Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 19 / Thursday, January 29, 2015 / Notices 4941 

(703) 787–1283. Written scoping 

comments may also be hand delivered 

at a scoping meeting to the BOEM 

official in charge. 

2. Through the Regulations.gov web 

portal: Navigate to http://

www.regulations.gov and under the 

Search tab, in the space provided, type 

in Docket ID: BOEM–2014–0085 to 

submit comments and to view other 

comments already submitted. 

Information on using 

www.regulations.gov, including 

instructions for accessing documents, 

submitting comments, and viewing the 

docket after the close of the comment 

period, is available through the links 

under the box entitled ‘‘Are you new to 

this site?’’ 

3. The Programmatic EIS Web site, 

www.boemoceaninfo.com, contains 

program related information, other 

links, and a geospatial portal you can 

use to make maps that can then be 

attached to comments submitted via 

www.regulations.gov or by mail. 

Scientific papers, data, and maps can 

accompany comments as attachments. 

Comments that provide scientific 

information, geospatial or other data, or 

anecdotal evidence, etc., to support your 

input are most useful. 

It is BOEM practice to make 

comments, including names and 

addresses of respondents available for 

public review. BOEM does not consider 

anonymous comments. Please include 

your name and address as part of your 

submittal. Individual respondents may 

request that BOEM withhold their 

names and/or addresses from the public 

record, but BOEM cannot guarantee that 

it 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. 

DATES: Comments should be 

submitted by March 30, 2015 to the 

address specified above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

information on the 2017–2022 EIS, the 

submission of comments, or BOEM’s 

policies associated with this notice, 

please contact Mr. Geoffrey L. Wikel, 

Acting Chief, Division of Environmental 

Assessment, Office of Environmental 

Program, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (HM 3107), 381 Elden 

Street, Herndon, VA 20170–4817, 

telephone (703) 787–1283. 

Authority: This NOI to prepare the 2017– 

2022 EIS is published pursuant to the 

regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) implementing 

the provisions of NEPA. 

Dated: January 7, 2015. 

Abigail Ross Hopper, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2015–01756 Filed 1–28–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

[Docket No. BOEM–2014–0096; MAA104000] 

Notice of Availability (NOA) of and 

Request for Comments on the Draft 

Proposed Outer Continental Shelf 

(OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program 

for 2017–2022 (DPP) 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: BOEM is announcing the 

availability of and requests comments 

on the Draft Proposed Outer Continental 

Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing 

Program for 2017–2022 (DPP). This draft 

proposal is for the 2017–2022 OCS Oil 

and Gas Leasing Program that will 

succeed the current 2012–2017 Program. 

The DPP provides the basis for gathering 

information and conducting analyses to 

inform the Secretary of the Interior 

(Secretary) on which areas to include for 

further leasing consideration in the 

2017–2022 Program. 

Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act (43 

U.S.C. 1344) specifies a multi-step 

process of consultation and analysis that 

must be completed before the Secretary 

may approve a new Five-Year Program. 

The required steps following this notice 

include the development of a Proposed 

Program (PP), Proposed Final Program 

(PFP), and Secretarial approval. In 

conjunction with this notice, BOEM is 

publishing a Notice of Intent (NOI) to 

prepare a Programmatic Environmental 

Impact Statement (PEIS) for the 2017– 

2022 Program, pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 

DATES: Please submit comments and 

information to BOEM no later than 

March 30, 2015. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Kelly Hammerle, Five-Year Program 

Manager, at (703) 787–1613. 

Public Comment Procedure 

BOEM will accept comments in one of 

two formats: Federal internet 

commenting system or regular mail. 

BOEM’s preference is to receive 

comments via the internet commenting 

system. Comments should be submitted 

using only one of these formats, and 

include full names and addresses of the 

individual submitting the comment(s). 

Comments submitted by other means 

may not be considered. BOEM will not 

consider anonymous comments. BOEM 

will make available for public 

inspection all comments submitted by 

organizations and businesses, or by 

individuals identifying themselves as 

representatives of organizations or 

businesses, subject to the limitations 

described in this Notice with respect to 

personal information and proprietary/

privileged/confidential information. 

BOEM’s practice is to make 

comments, including the names and 

addresses of individuals, available for 

public review. An individual 

commenter may ask that BOEM 

withhold from the public record his or 

her name, home address, or both, and 

BOEM will honor such a request to the 

extent allowable by law. If individuals 

submit comments and desire 

withholding of such information, they 

must so state prominently at the 

beginning of their submission. 

