[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66343-66346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9192]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


5-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Programs 
for 2002-2007 and 2007-2012; OCS Lease Sale 201 and Proposed Lease Sale 
205, Central Gulf of Mexico; Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
for 5-Year Leasing Program for 2007-2012

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Revision of 5-Year Leasing Program and Request for Comment.

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SUMMARY: On October 24, 2006, the Department of Interior/MMS and the 
State of Louisiana announced the settlement of the case of Blanco, et 
al., v. Burton, et al. The District Court approved the settlement and 
dismissed the case on October 24, 2006. As a result of the settlement 
agreement, the MMS proposes to expand Lease Sale 205, scheduled in the 
Proposed 5-Year Program for 2007-2012 and accompanying Draft EIS, from 
the currently proposed program area (Map 1) to include all available 
acreage in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area as proposed in the 
new program for subsequent Central Gulf sales (Map 2). The MMS is 
providing a 45-day comment period to specifically address this proposed 
change. The earlier comment periods on the Proposed 5-Year Program and 
Draft EIS, remain as announced on August 25, 2006. The comment period 
on the Program closes on November 24, 2006, and on the Draft EIS on 
November 22, 2006.

DATES: MMS is accepting comments regarding this newly proposed change 
for the Proposed 5-Year OCS Program for 2007-2012 and accompanying 
Draft EIS until December 29, 2006. Note that the comment periods for 
the earlier proposed 5-Year OCS Program for 2007-2012 and the Draft EIS 
remain the same as previously announced. This new 45-day comment period 
is for comments associated with the change identified here as a result 
of the settlement with Louisiana.

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ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by one 
of two methods. You may comment electronically using MMS's Public 
Connect online commenting system. This is the preferred method for 
commenting. This system can be accessed at http://www.mms.gov/5-year/2007-2012main.htm. From the Public Connect ``Welcome'' screen, search 
for ``Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Program Revisions and Draft EIS'' 
or select it from the ``Projects Open for Comment'' menu.
    You may also mail comments. Please label your comments and the 
packaging in which they are submitted according to the subject matter. 
For those pertaining to program preparation, label as ``Comments on 
Revisions to Proposed 5-Year Program for 2007-2012'' and mail to: Ms. 
Renee Orr, 5-Year Program Manager, Minerals Management Service (MS-
4010), Room 3120, 381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817. For 
those pertaining to EIS preparation, label as ``Comments on 2007-2012 
Oil and Gas Program Revisions for Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement'' and mail to: Mr. James F. Bennett, Chief, Branch of 
Environmental Assessment, 381 Elden Street, Mail Stop 4042, Herndon, 
Virginia 20170-4817. If you submit any privileged or proprietary 
information to be treated as confidential, please mark the envelope, 
``Contains Confidential Information.''
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that 
your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in 
your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. 
However, we will not consider anonymous comments. Except for 
proprietary information, 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Renee Orr, Minerals Management 
Service, Chief, Leasing Division, at (703) 787-1215; or Mr. James 
Bennett, Chief, Environmental Assessment Branch, at (703) 787-1660.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 20, 2006, the State of Louisiana 
filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of 
Louisiana under the Administrative Procedures Act alleging that MMS 
violated the terms of the National Environmental Policy Act, the 
Coastal Zone Management Act, and the OCS Lands Act. The court denied 
the State of Louisiana's request to enjoin holding Lease Sale 200 as 
scheduled on August 16, 2006, and opening the bids or awarding any 
leases, and set the case for trial on November 13, 2006. Lease Sale 200 
was held as scheduled.
    The MMS and the State have entered into a Settlement Agreement. 
Under this settlement, MMS has agreed to prepare an EIS before 
conducting the next sale in the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, MMS is 
canceling Lease Sale 201, scheduled for March 2007 in the current 5-
year program for 2002-2007. We also propose to enlarge Lease Sale 205 
from that in the proposed 5-year program for 2007-2012, released for 
comment on August 25, 2006, to include all of the available acreage 
comprising the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, as proposed in the 
new program for subsequent Central Gulf sales (Map 2). In effect, this 
change simply postpones for several months the estimated effects of 
Sale 201. The environmental impacts of this change are not significant 
beyond the change in timing of the offering.

    Dated: November 6, 2006.
R.M. ``Johnnie'' Burton,
Director, Minerals Management Service.
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P

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[FR Doc. 06-9192 Filed 11-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-C