Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 233 / Tuesday, December 6, 2005 / Notices 72649 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Minerals Management Service 

Environmental Document Prepared for 

Proposed Mineral Exploration on the 

Alaska Outer Continental Shelf 

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of the availability of 

environmental document prepared for 

Outer Continental Shelf mineral 

exploration. 

SUMMARY: Minerals Management Service 

(MMS), in accordance with Federal 

regulations that implement the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 

announces the availability of a NEPArelated Environmental Assessment (EA) 

prepared by MMS for proposed oil and 

gas exploration on the Alaska Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS). This listing 

includes the only proposal for which a 

Finding of No Significant Impact 

(FONSI) was prepared by the Alaska 

OCS Office in the 3-month period 

preceding this Notice. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Persons interested in reviewing 

environmental documents for the 

proposal listed above, or in obtaining 

information about EAs and FONSIs 

prepared for activities on the Alaska 

OCS, are encouraged to contact the 

Alaska OCS Regional office of MMS. 

The FONSI and associated EA are 

available for public inspection between 

the hours of 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., 

Monday through Friday at: Minerals 

Management Service, Alaska OCS 

Region, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 

500, Anchorage, AK 99503–5823, 

phone: (907) 334–5200 or contact 

akwebmaster@mms.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposal. 

The proposal is for a geophysical 

(seismic) survey of the Cosmopolitan 

Unit on the Outer Continental Shelf 

(OCS) in Lower Cook Inlet. During 

November 2003, MMS filed with the 

Environmental Protection Agency a 

multiple-sale EIS assessing the general 

effects of leasing and exploration 

activities including seismic surveys in 

Lower Cook Inlet. This EA tiers from the 

multiple-sale EIS, incorporating it by 

reference. The EA examines the 

potential environmental effects of the 

specific proposed survey of the 

Cosmopolitan Unit and of alternatives 

with additional mitigation. 

Location: Lower Cook Inlet. 

EA Number: OCS EIS/EA MMS 2005–

045. 

FONSI Date: July 20, 2005. 

The MMS prepares EAs and FONSIs 

on proposed seismic exploration 

programs. The documents examine the 

potential environmental effects of the 

proposed exploration and present MMS 

conclusions regarding the significance 

of those effects. The EAs are used for 

determining whether or not approvals 

would significantly affect the quality of 

the human environment in the sense of 

NEPA 102(2)(C). A FONSI is prepared in 

those instances where MMS finds that 

approval would not cause significant 

effects. The FONSI briefly presents the 

basis for that finding and includes a 

summary of the EA. 

This Notice constitutes the public 

Notice of Availability of environmental 

documents required under the NEPA 

regulations. 

Dated: November 10, 2005. 

John Goll, 

Regional Director, Alaska OCS Region, 

Minerals Management Service. 

[FR Doc. E5–6867 Filed 12–5–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Minerals Management Service 

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Alaska 

OCS Region, Cook Inlet Oil and Gas 

Sale 199, May 2007 

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service 

(MMS), Interior. 

ACTION: Request for information (RFI). 

SUMMARY: The Secretary’s approved 5- 

Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 

for 2002–2007 provides for two sales, 

Sales 191 and 199, to be held in the 

Cook Inlet planning area. An 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

that covered both sales was prepared. 

The RFI and a Notice of Intent (NOI) to 

prepare an EIS for Sales 191 and 199 

was published in the Federal Register 

on December 31, 2001, at 66 FR 67543. 

The Cook Inlet final EIS for Sales 191 

and 199 was released in November 2003 

(OCS EIS/EA, MMS 2003–055). The first 

sale, Sale 191, was held on May 19, 

2004; however, the sale received no 

bids. 

The RFI/NOI for Sale 199 was 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 27, 2004, at 69 FR 77265, 

with a proposed date of sale in May 

2006. Since neither comments nor 

interest were received from the oil and 

gas industry, the MMS decided to delay 

the sale until May 2007. The MMS is 

now asking if industry or others have 

interest in holding Cook Inlet Sale 199 

in May 2007. If bona fide interest from 

companies is received, we will proceed 

with the planning for the sale. If no 

interest is shown, Sale 199 will not be 

held. 

Comment Period: Comments on the 

RFI must be received no later than 30 

days following publication of this 

document in the Federal Register. If you 

wish to comment, you may submit your 

comments by any one of the following 

methods: 

• You may mail comments to the 

Alaska OCS Region, Minerals 

Management Service, 3801 Centerpoint 

Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska 

99503, in envelopes labeled ‘‘Attn: 

Comments on Request for Information 

for Cook Inlet Sale 199.’’

