[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 231 (Friday, November 30, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 59815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29796]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for Proposed Lease 
Sale 184 in the Western Gulf of Mexico (2002)

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Preparation of an environmental assessment.

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SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is using the final 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for proposed lease sales in the 
Western Planning Area (WPA) of the Gulf of Mexico OCS (OCS EIS/EA, MMS 
98-0008, May 1998) to support decisions for proposed WPA Lease Sale 184 
(scheduled for August 2002). This would be the first lease sale under 
the draft proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 
2002-2007. The MMS will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to 
determine if there could be new significant impacts not fully analyzed 
in the May 1998 Final EIS. The information on issues and alternatives 
received in response to the Call for Information and Notice of Intent 
to Prepare an EIS for the draft proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil 
and Gas Leasing Program: 2002-2007 will also be considered in the EA 
analysis. Preparation of the EA is the first step in the prelease 
decision process for Sale 184. The analysis in the EA will reexamine 
the projected activities and potential environmental effects of the 
proposal and alternatives in consideration of any new information 
regarding potential impacts and issues that was not available at the 
time the 1998 Final WPA multisale EIS was prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Minerals Management Service, Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 
70123-2394, Mr. Alvin Jones, telephone (504) 736-1713.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action analyzed in the 
multisale EIS was the offering of all available unleased acreage in the 
Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, with the following exceptions: 
Blocks A-375 (East Flower Garden Bank) and A-398 (West Flower Garden 
Bank) in the High Island Area, East Addition, South Extension, 
designated as a national marine sanctuary; and Blocks 793, 799, and 816 
in the Mustang Island Area, identified by the Navy as needed for 
testing equipment and for training mine warfare personnel. The proposal 
to be addressed in this EA has been revised to the following extent: 
four additional blocks or portions of these blocks (High Island Area, 
East Addition, South Extension, Block A-401; High Island, South 
Addition, Block A-513; and Garden Banks Blocks 134 and 135), which lie 
partially within the Flower Garden National Marine Sanctuary, are 
deferred from the proposed action in light of the President's June 1998 
withdrawal of all Marine Sanctuaries from oil and gas leasing. The 
proposed action includes existing regulations and proposed lease 
stipulations designed to reduce environmental risks. The EA will also 
analyze alternatives to exclude blocks near biologically sensitive 
topographic features, as well as the no action alternative.
    After completion of the EA, MMS will determine whether to prepare a 
Finding of No New Significant Impact (FONNSI) or a supplemental EIS. 
The MMS will then prepare and send consistency determinations to the 
affected States to determine whether the proposed sale is consistent 
with Federally-approved State coastal zone management programs, and 
then will send a proposed Notice of Sale to the governors for their 
comments on the size, timing, and location of the proposed sale. The 
tentative schedule for the steps in the prelease decision process for 
Sale 184 are listed below: Comments due to MMS, January 19, 2002; EA/
FONNSI or Supplemental EIS, March 2002; Proposed Notice of Sale sent to 
Governors, March 2002; Consistency Determinations sent to States, March 
2002; Final Notice of Sale in Federal Register, July 2002; Sale, August 
2002.

Public Comments

    The MMS requests interested parties to submit comments regarding 
any new information or issues that should be addressed in the EA to 
Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Office of 
Leasing and Environment, Attention: Regional Supervisor (MS 5410), 1201 
Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 by January 
19, 2002. Comments should be enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Comments 
on the Lease Sale 184 EA.''

    Dated: November 14, 2001.
Chris C. Oynes,
Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region.
[FR Doc. 01-29796 Filed 11-29-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P