Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is re-opening the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) relating to the Liberty Development and Production Plan (DPP) in the Beaufort Sea Planning Area. This Draft EIS was issued on August 17, 2017. The original comment period was scheduled to last from August 17 to November 18, 2017, and included public hearings in Fairbanks, Nuiqsut, Utqia[gdot]vik, and Anchorage in early October. This Federal Register Notice (Notice) re-opens the comment period, to extend from the date of this Notice to December 8, 2017. Comments received between November 18 and the date of this Notice will still be accepted and considered by BOEM. After BOEM reviews comments on the Draft EIS, BOEM will prepare a Final EIS.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale (NOS) for the proposed Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 250 (GOM Region-wide Sale 250). This Notice is published pursuant to 30 CFR 556.304(c). With regard to oil and gas leasing on the OCS, the Secretary of the Interior, pursuant to section 19 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, provides affected states the opportunity to review the Proposed NOS. The Proposed NOS sets forth the proposed terms and conditions of the sale, including minimum bids, royalty rates, and rental rates.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing the availability of a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Cape Wind Energy Project Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) in this Notice of Availability (NOA). The SEIS was prepared in response to a 2016 remand order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility v. Hopper, 827 F.3d 1077 (D.C. Cir. 2016), in which the Court vacated the 2009 Cape Wind Energy Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and ordered BOEM to supplement the EIS with adequate geological surveys before Cape Wind Associates LLC (Cape Wind) may begin construction. The SEIS presented two alternatives: The Proposed Action (affirming BOEM's issuance of the existing lease) and the No Action Alternative (requiring BOEM to rescind lease issuance). BOEM has decided to select the Proposed Action Alternative.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing the

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing the availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for evaluating potential environmental effects of geological and geophysical (G&G) activities in OCS waters of the GOM. The Final Programmatic EIS analyzes potential impacts of the proposed action, provides an analysis of reasonable alternatives to the proposed action, and identifies BOEM's preferred alternative. The Final Programmatic EIS considers G&G activities for BOEM's three programs, i.e., Oil and Gas, Renewable Energy, and Marine Minerals. These activities include, but are not limited to, seismic surveys (deep-penetration and high- resolution geophysical), sidescan-sonar surveys, electromagnetic surveys, and geological and geochemical sampling. The Final Programmatic EIS also evaluates mitigation measures to reduce potential impacts of G&G activities on marine resources, such as sound impacts to marine species and bottom-disturbance impacts on benthic communities and cultural resources. The Final Programmatic EIS is available on BOEM's Web sites at https://www.boem.gov/GOM-G-G-PEIS and https://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/. BOEM will primarily distribute digital copies of the Final Programmatic EIS on compact discs. You may request a paper copy or the location of a library with a paper copy of the Final Programmatic EIS from Mr. Greg Kozlowski by telephone at (504) 736-2512 or by email at greg.kozlowski@boem.gov.

On Wednesday, August 16, 2017, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will open and publicly announce bids received for blocks offered in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Regionwide Oil and Gas Lease Sale 249 (GOM Regionwide Sale 249), in accordance with the provisions of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), as amended, and the implementing regulations issued pursuant thereto. The GOM Regionwide Sale 249 Final Notice of Sale (NOS) package contains information essential to potential bidders.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is soliciting information and requesting comments on the preparation of a new five- year National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program) for 2019-2024 pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act. Upon completion, the National OCS Program for 2019-2024 will replace the National OCS Program for 2017-2022 (2017- 2022 Program), which was approved on January 17, 2017, and will succeed the National OCS Program for 2012-2017 on July 1, 2017.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is notifying the public that we have submitted an information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR pertains to the paperwork requirements that respondents will submit to BOEM to obtain Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) sand, gravel, and shell resources for use in shore protection, beach and coastal restoration, and other authorized projects that qualify for a negotiated noncompetitive agreement (NNA). OMB has assigned control number 1010- 0187 to this information collection. This notice provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of this collection.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is announcing the availability of the Record of Decision for the Cook Inlet Planning Area, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 244 (Lease Sale 244). This Record of Decision identifies the Bureau's selected alternative for holding Lease Sale 244, which is analyzed in the Alaska OCS: Cook Inlet Planning Area Oil and Gas Lease Sale 244 in the Cook Inlet, Alaska; Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) (OCS/EIS EA BOEM 2016-069). The Record of Decision and associated information are available on BOEM's Web site at https://www.boem.gov/Sale-244/.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements in the regulations covered under Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing the availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (Draft SEIS) for the Cape Wind Energy Project. This supplement to the 2009 Final EIS has been prepared in response to a 2016 remand order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility v. Hopper, 827 F.3d 1077 (D.C. Cir. 2016). This notice serves to announce the beginning of the public comment period on the Draft SEIS.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Lease Sales 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 256, 257, 259, and 261. The FEIS provides a discussion of potential significant impacts of the proposed action, provides an analysis of reasonable alternatives to the proposed action, and identifies BOEM's preferred alternative.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is giving notice of its intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Cape Wind Energy Project on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts. This supplement to the 2009 Final EIS will provide new analysis in response to a 2016 remand order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility v. Hopper, No. 14-5301 (D.C. Cir.).

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale (NOS) for the proposed Cook Inlet Planning Area Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 244 (Cook Inlet Sale 244). This Notice is published pursuant to 30 CFR 556.304(c). With regard to oil and gas leasing on the OCS, the Secretary of the Interior, pursuant to section 19 of the OCS Lands Act, provides affected States the opportunity to review the Proposed NOS. The Proposed NOS sets forth the proposed terms and conditions of the lease sale, including minimum bids, royalty rates, and rental rates.

This rule adopts and finalizes the interim final rule which adjusted the level of the maximum civil monetary penalties contained in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regulations pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (FCPIA of 2015), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance. This rule also implements the 2017 adjustment of the level of the maximum civil monetary penalties contained in the BOEM regulations pursuant to OCSLA, OPA, FCPIA of 2015 and OMB guidance. The 2017 adjustment of 1.01636 percent accounts for one year of inflation spanning from October 2015 to October 2016.