• You may also comment via e-mail 

to akrfi@mms.gov. Please submit 

Internet comments as an ASCII file, 

avoiding the use of special characters 

and any form of encryption. Please also 

include ‘‘Attn: Comments on Request 

for Information for Cook Inlet Sale 199’’

and your name and return address in 

your Internet message. If you do not 

receive a confirmation from the system 

that we have received your Internet 

message, contact us via e-mail to: 

akwebmaster@mms.gov. 

• You may fax your comments to 

MMS at (907) 334–5242. 

• Finally, you may hand-deliver 

comments weekdays between 8 a.m. and 

5 p.m. to the Alaska OCS Region, 

Minerals Management Service, 3801 

Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, 

Anchorage, Alaska 99503. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Please contact Steve Flippen at (907) 

334–5268 in MMS’s Alaska OCS Region 

regarding questions on the RFI. 

Purpose of Request 

The purpose of this additional RFI is 

to gather information for Oil and Gas 

Lease Sale 199 in the Cook Inlet, 

scheduled for May 2007. Information on 

oil and gas leasing, exploration, and 

development and production within the 

Cook Inlet are sought from all interested 

parties. This early planning and 

consultation step is important for 

ensuring that all interests and concerns 

are communicated to the Department of 

the Interior for decisions in the leasing 

process. 

The Call for Information and 

Nominations published in the Federal 

Register on December 31, 2001, 

requested information and nominations 

from industry for Sales 191 and 199 in 

the Cook Inlet Planning Area. The RFI/ 

NOI for Sale 199 was published in the 

Federal Register on December 27, 2004, 

at 69 FR 77265, with a proposed date of 

sale in May 2006. Because no comments 

or interest were received from the oil 

and gas industry, the MMS decided to 

delay the sale until May 2007. Unless 

72650 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 233 / Tuesday, December 6, 2005 / Notices 

the MMS receives indications of 

industry interest in response to this RFI, 

Sale 199 will not be held. 

Areas of Interest to the Oil and Gas 

Industry 

The MMS requests industry to submit 

any new information, including 

nomination of blocks that are of 

significant interest for exploration and 

development and production. 

Information and nominations submitted 

in response to the multiple-sale Call for 

Sales 191 and 199, published on 

December 31, 2001 (66 FR 67543), and 

the RFI/NOI for Sale 199 published in 

the Federal Register on December 27, 

2004, at 69 FR 77265, will also be 

considered as information and 

nominations for the Sale 199 area 

identification process. 

Nominations must be depicted on the 

RFI map by outlining the area(s) of 

interest along block lines. Nominators 

are asked to submit a list of whole and 

partial blocks nominated (by OPD and 

block number) to facilitate correct 

interpretation of their nominations on 

the Request for Information map. 

Although the identities of those 

submitting nominations become a 

matter of public record, the individual 

nominations are proprietary 

information. 

Nominators also are requested to rank 

blocks nominated according to priority 

of interest [e.g., priority 1 (high), or 2 

(medium)]. Blocks nominated that do 

not indicate priorities will be 

considered priority 3 (low). Nominators 

must be specific in indicating blocks by 

priority and be prepared to discuss their 

range of interest and activity regarding 

the nominated area(s). The telephone 

number and name of a person to contact 

in the nominator’s organization for 

additional information should be 

included in the response. This person 

will be contacted to set up a mutually 

agreeable time and place for a meeting 

with the Alaska OCS Regional Office to 

present their views regarding the 

company’s nominations. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For 

questions concerning the sale process 

and required NEPA documents, please 

refer to the RFI/NOI for Sale 199 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 27, 2004, at 69 FR 77265 or 

on the MMS Web site: http:// 

www.mms.gov/alaska. 

Tentative Schedule 

The following is a list of tentative 

milestone dates applicable to Cook Inlet 

Sale 199 covered by this RFI: 

Request for Information published: 

November 2005. 

Area Identification: February 2006. 

National Environmental Policy Act/ 

Environmental Assessment Review (or 

Supplemental EIS) published: August 

2006. 

Proposed Notice and Consistency 

Determination: December 2006. 

Final Notice of Sale: April 2007. 

Tentative Sale Date: May 2007. 

Dated: November 16, 2005. 

Johnnie Burton, 

Director, Minerals Management Service. 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 233 / Tuesday, December 6, 2005 / Notices 72651 

[FR Doc. 05–23657 Filed 12–5–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–C 


EN06DE05.000</GPH>