In order to ensure security and 

confidentiality of proprietary 

information to the maximum extent 

possible, BOEM requests that 

proprietary information only be sent by 

mail. In addition to prominently stating 

that proprietary information is 

contained in a comment at the 

beginning of the submission, comments 

should be sent in a plain outer envelope 

with an inner envelope stating that 

proprietary information is contained 

within. 

Commenting via Internet 

Internet comments should be 

submitted via the Federal eRulemaking 

Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. 

BOEM requests that commenters follow 

these instructions to submit their 

comments via this Web site: 

(1) In the search tab on the main page, 

search for BOEM–2014–0096. 

(2) Locate the document, then click 

the ‘‘Submit a Comment’’ link either on 

the Search Results page or the 

Document Details page. This will 

display the Web comment form. 

(3) Enter the submitter information 

and type the comment on the Web form. 

Attach any additional files (up to 

10MB). (Please do not provide 

proprietary or confidential comments 

via the Internet.) 

(4) After typing the comment, click 

the ‘‘Preview Comment’’ link to review. 

Once satisfied with the comment, click 

the ‘‘Submit’’ button to send the 

comment. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

4942 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 19 / Thursday, January 29, 2015 / Notices 

Information on using regulations.gov, 

including instructions for accessing 

documents, submitting comments, and 

viewing the docket after the close of the 

comment period, is available through 

the site’s ‘‘User Tips’’ link. 

Commenting via Regular Mail 

Mail comments and information on 

the 2017–2022 Program to Ms. Kelly 

Hammerle, Five-Year Program Manager, 

BOEM (HM–3120), 381 Elden Street, 

Herndon, Virginia 20170. As stated 

above, if commenters submit any 

privileged or proprietary information to 

be treated as confidential, in addition to 

prominently stating proprietary 

information is contained in a comment 

at the beginning of the submission, 

comments should be sent in a plain 

outer envelope with an inner envelope 

stating that proprietary information is 

contained within. BOEM will post all 

comments on regulations.gov for public 

viewing, subject to the limitations 

described in this Notice with respect to 

personal information and proprietary/

privileged/confidential information. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BOEM 

requests comments from states, local 

governments, Federal agencies, Native 

groups, tribes, the oil and gas industry, 

environmental and other public interest 

organizations, non-energy industries, all 

other interested parties, and the public 

to assist in the continued preparation of 

the 2017–2022 Program and PEIS. The 

DPP and supplemental information may 

be viewed on and downloaded from the 

BOEM Web site at www.BOEM.gov/FiveYear-Program-2017-2022. Additionally, 

BOEM has created a Web site for the 

development of the PEIS, which can be 

found at www.boemoceaninfo.com. 

Background 

Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act 

requires the Secretary to prepare and 

maintain a schedule of proposed OCS 

oil and gas lease sales determined to 

‘‘best meet national energy needs for the 

5-year period following its approval or 

reapproval.’’ This DPP is the first of 

three proposed leasing schedules for 

OCS lease sales under the 2017–2022 

Program. The areas identified in the 

DPP were chosen after careful 

consideration of the factors specified in 

Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act and 

the comments received in response to 

the Request for Information and 

Comments (RFI) published in the 

Federal Register on June 16, 2014 (79 

FR 34349). Inclusion of areas in the DPP 

lease sale schedule provides a basis for 

gathering information and conducting 

analyses to inform policy makers on 

whether to include these areas for 

further leasing consideration in the 

2017–2022 Program. Only those areas 

and options that the Secretary decides 

are appropriate to include in the DPP 

will be further analyzed for the PP and 

the associated Draft PEIS. Before the 

new Program is approved and 

implemented, BOEM will accept and 

consider comments on the DPP and 

issue for public review a PP, 

accompanied by a Draft PEIS. After the 

opportunity for public comment on 

those documents, BOEM will conduct 

additional analyses and subsequently 

issue a PFP decision document, 

accompanied by a Final PEIS. The PFP 

and Final PEIS will be submitted to the 

President and Congress at least 60 days 

prior to Secretarial approval of the 

2017–2022 Program. 

Summary of the Draft Proposed 

Program 

The lease sale options chosen in the 

DPP consist of 14 potential lease sales 

in eight OCS planning areas: Ten sales 

in the three Gulf of Mexico (GOM) 

planning areas for the areas not subject 

to Congressional moratorium; one sale 

each in the Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea, 

and Cook Inlet Planning Areas, offshore 

Alaska; and one sale in a portion of the 

combined Mid-Atlantic and South 

Atlantic Planning Areas (see Table 1). 

