19766 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 76 / Thursday, April 20, 1995 / Notices

University of Texas Library, 21st and

Speedway Streets, Austin

Victoria Public Library, 320 North Main,

Victoria

Louisiana

Calcasieu Parish Library, 327 Broad Street,

Lake Charles

Cameron Parish Library, Marshall Street,

Cameron

Grand Isle Branch Library, Highway 1, Grand

Isle

Government Documents Library, Loyola

University, 6363 St. Charles Avenue, New

Orleans

Iberville Parish Library, 24605 J. Gerald

Berret Boulevard, Plaquemine

Jefferson Parish Lobby Branch Library, 3410

North Causeway Boulevard, Metairie

Jefferson Parish West Bank Outreach Branch

Library, 2751 Manhattan Boulevard,

Harvey

Louisiana State University Library, 760

Riverside Road, Baton Rouge

Lafayette Public Library, 301 W. Congress

Street, Lafayette

Lafitte Branch Library, Route 1, Box 2, Lafitte

Lafourche Parish Library, 303 West 5th

Street, Thibodaux

Louisiana Tech University, Prescott

Memorial Library, Everet Street, Ruston

LUMCON, Library, Star Route 541, Chauvin

McNeese State University, Luther E. Frazar

Memorial Library, Ryan Street, Lake

Charles

New Orleans Public Library, 219 Loyola

Avenue, New Orleans

Nicholls State University, Nicholls State

Library, Leighton Drive, Thibodaux

Plaquemine Parish Library, 203 Highway 11,

South, Buras

St. Bernard Parish Library, 1125 East St.

Bernard Highway, Chalmette

St. Charles Parish Library, 105 Lakewood

Drive, Luling

St. John The Baptist Parish Library, 1334

West Airline Highway, Laplace

St. Mary Parish Library, 206 Iberia Street,

Franklin

St. Tammany Parish Library, Covington

Branch, 310 West 21st Street, Covington

St. Tammany Parish Library, Slidell Branch,

555 Robert Boulevard, Slidell

Terrebonne Parish Library, 424 Roussell

Street, Houma

Tulane University, Howard Tilton Memorial

Library, 7001 Freret Street, New Orleans

University of New Orleans Library,

Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans

University of Southwestern LA, Dupre

Library, 302 East St. Mary Boulevard,

Lafayette

Vermillion Parish Library, Abbeville Branch,

200 North Street, Abbeville

Mississippi

Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Gunter

Library, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean

Springs

Hancock County Library System, 312

Highway 90, Bay Saint Louis

Harrison County Library, 14th and 21st

Avenues, Gulfport

Jackson George Regional Library System,

3214 Pascagoula Street, Pascagoula

Alabama

Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Marine

Environmental Science Consortium,

Library, Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin

Island

Gulf Shores Public Library, Municipal

Complex, Route 3, Gulf Shores

Mobile Public Library, 701 Government

Street, Mobile

Montgomery Public Library, 445 South

Lawrence Street, Montgomery

Thomas B. Norton Public Library, 221 West

19th Avenue, Gulf Shores

University of South Alabama, University

Boulevard, Mobile

Florida

Bay County Public Library, 25 West

Government Street, Panama City

Florida A & M University, Coleman Memorial

Library, Martin Luther King Boulevard,

Tallahassee

Florida Northwest Regional Library System,

25 West Government Street, Panama City

Florida State University, Strozier Library,

Call Street and Copeland Avenue,

Tallahassee

Fort Walton Beach Public Library, 105

Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach

Leon County Public Library, 200 West Park

Avenue, Tallahassee

University of Florida Library, University

Avenue, Gainesville

University of Florida, Holland Law Center

Library, Southwest 25th Street and 2nd

Avenue, Gainesville

West Florida Regional Library, 200 West

Gregory Street, Pensacola

Public Hearings for Proposed Central

and Western Gulf of Mexico Sales 157

and 161

In accordance with 30 CFR 256.26,

the Minerals Management Service will

hold three public hearings (dates, times,

and locations are listed below) soliciting

comments on the draft environmental

impact statement (EIS) for proposed

1996 Gulf of Mexico Sales 157 and 161.

The hearings will provide the Secretary

of the Interior with information from

interested parties that will help in the

evaluation of the potential effects of

proposed lease Sales 157 and 161. These

hearings will also serve as an early

opportunity for determining the scope

of significant issues related to the

development of a draft EIS for proposed

1997 Gulf of Mexico Sales 166 and 168,

as well as for the draft EIS for the 5-year

OCS oil and gas leasing program for

1997–2002. The hearings will provide

information for the development of

appropriate alternatives and mitigating

measures, as well as for the

identification of significant issues, to be

considered in that draft EIS.

