Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 76 / Tuesday, April 21, 2015 / Proposed Rules 22147 

significant effect on the human 

environment. 

A preliminary environmental analysis 

checklist supporting this determination 

is available in the docket where 

indicated under ADDRESSES. These 

safety zones are intended to safeguard 

mariners from the hazards associated 

with wind farm construction activity. 

Vessels will be prohibited from entering 

into, transiting through, mooring, or 

anchoring within these safety zones 

while construction vessels and 

associated equipment are present unless 

authorized by the Captain of the Port 

(COTP), Southeastern New England or 

the COTP’s designated representative. It 

appears that this action will qualify for 

Coast Guard Categorical Exclusion 

(34)(g), as described in figure 2–1 of the 

Commandant Instruction. 

We seek any comments or information 

that may lead to the discovery of a 

significant environmental impact from 

this proposed rule. 

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165 

Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation 

(water), Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Security measures, 

Waterways. 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, the Coast Guard proposes to 

amend 33 CFR part 165 as follows: 

PART 165—REGULATED NAVIGATION 

AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS 

■ 1. The authority citation for Part 165 

reads as follows: 

Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1231; 50 U.S.C. 191; 

33 CFR 1.05–1, 6.04–1, 6.04–6, and 160.5; 

Department of Homeland Security Delegation 

No. 0170.1. 

■ 2. Add § 165.T0227 to read as follows: 

§ 165.T0227 Safety Zone, Block Island 

Wind Farm; Rhode Island Sound, RI. 

(a) Location. Areas within a 500-yard 

radius of the following five positions are 

safety zones: 

Platform Latitude Longitude 

WTG 1 ......... 41° 7.544′ N. 71° 30.454′ 

W. 

WTG 2 ......... 41° 7.196′ N. 71° 30.837′ 

W. 

WTG 3 ......... 41° 6.886′ N. 71° 31.268′ 

W. 

WTG 4 ......... 41° 6.612′ N. 71° 31.747′ 

W. 

WTG 5 ......... 41° 6.383′ N. 71° 32.259′ 

W. 

(b) Enforcement Period. From 1 July 

to 30 September 2015, vessels will be 

prohibited from entering into any of 

these safety zones, when enforced, 

during construction activity of five 

Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) wind 

turbine generators (WTG) located in the 

positions listed in 2(a) above. 

(c) Definitions. The following 

definitions apply to this section: 

Designated representative. A 

‘‘designated representative’’ is any Coast 

Guard commissioned, warrant or petty 

officer of the U.S. Coast Guard who has 

been designated by the Captain of the 

Port, Sector Southeastern New England 

(COTP), to act on his or her behalf. 

(d) Regulations. (1) The general 

regulations contained in 33 CFR 165.23 

as well as the following regulations 

apply to the safety zones established in 

conjunction with the construction of the 

Block Island Wind Farm; Rhode Island 

Sound, RI. These regulations may be 

enforced for the duration of 

construction. 

(2) Vessels may not enter into, transit 

through, moor, or anchor in these safety 

zones during periods of enforcement 

unless authorized by the Captain of the 

Port (COTP), Southeastern New England 

or the COTP’s designated representative. 

Vessels permitted to transit must 

operate at a no-wake speed, in a manner 

which will not endanger construction 

vessels or associated equipment. 

(3) Failure to comply with a lawful 

direction from the Captain of the Port 

(COTP), Southeastern New England or 

the COTP’s designated representative 

may result in expulsion from the area, 

citation for failure to comply, or both. 

Dated: April 1, 2015. 

J.T. Kondratowicz, 

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the 

Port Southeastern New England. 