This DPP reflects a continuation of 

the leasing strategy set forth in the 

current 2012–2017 Program, with 

additional proposed flexibility in the 

Gulf of Mexico. The schedule is tailored 

so the dual goals of promoting prompt 

development of the Nation’s oil and gas 

resources with the necessary protections 

for the marine, coastal, and human 

environments can be best achieved for 

each specific OCS region. This regionspecific strategy is reflected in the DPP’s 

approach to offshore areas across the 

Nation’s OCS, including the current 

knowledge of resource potential, 

accommodation of regional interests and 

concerns, and the need for a balanced 

approach to our use of natural 

resources. The options in the DPP 

involve sales in offshore areas that have 

the highest oil and gas resource values, 

highest industry interest, or are off the 

coasts of states that expressed interest in 

learning more about the potential for 

energy exploration off their coasts, 

while recognizing potential 

environmental impacts, concerns, and 

competing uses of ocean and coastal 

areas. 

TABLE 1—2017–2022 DRAFT PROPOSED PROGRAM LEASE SALE SCHEDULE

Year Planning area Sale number 

1. 2017 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 249 

2. 2018 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 250 

3. 2018 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 251 

4. 2019 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 252 

5. 2019 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 253 

6. 2020 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 254 

7. 2020 ................................. Beaufort Sea ................................................................................................................................ 255 

8. 2020 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 256 

9. 2021 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 257 

10. 2021 ................................. Cook Inlet ..................................................................................................................................... 258 

11. 2021 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 259 

12. 2021 ................................. Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic .................................................................................................... 260 

13. 2022 ................................. Gulf of Mexico Region .................................................................................................................. 261 

14. 2022 ................................. Chukchi Sea ................................................................................................................................. 262 

Gulf of Mexico Region 

The DPP’s Gulf of Mexico options 

identified for further detailed analysis 

in the PP and Draft PEIS include ten 

region-wide sales: one sale each in 2017 

and 2022; and two sales each in 2018, 

2019, 2020, and 2021; offering all 

available unleased acreage not subject to 

Congressional moratorium in the 

combined Western, Central, and Eastern 

Gulf of Mexico Planning Areas in each 

sale. See Figure 1. BOEM is proposing 

this change from the traditional separate 

planning area-wide sales to a regionmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 19 / Thursday, January 29, 2015 / Notices 4943 

wide approach to balance agency 

workload and provide greater flexibility 

to industry, including the ability to 

respond to the significant recent energy 

reforms in Mexico that have the 

potential to meaningfully change how 

exploration and development decisions 

are made in the GOM. 

Alaska Region 

In Alaska, the DPP continues to take 

a balanced approach to development by 

utilizing the targeted leasing strategy set 

forth in the current Program by 

identifying one sale each in the Beaufort 

Sea (2020), Cook Inlet (2021), and 

Chukchi Sea (2022) Planning Areas (see 

Figure 2). Potential sales in the three 

Alaska program areas are scheduled late 

in the five-year period to provide 

additional opportunity to evaluate and 

obtain information regarding 

environmental issues, subsistence use 

needs, infrastructure capabilities, and 

results from any exploration activity 

associated with existing leases. 

A potential Beaufort Sea sale is 

scheduled in 2020 in a program area 

that excludes the Barrow and Kaktovik 

whaling deferral areas that were 

excluded in the current Program as well 

as the 2007–2012 Program. The DPP 

schedules a potential Chukchi Sea sale 

in 2022 that excludes the 25-mile 

coastal buffer and subsistence deferral 

areas that were also excluded in the 

current Program. A potential Cook Inlet 

sale is scheduled for 2021 in a program 

area that includes only the northern 

portion of the Cook Inlet OCS Planning 

Area. This option balances the 

protection of endangered species, as 

identified in 2013 in the 2013 Cook Inlet 

Lease Sale 244 Area Identification, with 

the availability for leasing of the areas 

with significant resource potential and 

industry interest. 

On December 16, 2014, the President 

withdrew, for a time period without a 

specific expiration, the North Aleutian 

Basin Planning Area from further 

consideration of leasing of oil and gas 

for the purposes of exploration, 

development, and production. There 

also will be no further leasing 

consideration in the other 11 Alaska 

OCS planning areas with either 

negligible resources or negligible 

resource development value. See Figure 

2. 

Atlantic Region 

In the Atlantic Region, the DPP 

schedules one lease sale in a portion of 

the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic 

Planning Areas in 2021. The DPP 

proposes one sale late in the Program at 

least 50 miles offshore the coasts of 

Virginia, North Carolina, South 

Carolina, and Georgia in the MidAtlantic and South Atlantic Planning 

Areas. This option allows for 

consideration of a targeted area with 

significant resource potential, while 

limiting potential impacts to the 

environment and other uses of the 

ocean. Scheduling the potential sale late 

in the Program allows time for 

additional analyses, including the 

collection of additional seismic and 

environmental information. See Figure 

1. 

