Bureau of Ocean Energy Management February 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

BOEM is announcing the availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas Central Planning Area (CPA) Lease Sale 247 (CPA Lease Sale 247). CPA Lease Sale 247 is tentatively scheduled for March 2017. The Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement provides a discussion of potential significant impacts of the proposed action and provides an analysis of reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. It also considers new information made available since the completion of earlier EISs related to CPA Lease Sale 247. The prior 2012-2017 Gulf of Mexico EISs are available on BOEM's Web site at https://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/. This Notice of Availability also serves to announce the beginning of the public comment period for the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. In keeping with the Department of the Interior's mission to protect natural resources and to limit costs, while ensuring availability to the public, the Draft Supplemental EIS and associated information are available on BOEM's Web site at https://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/. BOEM will also distribute digital copies of the Draft Supplemental EIS on compact discs. BOEM will print and distribute a limited number of paper copies. You may request a digital or paper copy of the Draft Supplemental EIS from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (GM 250C), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 250, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800- 200-GULF).

BOEM is announcing the availability of a Record of Decision for proposed oil and gas CPA Lease Sale 241. This Record of Decision identifies the Bureau's selected alternative for proposed CPA Lease Sale 241, which is analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2016 and 2017; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 241 and 247; Eastern Planning Area Lease Sale 226; Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (CPA 241/EPA 226 Supplemental EIS). The Record of Decision and associated information are available on the agency Web site at https://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/.

On Wednesday, March 23, 2016, BOEM will open and publicly announce bids received for blocks offered in the Central Planning Area (CPA) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 241 (CPA Sale 241), in accordance with the provisions of the OCS Lands Act (OCSLA, 43 U.S.C. 1331-1356, as amended) and the implementing regulations issued pursuant thereto (30 CFR parts 550 and 556). The CPA Sale 241 Final Notice of Sale (NOS) Package (Final NOS Package) contains information essential to potential bidders. Bidders are charged with knowing the contents of the documents contained in the Final NOS Package.

BOEM is announcing the availability of a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for proposed GOM OCS Oil and Gas WPA Lease Sale 248. The Final SEIS provides a discussion of the potential significant impacts of the proposed action, provides an analysis of reasonable alternatives to the proposed action, and identifies the Bureau's preferred alternative. The Final SEIS is available on BOEM's Web site at https:// www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/. BOEM will primarily distribute digital copies of the Final SEIS on compact discs. You may request a paper copy or the location of a library with a digital copy of the Final SEIS from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (GM 250C), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 250, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-200-GULF).