Notice of Intent To Prepare and Scope an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017, 16828-16829 [2010-7580]

Download as PDF 16828 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 63 / Friday, April 2, 2010 / Notices 2008. Public workshops and scoping meetings were held in Apple Valley, California in March and April 2008. Predominant issues identified during scoping included visual, biological, noise, recreation, transportation, economic, and cumulative impacts. The issues and concerns identified during scoping are addressed in the Draft EIS/EIR. Please note that public comments and information submitted including names, street addresses, and e-mail addresses of persons who submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 1506.10 and 43 CFR 1610.2. Thomas Pogacnik, Deputy State Director. [FR Doc. 2010–7474 Filed 4–1–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–40–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLOPRP0600 L51010000.ER0000 LVRWH09H0600; HAG 10–0137] Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed West Butte Wind Power Right-of-Way, Crook and Deschutes Counties, OR mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability. SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the West Butte Wind Power Right-ofWay and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period. DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive written comments on the Draft EIS within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability of VerDate Nov<24>2008 16:40 Apr 01, 2010 Jkt 220001 this Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media releases, and/or mailings. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the West Butte Wind Power Right-of-Way by any of the following methods: • Web site: https://www.blm.gov/or/ districts/prineville/plans/ wbw_power_row/request.php. • E-mail: or_west_butte_eis@blm.gov. • Fax: (541) 416–6798. • Mail: West Butte Wind Power Right of Way, BLM Prineville District Office, 3050 N.E. 3rd Street, Prineville, Oregon 97754. Copies of the West Butte Wind Power Right-of-Way Draft EIS are available at the Prineville District Office at the above address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The West Butte Wind Power Right-of-Way Project Lead, telephone (541) 416–6885; address 3050 N.E. 3rd Street, Prineville, Oregon 97754; e-mail or_west_butte_eis@blm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, West Butte Wind Power, LLC, has requested a right-of-way authorization to construct 3.9 miles of road and an adjacent power transmission line on public land to support renewable energy production on private land, including the construction of up to 52 wind turbines and ancillary facilities. The project is 25 miles southeast of Bend, Oregon on the north side of U.S. Highway 20. The Draft EIS analyzes impacts of the Proposed Action, the Proposed Action with mitigation, and the No Action alternatives, and identifies measures to mitigate adverse impacts. Major issues brought forward during the public scoping process and addressed in the Draft EIS include: (1) Vegetation; (2) Wildlife Habitat; (3) Sensitive Species; (4) Visual Resources; (5) Cultural and Tribal Resources; (6) Noise; (7) Socioeconomic Impacts; and (8) Public Safety. The agency’s preferred alternative is the Proposed Action with mitigation. A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the West Butte Wind Power Right-ofWay Project was published in the Federal Register on January 19, 2010 (75 FR 2886). Public participation was solicited through the media, mailings, and the BLM Website. The formal scoping period ended February 5, 2010. Please note that public comments and information submitted including names, PO 00000 Frm 00110 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 street addresses, and e-mail addresses of persons who submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10. February 23, 2010. Stephen Robertson, Prineville Associate District Manager. [FR Doc. 2010–7352 Filed 4–1–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–33–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Minerals Management Service Notice of Intent To Prepare and Scope an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012–2017 AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent and request for comments. SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Minerals Management Service (MMS) is providing notice of its intent to prepare an EIS with respect to the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012–2017 and requests comments for the purposes of determining the scope of the EIS we plan to prepare. DATES: Please submit comments and information to the MMS on scoping no later than June 30, 2010. ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit their written scoping comments until June 30, 2010, to Mr. J. F. Bennett, Chief, Branch of Environmental Assessment, Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden Street, MS 4042, Herndon, Virginia 20170, or online at: ocs5yeareis.anl.gov. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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. E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM 02APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 63 / Friday, April 2, 2010 / Notices FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. J. F. Bennett, Chief, Branch of Environmental Assessment, Minerals Management Service, 703–787–1660. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of NEPA, the MMS intends to prepare an EIS for the new 5year OCS oil and gas leasing program for 2012–2017. This notice starts the formal scoping process for the EIS under 40 CFR 1501.7, and solicits information regarding issues and alternatives that should be evaluated in the EIS. The EIS will analyze the potential impacts of the adoption of the proposed 5-year program. Background In January 2009, the previous Administration published a Draft Proposed Program (DPP) and a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS that set out a schedule for scoping meetings in the areas of the DPP. In February 2009, the Secretary of the Interior extended the comment period on the DPP and postponed the scoping meetings to allow time to consider further public comment before determining which areas in the DPP should be scoped for the EIS and thus be analyzed for consideration in the subsequent program proposals under section 18 of the OCS Lands Act, 43 U.S.C 1344. The fact that an area is analyzed in a 5-year EIS does not mean that it will be included in a final leasing program. However, an area must be analyzed pursuant to NEPA to be included in a 5-year program. mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES Areas To Be Scoped for the EIS The draft EIS for the OCS Oil and Gas Program for 2012–2017 will evaluate offering all or portions of eight OCS planning areas for oil and gas leasing: Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Cook Inlet, which are offshore Alaska; Western, Central, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico, the latter focusing on the southwestern third of the planning area rather than the entire area contemplated in the DPP; and South and Mid-Atlantic. These areas also will be the focus of the proposed program analyses. Scoping Meetings Public meetings will be held in coastal locations near these areas in June and early July 2010, to help determine the appropriate scope of the EIS in terms of geographical areas and issues. The meetings are being planned for, but not necessarily limited to: • Kaktovik, Alaska • Nuiqsut, Alaska • Barrow, Alaska • Anchorage, Alaska • New Orleans, Louisiana; VerDate Nov<24>2008 16:40 Apr 01, 2010 Jkt 220001 • Mobile, Alabama; • Tallahassee, Florida; • Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida; • Savannah, Georgia and/or Wilmington, North Carolina • Norfolk, Virginia; • Trenton, New Jersey and/or Wilmington, Delaware; and • Washington, DC. Specific times and venues will be posted on the MMS website and published in the Federal Register per 40 CFR 1506.6. The comments that MMS has received in response to the January 21, 2009 Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS (74 FR 3631) and the August 2008 Request for Comments on the preparation of a new 5-year program (73 FR 45065), and the comments received during scoping for the 2007–2012 Five Year EIS, have identified environmental issues and concerns that MMS will consider in the EIS. In summary, these include climate change as an impact factor in cumulative analyses, the effects of the OCS program on climate change, potential impacts from accidental oil spills, potential impacts to tourism and recreation activities, and ecological impacts from potential degradation of marine and coastal habitats. Additionally, alternatives will be developed and analyzed during the EIS process based on scoping comments and governmental communications. Alternatives may include increasing or decreasing the number or frequency of sales, coastal buffers, limiting areas available for leasing, and excluding parts of or entire planning areas. Written Scoping Comments for the EIS The MMS will consider comments for the purposes of determining the scope of the EIS we plan to prepare. Comments on the relationship between the Oil and Gas Program and the Alternative Energy Program are also welcome. Interested parties may submit their written scoping comments until June 30, 2010, to Mr. J. F. Bennett, Chief, Branch of Environmental Assessment, Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden Street, MS 4042, Herndon, Virginia 20170, or online at: ocs5yeareis.anl.gov. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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. PO 00000 Frm 00111 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 16829 Cooperating Agency The Department of the Interior invites other Federal agencies, state, tribal, and local governments to consider becoming cooperating agencies in the preparation of the EIS. We invite qualified government entities to inquire about cooperating agency status for the EIS for the proposed 5-year program. Using the guidelines from the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), 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 and to remember that an agency’s role in the environmental analysis neither enlarges nor diminishes the final decision making authority of any agency involved in the NEPA process. Agencies should also consider the ‘‘Factors for Determining Cooperating Agency Status’’ in Attachment 1 to CEQ’s January 30, 2002, Memorandum for the Heads of Federal Agencies: Cooperating Agencies in Implementing the Procedural Requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The appropriate pages can be found at: https://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ cooperating/ cooperatingagenciesmemorandum.html and https://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ cooperating/ cooperatingagencymemofactors.html. The MMS, as the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance to cooperating agencies. Even if an organization is not a cooperating agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and comments to MMS during the normal public input phases of the NEPA/EIS process. The MMS will also consult with tribal governments on a government-togovernment basis. If further information about cooperating agencies is needed, please contact Mr. James F. Bennett, at (703) 787–1660. Dated: March 30, 2010. S. Elizabeth Birnbaum, Director, Minerals Management Service. [FR Doc. 2010–7580 Filed 4–1–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P E:\FR\FM\02APN1.SGM 02APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 63 (Friday, April 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16828-16829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-7580]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare and Scope an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas 
Leasing Program for 2012-2017