Pacific Region 

No lease sale options have been 

identified in the Pacific Region for 

additional analysis. The exclusion of the 

Pacific Region is consistent with the 

long-standing interests of Pacific coast 

states, as framed in the 2006 West Coast 

Governors Agreement on Ocean Health. 

This agreement expressed the governors’ 

opposition to oil and gas development 

off their coasts, and these states have 

continued to voice concerns, including 

in formal comments on the RFI. 

Assurance of Fair Market Value 

Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act 

requires receipt of fair market value 

from OCS oil and gas leases. BOEM 

plans to continue to use the two-phase 

post-sale bid evaluation process that it 

has used since 1983 to meet the fair 

market value requirement. However, 

BOEM is considering a change to the 

post-sale bid evaluation process [see 

Federal Register Notice, October 17, 

2014, (79 FR 62461)]. Further, the DPP 

provides that BOEM may set minimum 

bid levels, rental rates, and royalty rates 

by individual lease sale based on its 

assessment of market and resource 

conditions closer to the date of the sale. 

Information Requested for the Draft 

Proposed Program 

We request comments on the size, 

timing, and location of leasing. 

Respondents who submitted 

information in response to the June 16, 

2014, Federal Register Notice, which 

requested comments on preparing the 

Five Year Program, may wish to refer to 

that previously submitted information, 

as appropriate, rather than repeat it in 

their comments on the DPP. We also 

invite comments and suggestions on 

how to proceed with the Section 18 

analysis in the Proposed Program. 

Next Steps in the Process 

BOEM currently plans to issue the 

Proposed Program and Draft PEIS in 

2016, followed by a public comment 

period. 

Dated: January 7, 2015. 

Abigail Ross Hopper, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

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EN29JA15.000</GPH>mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Figure 1: 2017-2022 Lower 48 Draft Proposed Program Areas 

N 

l () 12:5 25() 500 750 . "'-" M W ' --

2017-202

Draft 

Lower 48 

P

c
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 19 / Thursday, January 29, 2015 / Notices 4945 

1Electronic Document Information System 

(EDIS): http://edis.usitc.gov. 

2United States International Trade Commission 

(USITC): http://edis.usitc.gov. 

3Electronic Document Information System 

(EDIS): http://edis.usitc.gov. 

[FR Doc. 2015–01757 Filed 1–28–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 

COMMISSION 

Notice of Receipt of Complaint; 

Solicitation of Comments Relating to 

the Public Interest 

AGENCY: U.S. International Trade 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the U.S. International Trade 

Commission has received a complaint 

entitled Certain Audio Processing 

Hardware and Software and Products 

Containing Same, DN 3053; the 

Commission is soliciting comments on 

any public interest issues raised by the 

complaint or complainant’s filing under 

section 210.8(b) of the Commission’s 

Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 

210.8(b)). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa 

R. Barton, Secretary to the Commission, 

U.S. International Trade Commission, 

500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 

20436, telephone (202) 205–2000. The 

public version of the complaint can be 

accessed on the Commission’s 

Electronic Document Information 

System (EDIS) at EDIS,1 and will be 

available for inspection during official 

business hours (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) 

in the Office of the Secretary, U.S. 

International Trade Commission, 500 E 

Street SW., Washington, DC 20436, 

telephone (202) 205–2000. 

General information concerning the 

Commission may also be obtained by 

accessing its Internet server at United 

States International Trade Commission 

(USITC) at USITC.2 The public record 

for this investigation may be viewed on 

the Commission’s Electronic Document 

Information System (EDIS) at EDIS.3

Hearing-impaired persons are advised 

that information on this matter can be 

obtained by contacting the 

Commission’s TDD terminal on (202) 

205–1810. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Commission has received a complaint 

and a submission pursuant to section 

210.8(b) of the Commission’s Rules of 

Practice and Procedure filed on behalf 

of Andrea Electronics Corp. on January 

23, 2015. The complaint alleges 

violations of section 337 of the Tariff 

Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1337) in the 

importation into the United States, the 

sale for importation, and the sale within 

the United States after importation of 

certain audio processing hardware and 

software and products containing same. 

The complaint names as respondents 

Acer Inc. of Taiwan; Acer America 

Corp. of San Jose, CA; ASUSTeK 

Computer Inc. of Taiwan; ASUS 

Computer International of Fremont, CA; 

Dell Inc. of Round Rock, TX; Hewlett 

Packard Co. of Palo Alto, CA; Lenovo 

Group Ltd. of China; Lenovo Holding 

Co., Inc. of Morrisville, NC; Lenovo 

(United States) Inc. of Morrisville, NC; 


mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICESEN29JA15.001</GPH>