[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 240 (Friday, December 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64355-64356]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27176]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2018-0054]


Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Alaska Region (AK), Beaufort Sea 
Program Area, Proposed 2019 Beaufort Sea Oil and Gas Lease Sale

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement, 
announce the area identified for leasing, extension of comment period 
and prescheduling of public scoping meetings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On November 16, 2018, consistent with the regulations 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau 
of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced its intent, in the Federal 
Register (83 FR 57749), to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the proposed 2019 Beaufort Sea Lease Sale in the Beaufort Sea 
Planning Area. Because of earthquakes in Alaska, BOEM has rescheduled 
some of its scoping meetings and extended the comment period.

DATES: 
    Comments: All interested parties, including Federal, State, Tribal, 
and local governments, and the general public, may submit written 
comments by January 4, 2019, on the scope of the 2019 Beaufort Sea 
Lease Sale EIS, significant issues, reasonable alternatives, potential 
mitigation measures, and the foreseeable types of oil and gas 
activities in the proposed lease sale area.
    Comments may be made on-line. Navigate to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket BOEM-2018-0054, or ``Oil and 
Gas Lease Sales: Alaska Outer Continental Shelf; 2019 Beaufort Sea 
Lease Sale'', and click on the ``Comment Now!'' button. Enter your 
information and comment, and then click ``Submit.'' 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.

ADDRESSES: 
    Scoping Meetings: Pursuant to the regulations implementing the 
procedural provisions of NEPA, BOEM will hold public scoping meetings. 
The purpose of these meetings is to solicit comments on the scope of 
the 2019 Beaufort Sea Lease Sale EIS. The meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, 
on December 6, 2018, was held as scheduled. The remaining meetings will 
all start at 7:00 p.m. and conclude at 9:00 p.m., and are rescheduled 
as follows:
     December 17, 2018, Inupiat Heritage Center, 
Utqia[gdot]vik, Alaska;
     December 18, 2018, Kisik Community Center, Nuiqsut, 
Alaska; and
     December 19, 2018, Community Center, Kaktovik, Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the 2019 Beaufort 
Sea

[[Page 64356]]

Lease Sale EIS or the submission of comments, please contact Sharon 
Randall, Chief of Environmental Analysis Section, BOEM, Alaska OCS 
Region, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, AK 99503, (907) 
334-5200.

    Authority: This notice of intent is published pursuant to the 
regulations at 40 CFR 1501.7 implementing the provisions of NEPA.

    Dated: December 11, 2018.
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2018-27176 Filed 12-13-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P