, National Technical Information Service, 5301 Shawnee Road, 
Springfield, Virginia 22312, or by telephone: (703) 605-6000 or (800) 
553-6847. In addition, you may obtain a program status report for 
continuing studies in this area by contacting BOEM at: Chief, 
Environmental Sciences Section (MS 5430), Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New 
Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, by telephone: (504) 736-2752, or via the 
BOEM Web site at http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental-Studies/Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/GOMR-Studies.aspx.

7. Tentative Schedule for the First EPA Sale

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOI to Prepare an EIS......................................  November 2011.
Call for Information and Nominations.......................  November 2011.
Comments Received on Call..................................  December 2011.
Comments Received on NOI...................................  January 2012.
Scoping Meetings...........................................  January 2012.
Area Identification Decision...............................  February 2012.
Draft EIS Published........................................  July-August 2012.
Public Hearings on Draft EIS...............................  September 2012.
Final EIS Published........................................  April 2013.
Proposed Notice of Sale and Coastal Zone Management          September-October 2014.
 Consistency Determination.
Final Notice of Sale.......................................  February 2014.
Tentative Lease Sale Date..................................  March 2014.
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[[Page 71597]]

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

1. Authority

    The NOI is published pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) 
implementing the provisions of the NEPA of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq. (1988)).

2. Purpose of the Notice of Intent

    Pursuant to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions 
of NEPA, BOEM is announcing its intent to prepare an EIS on oil and gas 
lease sales tentatively scheduled in 2012-2017 in the EPA offshore the 
States of Alabama and Florida. The NOI serves to announce the scoping 
process for this EIS. Throughout the scoping process, Federal, state, 
and local government agencies and other interested parties have the 
opportunity to aid BOEM in determining the significant issues and 
alternatives for analysis in the EIS. BOEM 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).
    The EIS analysis will focus on the potential environmental and 
socioeconomic effects of oil and natural gas leasing, exploration, 
development, and production in the area identified through the Area 
Identification process as the proposed lease sale areas. In addition to 
the no action alternative (i.e., hold no sale), other alternatives may 
be considered for each sale such as deferring certain areas from the 
proposed lease sales.

3. Supplemental Information

    On July 18, 2008, the President announced the lifting of the 
Presidential Withdrawal for all areas of the OCS except for marine 
sanctuaries. The lifting of this withdrawal made available some acreage 
in the Gulf of Mexico that is not under the Gulf of Mexico Energy 
Security Act moratoria. One of these areas in the EPA is a triangle 
approximately 39 miles long and approximately 8 miles wide at its 
widest point with blocks and portions of blocks in the Lloyd Ridge and 
Henderson areas; it is immediately south of the Sale 224 Area.
    For more information on the EIS, you may contact Mr. Gary Goeke at 
the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 
Elmwood Park Boulevard (MS 5412), New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394.

4. Cooperating Agency

    BOEM invites other Federal agencies and state, Tribal, and local 
governments to consider becoming cooperating agencies in the 
preparation of the EIS. We invite qualified government entities to 
inquire about cooperating agency status for the EIS. Following the 
guidelines from the Council on 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 note 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, BOEM will provide potential cooperating agencies with a 
written summary of ground rules for cooperating agencies, including 
time schedules and critical action dates, milestones, responsibilities, 
scope and detail of cooperating agencies' contributions, and the 
availability of pre-decisional information. BOEM anticipates this 
summary will form the basis for a Memorandum of Understanding between 
BOEM and each cooperating agency. 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 National Environmental Policy Act. 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.
    BOEM, as the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance to 
cooperating agencies. Yet, even if an organization is not a cooperating 
agency, opportunities exist to provide information and comments to BOEM 
during the normal public input phases of the NEPA/EIS process. If 
further information about cooperating agencies is needed, please 
contact Mr. Gary Goeke at (504) 736-3233.

5. Comments

    Federal, state, and local government agencies and other interested 
parties are requested to send their written comments on the scope of 
the EIS, significant issues that should be addressed, alternatives that 
should be considered, and scenario development in either of the 
following ways:
    a. In written form enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Comments on 
the EIS'' and mailed (or hand carried) to the Regional Supervisor, 
Environment (MS 5400), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 
70123-2394.
    b. Electronically to the BOEM email address: Gary.Goeke@boem.gov.
    Comments should be submitted no later than 45 days from the 
publication of this NOI.

Notice of Public Scoping Meetings on the Environmental Impact Statement

    Pursuant to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions 
of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), BOEM will hold public scoping 
meetings in Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida on the EIS for the 
tentatively scheduled 2012-2017 oil and gas leasing proposal in the 
EPA. The purpose of these meetings will be to solicit comments on the 
scope of the EIS. The public scoping meetings will be scheduled at a 
later date and a FR notice will be published announcing the date, time 
and location of the meetings.
    For further information about the scoping meetings, contact Mr. 
Gary Goeke at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS 
Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard (MS 5412), New Orleans, Louisiana 
70123-2394, or by telephone (504) 736-3233.

    Dated: November 7, 2011.
Tommy P. Beaudreau,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

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[FR Doc. 2011-29854 Filed 11-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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