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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 20 (Friday, January 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5133-5134]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01758]

[[Page 5133]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[MMAA 104000]

Outer Continental Shelf, Gulf of Mexico, Oil and Gas Central 
Planning Area Lease Sales 241 and 247 and Eastern Planning Area Lease 
Sale 226

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

ACTION: Notice of availability and announcement of public meetings and 
comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has prepared a 
Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed 
oil and gas Central Planning Area (CPA) Lease Sales 241 and 247 and 
Eastern Planning Area (EPA) Lease Sale 226 in the Gulf of Mexico (CPA 
241/247/EPA 226 Draft Supplemental EIS). Proposed CPA Lease Sale 241 
and EPA Lease Sale 226 are tentatively scheduled to be held in March 
2016, and proposed CPA Lease Sale 247 is tentatively scheduled to be 
held in March 2017. The CPA 241/247/EPA 226 Draft Supplemental EIS 
updates the environmental and socioeconomic analyses in 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) (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2012-019); Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2014 and 2016; Eastern Planning 
Area Lease Sales 225 and 226, Final Environmental Impact Statement (EPA 
225/226 EIS) (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2013-200); 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 (WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS) (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2013-
0118); Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2014-2016; and Gulf 
of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2015-2017; Central Planning Area 
Lease Sales 235, 241, and 247, Final Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (CPA 235/241/247 Supplemental EIS) (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2014-
655).

    Authority: This NOA is published pursuant to the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR part 1503) implementing 
the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. [1988]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BOEM prepared the CPA 241/247/EPA 226 Draft 
Supplemental EIS to consider new information made available since 
completion of the 2012-2017 WPA/CPA Multisale EIS, WPA 233/CPA 231 
Supplemental EIS, WPA 238/246/248 Supplemental EIS, and CPA 235/241/247 
Supplemental EIS, and new information related to the Deepwater Horizon 
explosion, oil spill, and response. The CPA 241/EPA 226 Draft 
Supplemental EIS provides new information on the baseline conditions 
and potential environmental effects of oil and natural gas leasing, 
exploration, development, and production in the CPA and EPA. BOEM 
conducted an extensive search for new information, reviewing scientific 
journals and available scientific data and information from academic 
institutions and Federal, State, and local agencies; and interviewing 
personnel from academic institutions and Federal, State, and local 
agencies. BOEM examined the potential impacts of routine activities and 
accidental events and the proposed lease sales' incremental 
contribution to the cumulative impacts on environmental and 
socioeconomic resources. The oil and gas resource estimates and 
scenario for the CPA 241/247/EPA 226 Draft Supplemental EIS are 
presented as a range that would encompass the resources and activities 
estimated for each proposed lease sale.
    Draft Supplemental EIS Availability: You may download or view the 
CPA 241/247/EPA 226 Draft Supplemental EIS on BOEM's Web site at http://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/. In keeping with the Department of the 
Interior's mission of the protection of natural resources and to limit 
costs while ensuring availability of the document to the public, BOEM 
will primarily distribute digital copies of the CPA 241/247/EPA 226 
Draft Supplemental EIS on compact discs. BOEM has printed and will be 
distributing a limited number of paper copies. If you require a paper 
copy, BOEM will provide one upon request if copies are still available. 
You may obtain a copy of the CPA 241/247/EPA 226 Draft Supplemental EIS 
from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 
Public Information Office (GM 335A), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 
250, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-200-GULF).
    Several libraries along the Gulf Coast have been sent copies of the 
CPA 241/247/EPA 226 Draft Supplemental EIS. To find out which libraries 
have copies of the CPA 241/247/EPA 226 Draft Supplemental EIS for 
review, you may contact BOEM's Public Information Office or visit 
BOEM's Web site at http://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/.
    Comments: All interested parties, including Federal, State, Tribal, 
and local governments, and other organizations and members of the 
public, may submit written comments on the CPA 241/247/EPA 226 Draft 
Supplemental EIS in one of the following ways:
    1. In an envelope labeled ``Comments on the CPA 241/247/EPA 226 
Draft Supplemental EIS'' and mailed (or hand carried) to Mr. Gary D. 
Goeke, Chief, Environmental Assessment Section, Office of Environment 
(GM 623E), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS 
Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394;
    2. Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to http://www.regulations.gov and search for ``Oil and Gas Lease Sales: Gulf of 
Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 241 
and 247 and Eastern Planning Area Lease Sale 226'' (It is important to 
include the quotation marks in your search terms). Click on the 
``Comment Now!'' button to the right of the document link. Enter your 
information and comment, then click ``Submit''; or
    3. Through BOEM's email address: cpa241-epa226@boem.gov.
    Comments should be submitted no later than March 16, 2015.
    Pursuant to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions 
of NEPA, BOEM will hold public meetings in Louisiana, Mississippi, 
Alabama, and Florida to solicit comments on the CPA 241/247/EPA 226 
Draft Supplemental EIS. These meetings are scheduled as follows:
     New Orleans, Louisiana: Monday, February 23, 2015, Bureau 
of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood 
Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123, one meeting beginning at 
1:00 p.m. CST;
     Panama City, Florida: Tuesday, February 24, 2015, Wyndham 
Bay Point Resort, 4114 Jan Cooley Drive, Panama City Beach, Florida, 
32408, one meeting beginning at 4:00 p.m. CST;
     Mobile, Alabama: Wednesday, February 25, 2015, Hilton 
Garden Inn Mobile West, 828 West I-65 Service Road South, Mobile, 
Alabama 36609, one meeting beginning at 4:00 p.m. CST;
     Gulfport, Mississippi: Thursday, February 26, 2015, 
Courtyard by Marriott, Gulfport Beachfront MS Hotel, 1600 East Beach 
Boulevard, Gulfport, Mississippi 39501, one meeting beginning at 4:00 
p.m. CST.

[[Page 5134]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on the CPA 241/
247/EPA 226 Draft Supplemental EIS, you may contact Mr. Gary D. Goeke, 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Office of 
Environment (GM 623E), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, 
Louisiana 70123-2394 or by email at cpa241-epa226@boem.gov. You may 
also contact Mr. Goeke by telephone at 504-736-3233.

Public Disclosure of Names and Addresses

    As BOEM does not consider anonymous comments, please include your 
name and address as part of your submittal. BOEM makes all comments, 
including the names and addresses of respondents, available for public 
review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may 
request that BOEM withhold their names and/or addresses from the public 
record; however, BOEM cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. 
If you wish your name and/or address to be withheld, you must state 
your preference prominently at the beginning of your comment. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

    Dated: January 14, 2015.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2015-01758 Filed 1-29-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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