[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 203 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 54650]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27784]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of the Availability of Environmental Documents Prepared 
for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Mineral Exploration Proposal on the 
Alaska OCS.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS), in accordance with 
Federal regulations (40 CFR Section 1501.4 and Section 1506.6) that 
implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), announces the 
availability of a NEPA-related Environmental Assessment prepared by the 
MMS for oil and gas exploration activities proposed on the Alaska 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.

Proposal

    The proposal is for exploratory-drilling operations that would be 
conducted in accordance with the OCS Lands Act. The purpose of the 
Environmental Assessment (EA) is to evaluate the probable environmental 
effects of the operations, described in the Exploration Plan (EP) for 
the ARCO Warthog No. 1 Exploration Well, dated July 1997. The Warthog 
drill site would be located within Camden Bay in the Beaufort Sea, near 
several former drill sites and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The 
bottom-hole location would be under adjacent State of Alaska lands on 
the inner continental shelf. The methods by which the exploratory well 
would be drilled are detailed in the EP and in the associated 
Environmental Report and Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan. 
Additional details about the proposed operations are included in 
Federal Register Notice 62-FR-37881, summarizing an ARCO application 
for an Incidental Harassment Authorization from the National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

Location

                                                                        
              Lease                                Block                
                                                                        
  OCS-Y-1663                        NR 06-04 7067                       
                           (additional lease)                           
  OCS-Y-1662                        NR 06-04 7066                       
                                                                        

    EA Number: EA No. AK 97-01.
    FONSI Date: August 14, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Persons interested in reviewing environmental documents for the 
proposal listed above, or in obtaining information about EA's and 
FONSI's 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, Resource Center, 949 
East 36th Avenue, Room 330, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4363, phone: (907) 
271-6070 or (907) 271-6621 or toll free at 1-800-764-2627. Request may 
also be sent to MMS at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMS prepares EA's and FONSI's for 
proposals which relate to exploration for oil and gas resources on the 
Alaska OCS. The EA's examine the potential environmental effects of 
activities described in the proposals and present MMS conclusions 
regarding the significance of those effects. The EA is used as a basis 
for determing whether or not approvals of the proposals constitute 
major Federal actions that 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 will not result in 
significant effects on the quality of the human environment. The FONSI 
briefly presents the basis for that finding and includes a summary or 
copy of the EA.
    This Notice constitutes the public Notice of Availability of 
environmental documents required under the NEPA regulations.

    Dated: October 14, 1997.
John Goll,
Regional Director, Alaska OCS Region, Minerals Management Service.
[FR Doc. 97-27784 Filed 10-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-M