[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 73 (Wednesday, April 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 18669]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-9331]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Notice of Availability of the Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment for Exploration Activities in the Eastern Sale Area; Eastern 
Planning Area, Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a programmatic environmental 
assessment.

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SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has prepared a 
programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) for exploration drilling 
and associated activities in the current sale area of the Eastern 
Planning Area (EPA) on the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) outer continental shelf 
(OCS). The MMS published notice in the Federal Register on June 3, 
2002, that a PEA was in preparation.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Minerals Management Service, Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 
70123-2394, Dr. Thomas W. Bjerstedt, telephone (504) 736-5743.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PEA considered the area-wide 
environmental impacts of exploration drilling in the current sale area 
of the Eastern Planning Area. The PEA implements the tiering process 
for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation outlined in 
40 CFR 1502.20, which encourages agencies to tier environmental 
documents to eliminate repetitive discussions of the same issue. The 
site-specific EA's that MMS prepares for an operator's Exploration Plan 
in this area can be tiered from the PEA and the EA analyses can focus 
on the specific activities proposed. The PEA itself tiers from the 
Final EIS for Lease Sale 181 (MMS 2001-051).
    Public Comments: The June 3, 2002, Federal Register notice 
solicited comments on any new information or issues that should be 
considered in the PEA. No comments pertaining to this notice were 
received by MMS. On July 12, 2002, MMS sent letters to the Governors of 
Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. This letter informed them 
that a PEA was in preparation that considered area-wide resources and 
impacts from exploratory drilling in the EPA sale area, and solicited 
new information or issues for consideration in the PEA. The State of 
Florida replied on August 26, 2002, stating a number of issues for 
consideration in the PEA. The State of Alabama replied on August 8, 
2002, stating that the State's concerns were expressed in earlier 
letters to the GOM Regional Director dated September 26, 2001, and May 
28, 2002, regarding the 2002-2007 Central and Western Planning Area 
Multisale Draft EIS (MMS-2002-056), and the Proposed Notice of Sale for 
the Eastern GOM Lease Sale 181, respectively. The State was concerned 
about visual impacts presented by OCS drilling or production structures 
less than 15 miles offshore Alabama's coastline and about the potential 
for mercury contamination in association with OCS platforms. The States 
of Louisiana and Mississippi did not reply to the GOM Regional 
Director's July 12, 2002, letter. The MMS considered or addressed all 
of the issues provided by the States in the preparation of the PEA.

    Dated: March 20, 2003.
Chris C. Oynes,
Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region.
[FR Doc. 03-9331 Filed 4-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P