[FR Doc. 2015–09036 Filed 4–20–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

40 CFR Part 52 

[EPA–R04–OAR–2015–0209; FRL–9926–46– 

Region 4] 

Approval and Promulgation of 

Implementation Plans; North Carolina; 

Charlotte; Base Year Emissions 

Inventory and Emissions Statement 

Requirements for the 2008 8-Hour 

Ozone Standard 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency. 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a 

state implementation plan revision 

submitted by the State of North 

Carolina, through North Carolina 

Department of Environment and Natural 

Resources, on July 7, 2014, to address 

the base year emissions inventory and 

emissions statement requirements for 

the 2008 8-hour ozone national ambient 

air quality standards (NAAQS) for the 

State’s portion of the Charlotte GastoniaRock Hill, North Carolina-South 

Carolina Area. Annual emissions 

reporting (i.e., emission statement) and 

a base year emissions inventory are 

required for all ozone nonattainment 

areas. The Area is comprised of the 

entire county of Mecklenburg and 

portions of Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, 

Lincoln, Rowan and Union Counties in 

North Carolina; and a portion of York 

County in South Carolina. EPA will 

consider and take action on the South 

Carolina submission for the emissions 

inventory and emissions statement for 

its portion of this Area in a separate 

action. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before May 21, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R04– 

OAR–2015–0209 by one of the following 

methods: 

1. www.regulations.gov: Follow the 

on-line instructions for submitting 

comments. 

2. Email: R4–ARMS@epa.gov. 

3. Fax: (404) 562–9019. 

4. Mail: ‘‘EPA–R04–OAR–2015– 

0209,’’ Air Regulatory Management 

Section (formerly the Regulatory 

Development Section), Air Planning and 

Implementation Branch (formerly the 

Air Planning Branch), Air, Pesticides 

and Toxics Management Division, U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, 

Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW., 

Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960. 

5. Hand Delivery or Courier: Lynorae 

Benjamin, Regulatory Development 

Section, Air Planning Branch, Air, 

Pesticides and Toxics Management 

Division, U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street 

SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960. Such 

deliveries are only accepted during the 

Regional Office’s normal hours of 

operation. The Regional Office’s official 

hours of business are Monday through 

Friday, 8:30 to 4:30, excluding Federal 

holidays. 

Please see the direct final rule which 

is located in the Rules section of this 

Federal Register for detailed 

instructions on how to submit 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane 

Spann, Regulatory Development 

Section, Air Planning Branch, Air, 

Pesticides and Toxics Management 

Division, U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
22148 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 76 / Tuesday, April 21, 2015 / Proposed Rules 

SW., Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960. The 

telephone number is (404) 562–9029. 

Ms. Spann can be reached via electronic 

mail at spann.jane@epa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For 

additional information see the direct 

final rule which is published in the 

Rules Section of this Federal Register. 

A detailed rationale for the approval is 

set forth in the direct final rule. If no 

adverse comments are received in 

response to this rule, no further activity 

is contemplated. If EPA receives adverse 

comments, the direct final rule will be 

withdrawn and all public comments 

received will be addressed in a 

subsequent final rule based on this 

proposed rule. EPA will not institute a 

second comment period on this 

document. Any parties interested in 

commenting on this document should 

do so at this time. 

Dated: April 9, 2015. 

Heather McTeer Toney, 

Regional Administrator, Region 4. 

[FR Doc. 2015–09049 Filed 4–20–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6560–50–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

43 CFR Part 3100 

[LLWO3100 L13100000.PP0000] 

RIN 1004–AE41 

Oil and Gas Leasing; Royalty on 

Production, Rental Payments, 

Minimum Acceptable Bids, Bonding 

Requirements, and Civil Penalty 

Assessments 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed 

rulemaking. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) is issuing this 

Advanced Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit public 

comments and suggestions that may be 

used to update the BLM’s regulations 

related to royalty rates, annual rental 

payments, minimum acceptable bids, 

bonding requirements, and civil penalty 

assessments for Federal onshore oil and 

gas leases. As explained below, each of 

these elements is important to the 

appropriate management of the public’s 

oil and gas resources. They help ensure 

a fair return to the taxpayer, diligent 

development of leased resources, 

adequate reclamation when 

development is complete; and that there 

is adequate deterrence for violations of 

legal requirements, including trespass 

and unauthorized removal. Aspects of 

these elements are fixed by statute and 

beyond the Secretary’s authority to 

revise; however, in many instances they 

have been further constrained by 

regulatory provisions (e.g., minimum 

bond amounts) that have not been 

reviewed or adjusted in decades. The 

purpose of this ANPR is to seek 

comments on this situation and the 

need for, and content of, potential 

changes or updates to the existing 

regulations in these areas. 

