[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 157 (Wednesday, August 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47221-47222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-18709]


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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: Notice of scoping meetings and extension of scoping period to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: As part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
scoping process for the EIS on the proposed North Aleutian Basin OCS 
Oil and Gas Lease Sale 214, MMS has scheduled seven scoping meetings 
for August and September of 2008 to provide opportunity for public 
participation in the scoping process from communities within the 
vicinity of the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area. In addition, the 
MMS is announcing an extension of the deadline for submission of 
written scoping comments along with this public scoping meeting 
schedule.

[[Page 47222]]


DATES: The MMS has extended the deadline for submission of written 
scoping comments for the EIS to October 17, 2008. Scoping comments must 
be received no later than October 17, 2008, to be included in the 
Scoping Report. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for public 
scoping meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: Written scoping comments should be mailed to: Minerals 
Management Service, Alaska Region, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, 
Anchorage, AK 99503-5823. Submittals should be labeled ``Attn: Sale 214 
NOI.'' Comments may also be submitted 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 body of the 
message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 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 (907) 334-5230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION FOR THE SCOPING PROCESS: The Minerals 
Management Service (MMS) announced a Call for Information and 
Nominations (Call) and Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS for 
Sale 214 in the North Aleutian Basin in Federal Register Notice Vol. 
73, No. 68, Page No. 19095, dated April 8, 2008. Proposed lease sale 
214 is that subarea of the larger North Aleutian Basin Planning Area 
identified in the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012. 
Readers are cautioned that this announcement is not a decision to hold 
a lease sale, but rather a continuation of the information gathering 
and evaluation process.
    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. The Notice of Intent announced the 
initiation of the scoping process for the EIS, with public comments due 
July 7, 2008. The MMS has extended the deadline for submission of 
written scoping comments for the EIS to October 17, 2008 and has 
scheduled public scoping meetings to provide opportunity for public 
participation in the NEPA process.
    Although the formal public scoping process will conclude on October 
17, 2008, the MMS will continue to consider new information throughout 
the preparation of the EIS. Information about proposed OCS Oil and Gas 
Lease Sale 214 in the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area offshore of 
the State of Alaska was published in Federal Register Notice Vol. 73, 
No. 68, No. 19095, dated April 8, 2008. Additional information on 
proposed lease sale 214 is on the MMS Web site: http://www.mms.gov.
    1. Notice of Public Scoping Meetings. The MMS has scheduled seven 
public scoping meetings on the following dates and locations:
    (1) August 18, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., King Salmon, AK, Lake and 
Peninsula Borough Administration Building.
    (2) August 19, 2008, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Naknek, AK, Bristol Bay 
Borough Assembly Chambers.
    (3) September 2, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Dillingham, AK, City 
Council Chambers.
    (4) September 15, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sand Point, AK, 
Aleutians East Borough Offices.
    (5) September 16, 2008, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nelson Lagoon, AK, 
Nelson Lagoon Community Building.
    (6) September 16, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Cold Bay, AK, Cold Bay 
Community Center.
    (7) September 17, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., King Cove, AK, King 
Cove City Council Chambers.
    Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments and other interested 
parties help the MMS to determine significant issues, reasonable 
alternatives, potential mitigation measures to be analyzed in the EIS, 
as well as relevant information sources and recommendations for 
additional information. Alternatives include, at a minimum, the 
proposed action and taking no action. Alternatives developed through 
the scoping and analytical processes would be considered in the 
decision-making process.
    2. Background Information. In addition to the seven public scoping 
meetings planned for August and September 2008, the MMS held three 
public scoping meetings for proposed Lease Sale 214 in the communities 
of Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, Kodiak, and Anchorage in May and June 2008.
    The MMS makes comments, including names and addresses of 
respondents, available for public review. Individual commenters may 
request that MMS withhold their addresses from the public record. MMS 
will honor such requests to the extent allowable by law. There may also 
be circumstances in which the MMS would withhold identity, as allowable 
by law. If an individual would like the MMS to withhold their name and/
or address, this must be stated prominently at the beginning of the 
comment. The MMS will not consider anonymous comments. Submissions from 
organizations, businesses, individuals identified as representatives, 
or officials of organizations and/or businesses will be made available 
for public inspection in their entirety.
    Additional information may be found at the following Web site: 
http://www.mms.gov/alaska/re/index.htm.

    Dated: July 3, 2008.
John T. Goll,
Regional Director, Alaska OCS Region.
[FR Doc. E8-18709 Filed 8-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P