Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf, Western Planning Area Oil and Gas Lease Sale 246, 42535 [2015-17606]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 137 / Friday, July 17, 2015 / Notices
limited to, natural disasters (e.g.,
earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods),
wars, riots, acts of terrorism, fires,
strikes, civil disorder, or other events of
a similar nature. In case of such events,
bidders should call (504) 736–0557, or
access the BOEM Web site at https://
www.boem.gov, for information
regarding any changes.
Dated: July 8, 2015.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2015–17632 Filed 7–16–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[MMAA 104000]
Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental
Shelf, Western Planning Area Oil and
Gas Lease Sale 246
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of a
Record of Decision for Proposed
Western Planning Area (WPA) Lease
Sale 246, which is analyzed in the Gulf
of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2015–
2016; WPA Lease Sales 246 and 248;
Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement.
AGENCY:
BOEM has prepared a Record
of Decision for proposed oil and gas
WPA Lease Sale 246, which is
scheduled for August 19, 2015. The
proposed lease sale is in the Gulf of
Mexico’s WPA off the states of Texas
and Louisiana. Proposed WPA Lease
Sale 246 is the fourth WPA lease sale
scheduled in the OCS Oil and Gas
Leasing Program for 2012–2017. In
making its decision, BOEM considered
two alternatives to the proposed action,
the potential impacts as presented in the
WPA 246 and 248 Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),
and all comments received throughout
the National Environmental Policy Act
process. The Western Planning Area 246
and 248 Supplemental EIS evaluated the
environmental and socioeconomic
impacts for proposed Western Planning
Area Lease Sale 246.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the
WPA 246 and 248 Supplemental EIS,
the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM) evaluated three
alternatives that are summarized below:
Alternative A—The Proposed Action:
This is BOEM’s preferred alternative.
This alternative would offer for lease all
srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:59 Jul 16, 2015
Jkt 235001
unleased blocks within the proposed
WPA lease sale area for oil and gas
operations with the following exception:
Whole and partial blocks within the
boundary of the Flower Garden Banks
National Marine Sanctuary.
All unleased whole and partial blocks
in the WPA that BOEM will offer for
leasing in proposed WPA Lease Sale 246
are listed in the document ‘‘List of
Blocks Available for Leasing,’’ which is
included in the Final Notice of Sale 246
Package. The proposed WPA lease sale
area encompasses nearly all of the
WPA’s 28.58 million acres. As of
February 2015, approximately 21.9
million acres of the proposed WPA lease
sale area were unleased. The estimated
amount of resources projected to be
developed as a result of this proposal is
0.116–0.200 billion barrels of oil (BBO)
and 0.538–0.938 trillion cubic feet (Tcf)
of gas.
Alternative B—Exclude the Unleased
Blocks Near the Biologically Sensitive
Topographic Features: This alternative
would offer for lease all unleased blocks
within the proposed WPA lease sale
area, as described for the proposed
action (Alternative A), but it would
exclude from leasing any unleased
blocks subject to the Topographic
Features Stipulation. The estimated
amount of resources projected to be
developed under this alternative is
0.116–0.200 BBO and 0.538–0.938 Tcf
of gas, which is the same as is estimated
for Alternative A. The number of blocks
that would not be offered under
Alternative B represent only a small
percentage of the total number of blocks
to be offered under Alternative A;
therefore, it is expected that the levels
of oil and gas activity and related
environmental impact for Alternative B
would be essentially the same as those
projected for a WPA proposed action.
Alternative C—No Action: This
alternative is the cancellation of
proposed WPA Lease Sale 246 and is
identified as the environmentally
preferable alternative.
After careful consideration, BOEM
has selected the proposed action,
identified as BOEM’s preferred
alternative (Alternative A) in the WPA
246 and 248 Supplemental EIS. BOEM’s
selection of the preferred alternative
meets the purpose and need for the
proposed action, as identified in the
WPA 246 and 248 Supplemental EIS,
and will result in orderly resource
development with protection of the
human, marine, and coastal
environments, while also ensuring that
the public receives an equitable return
for these resources.
Record of Decision (ROD) Availability:
To obtain a single printed or CD copy
PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
42535
of the ROD for proposed WPA Lease
Sale 246, you may contact BOEM, Gulf
of Mexico OCS Region, Public
Information Office (GM 323A), 1201
Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans,
Louisiana 70123–2394 (1–800–200–
GULF). An electronic copy of the ROD
is available on BOEM’s Web site at
https://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/.
Additional Information: For more
information on the ROD, you may
contact Mr. Gary D. Goeke, Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of
Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood
Park Boulevard (GM 623E), New
Orleans, Louisiana 70123–2394. You
may also contact Mr. Goeke by
telephone at 504–736–3233.
Authority: This Notice of Availability is
published pursuant to the regulations (40
CFR part 1503) implementing the provisions
of the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. §§ 4321 et seq.).
