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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42544-42546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17048]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Oil and Gas 
Lease Sale, Western Planning Area (WPA) Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 
MMAA104000

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS)

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SUMMARY: Consistent with the regulations implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) (NEPA), 
BOEM is announcing its intent to prepare a Supplemental EIS for 
proposed WPA lease sales beginning with Lease Sale 238 (WPA Lease Sales 
238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS). Lease Sale 238 is the next 
proposed lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico's WPA off the States of Texas 
and Louisiana. The WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS 
will update 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 (CPA) 
Lease Sales 227, 231, 235, 241, and 247, Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2012-019) (WPA/CPA Multisale EIS) and the 
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 (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2013-0118) 
(WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS). The WPA/CPA Multisale EIS was 
completed in July 2012. The WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS was 
completed in April 2013.
    A Supplemental EIS is deemed appropriate to supplement the NEPA 
documents cited above for these lease sales in order to consider 
possible new circumstances and information arising from, among other 
things, the Deepwater Horizon explosion, oil spill, and response. The 
WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS analysis will focus 
on updating the baseline conditions and potential environmental effects 
of oil and natural gas leasing, exploration, development, and 
production in the WPA.
    The WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS analysis 
will focus on the potential environmental effects of oil and natural 
gas leasing, exploration, development, and production in the WPA 
identified through the Area Identification procedure as the proposed 
lease sale area. In addition to the no action alternative (i.e., 
canceling the proposed sale), other alternatives may be considered for 
the proposed lease sales, including WPA Lease Sale 238, such as 
deferring certain areas from the proposed lease sales.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 28, 2012, the Department of the 
Interior released the Proposed Final OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program: 
2012-2017 (Five-Year Program), which included five proposed WPA Lease 
Sales. WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 are proposed for 2014, 2015, 
and 2016 respectively. The general area proposed for these WPA lease 
sales, including Lease Sale 238, encompasses virtually all unleased 
blocks in approximately 28.58 million acres in the western portion of 
the GOM (excluding whole and partial blocks

[[Page 42545]]

