[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 124 (Friday, June 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 38388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13733]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[20X.LLAK930000.L13100000.DP0000.LXSSL0550000]


Notice of Availability of the National Petroleum Reserve in 
Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 
1976 (NPRPA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Alaska 
State Office, has prepared the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) for the National Petroleum 
Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) and by this notice is announcing its 
publication.

DATES: The BLM will issue a Record of Decision for the project no 
earlier than 30 days from the date of the Final EIS Notice of 
Availability published by the Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: To access the Final EIS or to request an electronic or paper 
copy, please reach out to:
     website: http://www.blm.gov/alaska.
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: BLM Alaska State Office, 222 West 7th Avenue #13, 
Anchorage, Alaska 99513.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Rice, NPR-A IAP Project 
Manager, 907-271-3202; address: 222 West 7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, AK 
99513. People who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact 
the above individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the 
above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business 
hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The IAP/EIS analyzes management of all BLM 
managed lands in the NPR-A in a manner consistent with existing 
statutory direction and Secretarial Order 3352. Secretarial Order 3352 
directed the development of a schedule to ``effectuate the lawful 
review and development of an IAP for the NPR-A that strikes an 
appropriate balance of promoting development while protecting surface 
resources.'' The NPRPA, as amended, and its implementing regulations 
require oil and gas leasing in the NPR-A and the protection of surface 
values consistent with exploration, development and transportation of 
oil and gas. The IAP/EIS will serve to inform BLM's management of the 
NPR-A for all permissible uses.
    Specifically, the IAP/EIS considers and analyzes the environmental 
impact of various management alternatives, including the areas to offer 
for oil and gas leasing, and the impacts that could result based on 
consideration of a hypothetical development scenario. The alternatives 
analyze various terms and conditions (i.e., lease stipulations and 
required operating procedures) to require of permittees in the NPR-A, 
to properly balance oil and gas development and other activities with 
protection of surface resources and other uses, including subsistence 
use. The lands comprising the NPR-A are approximately 23 million acres.
    Public comments on the draft EIS alternatives drove significant 
changes to required operating procedures and lease stipulations that 
were used to develop a new and Preferred Alternative (Alternative E). 
The Preferred Alternative would make the most land open to leasing 
(approximately 18.6 million acres, or 82 percent of NPR-A's subsurface 
estate).
    The BLM has worked with interested parties to identify the 
management decisions best suited to local, regional, and national needs 
and concerns, as well as to develop a range of alternatives that 
examines how best to balance development with protecting surface 
resources and other uses. Future on-the-ground actions requiring BLM 
approval, including potential exploration and development proposals, 
would require further NEPA analysis based on the site-specific 
proposal. Potential applicants would be subject to the terms of the new 
IAP/EIS Record of Decision; however, the BLM Authorized Officer may 
require additional site-specific terms and conditions before 
authorizing any oil and gas activity based on the project level NEPA 
analysis.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6(b))

Chad B. Padgett,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2020-13733 Filed 6-25-20; 8:45 am]
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