Persons who wish to testify at these

hearings may register the day of the

hearing at the hearing sites beginning

one hour prior to the meeting. Oral

testimony should be limited to 10

minutes. Each hearing will begin at the

specified time and will recess when all

speakers have had an opportunity to

testify. If there are no additional

speakers, the hearing will adjourn

immediately after the recess. Testimony

may be supplemented by a written

statement that, if submitted at a hearing,

will be considered as part of the hearing

record. Those unable to attend the

hearing may submit written statements

until the close of the comment period,

July 14, 1995. Written statements should

be submitted to the Regional Director,

Minerals Management Service, Gulf of

Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood

Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana

70123–2394.

Alabama: Dauphin Island on June 8,

1995; 7:00–9:00 p.m.

Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville

Boulevard, Dauphin Island,

Alabama

Texas: Houston on June 13, 1995; 1:00–

3:00 p.m.

Marriott International Airport Hotel,

18700 John F. Kennedy Boulevard,

Houston, Texas

Louisiana: New Orleans on June 14,

1995; 1:00–3:00 p.m.

Minerals Management Service, 1201

Elmwood Park Boulevard,

Conference Room 111, Jefferson,

Louisiana

Dated: April 14, 1995.

Thomas Gernhofer,

Associate Director for Offshore Minerals

Management.

Willie R. Taylor,

Director, Office of Environmental Policy and

Compliance.

[FR Doc. 95–9705 Filed 4–19–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P

Minerals Management Service (MMS)

Minerals Management Advisory Board,

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS),

Scientific Committee (SC);

Announcement of Plenary Session

This Notice is issued in accordance

with the provisions of the Federal

Advisory Committee Act, Pub. L. 92–

463, 5 U.S.C., Appendix I, and the

Office of Management and Budget

Circular A–63, Revised.

The Minerals Management Advisory

Board OCS SC will meet in plenary

sessions on Wednesday, June 7, and

Thursday, June 8, 1995, at the Regal

Alaskan Hotel, 4800 Spenard Road,

Anchorage, Alaska 99517–3236,

telephone (907) 243–2300.

The SC is an outside group of

scientists which advises the Director,

MMS, on the feasibility,
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 76 / Thursday, April 20, 1995 / Notices 19767

appropriateness, and scientific value of

the MMS’ OCS Environmental Studies

Program (ESP).

Below is a schedule of meetings that

will occur.

The SC will meet in plenary session

on Wednesday, June 7, from 8:30 a.m.

to 5:30 p.m.

The Committee will also meet in

plenary session on Thursday, June 8,

from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Discussion will

focus on continued review of Fiscal

Years 1996 and 1997 proposed ESP and

OCS activities off Alaska, and MMS

future study plans for OCS areas with

ongoing operations and planned

activities.

The meetings are open to the public.

Approximately 30 visitors can be

accommodated on a first-come-firstserved basis at the plenary session.

A copy of the agenda may be

requested from the MMS by writing Ms.

Phyllis Clark at the address below.

Other inquiries concerning the OCS

SC meeting should be addressed to Dr.

Ken Turgeon, Executive Secretary to the

OCS Scientific Committee, Minerals

Management Service, 381 Elden Street,

Mail Stop 4310, Herndon, Virginia

22070. He may be reached by telephone

at (703) 787–1717.

Dated: April 13, 1995.

Thomas M. Gernhofer,

Associate Director for Offshore Minerals

Management.

[FR Doc. 95–9784 Filed 4–19–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–M

Call for Comment on Proposed Policy

Options and Announcement of Related

Workshop for Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS) Natural Gas and Oil Resource

Management

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service

(MMS), Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Call for Comment on proposed

policy options and announcement of

workshop.

SUMMARY: On December 7, 1993, the

MMS published a Call for Public

Comment on General Leasing Policies in

the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico

Planning Areas. The MMS has reviewed

the comments it received and conducted

additional analyses. In this Call for

Comment, the MMS describes specific

policy options being considered.