within the boundary of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine 
Sanctuary).
    This Federal Register notice is not an announcement to hold a 
proposed lease sale, but it is a continuation of information gathering 
and is published early in the environmental review process, in 
furtherance of the goals of NEPA. The comments received during the 
scoping comment period will help inform the content of the WPA Lease 
Sales 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS and will be summarized in 
presale documentation prepared prior to holding proposed WPA Lease Sale 
238. If, after completion of the WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 
Supplemental EIS, the Secretary of the Interior's decision is to hold a 
lease sale, then the lease sale areas identified in the Notice(s) of 
Sale may exclude or defer certain lease blocks from the areas offered. 
However, for purposes of the WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 
Supplemental EIS and to adequately assess the potential impacts of an 
areawide lease sale, BOEM is assuming that all unleased blocks may be 
offered in proposed WPA Lease Sale 238 and the remaining WPA lease 
sales.
    In order to ensure a greater level of clarity during the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) stages and tiered NEPA processes of 
the Five-Year Program, BOEM established an alternative and mitigation 
tracking table, which is designed to track the receipt and treatment of 
alternative and mitigation suggestions. Section 4.3.2 of the Outer 
Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2012-2017; Final 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (the Five-Year Program EIS) 
(http://www.boem.gov/5-year/2012-2017/PEIS.aspx) contains a list of 
deferral and alternative requests that were received during the 
development of the Five-Year Program EIS, but that were determined to 
be more appropriately considered at subsequent OCSLA and NEPA stages. 
The WPA/CPA Multisale EIS addressed these deferral and alternative 
requests, but they were ultimately deemed inappropriate for further 
analysis as a separate alternative or deferral from those already 
included and considered in the WPA/CPA Multisale EIS. In this and 
future NEPA analyses, BOEM will continue to evaluate whether these or 
other deferral or alternative requests warrant additional consideration 
as appropriate. (Please refer to Chapters 2.2.1.1 and 2.2.1.2 of the 
WPA/CPA Multisale EIS for a complete discussion; http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental-Assessment/NEPA/nepaprocess.aspx). A key principle at each stage in the NEPA process is 
to identify how the recommendations for deferral and mitigation 
requests are being addressed and whether new information or 
circumstances favor new or different analytical approaches in response 
to these requests.
    Additionally, BOEM has created a tailored map of the potentially 
affected area through the Multipurpose Marine Cadastre (MMC) Web site ( 
http://boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-Program/Leasing/Five-Year-Program/Lease-Sale-Schedule/Interactive-Maps.aspx). This map is an integrated 
marine information system that provides a more comprehensive look at 
geospatial data and ongoing activities and studies occurring in the 
area being considered. This Web site provides the ability to view 
multiple data layers of existing geospatial data. Commenters can 
suggest data layers for consideration by following the commenting 
instructions below.
    Scoping Process: This NOI also serves to announce the scoping 
process for identifying issues for the WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 
248 Supplemental EIS. Throughout the scoping process, Federal, State, 
Tribal, and local government agencies, and the general public have the 
opportunity to help BOEM determine significant resources and issues, 
impacting factors, reasonable alternatives, and potential mitigation 
measures to be analyzed in the WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 
Supplemental EIS, and to provide additional information. BOEM will also 
use 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).
    Pursuant to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions 
of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), BOEM will hold public scoping 
meetings in Texas and Louisiana on the WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 
248 Supplemental EIS. The purpose of these meetings will be to solicit 
comments on the scope of the WPA 238 Supplemental EIS. BOEM's scoping 
meetings will be held at the following places and times:
     Galveston, Texas: Tuesday, August 6, 2013, Courtyard 
Galveston Island Gulf Front Marriott, 9550 Seawall Boulevard, Galveston 
Texas 77554, one meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. CDT; and
     New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, August 8, 2013, Bureau 
of Ocean Energy Management, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, 
Louisiana 70123, one meeting beginning at 1:00 p.m. CDT.
    Cooperating Agency: BOEM invites other Federal agencies and State, 
Tribal, and local governments to consider becoming cooperating agencies 
in the preparation of the WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 
Supplemental EIS. We invite qualified government entities to inquire 
about cooperating agency status for the WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 
248 Supplemental EIS. Following the guidelines from the Council of 
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 remember that 
an agency's role in the environmental analysis neither enlarges nor 
diminishes the final decision-making authority of any other agency 
involved in the NEPA process. Upon request, BOEM will provide potential 
cooperating agencies with a written summary of expectations for 
cooperating agencies, including time schedules and critical action 
dates, milestones, responsibilities, scope and detail of cooperating 
agencies' contributions, and availability of predecisional information. 
BOEM anticipates this summary will form the basis for a Memorandum of 
Agreement between BOEM and any 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. These documents 
are available at the following locations on the Internet: 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. Even if an organization is not a cooperating 
agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and comments to 
BOEM during the normal public input stages of the NEPA/EIS process. For 
further information about cooperating agencies, please contact Mr. Gary 
D. Goeke at (504) 736-3233.
    Comments: All interested parties, including Federal, State, Tribal, 
and local governments, and others, may submit written comments on the 
scope of the WPA Lease Sales 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS, 
significant issues that should be addressed, alternatives

[[Page 42546]]

that should be considered, potential mitigation measures, and the types 
of oil and gas activities of interest in the proposed WPA lease sale 
area.
    Written scoping comments may be submitted in one of the following 
ways:
    1. In an envelope labeled ``Scoping Comments for the WPA Lease 
Sales 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS'' and mailed (or hand 
delivered) 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; Western Planning Area Lease Sales 238, 
246, and 248.'' (Note: 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. BOEM's email address: wpa238@boem.gov.
    Petitions, although accepted, do not generally provide useful 
information to assist in development of alternatives, resources and 
issues to be analyzed, or impacting factors. 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.
    DATES: Comments should be submitted by August 15, 2013 to the 
address specified above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the WPA Lease Sales 
238, 246, and 248 Supplemental EIS, the submission of comments, or 
BOEM's policies associated with this notice, please contact 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, LA 70123-2394, 
telephone (504) 736-3233.

    Authority:  This Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental EIS 
(NOI) is published pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) 
implementing the provisions of the NEPA.

    Dated: July 11, 2013.
Tommy P. Beaudreau,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2013-17048 Filed 7-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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