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

BOEM, in accordance with Federal Regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), announces the availability of NEPA-related Site-Specific Environmental Assessments (SEAs), Environmental Assessments (EAs), and Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSIs). These EAs were prepared during the period January 1, 2012, through March 30, 2012, for oil, gas, and mineral-related activities that were proposed on the Gulf of Mexico, or more specifically described in the Supplementary Information Section of this notice.

The purpose of this public notice is to: (1) Describe the Deepwater Wind Block Island LLC (Deepwater Wind) Transmission System (BITS) proposal submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM); (2) solicit submissions of indications of competitive interest for a right-of-way (ROW) grant for renewable energy purposes for the area identified in this notice; and (3) solicit public input regarding the proposal, its potential environmental consequences, and other uses of the area in which the proposal would be located. On November 30, 2011, BOEM received an application from Deepwater Wind for a ROW grant on the OCS offshore Rhode Island. Deepwater Wind's proposed project, the BITS, would entail the construction and installation of a bi-directional submerged transmission cable between Block Island and the Rhode Island mainland. Deepwater Wind has requested a ROW grant for the portion of the BITS cable that is proposed on the OCS. Deepwater Wind proposes that the BITS would serve two purposes: (1) Transmit electrical power from Deepwater Wind's proposed 30 megawatt (MW) offshore wind energy project located in Rhode Island State waters off Block Island to the Rhode Island mainland; and (2) transmit electrical power from the existing transmission grid on the Rhode Island mainland to Block Island. This RFCI is published pursuant to subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act, as amended by section 388 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) (43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3)), and the implementing regulations at 30 CFR part 585. Subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act requires that OCS renewable energy leases, easements, and rights-of-way be issued ``on a competitive basis unless the Secretary determines after public notice of a lease, easement, or right-of-way that there is no competitive interest.'' This RFCI provides such public notice for the proposed ROW grant area requested by Deepwater Wind and invites the submission of indications of competitive interest. BOEM will consider the responses to this public notice to determine whether competitive interest exists for the area requested by Deepwater Wind, as required by 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3). Parties wishing to obtain a grant for the area requested by Deepwater Wind should submit detailed and specific information as described in the section entitled, ``Required Indication of Interest Information.'' This announcement also requests that interested and affected parties comment and provide information about site conditions and existing and future uses of the area identified in this notice that would be relevant to the proposed project or its impacts. The information that BOEM is requesting is described in the section entitled, ``Requested Information from Interested or Affected Parties.''

BOEM has prepared a ROD following the completion of the Final SEIS for CPA Consolidated Lease Sale 216/222, the final lease sale in the 2007-2012 OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program (Five-Year Program), which is scheduled for June 20, 2012. In preparing the ROD, BOEM considered alternatives to the proposed action and the impacts as presented in the Final SEIS and all comments received throughout the NEPA process. The Final SEIS updates two previous environmental and socioeconomic analyses for CPA Lease Sale 216/222. The GOM OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2007-2012; Western Planning Area Lease Sales 204, 207, 210, 215, and 218; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 205, 206, 208, 213, 216, and 222, Final Environmental Impact Statement (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007-018) (Multisale EIS), completed in April 2007, originally analyzed CPA Lease Sale 216/222. The Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2009-2012; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 208, 213, 216, and 222; Western Planning Area Lease Sales 210, 215, and 218; Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2008-041) (2009-2012 Supplemental EIS), completed in September 2008, updated the socioeconomic and environmental analyses for CPA Lease Sale 216/222. BOEM developed the Final SEIS for CPA Lease Sale 216/222 in order to consider new circumstances and information arising from, among other things, the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. After careful consideration, BOEM has determined that in light of significant safety and environmental reforms since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the economic and energy security benefits of exploring and developing the domestic energy resources available in the CPA, including job creation, it is appropriate to hold a sale in this area at this time. BOEM resource assessments for the CPA indicate that the area contains over 30 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and over 133 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas which are undiscovered and technically recoverable.

BOEM has issued a Record of Decision (ROD) to authorize the use of OCS sand resources by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Martin County Board of Commissioners in the Martin County, Florida Hurricane Storm Damage Reduction (HSDR) Project. The ROD documents the BOEM's decision in selecting the Preferred Alternative described in the USACE's Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Martin County HSDR Project (August 2011). BOEM will enter into a negotiated agreement for the purpose of making sand available from a shoal on the OCS for placement on the beach in support of the beach nourishment, following the mandated 30-day wait period from the date of the issuance of the ROD. BOEM is announcing the availability of this ROD in accordance with the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Deputy Director for the BOEM signed the ROD on March 28, 2012.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) considering the reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts and socioeconomic effects of issuing a lease in Official Protraction Diagram NG 17-06, Blocks 7003, 7053, and 7054, offshore Florida. The proposed lease would authorize technology testing activities, including the installation, operation, relocation, and decommissioning of technology testing facilities. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of the availability of the EA for review and to solicit public comments on the EA. Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.4(d)(1), which is a section in the regulations implementing section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 470f, BOEM has made a finding of ``no historic properties affected'' for this proposed project. The finding and supporting documentation have been submitted to the Florida State Historic Preservation Officer and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and are included in the EA for public inspection. BOEM will conduct a public information session at the following location and time to explain the proposed activities and provide additional opportunities for public input on the EA: Broward County Main Library, 100 S Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301-7528, Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 2 p.m. The EA and information on the public session can be found online at: https://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/State-Activities / Florida.aspx.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), in accordance with Federal Regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), announces the availability of NEPA-related Site- Specific Environmental Assessments (SEA) and Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI), prepared by BOEM for the following oil-, gas-, and mineral-related activities proposed on the Gulf of Mexico.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under Prospecting for Minerals Other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur on the Outer Continental Shelf, and, in particular, that we are revising form BOEM-0134 to clarify requirements for environmental compliance.

The OCS Scientific Committee will meet at the Sheraton Reston Hotel in Reston, Virginia. The meeting will serve as a venue to introduce the newest members of the committee to the Environmental Studies Program (ESP) and meet Headquarters and Regional staff.

This document corrects amendments contained in a direct final rule published in the Federal Register on October 18, 2011, and involves only that portion of the rule related to acquiring a lease non-competitively for offshore renewable energy projects.

The BOEM has prepared a Draft EIS on oil and gas lease sales tentatively scheduled in 2012-2017 in the WPA and CPA offshore the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Under the proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2012-2017 (5-Year Program), five annual areawide lease sales are scheduled for the WPA and five annual areawide lease sales are scheduled for the CPA. The proposed WPA lease sales are Lease Sale 229 in 2012, Lease Sale 233 in 2013, Lease Sale 238 in 2014, Lease Sale 246 in 2015, and Lease Sale 248 in 2016; the proposed CPA lease sales are Lease Sale 227 in 2013, Lease Sale 231 in 2014, Lease Sale 235 in 2015, Lease Sale 241 in 2016, and Lease Sale 247 in 2017.

BOEM invites public comment on a proposed set of auction formats which may be used to issue commercial renewable energy leases on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). BOEM is examining several auction formats, each designed to efficiently issue renewable energy leases to those who value them most and are best positioned to develop them, while also ensuring that the government receives a fair return in exchange. BOEM is focusing primarily on variations of Ascending Clock Auctions and Package Auctions formats described in more detail below. BOEM is also considering a multiple factor auction approach in which bidders can earn a discount on their bids submitted under one of the auction formats noted above, based on company-specific attributes deemed relevant to the success of their projects. The auction format selected for each sale area would likely vary based on the actual characteristics of that sale. Such characteristics could include the size and homogeneity of the area to be offered. BOEM will hold a workshop to help familiarize stakeholders with the auction format options and to solicit feedback on Friday, December 16, 2011, at the South Interior Building in Washington, DC.

On March 15, 2011, BOEM (formerly the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement) published a notice in the Federal Register (76 FR 14040), entitled ``Call for Information and Nominations.'' This document describes a correction to the sale numbers that were identified in the Call. As previously published, the sale numbers contained an error that will prove to be misleading.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), BOEM announces the availability of the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2012- 2017 Draft PEIS prepared by BOEM to support the Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017. BOEM concurrently requests comments and announces public hearings.

Pursuant to the authority vested in the Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management by the joint bidding provisions of 30 CFR 256.41, each entity within one of the following groups shall be restricted from bidding with any entity in any other of the following groups at Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales to be held during the bidding period November 1, 2011, through April 30, 2012. The List of Restricted Joint Bidders published in the Federal Register on May 17, 2011, covered the period May 1, 2011, through October 31, 2011.

This rule contains regulations that will be under the authority of two newly formed Bureaus, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), both within the Department of the Interior. On May 19, 2010, the Secretary of the Interior announced the separation of the responsibilities performed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) (formerly the Minerals Management Service) into three new separate organizations: Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Those regulations that will apply to the authority of BSEE organization will remain in 30 CFR chapter II, but be retitled ``Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.'' This rule removes from chapter II those regulations that will apply to the authority of BOEM and recodifies them into a new 30 CFR chapter V entitled ``Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.''

BOEMRE is withdrawing the direct final rule to amend BOEMRE's renewable energy regulatory provisions that pertain to noncompetitive acquisition of leases, published on November 26, 2010 (75 FR 72679), under Docket ID: BOEM-2010-0045. In the direct final rule, BOEMRE stated that if it received significant adverse comments during the rule's 30-day comment period, it would publish a notice of withdrawal in the Federal Register. BOEMRE has determined that it has received significant adverse comments during the comment period and, therefore, is withdrawing the direct final rule. BOEMRE intends to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking within 30 days of the date of this notice in order to reinitiate rulemaking. The proposed rule will have a 30-day public comment period. All comments received in response to the original November 26, 2010, notice will be considered in relation to the proposed rule unless they are withdrawn by the commenters, so those who commented on the original November 26, 2010, direct final rule need not re-submit their comments. However, parties who responded to the November 26, 2010, notice may submit additional comments on the proposed rulemaking.