[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44874-44875]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-16236]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[AK-990-02-5101-ER-L016]


Notice of Availability of Trans-Alaska Pipeline System Right-of-
Way Renewal Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), Announcement 
of Public Review Period and Hearings Schedule Including Subsistence-
Related Hearings

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of DEIS, Announcement of Public Review 
Period and Hearings Schedule Including Subsistence-Related Hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces availability of 
the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) Right-of-Way Renewal Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The current Right-of-Way expires 
in 2004. Three alternatives are considered in the DEIS: to renew the 
TAPS Right-of-Way for 30 years, to renew the Right-of-Way for less than 
30 years, and to not renew the Right-of-Way. Appendix E of the Draft 
EIS indicates that each of the alternatives may affect subsistence 
activities. As required by section 810 of the Alaska National Interest 
Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), BLM is evaluating the effects of the 
alternatives on subsistence uses and needs and is holding public 
hearings in the vicinity of the area involved.
    BLM is closely cooperating with the State of Alaska in preparation 
of the DEIS and is coordinating all aspects of the renewal process 
within the purview of the inter-agency Joint Pipeline Office. BLM and 
the Alaska Department of Natural Resources will offer joint public 
hearings for the TAPS Renewal DEIS, ANILCA 810 Subsistence, and the 
State of Alaska Commissioner's Analysis and Proposed Determination. 
Although the meetings are being held jointly, commenters will be asked 
to state if they are addressing state or federal documents.

DATES: The DEIS will be available beginning July 5, 2002. The public 
will have 45 days to review and comment on the DEIS. The BLM will 
accept written comments on the DEIS postmarked by

[[Page 44875]]

August 20, 2002. Written comments may also be hand-delivered to the 
Joint Pipeline Office in Anchorage, Alaska, by 4 p.m. ADT on August 20, 
2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed to BLM TAPS Renewal EIS, 
Argonne National Laboratory EAD/900, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 
60439. As an alternative, written comments can be hand-delivered to BLM 
TAPS Renewal Team in Anchorage at the Joint Pipeline Office 411 W. 4th 
Avenue, Suite 2 [Do not mail comments to this address]. Comments also 
can be submitted through the ``Public Comment Form'' feature on the 
TAPS Renewal EIS Web site at http://tapseis.anl.gov, by fax toll free 
to 1-866-542-5904, or by voice message toll free at 1-866-542-5903.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob McWhorter at the Joint Pipeline 
Office, 411 W 4th Avenue, Suite 2, Anchorage, Alaska, phone 907-257-
1355, e-mail [email protected], or visit the TAPS Renewal EIS Web 
site at http://tapseis.anl.gov.
    Withholding of Personal Information: It is the BLM's practice to 
make comments, including names and addresses of commenters, available 
for public review during regular business hours. Individual commenters 
may request that we withhold their home address from the public comment 
record, and we will honor such requests to the extent allowable by law. 
Circumstances may also arise in which we would withhold from the public 
comment record a commenter's identity, as allowable by law. If you wish 
us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not 
consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS is being prepared under authority of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701), as 
amended; the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321), as amended; the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 
CFR parts 1500-1508); and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (30 U.S.C. 
185), as amended, including Title II--the Trans-Alaska Pipeline 
Authorization Act (43 U.S.C. 1651). Argonne National Laboratory, 
Argonne, Illinois, is providing technical assistance and is preparing 
the DEIS under supervision and direction by BLM.

DEIS Availability

    To obtain an electronic copy:
     visit the TAPS Renewal EIS Web site at http://tapseis.anl.gov (available as downloadable and searchable pdf files),
     order a CD through the TAPS Renewal EIS Web site at http://tapseis.anl.gov
    Hard copies of this voluminous document will be available at the 
following public reading rooms or can be requested through the TAPS 
Renewal EIS Web site at http://tapseis.anl.gov

Anchorage

     Alaska Resources Library; 3150 C Street, Suite 100
     Z.J. Loussac Library, 3600 Denali Street
     Bureau of Land Management Public Room; 222 West 7th 
Avenue, 13
     State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources Public 
Information Center; 550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 1260

Barrow

    Tuzzy Consortium Library
Cordova Public Library

Fairbanks

     Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library; 1215 Cowles 
Street
     Bureau of Land Management Public Room; 1150 University 
Avenue
     State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources Public 
Information Center; 3700 Airport Way

Glennallen

    Bureau of Land Management; Glennallen Field Office

Juneau

    Alaska State Library
    Valdez Public Library

Washington, DC

    Department of the Interior Library; 1849 C Street, NW

Meeting/Hearing Dates and Locations

    Oral or written comments can be made at one of the following 
locations on the dates specified:
     Friday, July 26, 2002, 7 p.m. ADT: Cordova; Moose Lodge, 
514 2nd Street
     Tuesday, July 30, 2002, 7 p.m. ADT: Valdez; Valdez 
Convention and Civic Center, Ballroom 1, 110 Clifton Drive
     Wednesday, July 31, 2002, 7 p.m. ADT: Glennallen; Copper 
River High School auditorium, Mile 186, Glenn Highway
     Monday, August 5, 2002, 7 p.m. ADT: Anchorage; Anchorage 
Hilton Hotel, Denali Room, 500 West Third Avenue
     Tuesday, August 6, 2002, 7 p.m. ADT: Fairbanks; Chena 
River Convention Center, Conference Room/Main Hall A, 109 Clay Street
     Wednesday, August 7, 2002, 2 p.m. ADT: Minto, Minto Lodge
     Friday, August 9, 2002, 7 p.m. ADT: Barrow; Inupiat 
Heritage Center, multi-purpose room; 5421 Northstar Street (Inupiat 
translator)
    The BLM seeks information and comments on the potential impacts 
discussed in the DEIS and additional data or information that would 
improve the analysis in the DEIS. BLM is also seeking comments on the 
subsistence evaluation in Appendix E of the DEIS.

Linda S.C. Rundell,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 02-16236 Filed 7-3-02; 8:45 am]
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