[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19095-19098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-7091]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Alaska OCS Region, North Aleutian 
Basin, Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale 214

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Call for Information and Nominations (Call) and Notice of 
Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: This Call for Information and Nominations (hereinafter 
referred to as ``Call'') and the NOI are the initial information-
gathering steps in a process that incorporates planning and analysis 
for proposed OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 214 in the program area of the 
North Aleutian Basin Planning Area offshore the State of Alaska. The 
program area is that subarea of the larger North Aleutian Basin 
Planning Area identified in the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, 2007 
to 2012, that may be offered in the proposed Sale 214. Readers are 
cautioned that this announcement is not a commitment to hold a lease 
sale but rather a continuation of the information-gathering and 
evaluation process.
    Simultaneously with this Call, the MMS is giving notice of its 
intent to prepare an EIS for Sale 214 in the North Aleutian Basin, 
tentatively scheduled for 2011. The EIS analysis will focus on the 
potential environmental effects of oil and gas exploration, 
development, and production in the proposed sale area and its vicinity. 
This NOI also serves to announce the initiation of the scoping process 
for this EIS. The MMS will consider comments received in response to 
this NOI and Call in determining the proposed sale area and the scope 
of the EIS. The Department of the Interior (DOI) is also inviting other 
Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments to consider becoming 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS.

DATES: Nominations and Comments on the Call must be received no later 
than July 7, 2008. Submittals should be labeled ``Nominations for 
Proposed Sale 214'' or ``Comments on Call for Information and 
Nominations for Proposed Sale 214,'' as appropriate. Comments on the 
NOI also must be received no later than July 7, 2008. Submittals should 
be labeled ``Comments on the Notice of Intent for Proposed Sale 214.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Dr. Cleve Cowles, 
Regional Supervisor, Office of Leasing and Environment, Minerals 
Management Service, Alaska OCS Region, 3801 Centerpoint Drive 
500, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-5820, phone at (907) 334-5233 
regarding questions on the Call or NOI.

Supplementary Information On the Call

    The final EIS will serve as the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) analysis for North Aleutian Basin Sale 214. The MMS will prepare 
additional Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) Consistency Determination 
(CD), CZMA, and Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) documents, as 
appropriate.

Call for Information and Nominations

    1. Authority: This Call is published pursuant to the OCSLA as 
amended (43 U.S.C. 1331-1356, (1994)) and the regulations issued 
thereunder (30 CFR 256); and in accordance with the OCS Oil and Gas 
Leasing Program, 2007-2012.
    2. Purpose of Call: The purpose of the Call is to gather 
nominations and information for proposed OCS Lease Sale 214, 
tentatively scheduled in 2011 in the ``program area'' of the North 
Aleutian Basin Planning Area.
    Information and nominations on oil and gas leasing, exploration, 
and development and production within the program area of the North 
Aleutian Basin are sought from all interested parties. This early 
planning and consultation step is important for ensuring that all 
interests and concerns are communicated to the DOI for its 
consideration in future decisions in the leasing process pursuant to 
the OCSLA and regulations at 30 CFR 256. This Call/NOI is being issued 
in accordance with the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, 2007-2012.
    This Call is to gather information and does not indicate a 
preliminary decision to lease in the areas described below. Final 
decision and delineation of each area for possible leasing will be made 
at a later date and only if there is compliance with applicable laws 
including all requirements of the OCSLA and NEPA using established 
departmental procedures.
    3. Description of Area: The area that is the subject of this Call 
is located offshore the State of Alaska in the North Aleutian Basin 
Planning Area. The ``program area'' is that subarea of the larger 
planning area identified in OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, 2007-2012. 
The ``program area'' extends offshore from about 10 statute miles to 
approximately 120 statute miles, in water depths from approximately 40 
feet (12 meters) to 120 feet (37 meters). This area consists of 
approximately 990 whole and partial blocks of about 2.3 million 
hectares (5.6 million acres). A page size map of the program area 
accompanies this Call. Official Protraction Diagrams (OPDs) are 
available at no charge at the website: http://www.mms.gov/ld/alaska.htm.
    4. Instructions On Call: Nominations and information must be 
received no later than 90 days following publication of this Call in 
the Federal Register. Submittals should indicate ``Nominations for 
Proposed Sale 214'' or ``Comments on Call for Information and 
Nominations for Proposed Sale 214'' as appropriate. Comments on the NOI 
also must be received no later than July 7, 2008. Submittals should be 
labeled ``Comments on the Notice of Intent for Proposed Sale 214.''
    Nominations and comments may be submitted by any one of the 
following methods:
     Mail or hand-deliver comments to the Regional Supervisor, 
Office of Leasing and Environment, Alaska OCS Region, Minerals 
Management Service, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, 
Alaska 99503-5823.
     Submit comments by Internet through MMS Public Connect at 
this website: https://ocsconnect.mms.gov/pcs-public/.
     Fax comments to the Regional Supervisor, Office of Leasing 
and Environment, Alaska OCS Region, Minerals Management Service at 
(907) 334-5242.
     E-mail comments to [email protected].
    Please submit e-mail or Internet comments as an ASCII file avoiding 
the use of special characters and any form of encryption. Please also 
include your name and return address in your e-mail or Internet 
message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the system that we 
have received your e-mail or Internet message, contact us directly at 
1-800-764-2627.
    The Call for Information Map delineates the Call area identified by 
MMS as having potential for the discovery of accumulations of oil and 
gas. Respondents are requested to indicate nominations and comments on

