[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 119 (Friday, June 20, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 35378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14290]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[MMAA104000]


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement for Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea 
Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: BOEM is giving notice of its intent to prepare a Supplemental 
EIS for OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 in the Chukchi Sea Planning 
Area, Alaska. This Supplemental EIS will provide new analysis in 
response to a remand by the United States Court of Appeals for the 
Ninth Circuit.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

    Authority:  The NOI is published pursuant to the regulations (40 
CFR 1508.22) implementing the procedural provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 
et seq.)

    Purpose of Notice of Intent: BOEM is announcing its intent to 
prepare a Supplemental EIS for Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 in the 
Chukchi Sea Planning Area, Alaska. The Supplemental EIS will supplement 
the analysis from the Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 Final EIS (OCS EIS/EA 
MMS 2007-0026) and the Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 Final Supplemental 
EIS (OCS EIS/EA BOEMRE 2011-041) by providing an updated oil and gas 
exploration, development and production scenario and associated 
environmental effects analysis. The Final EIS for Oil and Gas Lease 
Sale 193 evaluated the potential effects of four alternatives that 
included a proposed action, a no action alternative, and two other 
alternatives with sale area configurations that would defer areas from 
leasing along the coast adjacent to the proposed sale area. The Final 
Supplemental EIS evaluated the potential effects of exploration seismic 
surveying and drilling; oil development, production, and 
transportation; and accidental crude oil spills. The Final Supplemental 
EIS also evaluated potential effects of a natural gas development and 
production scenario, as well as a hypothetical Very Large Oil Spill 
event. The proposed action and alternatives from the Final EIS and 
Final Supplemental EIS will be carried forward in this supplemental 
EIS. The Assistant Secretary will issue a new Record of Decision after 
evaluating this supplemental EIS and public comments. Implementation of 
the Secretary's selection among the alternatives will require the 
Secretary to either reaffirm, modify, or vacate the leases previously 
sold.
    Scoping: In accordance with 40 CFR 1502.9(c)(4), there will be no 
scoping conducted for this Supplemental EIS. The scope of the Final EIS 
for Sale 193 and the remand by the United States Court of Appeals for 
the Ninth Circuit establish the scope for this Supplemental EIS. The 
Draft Supplemental EIS will be announced for public review and comment: 
(1) In the Federal Register by BOEM and the Environmental Protection 
Agency; (2) on the BOEM Alaska OCS Region homepage; and (3) in the 
local media. Public hearings will be held following release of the 
Draft Supplemental EIS. Dates and locations will be determined and 
published at a later date.
    Cooperating Agencies: The Department of the Interior's policy is to 
invite other Federal agencies, and state, tribal, and local governments 
to become cooperating agencies during the preparation of an EIS. 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations state that 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 decision making authority of an agency involved in 
the NEPA process. BOEM invites qualified government entities to inquire 
about cooperating agency status for this Supplemental EIS. Upon 
request, BOEM will provide qualified cooperating agencies with a 
written summary of ground rules for cooperating agencies, including 
time schedules and critical action dates, milestones, responsibilities, 
and scope and detail of cooperating agencies' contributions. Potential 
cooperating agencies should also consider the CEQ's ``Factors for 
Determining Cooperating Agency Status.'' This document is available on 
the CEQ Web site at: http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/cooperating/cooperatingagencymemofactors.html. Even if your organization is not a 
cooperating agency, you will have an opportunity to provide information 
and comments to BOEM during the comment phase of the Supplemental EIS 
process. Additional information may be found at the following Web site: 
http://www.boem.gov/Alaska-Region.

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Frances Mann, Chief, Environmental 
Analysis Section II, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Alaska OCS 
Region, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-
5820, telephone (907) 334-5277.

    Dated: June 9, 2014.
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2014-14290 Filed 6-19-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P