[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 90 (Thursday, May 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31368-31369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-11639]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Environmental Documents Prepared for Proposed Mineral Exploration 
on the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of the availability of environmental documents prepared 
for proposed mineral exploration on the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf.

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SUMMARY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), in accordance with Federal 
regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), announces the availability of a NEPA-related Environmental 
Assessment (EA) prepared by MMS for oil and gas exploration activities 
proposed on the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This notice 
includes the only proposal for which an EA and Finding of No 
Significant Impact (FONSI) were prepared by the Alaska OCS Office since 
July 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons interested in reviewing the EA 
and FONSI for the proposal listed above are encouraged to contact the 
MMS Alaska OCS Regional office. The documents 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].

[[Page 31369]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposal. The proposal is for exploratory-
drilling operations that would be conducted in accordance with the OCS 
Lands Act Amendments. The purpose of the EA is to evaluate the probable 
environmental effects of the operations, described in the Exploration 
Plan (EP) for the McCovey Prospect, dated January 2002. The McCovey 
drill site would be located in the Central Alaskan Beaufort Sea about 
14 miles north of Prudhoe Bay and 12 miles east of the Northstar 
Development. Information about the methods by which the exploration 
wells would be drilled are detailed in the EP and in the associated 
Environmental Report and Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan.

Location

Leases--Blocks
OCS-Y-1577--NR 06-03 475 through 477 inclusive
OCS-Y-1578--NR 06-03 475, 476, 519 & 520
    EA Number: EA No. AK 02-01.
    FONSI Date: February 27, 2002.

    The MMS prepares EAs and FONSIs for proposals which relate to 
exploration for oil and gas resources on the Alaska OCS. The EAs 
examine the potential environmental effects of activities described in 
the proposals and present MMS conclusions regarding the significance of 
those effects. The EAs are used as the basis for determining whether or 
not approvals of the proposals 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 will not 
result in significant effects on the quality of the human environment. 
This Notice constitutes the public Notice of Availability of 
environmental documents required under the NEPA regulations.

    Dated: April 9, 2002.
John Goll,
Regional Director, Alaska OCS Region, Minerals Mangement Service.
[FR Doc. 02-11639 Filed 5-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P