[[Page 19096]]

any or all of the Federal acreage within the boundaries of the Call 
area that they wish in proposed North Aleutian Basin Sale 214. Although 
individual nominations are considered privileged and proprietary 
information, the names of persons or entities indicating interest or 
submitting comments will be of public record.
    Nominations must be submitted using the large-scale Call for 
Information Map by outlining the areas of interest along block lines. 
Respondents should rank areas in which they have nominated according to 
priority of interest; for example, priority 1 (high), or 2 (medium). 
Blocks nominated that do not indicate priorities will be considered 
priority 3 (low). Respondents must be specific in indicating blocks by 
priority, and be prepared to discuss their range of interest and 
activity regarding the nominated area(s). The telephone number and name 
of a person to contact in the nominator's organization for additional 
information should be included in the response. The Alaska OCS Regional 
Office will contact this person to set up a mutually agreeable time and 
place for a meeting to more fully review the company's nominations. 
Respondents may also submit a detailed list of blocks nominated by 
Official Protraction Diagram and Leasing Map designations to ensure 
correct interpretation of their nominations.
    Comments are sought from all interested parties about particular 
geological (including natural hazard areas), environmental, biological, 
archaeological, and socioeconomic conditions or potential conflicts, or 
other information that might bear upon the potential leasing, 
exploration, and development of the program area and vicinity. Comments 
are also sought on possible conflicts between future OCS oil and gas 
activities that may result from the proposed sales and the standards of 
the Alaska Coastal Management Program (ACMP), and the enforceable 
policies of an approved local district coastal management plan. These 
comments should identify specific Coastal Management Program (CMP) 
policies of concern, the nature of the conflict foreseen, and steps 
that MMS could take to avoid or mitigate the potential conflict. 
Comments may be in terms of broad areas or restricted to particular 
blocks or areas of concern. Those submitting comments are requested to 
list block numbers or outline the subject area on the standard Call for 
Information Map.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and addresses of 
respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. 
Individual respondents may request that we withhold their address from 
the rulemaking record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by 
law. There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold a 
respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold 
your name or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning 
of your comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. 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.
    5. Use Of Call Information: Information submitted in response to 
this Call will be used for several purposes. Responses will be used to:
     Identify the proposed sale area;
     Help identify areas of potential oil and gas development;
     Identify potential environmental effects and potential use 
conflicts;
     Assist in the scoping process for the EIS;
     Develop possible alternatives to the proposed action;
     Develop lease terms and conditions/mitigating measures; 
and
     Identify potential conflicts between oil and gas 
activities and the ACMP.
    6. Tentative Schedule: The following is a list of tentative 
milestone dates that apply to Sale 214 covered by this Call:
    Call/NOI published--April 2008.
    Comments due on Call/NOI--June 2008.
    Area Identification--September 2008.
    Draft EIS available--January 2010.
    Public Hearings--February/March 2010.
    Final EIS available--January 2011.
    Consistency Determination/Proposed Notice of Sale issued--January 
2011.
    Governor's Comments due--March 2011.
    Final Notice of Sale published--October 2011.
    Sale held--November 2011.

