[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 216 (Friday, November 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66401-66402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25745]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2014-0078]


Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS Region, Chukchi Sea Planning 
Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193, MMAA104000

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

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

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SUMMARY: BOEM is announcing the availability of a Draft Second 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Chukchi Sea 
Planning Area, OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 (Lease Sale 193). The 
Draft Second SEIS (OCS EIS/EA BOEM 2014-653) provides new analysis in 
accordance with the United States District Court for the District of 
Alaska (District Court) Order remanding Lease Sale 193 to BOEM. The 
District Court's order instructs BOEM to address the deficiency in the 
2007 Final EIS (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007-026) identified by the U.S. Court 
of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Ninth Circuit). The Ninth Circuit 
Court held that the Environmental Impact Statement supporting the 
decision to hold Lease

[[Page 66402]]

Sale 193 arbitrarily relied on a 1 billion barrel oil production 
estimate.

    Authority:  This Notice of Availability for the Draft Second 
SEIS is in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, and is published pursuant to 43 CFR 46.305.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than December 22, 2014.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chukchi Sea OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 
was held in February 2008. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) 
(predecessor to BOEM) received high bids totaling approximately $2.7 
billion and issued 487 leases. The lease sale decision was challenged 
in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. In 2010, the 
District Court remanded the case to the agency to remedy deficiencies 
pertaining to the agency's compliance with NEPA. BOEM released a Final 
SEIS in August 2011 and the Secretary of the Interior reaffirmed the 
lease sale in October 2011. In February 2012, the District Court ruled 
the Department of the Interior had met its NEPA obligations on remand. 
In April 2012, the plaintiffs appealed the District Court's decision to 
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
    In a January 22, 2014, opinion, the Ninth Circuit found MMS's 
``reliance in the [Final Environmental Impact Statement] on a one 
billion barrel estimate of total economically recoverable oil was 
arbitrary and capricious.'' The Ninth Circuit explained that ``NEPA 
require[s] [the Agency] to base its analysis on the full range of 
likely production if oil production were to occur.'' Id. The Ninth 
Circuit remanded the case to the District Court, which further remanded 
the matter to BOEM on April 24, 2014.
    BOEM has prepared a Draft Second SEIS for Lease Sale 193 in 
accordance with the April 24, 2014 remand order of the District Court. 
The Draft Second SEIS addresses the deficiencies identified in the 
Ninth Circuit opinion by analyzing the potential environmental effects 
of potential oil and gas activities associated with Lease Sale 193 
based on a new exploration and development scenario.
    Prior to this NOA, BOEM made the Draft Second SEIS available to the 
public by issuing a press release and posting the Draft Second SEIS on 
the BOEM Web site. The Draft Second SEIS continues to be available on 
BOEM's Web site at http://www.boem.gov/Alaska-Region for downloading 
and viewing. In keeping with the Department of the Interior's mission 
to protect natural resources and to limit costs, while ensuring 
availability of the document to the public, BOEM will primarily 
distribute digital copies of the Draft Second SEIS on compact discs. 
BOEM has printed and will be distributing a limited number of paper 
copies. If requested, BOEM will provide a paper copy if copies are 
still available. You may request a paper copy by calling (907) 334-5200 
or the toll free number at 800-764-2627. BOEM has distributed the Draft 
Second SEIS for viewing at the following libraries in Alaska: Alaska 
Resources Library and Information Service (Anchorage); University of 
Alaska Anchorage, Consortium Library; Alaska Pacific University, 
Academic Support Center Library; University of Alaska Fairbanks, 
Institute of Arctic Biology; University of Alaska Fairbanks, Elmer E. 
Rasmuson Library; Nellie Weyiouanna Ilisaavik Library, Shishmaref; 
Katie Tokienna Memorial Library, Wales; Noel Wien Library, Fairbanks; 
Kaveolook School Library, Kaktovik; Koyuk City Library; Tikigaq 
Library, Point Hope; Trapper School Community Library, Nuiqsut; Juneau 
Public Library; University of Alaska Southeast Library, Juneau; Alaska 
State Library, Juneau; and Kegoyah Kozga Public Library, Nome.
    Written Comments: Federal, state, tribal, and local governments 
and/or agencies and all other interested parties may submit written 
comments on this Draft Second SEIS at: Federal eRulemaking Portal: 
http://www.regulations.gov. In the field entitled, ``Enter Keyword or 
ID,'' enter BOEM-2014-0078, and then click ``search.'' BOEM will make 
available all comments in their entirety on http://www.regulations.gov. 
However, to the extent practicable, BOEM will remove inappropriate 
content (i.e., contains vulgar language, personal attacks of any kind, 
threats, accusations, obscenity, or offensive terms that target 
specific ethnic or racial groups). Before including your address, phone 
number, email address or other personal identifying information in your 
comment, you should be aware 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 your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    Public Hearings: Pursuant to the regulations implementing the 
procedural provisions of NEPA, BOEM will hold public hearings on the 
Draft Second SEIS. These hearings are scheduled as follows:
    November 17, 2014, Northwest Arctic Borough Assembly Chambers, 163 
Lagoon Street, Kotzebue, Alaska;
    November 18, 2014, City Qalgi Center, Point Hope, Alaska;
    November 19, 2014, Community Center, Point Lay, Alaska;
    November 20, 2014, R. James Community Center, Wainwright, Alaska;
    December 1, 2014, Loussac Library Complex, 3600 Denali Street, 
Anchorage, Alaska;
    December 3, 2014, Ilisagvik College (Albert Hall), 100 Stevenson 
Street, Barrow, Alaska; and
    December 4, 2014, Westmark Hotel, 813 Noble Street, Fairbanks, 
Alaska.
    All meetings will start at 7:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Routhier, Program Analysis 
Officer and Project Manager, BOEM, Alaska OCS Region, 3801 Centerpoint 
Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska 99503-5823 or by telephone at (907) 
334-5200.

    Dated: October 20, 2014.
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2014-25745 Filed 11-6-14; 8:45 am]
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