Specifically, the BLM is seeking 

comments and suggestions that would 

assist the agency in preparing a 

proposed rule that gives the Secretary of 

the Interior (Secretary), through the 

BLM, the flexibility to adjust royalty 

rates in response to changes in the oil 

and gas market. Absent near-term 

enactment of new statutory flexibility 

for new non-competitively issued 

leases, a future proposed rule would 

limit any contemplated royalty rate 

changes to new competitively issued oil 

and gas leases on BLM-managed lands, 

because the royalty rate that is charged 

on non-competitively issued leases is 

currently fixed by statute at 12.5 

percent. The intent of any anticipated 

changes to the royalty rate regulations 

would be to provide the BLM with the 

necessary tools to ensure that the 

American people receive a fair return on 

the oil and gas resources extracted from 

BLM-managed lands. 

In addition to the royalty rate, the 

BLM is also seeking input on: (1) How 

to update its annual rental payment, 

minimum acceptable bid, and bonding 

requirements for oil and gas leases, and 

(2) Whether to remove the caps 

established by existing regulations on 

civil penalties that may be assessed 

under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty 

Management Act (FOGRMA). With 

respect to annual rental payments, the 

intent of any potential increase in 

annual payments would be to provide a 

greater financial incentive for oil and 

gas companies to develop their leases 

promptly or relinquish them, including 

for potential re-leasing, as appropriate, 

by other parties, and to ensure that 

leases acquired non-competitively 

provide a fair financial return to the 

taxpayer. With respect to the minimum 

acceptable bid, the intent of any 

potential changes is to ensure that the 

American taxpayers receive a fair 

financial return at BLM oil and gas lease 

sale auctions. With respect to bonding 

requirements, the intent of any potential 

bonding updates would be to ensure 

that bonds required for oil and gas 

activities on public lands adequately 

capture costs associated with potential 

non-compliance with any terms and 

conditions applicable to a Federal 

onshore oil and gas lease. The BLM’s 

existing regulations currently set bond 

minimums that have not been adjusted 

in 50 years. With respect to penalty 

assessments, the intent of the potential 

removal of the regulatory caps would be 

to ensure that the penalties provide 

adequate deterrence of unlawful 

conduct, particularly drilling on Federal 

onshore leases without authorization 

and drilling into leased parcels in 

knowing and willful trespass. 

The anticipated updates to BLM’s 

onshore oil and gas royalty rate 

regulations and other potential changes 

to its standard lease fiscal terms address 

recommendations from the Government 

Accountability Office (GAO), and will 

help ensure that taxpayers are receiving 

a fair return from the development of 

these resources. The anticipated 

changes to the royalty rate regulations 

will also support implementation of 

reform proposals in the 

Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 

budget. 

DATES: The BLM will accept comments 

and suggestions on this ANPR on or 

before June 5, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

Mail: Director (630) Bureau of Land 

Management, U.S. Department of the 

Interior, 1849 C St. NW., Room 2134LM, 

Washington, DC 20240, Attention: 

1004–AE41. 

Personal or messenger delivery: U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management, 20 M Street SE., 

Room 2134LM, Attention: Regulatory 

Affairs, Washington, DC 20003. 

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions at this Web site. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Dylan Fuge, Office of the Director, at 

202–208–5235, Steven Wells, Division 

of Fluid Minerals, at 202–912–7143, or 

Jully McQuilliams, Division of Fluid 

Minerals, at 202–912–7156, for 

information regarding the substance of 

this ANPR. For information on 

procedural matters or the rulemaking 

process generally, you may contact 

Anna Atkinson, Regulatory Affairs, at 

202–912–7438. Persons who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877– 

8339, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to 

contact the above individuals. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Department of the Interior (Department) 

oversees and manages much of the 

nation’s Federal mineral resources, 

including onshore oil and natural gas 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS