### 10840 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 38 / Wednesday, February 26, 2014 / Notices

B URDEN 

### TABLE

### —Continued

Citation 30 CFR 582 Reporting or recordkeeping requirement Hour burden Average number of annual

responses Annual burden hours

29(h) ................................................ Maintain hard mineral records and make available upon request. 1 1 1

Subtotal .................................... ................................................................................... ... ........................ 9 Responses 17

**Subpart D—Payments**

40 ..................................................... Submit surety, personal bond, or approved alternative. 2 1 Response 2

**Subpart E—Appeals**

50; 15 ............................................... File an appeal .............................................................. Burden exempt under 5 CFR 1320.4(a)(2), (c). 0

TOTAL BURDEN ...................... ...................................................................................... ........................ 20 Responses 212

Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’ Burden: There are no non-hour cost burdens associated with this collection.

Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not obligated to respond.

Comments: Before submitting an ICR to OMB, PRA section 3506(c)(2)(A) requires each agency ‘‘. . . to provide notice . . . and otherwise consult with members of the public and affected agencies concerning each proposed collection of information . . .’’. Agencies must specifically solicit comments on: (a) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary, including whether or not the information will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the burden estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden on respondents.

Agencies must also estimate the nonhour cost burdens to respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection of information. Therefore, if you have costs to generate, maintain, and disclose this information, you should comment and provide your total capital and startup costs or annual operation, maintenance, and purchase of service costs. You should describe the methods you use to estimate major cost factors, including system and technology acquisition, expected useful life of capital equipment, discount rate(s), and the period over which you incur costs. Capital and startup costs include, among other items, computers and software you purchase to prepare for collecting information, monitoring, and record storage facilities. You should not include estimates for equipment or services purchased: (a) Before October 1, 1995; (b) to comply with requirements not associated with the information collection; (c) for reasons other than to provide information or keep records for the Government; or (d) as part of customary and usual business or private practices.

We will summarize written responses to this notice and address them in our submission for OMB approval. As a result of your comments, we will make any necessary adjustments to the burden in our submission to OMB.

Public Availability of Comments: Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Dated: February 19, 2014. Deanna Meyer-Pietruszka, Chief, Office of Policy, Regulations, and Analysis.
[FR Doc. 2014–04121 Filed 2–25–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR** 

**Bureau of Ocean Energy Management**

**[MMAA104000]**

**Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Eastern Planning Area (EPA) Oil**  **and Gas Lease Sales 225 and 226**

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

**ACTION :**  Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Record of Decision (ROD) for EPA Lease Sale 225 in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2014– 2016; Eastern Planning Area Lease Sales 225 and 226; Final Environmental Impact Statement (EPA 225/226 EIS).

**SUMMARY :**  BOEM has prepared a ROD for oil and gas EPA Lease Sale 225 scheduled for March 19, 2014. The proposed lease sale is in the Gulf of Mexico’s EPA off the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. EPA Lease Sale 225 is the first EPA lease sale scheduled in the OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program for 2012–2017 (Five Year Program). In making its decision, BOEM considered an alternative to the proposed action, the potential impacts as presented in the EPA 225/226 EIS, and all comments received throughout the NEPA process. The EPA 225/226 EIS evaluated the environmental and socioeconomic impacts for EPA Lease Sale 225.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  In the EPA 225/226 EIS, BOEM evaluated two alternatives that are summarized below:

Alternative A—The Proposed Action: This is BOEM’s preferred alternative. This alternative would offer for lease all unleased blocks within the proposed EPA lease sale area for oil and gas operations.


### 10841 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 38 / Wednesday, February 26, 2014 / Notices

The EPA proposed lease sale area covers approximately 657,905 acres (approximately 175 whole and partial blocks) and includes those blocks previously included in the EPA Lease Sale 224 Area and a triangular-shaped area south of the EPA Lease Sale 224 area. The EPA proposed lease sale area is currently bordered to the north by the southern boundary of the Sale 181 area, to the west and south by the CPA boundary, and to east by the Military Mission Line (86 ß41 ′ W. longitude). The nearest point of land is about 125 mi (201 km) northwest in Louisiana. As of November 2013, approximately 465,200 acres of the proposed EPA lease sale area are currently unleased. The estimated amount of natural resources projected to be developed as a result of a proposed EPA lease sale is 0–0.071 billion barrels of oil and 0–0.162 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Alternative B—No Action: This alternative is the cancellation of proposed EPA Lease Sale 225 and is identified as the environmentally preferred alternative.