The primary objectives to be met are

to slow expected declines in

infrastructure and production in

producing areas, to promote

development of infrastructure in certain

non-producing areas, and to assure

continued receipt of fair market value

for OCS leases. Implementation of one

new policy, expanding the tract-specific

data made available to all prospective

bidders prior to a sale, has just begun.

Other options under consideration are

to publish specific guidelines for the

treatment of applications for royalty

relief, to offer more flexible royalty

terms on some new leases, to increase

flexibility to respond to requests for

extensions in lease terms, to modify

rental and minimum bid policies, to

revise bid adequacy procedures, and to

propose coastal impact assistance.

A 2-day workshop to discuss current

policy options will be held in the Gulf

of Mexico region in mid-June 1995. The

first day will be devoted to an overall

discussion of the various options. The

second day will be spent on the

guidelines being developed by the MMS

for royalty relief on active leases. Details

will be published in a second Federal

Register Notice later this month.

DATES: Written responses should be

received by July 19, 1995. Comments

also may be presented in person at the

workshop announced in this notice.

ADDRESSES: Written responses should be

mailed to the Acting Deputy Associate

Director, Resources and Environmental

Management, Minerals Management

Service (MS–4430), 381 Elden Street,

Herndon, VA 22070. Hand deliveries

may be made at 381 Elden Street, Room

3408, Herndon, Virginia (dial 1178 from

lobby telephone). Envelopes or packages

should be marked ‘‘Comments on

Proposed Policy Options for the Gulf of

Mexico.’’ If any privileged or

proprietary information is submitted

that the respondent wishes to be treated

as confidential, both the envelope and

the contents should be marked

‘‘Confidential Information.’’

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

information pertaining to this Call for

Comment on Proposed Policy Options

and Announcement of Workshop,

telephone Marshall Rose or Mary

Vavrina, Economic Evaluation Branch,

at (703) 787–1536.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the

December 7, 1993, Call for Public

Comment on General Leasing Policies in

the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico

Planning Areas, suggestions and

comments were requested from States,

local governments, Federal agencies, the

oil and gas industry, environmental

groups, and other interested individuals

and groups to assist the MMS and the

Department of the Interior in planning

for the Central and Western GOM sales

remaining under the Comprehensive

OCS Natural Gas and Oil Resource

Management Program for 1992–1997.

After considering the comments

received and conducting additional

internal analyses, the MMS and the

Department decided that, overall, the

regulations and policies already in place

were appropriate. However, the MMS

did identify several areas where

improvement was possible and has

developed a number of options for

further consideration.

The MMS has decided that the

current approach of offering annual,

area-wide sales in the Central and

Western GOM is the most appropriate

leasing system for those planning areas

at this time. In other planning areas, the

MMS may hold narrowly targeted sales,

more typical tract selection sales, or

tract nomination sales (where all tracts

specifically nominated are offered,

absent environmental or other

concerns).

The MMS also has decided that an

extension of the period used to evaluate

bids from a lease sale is no longer

needed. Its Resource Evaluation staff

now has sufficient training in the use of

new computer systems and

interpretation of technical data to

complete the evaluation of bids within

the existing 90-day requirement.

Several commenters supported impact

assistance. The Administration

recognizes that coastal states and

localities can incur impacts

disproportionate to their share of the

national benefits. The Administration

supports impact assistance as a means

to more equitably share the benefits and

burdens of OCS production, protect

coastal and marine resources, and

strengthen the Federal-State

partnership. The critical issue in

designing an impact assistance program,

however, is the budget offsets required

so that there is no net impact on the

Federal Treasury. The Administration is

currently reviewing impact assistance

but does not have a proposal at this

time.

Primary Objectives

In considering the main purpose of

the OCS oil and gas program (to

contribute to the Nation’s energy

supply) and the range of opportunities

currently available to make beneficial

changes within its existing authority,

the MMS decided to focus on three

objectives:

—Slow expected declines in

infrastructure and production in the

producing portions of the Central and

Western GOM

—Promote development of

infrastructure in promising deepwater portions of the Central and

Western GOM (and possibly in

frontier planning areas) to encourage

the domestic market to replenish

reserves and to increase its ability to