[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 22, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70633-70634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-23073]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Preparation of an Environmental Assessment for Proposed Outer 
Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 200 in the Western Gulf of 
Mexico (2006)

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Preparation of an environmental assessment.

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SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is issuing this notice 
to advise the public, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., that MMS intends to 
prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for proposed Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS) oil and gas Lease Sale 200 in the Western Gulf of Mexico 
(GOM) (Lease Sale 200) scheduled for August 2006. The MMS is issuing 
this notice to facilitate public involvement. The preparation of this 
EA is an important step in the decision process for Lease Sale 200. The 
proposal and alternatives for Lease Sale 200 were identified by the MMS 
Director in January 2002 following the Call for Information and 
Nominations/Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and were analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas 
Lease Sales: 2003-2007; Central Planning Area Sales 185, 190, 194, 198, 
and 201; Western Planning Area Sales 187, 192, 196, and 200--Final 
Environmental Impact Statement; Volumes I and II (Multisale EIS, OCS 
EIS/EA MMS 2002-052). This EA will reexamine the potential 
environmental effects of the proposed action (the offering of all 
available unleased acreage in the Western Planning Area (WPA)) and its 
alternatives (the proposed action excluding the unleased blocks near 
biologically sensitive topographic features; and no action) based on 
any new information regarding potential impacts and issues that were 
not available at the time the Multisale EIS was prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dennis Chew, Minerals Management 
Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, MS 
5410, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. You may also contact Mr. Chew 
by telephone at (504) 736-2793.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In November 2002, MMS prepared a Multisale 
EIS that addressed nine proposed Federal actions that offer for lease 
areas on the GOM OCS that may contain economically recoverable oil and 
gas resources. Federal regulations allow for several related or similar 
proposals to be analyzed in one EIS (40 CFR 1502.4). Since each 
proposed lease sale and its projected activities are very similar each 
year for each planning area, a single EIS was prepared for the nine 
Central Planning Area (CPA) and WPA lease sales scheduled in the OCS 
Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2002-2007 (5-Year Program, OCS EIS/EA MMS 
2002-006). Under the current 5-Year Program, five annual areawide lease 
sales were scheduled for the CPA (Lease Sales 185, 190, 194, 198, and 
201) and five annual areawide lease sales were scheduled for the WPA 
(Lease Sales 184, 187, 192, 196, and 200). Lease Sale 184 was not 
addressed in the Multisale EIS; a separate EA was prepared for that 
proposal. The Multisale EIS addressed CPA Lease Sales 185, 190, 194, 
198, and 201 scheduled for 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, 
respectively, and WPA Lease Sales 187, 192, 196, and 200 scheduled for 
2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, respectively. Although the Multisale EIS 
addresses nine proposed lease sales, decisions were made only for 
proposed CPA Lease Sale 185 and proposed WPA Lease Sale 187 based on 
the EIS. For the subsequent sales, an additional NEPA review (an EA) 
will be conducted the year prior to each proposed lease sale, to 
address any new information relevant to that proposed action. 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 (CD's) to the 
affected States to determine whether the lease sale is consistent with 
their federally-approved State coastal zone management programs. 
Finally, MMS will solicit comments via the Proposed Notice of Sale 
(PNOS) from the governors of the affected States on the size, timing, 
and location of the lease sale. The tentative schedule for the prelease 
decision process for Lease Sale

[[Page 70634]]

200 is as follows: EA/FONNSI or Supplemental EIS decision, March 2006; 
CD's sent to affected States, March 2006; PNOS sent to governors of the 
affected States, March 2006; Final Notice of Sale published in the 
Federal Register, July 2006; and Lease Sale 200, August 2006.

Public Comments

    Interested parties are requested to send within 30 days of this 
Notice's publication comments regarding any new information or issues 
that should be addressed in the EA. Comments may be submitted in one of 
the following three ways:
    1. Electronically using MMS's new Public Connect on-line commenting 
system at https://ocsconnect.mms.gov. This is the preferred method for 
commenting. From the Public Connect ``Welcome'' screen, search for 
``WPA Lease Sale 200 EA'' or select it from the ``Projects Open for 
Comment'' menu.
    2. In written form enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Comments on 
WPA Lease Sale 200 EA'' and mailed (or hand carried) to the Regional 
Supervisor, Leasing and Environment (MS 5410), Minerals Management 
Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New 
Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394.
    3. Electronically to the MMS e-mail address: [email protected].
    To obtain single copies of the Multisale EIS, you may contact the 
Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Attention: 
Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 
114, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-200-GULF). You may also 
view the Multisale EIS or check the list of libraries that have copies 
of the Multisale EIS on the MMS Web site at http://www.gomr.mms.gov.

    Dated: October 24, 2005.
Chris C. Oynes,
Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region.
[FR Doc. 05-23073 Filed 11-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MP-P