[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 34 (Friday, February 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9280-9281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03373]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2014-0078; MMAA104000]


Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning 
Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final Second Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: BOEM is announcing the availability of a Final Second 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Chukchi Sea 
Planning Area, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 
(Lease Sale 193). The Final Second SEIS (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2014-669) 
provides new analysis in accordance with the United States District 
Court for the District of Alaska (District Court) Order remanding Lease 
Sale 193 to BOEM. The District Court's order instructs BOEM to address 
the deficiency in the 2007 Final EIS (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007-026) 
identified by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth 
Circuit). The Ninth Circuit held that the EIS supporting the decision 
to hold Lease Sale 193 arbitrarily relied on a one billion barrel oil 
production estimate. The Final Second SEIS provides a revised 
exploration and development scenario and an accompanying analysis of 
potential impacts of the proposed action alternatives. The Final Second 
SEIS identifies Alternative IV (Corridor II Deferral) as BOEM's 
preferred alternative.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chukchi Sea OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 
was held in February 2008. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) 
(predecessor to BOEM) received high bids totaling approximately $2.7 
billion and issued 487 leases. The lease sale decision was challenged 
in the District Court. In 2010, the District Court remanded the case to 
the agency to remedy deficiencies pertaining to the agency's compliance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). BOEM released a 
Final SEIS in August 2011 and the Secretary of the Interior reaffirmed 
the lease sale in October 2011. In February 2012, the District Court 
ruled the Department of the Interior had met its NEPA obligations on 
remand. In April 2012, the plaintiffs appealed the District Court's 
decision to the Ninth Circuit.
    In a January 22, 2014, opinion, the Ninth Circuit found MMS' 
``reliance in

[[Page 9281]]

the [2007 Final Environmental Impact Statement] on a one billion barrel 
estimate of total economically recoverable oil was arbitrary and 
capricious.'' The Ninth Circuit remanded the case to the District 
Court, which further remanded the matter to BOEM on April 24, 2014.
    BOEM has prepared a Final Second SEIS for Lease Sale 193 in 
accordance with the April 24, 2014, remand order of the District Court. 
The Final Second SEIS addresses the deficiencies identified in the 
Ninth Circuit opinion by analyzing the reasonably foreseeable 
environmental effects of the full range of likely production if oil 
production were to occur.
    The Final Second SEIS is available on BOEM's Web site at http://www.boem.gov/ak193/. In keeping with the Department of the Interior's 
mission to protect natural resources and to limit costs, while ensuring 
availability of the document to the public, BOEM will primarily 
distribute digital copies of the Final Second SEIS on compact discs. 
BOEM has printed and will be distributing a limited number of paper 
copies. If requested, BOEM will provide a paper copy if copies are 
still available. You may request a paper copy by calling (907) 334-5200 
or the toll free number at 800-764-2627. BOEM has distributed the Final 
Second SEIS for viewing at the following libraries in Alaska: Alaska 
Resources Library and Information Service (Anchorage); University of 
Alaska Anchorage, Consortium Library; Alaska Pacific University, 
Academic Support Center Library; University of Alaska Fairbanks, 
Institute of Arctic Biology; University of Alaska Fairbanks, Elmer E. 
Rasmuson Library; Nellie Weyiouanna Ilisaavik Library, Shishmaref; 
Katie Tokienna Memorial Library, Wales; Noel Wien Library, Fairbanks; 
Kaveolook School Library, Kaktovik; Koyuk City Library; Tikigaq 
Library, Point Hope; Trapper School Community Library, Nuiqsut; 
downtown Juneau Public Library; University of Alaska Southeast Library, 
Juneau; Alaska State Library, Juneau; and Kegoyah Kozga Public Library, 
Nome.

    Authority:  This Notice of Availability of the Final Second SEIS 
is in compliance with NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq.), and 
is published pursuant to 43 CFR 46.415.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Routhier, Program Analysis 
Officer and Project Manager, BOEM, Alaska OCS Region, 3801 Centerpoint 
Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-5823 or by telephone at (907) 
334-5200.

    Dated: February 6, 2015.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2015-03373 Filed 2-19-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P