[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 222 (Friday, November 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66971-66972]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19486]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Western and Central Gulf of 
Mexico, Oil and Gas Lease Sales for Years 2007-2012

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement and Public Hearings.

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SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has prepared a draft 
environmental impact statement (EIS) on tentatively scheduled 2007-2012 
oil and gas leasing proposals in the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico 
(GOM), off the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

    Authority: The NOA and notice of public hearings is published 
pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR 1501.7) implementing the 
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 
as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (1988)).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal regulations allow for several 
proposals to be analyzed in one EIS (40 CFR 1502.4). Since each sale 
proposal and projected activities are very similar each year for each 
sale area, the MMS has prepared a single EIS (multisale EIS) for the 
five Western and six Central GOM lease sales scheduled for 2007-2012 in 
the draft proposed OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2007-2012. The 
multisale approach is intended to focus the NEPA process for individual 
sales on the differences between the proposed sales and on new issues 
and information. The multisale EIS will eliminate the repetitive 
issuance of complete draft and final EIS's for each sale area. The 
resource estimates and scenario information for the EIS analyses will 
be presented as a range that would encompass the resources and 
activities estimated for any of the eleven proposed lease sales. 
Although this EIS addresses eleven proposed lease sales, at the 
completion of this EIS process, decisions will be made only for 
proposed Lease Sale 204 in the Western Planning Area (WPA), and 
proposed Lease Sale 205 in the Central Planning Area (CPA). Subsequent 
to these first sales, a NEPA review will be conducted for each of the 
other proposed lease sales in the 2007-2012 Leasing Program. Formal 
consultation with other Federal agencies, the affected states, and the 
public will be carried out to assist in the determination of whether or 
not the information and analyses in the original multisale EIS are 
still valid. These consultations and NEPA reviews will be completed 
before decisions are made on the subsequent sales.
    EIS Availability: To obtain a single, printed or CD-ROM copy of the 
draft EIS, you may contact the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood 
Park Boulevard, Room 114, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-200-

[[Page 66972]]

GULF). An electronic copy of the draft EIS is available at the MMS's 
Internet Web site at http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/nepa/nepaprocess.html. Several libraries along the Gulf Coast have been 
sent copies of the draft EIS. To find out which libraries, and their 
locations, have copies of the draft EIS for review, you may contact the 
MMS's Public Information Office or visit the MMS Internet Web site at 
http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/regulate/environ/libraries.html.
    Public Hearings: The MMS will hold public hearings to receive 
comments on the draft EIS. The public hearings are scheduled as 
follows:
     December 5, 2006, Wyndham Greenspoint, 12400 Greenspoint 
Drive, Houston, Texas, 1 p.m.
     December 5, 2006, Riverview Plaza Hotel, 64 South Water 
Street, Mobile, Alabama, 7 p.m.
     December 6, 2006, Hampton Inn and Suites New Orleans-
Elmwood, 5150 Mounes Street, Harahan, Louisiana, 1 p.m.
     December 6, 2006, Florida, Marriott Bay Point Resort, 4000 
Marriott Drive, Panama City, Florida, 7 p.m.
     December 7, 2006, Larose Civic Center, Larose Regional 
Park, Larose, Louisiana, 7 p.m.
    If you wish to testify at a hearing, you should register one hour 
prior to the meeting. Each hearing will briefly recess when all 
speakers have had an opportunity to testify. If there are no additional 
speakers, the hearing will adjourn immediately after the recess. 
Written statements submitted at a hearing will be considered part of 
the hearing record. If you are unable to attend the hearings, you may 
submit written statements.
    Comments: Federal, State, local government agencies, and other 
interested parties are requested to send their written comments on the 
draft EIS 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 and CPA Multisale EIS 2007-2012'' or select it from the 
``Projects Open for Comment'' menu.
    2. In written form enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Comments on 
the Multisale EIS'' 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]. 
Comments should be submitted no later than 45 days from the publication 
of this NOA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Minerals Management Service, Mr. 
Dennis Chew, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, 
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, (504) 736-2793.

    Dated: November 6, 2006.
Robert P. LaBelle,
Acting Associate Director for, Offshore Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. E6-19486 Filed 11-16-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P