[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-2290]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: February 2, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Minerals Management Service

 

Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska, Gas and Oil Lease Sale 148

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Call for information and nominations and notice of intent to 
prepare an environmental impact statement.

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    1. Authority. This Call/NOI is published pursuant to the Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331-1356, (1988)), and 
the regulations issued thereunder (30 CFR part 256).
    2. Purpose of Call. The purpose of the Call is to gather 
information for proposed OCS Gas and Oil Lease Sale 148. This proposed 
sale, located in the Chukchi Sea Planning Area, is tentatively 
scheduled for June 1997.
    Information and nominations on gas and oil leasing, exploration, 
and development and production within the Chukchi Sea Planning Area are 
sought from all interested parties. This early planning and 
consultation step is part of the Area Evaluation and Decision Process 
and is important for ensuring that all interests and concerns are 
communicated to the Department of the Interior for future decisions in 
the leasing process pursuant to the OCS Lands Act, as amended (43 
U.S.C. 1331-1356) (1988), and regulations at 30 CFR part 256. This Call 
does not indicate a preliminary decision to lease in the area described 
below. Final delineation of the area for possible leasing will be made 
at a later date and in compliance with all applicable laws including 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 
et seq.), as amended, and with established departmental procedures.
    3. Description of Area. The area of this Call, located offshore the 
State of Alaska in the Chukchi Sea Planning Area as identified on the 
attached map, extends offshore from approximately 3 miles to 200 miles, 
in water depths from around 10 to 100 meters. The area available for 
nominations and comments consists of approximately 4,700 whole and 
partial blocks (about 10 million hectares or 26 million acres). 
Respondents may nominate and are asked to comment on any acreage within 
the entire Call area. A large-scale map of the Chukchi Sea Planning 
Area (hereinafter referred to as the Call map), showing boundaries of 
the area on a block-by-block basis, and a complete list of Official 
Protraction Diagrams (OPD's), are available from the Records Manager, 
Alaska OCS Region, Minerals Management Service, 949 East 36th Avenue, 
room 502, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4302, telephone (907) 271-6621. The 
OPD's may be purchased from the Records Manager for $2 each. Current 
editions of the listed OPD's are based on the North American Datum of 
1983.
    4. Instructions on Call. Respondents are requested to nominate 
blocks within the Call area that they would like to be considered for 
inclusion in proposed OCS Lease Sale 148. Nominations must be depicted 
on the Call map by outlining the area(s) of interest along block lines. 
Respondents are asked to submit a list of whole and partial blocks 
nominated (by OPD designations) to facilitate correct interpretation of 
their nominations on the Call map. Although the identities of those 
submitting nominations become a matter of public record, the individual 
nominations are deemed to be proprietary information.
    Respondents are also requested to rank areas nominated according to 
priority of interest (e.g., Priority 1 (high), Priority 2 (medium), or 
Priority 3 (low)). Areas nominated that do not indicate priorities will 
be considered Priority 3. Respondents are encouraged to be specific in 
indicating areas or blocks by priority. Blanket priorities on large 
areas are not useful in the analysis of industry interest. The 
telephone number and name of a person to contact in the respondent's 
organization for additional information should be included in the 
response.
    Comments are sought from all interested parties about particular 
geologic, environmental, biological, archaeological, or social and 
economic conditions, conflicts, or other information that might bear 
upon potential leasing and development in the Call area. Comments are 
also sought on potential conflicts with approved local coastal 
management plans (CMP's) that may result from the proposed sale and 
future OCS gas and oil activities. If possible, these comments should 
identify specific CMP policies of concern, the nature of the conflicts 
foreseen, and steps that MMS could take to avoid or mitigate the 
potential conflicts. Comments may be in terms of broad areas or 
restricted to particular blocks of concern. Those submitting comments 
are requested to list block numbers or outline the subject area on the 
large-scale Call map.
    Nominations and comments must be received no later than 45 days 
following publication of this document in the Federal Register in 
envelopes labeled ``Nominations for Proposed Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 
148,'' or ``Comments on the Call for Information and Nominations for 
Proposed Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 148,'' as appropriate. The original 
Call map with indications of interest and/or comments must be submitted 
to the Regional Supervisor, Leasing and Environment, Alaska OCS Region, 
Minerals Management Service, 949 East 36th Avenue, room 603, Anchorage, 
Alaska 99508-4302.
    5. Use of Information from Call. Information submitted in response 
to this Call will be used for several purposes. First, responses will 
be used to help identify the areas for potential gas and oil 
development. Second, comments on possible environmental effects and 
potential-use conflicts will be used in the analysis of environmental 
conditions in and near the Call area. The third program for this Call 
is to assist in the scoping of the EIS and the development of 
alternatives to the proposed action for analysis. The NOI to prepare an 
EIS is included later in this document. Fourth, comments may be used in 
developing lease terms and conditions to ensure safe offshore gas and 
oil activities. Fifth, comments may be used to point out potential 
conflicts between offshore gas and oil activities and the State's CMP.
    6. Existing Information. The Information Base Review (IBR) step was 
completed in March 1993. The purpose of the IBR is to evaluate the 
availability and quality of information relevant to decisions on this 
proposed Sale.
    The IBR for Chukchi Sea Sale 148 included publication of a Request 
for Interest and Information in December 1992, with comments due by the 
end of January 1993, and Information Transfer Meetings in Anchorage, 
Alaska, in January 1993. On the basis of the information analyzed 
during the review process, a determination was made that there is 
sufficient information and interest to proceed with the Call.
    The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences 
is conducting a study on environmental information for gas and oil 
leasing decisions in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, and Navarin Basin 
OCS Planning Areas. This study, expected to be completed in the first 
quarter of 1994, will examine information needs, costs of obtaining 
information, potential improvements in the management and prediction of 
environmental effects that may result from acquiring additional 
information, and alternatives to conducting additional studies. The 
conclusions of this report can be considered, along with information 
received in response to the Call and scoping efforts, in subsequent 
decisions in the prelease process.
    An extensive environmental, social and economic studies program has 
been under way in this area since 1975. The emphasis has been on: 
geologic mapping; environmental characterization of biologically 
sensitive habitats; endangered whales and marine mammals; physical 
oceanography; ocean-circulation modeling; and ecological effects of gas 
and oil activities. A complete listing of available study reports and 
information for ordering copies may be obtained from the Records 
Manager, Alaska OCS Region, at the address stated under Description of 
Area. The reports may also be ordered directly from the U.S. Department 
of Commerce, National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal 
Road, Springfield, Virginia 22161 or by telephone at (730) 487-4650.
    In addition, a program status report for continuing studies in this 
area may be obtained from the Chief, Environmental Studies Section, 
Alaska OCS Region, at the address stated under Instructions on Call or 
by telephone at (907) 271-6620.
    Summary Reports and Indices and technical and geologic reports are 
available for review at the MMS Alaska OCS Region (see address under 
Description of Area). Copies of the Alaska OCS Regional Summary Reports 
may also be obtained from the OCS Information Program, Office of 
Offshore Information and Publications, Minerals Management Service, 381 
Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 22070.
    7. Tentative Schedule. Approximate dates for actions and decision 
and consultation points in the planning process are: 

