[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 142 (Monday, July 26, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 44546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-16904]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Alaska Region, Outer Continental Shelf, Beaufort Sea Planning 
Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 195 (2005)

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and 
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

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SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service has prepared an environmental 
assessment for proposed Alaska Region Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 
Beaufort Sea Planning Area Lease Sale 195. In this EA, OCS EIS/EA MMS 
2004-028, MMS reexamined the potential environmental effects of the 
proposed action and its alternatives based on any new information 
regarding potential impacts and issues that were not available at the 
time the Alaska Region OCS Beaufort Sea Planning Area Oil and Gas Lease 
Sales 186, 195, and 202, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Volumes 
I through IV (multiple-sale EIS) was completed in February 2003. The 
MMS also prepared a Finding of No Significant Impact.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Minerals Management Service, Alaska 
OCS Region, 949 East 36th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4364, Mr. 
Fred King, telephone (907) 271-6696.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed Beaufort Sea Planning Area Lease 
Sale 195 is the second Beaufort Sea Planning Area lease sale scheduled 
in the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2002-2007 
(5-Year Program). The multiple-sale EIS analyzed the effects of three 
lease sales considering resource estimates, project exploration and 
development activities, and impact-producing factors for each of the 
proposed Beaufort Sea Planning Area lease sales. The resource estimates 
and level of activities projected for proposed Lease Sale 195 remains 
essentially the same as examined in the multiple-sale EIS. No new 
significant impacts were identified for proposed Lease Sale 195 that 
were not already assessed in the multiple-sale EIS. As a result, MMS 
determined that a supplemental EIS is not required and prepared a 
FONSI.
    EA Availability: To obtain a copy of the EA and FONSI, you may 
contact the Minerals Management Service, Alaska OCS Region, Attention: 
Ms. Nikki Lewis, Resource Center, 949 East 36th Avenue, Room 330, 
Anchorage, Alaska, 99508-4363, telephone (907) 271-6438 or 1-800-764-
2627. You may also view the EA on the MMS website at http://www.mms.gov/alaska.
    Written Comments: Interested parties may submit their written 
comments on this EA/FONSI until 30 days after the publication of this 
notice, to the Regional Director, Alaska OCS Region, Minerals 
Management Service, 949 East 36th Avenue, Room 308, Anchorage, Alaska 
99509-4363, or by electronic mail to [email protected]. Our practice is to 
make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents 
available for public review. An individual commenter may ask that we 
withhold their name, home address, or both from the public record, and 
we will honor such a request to the extent allowable by law. If you 
submit comments and wish us to withhold such information, you must 
state so prominently at the beginning of your submission. We will not 
consider anonymous comments, and we will make available for inspection 
in their entirety all comments submitted by organizations or businesses 
or by individuals identifying themselves as representatives of 
organizations or businesses.

    Dated: July 2, 2004.
Thomas A. Readinger,
Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 04-16904 Filed 7-23-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P