Supplemental Information on the Notice of Intent To Prepare an EIS

    1. Authority: The NOI is published pursuant to the regulations (40 
CFR 1501.7) implementing the provisions of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (1988)) (NEPA).
    2. Purpose of Notice of Intent: Pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR 
1501.7) implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA, the MMS is 
announcing its intent to prepare an EIS for oil and gas lease Sale 214 
tentatively scheduled for 2011 in the ``program area'' of North 
Aleutian Basin, offshore the State of Alaska. The proposed action is to 
offer for lease all of the blocks in the program area. The EIS analysis 
will focus on the potential environmental effects of oil and gas 
exploration, development, and production on the fish, wildlife, 
socioeconomic, and subsistence resources in the North Aleutian Basin 
``program area'' and neighboring communities. This NOI also serves to 
announce the initiation of the scoping process for this EIS. Throughout 
the scoping process, Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments and 
other interested parties aid MMS in determining the significant issues, 
reasonable alternatives, and potential mitigating measures to be 
analyzed in the EIS and the possible need for additional information. 
Alternatives may include, at a minimum, the proposed action, taking no 
action, or implementing appropriate restrictions on oil and gas 
activities. These and any additional alternatives developed through 
scoping and the analytical process will be considered in the 
decisionmaking process.
    3. Instructions on the Notice of Intent: Federal, State, Tribal, 
and local governments and other interested parties are requested to 
provide comments related to the scope of the EIS, including significant 
issues that should be addressed, reasonable alternatives, potential 
mitigation measures, and relevant information that should be 
considered. You may mail comments to the Minerals Management Service, 
Alaska OCS Region, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska 
99503-5823. Comments should be enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Attn: 
Sale 214 NOI.'' You may also submit comments via e-mail to 
[email protected]. Please include ``Attn: NAB Lease Sale 214 NOI'' in 
the subject line, and your name and return address in the message. If 
you do not receive a confirmation from the system that we have received 
your e-mail message, please contact us at (907) 334-5207. Lastly, you 
may hand-deliver comments to the address above. Comments are due no 
later than July 7, 2008.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and addresses of 
respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. 
Individual respondents may request that we withhold their address from 
the public record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. 
There may also be circumstances in which we would withhold a 
respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to

[[Page 19097]]

withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at 
the beginning of your comment. However, we will not consider anonymous 
comments. 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. Scoping meetings (to be 
announced at a later date) will be held in appropriate locations to 
obtain additional comments and information regarding the scope of the 
EIS.
    A Notice of Availability of the draft EIS for public review and 
comment will be announced in the Federal Register by the MMS and the 
Environmental Protection Agency; on the MMS, Alaska OCS Region, 
homepage; and, in the local media. Public hearings will be held in the 
local area following release of the draft EIS. Dates and locations are 
to be determined.
    4. Cooperating Agencies: The DOI policy is to invite other Federal 
agencies, and State, Tribal, and local governments to consider becoming 
cooperating agencies in the preparation of an EIS. Per Council of 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations, qualified agencies and 
governments are those with ``jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise.'' Potential cooperating agencies should consider their 
authority and capacity to assume the responsibilities of a cooperating 
agency. Cooperating agency status neither enlarges nor diminishes the 
final decisionmaking authority of any agency involved in the NEPA 
process. The MMS invites qualified government entities to inquire about 
cooperating agency status for this lease sale EIS. Upon request, the 
MMS will provide qualified cooperating agencies with a written summary 
of ground rules for cooperating agencies, including time schedules and 
critical action dates, milestones, responsibilities, scope and detail 
of cooperating agencies' contributions, and handling of predecisional 
information.
    The MMS anticipates this summary will form the basis for a 
Memorandum of Understanding between the MMS and each cooperating 
agency. You should also consider the CEQ's ``Factors for Determining 
Cooperating Agency Status.'' This document is available on the CEQ Web 
site at: http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/cooperating/cooperatingagencymemofactors.html.
    Even if your organization is not a cooperating agency, you will 
continue to have opportunities to provide information and comments to 
MMS during the normal public input phases of the NEPA/EIS process.
    5. Background Information: The geologic basin is about 17,500 
square miles in area and underlies the northern coastal plain of the 
Alaska Peninsula and the waters of Bristol Bay and is believed to be 
gas-prone. The ``program area'' is that subarea of the larger planning 
area identified in OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, 2007-2012. Water 
depths in the program area range from 40 to 120 feet (12 to 37 meters). 
The program area is approximately 10 statute miles from shore to more 
than 120 statute miles offshore. This area consists of approximately 
990 whole and partial blocks of about 2.3 million hectares (5.6 million 
acres).
    In 1985, the MMS prepared a final environmental impact statement 
for proposed NAB Sale 92 that assessed the potential impacts of oil and 
gas leasing activities in the NAB Planning Area (Final Environmental 
Impact Statement, North Aleutian Basin Sale 92, OCS EIS/EA MMS 85-0052, 
September 1985). On October 11, 1988, Sale 92 occurred and resulted in 
the issuance of 23 leases.
    In October 1989, the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area was placed 
under a congressional moratorium which banned DOI expenditures in 
support of any petroleum leasing or development activities in the 
planning area. In 1995, the Federal Government bought back the 23 
leases that were acquired in the 1988 sale. In 1998, an Executive Order 
extended the moratorium as a Presidential withdrawal until 2012. In 
2004, the congressional moratorium on petroleum-related activities in 
the NAB was discontinued and in 2007, the Presidential withdrawal was 
modified to exclude the North Aleutian Basin.
    In anticipation of potential leasing-related analysis for the North 
Aleutian Basin, the MMS Environmental Studies Program convened, in the 
fall of 2006, a Research Planning Meeting to review the status of 
environmental information in the NAB and to initiate planning for 
future study efforts. The MMS also contracted scientific staff at 
Argonne National Laboratory to conduct a literature search of relevant 
scientific publications over the last ten years (1996 to 2006), leading 
to the production of a literature synthesis report. Over 600 recent 
reports or studies were identified to supply information relevant to 
the EIS. In 2007, the MMS and the National Marine Fisheries Service 
began collaboration on a study of the North Pacific right whale, a 
federally designated endangered species, in the NAB. The MMS also 
contracted to modify an ice-ocean circulation model for Alaska's 
Bristol Bay. Proposed studies for fiscal year 2008 include research on 
subsistence food harvest and sharing activities, studies of juvenile 
and maturing salmon, and nearshore mapping of juvenile salmon and 
settling crab. Additional studies are proposed for fiscal year 2009. 
Information on the Environmental Studies Program, completed studies, 
and a status report for continuing studies in the NAB area may be found 
at this Web site: http://www.mms.gov/alaska or obtained by telephone 
request at 1-800-764-2627, or by written request at the address noted 
above.
    Additional pertinent information may also be found at the following 
Web sites: http://www.mms.gov/alaska/re/index.htm and http://www.mms.gov/alaska/fo/INDEX.HTM.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN04AP08.002


    Dated: March 21, 2008.
Jon Hrobsky,
Acting Director, Minerals Management Service.
[FR Doc. E8-7091 Filed 4-7-08; 8:45 am]
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