Notice of Availability of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement, 64919 [2019-25513]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 227 (Monday, November 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 64919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25513]



[[Page 64919]]

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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 Draft 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 Draft 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 the opening 
of the public comment period. The BLM is also announcing that it will 
hold public meetings on the Draft EIS and subsistence-related hearings 
to receive comments on the Draft EIS and the potential to impact 
subsistence resources and activities.

DATES: Comments on the Draft EIS may be submitted in writing until 60 
days after the Environmental Protection Agency's publication of Notice 
of Availability of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The BLM will 
hold public meetings in: Anaktuvuk Pass, Anchorage, Atqasuk, Fairbanks, 
Nuiqsut, Point Lay, Utqiagvik and Wainwright. A public hearing on 
subsistence resources and activities will occur in conjunction with the 
public meeting for the Draft EIS in the potentially affected 
communities of Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk, Nuiqsut, Utqiagvik, Point Lay 
and Wainwright. The dates, times, and locations, of the meetings will 
be announced through local news media, newspapers, and the BLM website.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/alaska/npr-a-iap-eis;
     Mail to: BLM, Alaska State Office, Attention--NPR-A IAP/
EIS, 222 West 7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, AK 99513-7599;
     Hand Delivery: BLM Alaska Public Information Center 
(Public Room), 222 W 7th Avenue (First Floor), Anchorage, Alaska; or
     BLM Alaska Public Information Center (Public Room), 222 
University Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Rice, 907-271-3202; by mail: 
Bureau of Land Management, 222 West 7th Avenue, #13, Anchorage, AK 
99513-7599. You may also request to be added to the mailing list for 
the EIS. Documents pertaining to the EIS may be examined at https://www.blm.gov/alaska or at the BLM Alaska State Office, BLM Alaska Public 
Information Center (Public Room), 222 West 7th Avenue (First Floor), 
Anchorage, Alaska.
    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 BLM prepared a new IAP/EIS to determine 
the appropriate 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 
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 indirect impacts that 
could result in consideration of the hypothetical development scenario. 
The alternatives analyze various terms and conditions (i.e., lease 
stipulations and required operating procedures) to permittees in the 
NPR-A, to properly balance oil and gas development and other activities 
with protection of surface resources. The lands comprising the NPR-A 
are approximately 23 million acres.
    The purpose of the public comment period is to inform the public of 
the availability of the Draft EIS and solicit comments from the public. 
Information received during the public comment period will be used to 
develop the Final EIS.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information, be advised that your entire 
comment, including your identifying information, may be made publicly 
available at any time. While you may ask us in your comments to 
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    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. 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.
    Section 810 of ANILCA requires BLM to evaluate the effects of the 
alternatives presented in the Draft EIS on subsistence activities, and 
to hold public hearings if it finds that any alternative may 
significantly restrict subsistence uses. The preliminary evaluation of 
subsistence impacts indicates that certain alternatives analyzed in the 
Draft EIS and the associated cumulative impacts may significantly 
restrict subsistence uses. Therefore, the BLM will hold public hearings 
on subsistence resources and activities in conjunction with the public 
meeting on the Draft EIS in the potentially affected communities of 
Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk, Point Lay, Nuiqsut, Utqiagvik and Wainwright.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 3120(a); 40 CFR 1506.6(b).

Chad B. Padgett,
State Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2019-25513 Filed 11-22-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-JA-P