Record of Decision for Non-Federal Oil and Gas Regulation Revision Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), 76961-76962 [2016-26492]

Download as PDF asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 214 / Friday, November 4, 2016 / Notices Additionally, the museum collection would be moved if the project to stop water infiltration in the visitor center building is unsuccessful or if the Park identifies funding or partnership opportunities to relocate the museum collection out of the basement of the Visitor’s Center to a more suitable location. Alternative 3: Locate Facilities OffSite: Under alternative 3, archeological resources would be managed under the adaptive management framework described above. Under this alternative, the Park would relocate the maintenance facility outside the Park boundary and remove the existing maintenance buildings from the Park landscape. Similar to alternative 2, the museum collection would be moved if the project to stop water infiltration in the visitor center building is unsuccessful or if the Park identifies funding or partnership opportunities to relocate the museum collection out of the basement to a more suitable location. NPS Preferred Alternative: The preferred alternative is likely to be a combination of alternatives 2 and 3. The NPS would prefer to remove the maintenance facility from Park property, and stop water infiltration at the visitor center so the museum collection can remain in place. While moving the maintenance facility off-site is preferred to best protect Park resources, the ability to relocate is dependent on the availability of suitable property at a reasonable price. If suitable sites are not available when the Park is ready to relocate, the Park will construct the facilities within the Park. In order to comment on this plan, comments may be transmitted electronically through the project Web site (address above). If preferred, you may mail written comments directly to the Superintendent at the address above. 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. Dated: September 9, 2016. Patricia S. Trap, Deputy Regional Director, Midwest Region. [FR Doc. 2016–26690 Filed 11–3–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312–52–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:52 Nov 03, 2016 Jkt 241001 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Record of Decision for Non-Federal Oil and Gas Regulation Revision Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) National Park Service, Interior. Notice of availability; record of decision. AGENCY: ACTION: The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared and approved a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Nonfederal Oil and Gas Regulations (36 CFR part 9, subpart B) Revisions. Approval of this Record of Decision completes the National Environmental Policy Act process. DATES: November 4, 2016. ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available for public review at https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/ROD_9B. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Steensen, Chief, Geologic Resources Division, National Park Service, PO Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225; phone (303) 969–2014. The responsible official for this ROD is Jonathan Jarvis, Director, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20240. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This process was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), the Department of the Interior NEPA regulations (43 CFR part 46), and NPS Director’s Order 12, Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis and Decision-Making and accompanying handbook. The original Notice of Intent (NOI) initiating the NEPA process was published in the Federal Register on December 30, 2010 (75 FR 82362). The NOI specifically solicited public comment on draft purpose and need statements, objectives, and issues and concerns related to revisions of the NPS regulations governing non-federal oil and gas development on units of the national park system. The NOI also requested public comment on possible alternatives the NPS should consider in revising the regulations. On October 23, 2015, the NPS released for public review the draft EIS for the Proposed Revision of 9B Regulations Governing Nonfederal Oil and Gas Activities through the publication of a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register (80 FR 64445). The Environmental Protection Agency also issued a Notice of Availability for the draft EIS that was published in the Federal Register on SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 76961 October 30, 2015 (80 FR 66898). On September 2, 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a Notice of Availability for the plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that was published in the Federal Register (81 FR 60697); NPS also released the FEIS for public review on September 2, 2016, and published its own NPS Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on September 7, 2016 (81 FR 61715). The FEIS evaluated the environmental consequences of three alternatives, Alternative A (no action), Alternative B (preferred and environmentally preferable alternative), and Alternative C. Alternative B includes the following alternative elements: • Elimination of two regulatory provisions that exempt 60% of the oil and gas operations in System units. All operators in System units would be required to comply with the 9B regulations. • Elimination of the financial assurance (bonding) cap. Financial assurance would be equal to the reasonable estimated cost of site reclamation. • Improving enforcement authority by incorporating existing NPS penalty provisions. Law enforcement staff would have authority to write citations for noncompliance with the regulations. • Authorizing compensation to the federal government for new access on federal lands and waters outside the boundary of an operator’s mineral right. • Reformatting the regulations to make it easier to identify an operator’s information requirements and operating standards that apply to each type of operation. Alternative C includes all the proposed changes in Alternative B, except: • Directional drilling operations: Alternative C would expand the scope of the regulations to encompass surface and subsurface directional drilling operations outside the boundary of a System unit. • Proposed Operations Located Wholly on Non-Federally Owned Land Within the Boundary of a System Unit: This provision would allow for an exemption to the operations permit requirement for those operations located wholly on non-federally owned land within a System unit, if the operator could demonstrate that the proposed operation would have no effect to NPS administered resources or values. • Joint and Several Liability: This provision would hold mineral owners and their lessees jointly and severally liable for all obligations to comply with E:\FR\FM\04NON1.SGM 04NON1 76962 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 214 / Friday, November 4, 2016 / Notices the terms and conditions of an approved permit and any other applicable provision under these regulations. The NPS consulted with traditionally associated American Indian tribes and groups, State Historic Preservation Officers, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Environmental Protection Agency, state oil and gas regulatory commissions, and the state of Alaska. The ROD includes a summary of the purpose and need for action, synopses of alternatives considered and analyzed in detail, a description of the selected alternative, including measures that are included in the rule to minimize environmental harm, the basis for the decision, a description of the environmentally preferable alternative, and findings on impairment of park resources. The ROD is not the final agency action for those elements of the EIS that require promulgation of regulations to be effective. Promulgation of such regulations will constitute the final agency action for such elements, and will be published in a separate Federal Register document. Dated: October 23, 2016. Jonathan B. Jarvis, Director, National Park Service. [FR Doc. 2016–26492 Filed 11–3–16; 8:45 am] BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. Group II Chevron Corporation Chevron U.S.A. Inc. Chevron Midcontinent, L.P. Unocal Corporation Union Oil Company of California Pure Partners, L.P. Group III Eni Petroleum Co. Inc. Eni Petroleum US LLC Eni Oil US LLC Eni Marketing Inc. Eni BB Petroleum Inc. Eni US Operating Co. Inc. Eni BB Pipeline LLC Group IV Exxon Mobil Corporation ExxonMobil Exploration Company Group V Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. Petrobras America Inc. Group VI Shell Oil Company Shell Offshore Inc. SWEPI LP Shell Frontier Oil & Gas Inc. SOI Finance Inc. Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc. Dated: October 26, 2016. Lorri J. Lee, Regional Director—Pacific Northwest Region, Bureau of Reclamation. Group VII BILLING CODE 4312–52–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [MMAA104000] Statoil ASA Statoil Gulf of Mexico LLC Statoil USA E&P Inc. Statoil Gulf Properties Inc. [FR Doc. 2016–26740 Filed 11–3–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4332–90–P Group VIII INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION Total E&P USA, Inc. Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: List of Restricted Joint Bidders. AGENCY: Pursuant to the joint bidding provisions of 30 CFR 556.511—556.515, the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is publishing a List of Restricted Joint Bidders. Each entity within one of the following groups is restricted from bidding with any entity in any of the other following groups at Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales to be held during the bidding period November 1, 2016, through April 30, 2017. This List of Restricted Joint Bidders will cover the period November 1, 2016, through April 30, 2017, and replace the prior list published on May 17, 2016, which covered the period of May 1, 2016, through October 31, 2016. Abigail Ross Hopper, Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. [FR Doc. 2016–26737 Filed 11–3–16; 8:45 am] asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:52 Nov 03, 2016 Jkt 241001 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR [RR01041000, 17XR0680G3, RX.16786921.2000100] Notice of Additional Scoping Meeting for the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Notice. AGENCIES: The Bureau of Reclamation, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bonneville Power Administration as joint lead agencies, are adding one public scoping meeting SUMMARY: Frm 00052 Fmt 4703 U.S. International Trade Commission. ACTION: Notice. Sfmt 4703 Notice is hereby given that the U.S. International Trade Commission has received a complaint entitled Certain UV Curable Coatings for Optical Fibers, Coated Optical Fibers, and Products Containing Same, DN 3181; the Commission is soliciting comments on any public interest issues raised by the complaint or complainant’s filing under the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure. SUMMARY: Bureau of Reclamation PO 00000 Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest AGENCY: BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P SUMMARY: Group I BP America Production Company BP Exploration & Production Inc. to invite the public to comment on the scope of the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement. DATES: The additional scoping meeting will be held on Monday, November 21, 2016, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., in Pasco, Washington. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites PascoTri Cities, 4525 Convention Place, Pasco, Washington 99301. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Call the toll-free telephone 1–(800) 290–5033 or email info@crso.info. Additional information can be found at the project Web site: www.crso.info. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: One scoping meeting is being added to the schedule. All other scoping meetings for the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement were previously announced in a notice that was published in the Federal Register on September 30, 2016 (81 FR 67382). As the project evolves, there may be additional scoping meetings. All additional scoping meetings for this project will be announced on the project Web site at www.crso.info. Lisa R. Barton, Secretary to the Commission, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436, telephone (202) 205–2000. The public version of the complaint can be FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: E:\FR\FM\04NON1.SGM 04NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 214 (Friday, November 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76961-76962]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-26492]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Record of Decision for Non-Federal Oil and Gas Regulation 
Revision Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; record of decision.