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
Minerals Management Service (MMS) is providing notice of its intent to 
prepare an EIS with respect to the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 
2012-2017 and requests comments for the purposes of determining the 
scope of the EIS we plan to prepare.

DATES: Please submit comments and information to the MMS on scoping no 
later than June 30, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may submit their written scoping comments 
until June 30, 2010, to Mr. J. F. Bennett, Chief, Branch of 
Environmental Assessment, Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden 
Street, MS 4042, Herndon, Virginia 20170, or online at: 
ocs5yeareis.anl.gov.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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.

[[Page 16829]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. J. F. Bennett, Chief, Branch of 
Environmental Assessment, Minerals Management Service, 703-787-1660.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of NEPA, the 
MMS intends to prepare an EIS for the new 5-year OCS oil and gas 
leasing program for 2012-2017. This notice starts the formal scoping 
process for the EIS under 40 CFR 1501.7, and solicits information 
regarding issues and alternatives that should be evaluated in the EIS. 
The EIS will analyze the potential impacts of the adoption of the 
proposed 5-year program.

Background

    In January 2009, the previous Administration published a Draft 
Proposed Program (DPP) and a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS that 
set out a schedule for scoping meetings in the areas of the DPP. In 
February 2009, the Secretary of the Interior extended the comment 
period on the DPP and postponed the scoping meetings to allow time to 
consider further public comment before determining which areas in the 
DPP should be scoped for the EIS and thus be analyzed for consideration 
in the subsequent program proposals under section 18 of the OCS Lands 
Act, 43 U.S.C 1344. The fact that an area is analyzed in a 5-year EIS 
does not mean that it will be included in a final leasing program. 
However, an area must be analyzed pursuant to NEPA to be included in a 
5-year program.

Areas To Be Scoped for the EIS

    The draft EIS for the OCS Oil and Gas Program for 2012-2017 will 
evaluate offering all or portions of eight OCS planning areas for oil 
and gas leasing: Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Cook Inlet, which are 
offshore Alaska; Western, Central, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico, the 
latter focusing on the southwestern third of the planning area rather 
than the entire area contemplated in the DPP; and South and Mid-
Atlantic. These areas also will be the focus of the proposed program 
analyses.

Scoping Meetings

    Public meetings will be held in coastal locations near these areas 
in June and early July 2010, to help determine the appropriate scope of 
the EIS in terms of geographical areas and issues. The meetings are 
being planned for, but not necessarily limited to:
     Kaktovik, Alaska
     Nuiqsut, Alaska
     Barrow, Alaska
     Anchorage, Alaska
     New Orleans, Louisiana;
     Mobile, Alabama;
     Tallahassee, Florida;
     Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida;
     Savannah, Georgia and/or Wilmington, North Carolina
     Norfolk, Virginia;
     Trenton, New Jersey and/or Wilmington, Delaware; and
     Washington, DC.
    Specific times and venues will be posted on the MMS website and 
published in the Federal Register per 40 CFR 1506.6.
    The comments that MMS has received in response to the January 21, 
2009 Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS (74 FR 3631) and the August 
2008 Request for Comments on the preparation of a new 5-year program 
(73 FR 45065), and the comments received during scoping for the 2007-
2012 Five Year EIS, have identified environmental issues and concerns 
that MMS will consider in the EIS. In summary, these include climate 
change as an impact factor in cumulative analyses, the effects of the 
OCS program on climate change, potential impacts from accidental oil 
spills, potential impacts to tourism and recreation activities, and 
ecological impacts from potential degradation of marine and coastal 
habitats. Additionally, alternatives will be developed and analyzed 
during the EIS process based on scoping comments and governmental 
communications. Alternatives may include increasing or decreasing the 
number or frequency of sales, coastal buffers, limiting areas available 
for leasing, and excluding parts of or entire planning areas.

Written Scoping Comments for the EIS

    The MMS will consider comments for the purposes of determining the 
scope of the EIS we plan to prepare. Comments on the relationship 
between the Oil and Gas Program and the Alternative Energy Program are 
also welcome. Interested parties may submit their written scoping 
comments until June 30, 2010, to Mr. J. F. Bennett, Chief, Branch of 
Environmental Assessment, Minerals Management Service, 381 Elden 
Street, MS 4042, Herndon, Virginia 20170, or online at: 
ocs5yeareis.anl.gov. Before including your address, phone number, e-
mail 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.

Cooperating Agency

    The Department of the Interior invites other Federal agencies, 
state, tribal, and local governments to consider becoming cooperating 
agencies in the preparation of the EIS. We invite qualified government 
entities to inquire about cooperating agency status for the EIS for the 
proposed 5-year program. Using the guidelines from the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ), 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 and to remember 
that an agency's role in the environmental analysis neither enlarges 
nor diminishes the final decision making authority of any agency 
involved in the NEPA process. Agencies should also consider the 
``Factors for Determining Cooperating Agency Status'' in Attachment 1 
to CEQ's January 30, 2002, Memorandum for the Heads of Federal 
Agencies: Cooperating Agencies in Implementing the Procedural 
Requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The appropriate 
pages can be found at: https://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/cooperating/cooperatingagenciesmemorandum.html and https://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/cooperating/cooperatingagencymemofactors.html.
    The MMS, as the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance 
to cooperating agencies. Even if an organization is not a cooperating 
agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and comments to 
MMS during the normal public input phases of the NEPA/EIS process. The 
MMS will also consult with tribal governments on a government-to-
government basis. If further information about cooperating agencies is 
needed, please contact Mr. James F. Bennett, at (703) 787-1660.

    Dated: March 30, 2010.
S. Elizabeth Birnbaum,
Director, Minerals Management Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-7580 Filed 4-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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