After careful consideration, BOEM has selected the proposed action, identified as BOEM’s preferred alternative (Alternative A) in the EPA 225/226 EIS. BOEM’s selection of the preferred alternative meets the purpose and need for the action, as identified in the EPA 225/226 EIS, and reflects 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–ROM copy of the ROD for proposed EPA Lease Sale 225, 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:// boem.gov/Environmental-Stewardship/ Environmental-Assessment/NEPA/
nepaprocess.aspx

. **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 1503) implementing the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ).

Dated: February 11, 2014. Tommy P. Beaudreau, Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2014–04184 Filed 2–25–14; 8:45 am]

**BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P**

**DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR**

**Bureau of Ocean Energy Management**

**[MMAA104000]**

**Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Central Planning Area (CPA) Oil**  **and Gas Lease Sale 231**

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

**ACTION :**  Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Record of Decision (ROD) for CPA Lease Sale 231 in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2013– 2014; Western Planning Area Lease Sale 233, and Central Planning Area Lease Sale 231; Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS).

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. ).

**SUMMARY :**  BOEM has prepared a ROD for oil and gas CPA Lease Sale 231 scheduled for March 19, 2014. CPA Lease Sale 231 is the second CPA lease sale scheduled in the Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program for 2012–2017 (Five-Year Program). The proposed lease sale is in the Gulf of Mexico’s CPA off the States of Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. In making its decision, BOEM considered alternatives to the proposed action and the potential impacts as presented in the WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS and all comments received throughout the NEPA process. The WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS updated the baseline conditions and potential environmental effects of oil and natural gas leasing, exploration, development, and production in the WPA and CPA since publication of 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 (2012– 2017 WPA/CPA Multisale EIS) (USDOI, BOEM, 2012b). The WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS analyzed the potential impacts of the proposed action in the CPA and was completed in April
2013.

**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION :**  In the WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS, BOEM evaluated three alternatives for CPA Lease Sale 231, which are summarized below:

Alternative A—The Proposed Action: This is BOEM’s preferred alternative. This alternative would offer for lease all unleased blocks within the CPA for oil and gas operations, except whole and partial blocks deferred by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006.

The proposed CPA lease sale area encompasses about 63 million acres of the total CPA area of 66.45 million acres. As of December 2013, approximately 40 million acres of the proposed CPA lease sale area are currently unleased. The estimated amount of resources projected to be developed as a result of proposed CPA Lease Sale 231 is 0.460–0.894 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and 1.939–3.903 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas.

Alternative B—The Proposed Action Excluding the Unleased Blocks Near Biologically Sensitive Topographic Features: This alternative would offer for lease all unleased blocks within the proposed CPA lease sale area, as described for the proposed action (Alternative A), with the exception of any unleased blocks subject to the Topographic Features Stipulation.

Alternative C—No Action: This alternative is the cancellation of proposed CPA Lease Sale 231 and is identified as the environmentally preferred alternative.

After careful consideration, BOEM has selected a subset of the proposed action, (a portion of the lease sale area analyzed in Alternative A) in the WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS. As noted in its Record of Decision, BOEM has decided to hold CPA Lease Sale 231 and offer for lease all unleased blocks in the CPA, except: (1) whole and partial of blocks deferred by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006; (2) blocks that are adjacent or beyond the United States Exclusive Economic Zone in the area known as the northern portion of the Eastern Gap; and (3) whole and partial blocks that lie within the 1.4 nautical mile buffer zone north of the Continental Shelf Boundary between the United States and Mexico. BOEM’s selection of a subset of the preferred alternative reflects 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.