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                    Milestones                             Dates        
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Comments Due on the Call..........................  March 1994.         
Scoping Comments Due..............................  April 1994.         
Area Identification...............................  October 1994.       
Draft EIS/Proposed Notice of Sale Published.......  December 1995.      
Hearings on Draft EIS Held........................  January 1996.       
Governor's Comments Due on Proposed Notice of Sale  March 1996.         
Final EIS Filed with EPA..........................  January 1997.       
Constistency Determination Signed.................  January 1997.       
Final Notice of Sale Published....................  May 1997.           
Sale..............................................  June 1997.          
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    8. Purpose of Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement. Purusant to the regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) implementing the 
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.), as amended, MMS is announcing its intent to prepare an 
EIS regarding the gas and oil leasing proposal known as OCS Gas and Oil 
Lease Sale 148 Chukchi Sea. Throughout the scoping process, Federal, 
State, and local governments and other interested parties have the 
opportunity to aid MMS in determing the significant issues and 
alternatives to be analyzed in the EIS and the possible need for 
additional information.
    The EIS analysis will focus on the potential environmental effects 
of leasing, exploration, and development of the blocks included in the 
area defined in the Area Identification procedure as the proposed area 
of the Federal action. Alternatives to the proposal that may be 
considered are to delay the sale, cancel the sale, or modify the sale. 
The Proposed Final Comprehensive Program 1992-1997 indicated that 
during the prelease process for this sale, consideration will be given 
to establishing a coastal buffer.
    9. Instructions on Notice of Intent. Federal, State, and local 
governments and other interested parties are requested to send their 
written comments on the scope of the EIS, significant issues that 
should be addressed, and alternatives that should be considered to the 
Regional Supervisor, Leasing and Environment, Alaska OCS Region, at the 
address stated under Instructions on Call above. Comments should be 
enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Comments on the Notice of Intent to 
Prepare an EIS on the proposed Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 148.'' Comments 
are due not later than 45 days from publication of this Notice.

    Dated: January 26, 1994.
Tom Fry,
Director, Minerals Management Service.

    Approved:
Bob Armstrong,
Assistant Secretary Land and Minerals Management.

BILLING CODE 4310-MR-M

TN02FE94.016


[FR Doc. 94-2290 Filed 2-1-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-C