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

SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared and approved a 
Record of Decision (ROD) for the Nonfederal Oil and Gas Regulations (36 
CFR part 9, subpart B) Revisions. Approval of this Record of Decision 
completes the National Environmental Policy Act process.

DATES: November 4, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available for public review at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ROD_9B.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Steensen, Chief, Geologic 
Resources Division, National Park Service, PO Box 25287, Denver, CO 
80225; phone (303) 969-2014. The responsible official for this ROD is 
Jonathan Jarvis, Director, National Park Service, 1849 C Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20240.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This process was conducted in accordance 
with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 
as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its implementing 
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Department of the Interior 
NEPA regulations (43 CFR part 46), and NPS Director's Order 12, 
Conservation Planning, Environmental Impact Analysis and Decision-
Making and accompanying handbook. The original Notice of Intent (NOI) 
initiating the NEPA process was published in the Federal Register on 
December 30, 2010 (75 FR 82362). The NOI specifically solicited public 
comment on draft purpose and need statements, objectives, and issues 
and concerns related to revisions of the NPS regulations governing non-
federal oil and gas development on units of the national park system. 
The NOI also requested public comment on possible alternatives the NPS 
should consider in revising the regulations. On October 23, 2015, the 
NPS released for public review the draft EIS for the Proposed Revision 
of 9B Regulations Governing Nonfederal Oil and Gas Activities through 
the publication of a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register (80 
FR 64445). The Environmental Protection Agency also issued a Notice of 
Availability for the draft EIS that was published in the Federal 
Register on October 30, 2015 (80 FR 66898). On September 2, 2016, the 
Environmental Protection Agency issued a Notice of Availability for the 
plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) that was published in 
the Federal Register (81 FR 60697); NPS also released the FEIS for 
public review on September 2, 2016, and published its own NPS Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register on September 7, 2016 (81 FR 
61715).
    The FEIS evaluated the environmental consequences of three 
alternatives, Alternative A (no action), Alternative B (preferred and 
environmentally preferable alternative), and Alternative C.
    Alternative B includes the following alternative elements:
     Elimination of two regulatory provisions that exempt 60% 
of the oil and gas operations in System units. All operators in System 
units would be required to comply with the 9B regulations.
     Elimination of the financial assurance (bonding) cap. 
Financial assurance would be equal to the reasonable estimated cost of 
site reclamation.
     Improving enforcement authority by incorporating existing 
NPS penalty provisions. Law enforcement staff would have authority to 
write citations for noncompliance with the regulations.
     Authorizing compensation to the federal government for new 
access on federal lands and waters outside the boundary of an 
operator's mineral right.
     Reformatting the regulations to make it easier to identify 
an operator's information requirements and operating standards that 
apply to each type of operation.
    Alternative C includes all the proposed changes in Alternative B, 
except:
     Directional drilling operations: Alternative C would 
expand the scope of the regulations to encompass surface and subsurface 
directional drilling operations outside the boundary of a System unit.
     Proposed Operations Located Wholly on Non-Federally Owned 
Land Within the Boundary of a System Unit: This provision would allow 
for an exemption to the operations permit requirement for those 
operations located wholly on non-federally owned land within a System 
unit, if the operator could demonstrate that the proposed operation 
would have no effect to NPS administered resources or values.
     Joint and Several Liability: This provision would hold 
mineral owners and their lessees jointly and severally liable for all 
obligations to comply with

[[Page 76962]]

the terms and conditions of an approved permit and any other applicable 
provision under these regulations.
    The NPS consulted with traditionally associated American Indian 
tribes and groups, State Historic Preservation Officers, United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Environmental Protection 
Agency, state oil and gas regulatory commissions, and the state of 
Alaska.
    The ROD includes a summary of the purpose and need for action, 
synopses of alternatives considered and analyzed in detail, a 
description of the selected alternative, including measures that are 
included in the rule to minimize environmental harm, the basis for the 
decision, a description of the environmentally preferable alternative, 
and findings on impairment of park resources. The ROD is not the final 
agency action for those elements of the EIS that require promulgation 
of regulations to be effective. Promulgation of such regulations will 
constitute the final agency action for such elements, and will be 
published in a separate Federal Register document.

    Dated: October 23, 2016.
 Jonathan B. Jarvis,
 Director, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-26492 Filed 11-3-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.