Dated: July 8, 2015.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2015–17606 Filed 7–16–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement
[Docket ID: OSM–2010–0021; S1D1
SS08011000SX064A000156S180110; S2D2
SS08011000SX064A00015X501520]
Stream Protection Rule; Draft
Environmental Impact Statement
Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability; Draft
Environmental Impact Statement.
AGENCY:
We, the Office of Surface
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
(OSMRE), are announcing that the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
for the proposed stream protection rule
is available for public review and
comment.
SUMMARY:
Electronic or written comments:
We will accept electronic or written
comments on or before September 15,
2015.
DATES:
You may submit comments
by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. The Docket ID for
the DEIS is OSM–2010–0021. Please
follow the online instructions for
submitting comments.
Mail/Hand-Delivery/Courier: Office of
Surface Mining Reclamation and
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\17JYN1.SGM
17JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 137 (Friday, July 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 42535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17606]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[MMAA 104000]
Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf, Western Planning Area
Oil and Gas Lease Sale 246
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision for Proposed
Western Planning Area (WPA) Lease Sale 246, which is analyzed in the
Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sales:
2015-2016; WPA Lease Sales 246 and 248; Final Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: BOEM has prepared a Record of Decision for proposed oil and
gas WPA Lease Sale 246, which is scheduled for August 19, 2015. The
proposed lease sale is in the Gulf of Mexico's WPA off the states of
Texas and Louisiana. Proposed WPA Lease Sale 246 is the fourth WPA
lease sale scheduled in the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-
2017. In making its decision, BOEM considered two alternatives to the
proposed action, the potential impacts as presented in the WPA 246 and
248 Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and all comments
received throughout the National Environmental Policy Act process. The
Western Planning Area 246 and 248 Supplemental EIS evaluated the
environmental and socioeconomic impacts for proposed Western Planning
Area Lease Sale 246.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the WPA 246 and 248 Supplemental EIS, the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) evaluated three alternatives
that are summarized below:
Alternative A--The Proposed Action: This is BOEM's preferred
alternative. This alternative would offer for lease all unleased blocks
within the proposed WPA lease sale area for oil and gas operations with
the following exception: Whole and partial blocks within the boundary
of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
All unleased whole and partial blocks in the WPA that BOEM will
offer for leasing in proposed WPA Lease Sale 246 are listed in the
document ``List of Blocks Available for Leasing,'' which is included in
the Final Notice of Sale 246 Package. The proposed WPA lease sale area
encompasses nearly all of the WPA's 28.58 million acres. As of February
2015, approximately 21.9 million acres of the proposed WPA lease sale
area were unleased. The estimated amount of resources projected to be
developed as a result of this proposal is 0.116-0.200 billion barrels
of oil (BBO) and 0.538-0.938 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas.
Alternative B--Exclude the Unleased Blocks Near the Biologically
Sensitive Topographic Features: This alternative would offer for lease
all unleased blocks within the proposed WPA lease sale area, as
described for the proposed action (Alternative A), but it would exclude
from leasing any unleased blocks subject to the Topographic Features
Stipulation. The estimated amount of resources projected to be
developed under this alternative is 0.116-0.200 BBO and 0.538-0.938 Tcf
of gas, which is the same as is estimated for Alternative A. The number
of blocks that would not be offered under Alternative B represent only
a small percentage of the total number of blocks to be offered under
Alternative A; therefore, it is expected that the levels of oil and gas
activity and related environmental impact for Alternative B would be
essentially the same as those projected for a WPA proposed action.
Alternative C--No Action: This alternative is the cancellation of
proposed WPA Lease Sale 246 and is identified as the environmentally
preferable alternative.
After careful consideration, BOEM has selected the proposed action,
identified as BOEM's preferred alternative (Alternative A) in the WPA
246 and 248 Supplemental EIS. BOEM's selection of the preferred
alternative meets the purpose and need for the proposed action, as
identified in the WPA 246 and 248 Supplemental EIS, and will result in
orderly resource development with protection of the human, marine, and
coastal environments, while also ensuring that the public receives an
equitable return for these resources.
Record of Decision (ROD) Availability: To obtain a single printed
or CD copy of the ROD for proposed WPA Lease Sale 246, you may contact
BOEM, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (GM 323A),
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-
200-GULF). An electronic copy of the ROD is available on BOEM's Web
site at https://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/.
Additional Information: For more information on the ROD, you may
contact Mr. Gary D. Goeke, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of
Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard (GM 623E), New Orleans,
Louisiana 70123-2394. You may also contact Mr. Goeke by telephone at
504-736-3233.
Authority: This Notice of Availability is published pursuant to
the regulations (40 CFR part 1503) implementing the provisions of
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C.
Sec. Sec. 4321 et seq.).
Dated: July 8, 2015.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2015-17606 Filed 7-16-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
