Minerals Management Service 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) announces the availability of the draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP). This EA will assist agency planning by facilitating the establishment of procedures for the disbursement of CIAP funds and providing an opportunity to involve the public, States, and coastal political subdivisions (CPSs). Specifically, this EA generally describes the potential environmental impacts of CIAP projects, provides comprehensive guidance to the States and CPSs for submitting the documentation needed to comply with relevant environmental laws at the time they request funding for proposed projects, and compiles information that may be appropriate to include in environmental compliance documents prepared for each proposed project.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) published final regulations on September 13, 2004 (69 FR 55076), codified at 30 CFR 204.200-215, to provide accounting and auditing relief for marginal Federal oil and gas properties. The rule requires MMS to publish in the Federal Register the decisions of the States concerned to allow or not to allow one or both forms of relief in their State. As required in the rule, MMS provided states receiving a portion of the Federal royalties with a list of qualifying marginal Federal oil and gas properties located in their State so that each affected State could decide whether to participate in one or both relief options. This notice provides the decisions by the States concerned to allow one or both types of relief.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS 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 under 30 CFR 250, Subpart Q, ``Decommissioning Activities.''

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS is notifying the public that it has submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements under the Endangered Species Act Biological Opinions, issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries (NOAA Fisheries) and are titled: ``Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs)Implementation of Seismic Survey Mitigation Measures and Protected Species Observer Program; Vessel Strike Avoidance and Injured/Dead Protected Species Reporting; and, Marine Trash and Debris Awareness and Elimination.'' This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

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 30 CFR part 254, ``Oil-Spill Response Requirements for Facilities Located Seaward of the Coast Line.'' This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

On October 24, 2006, the Department of Interior/MMS and the State of Louisiana announced the settlement of the case of Blanco, et al., v. Burton, et al. The District Court approved the settlement and dismissed the case on October 24, 2006. As a result of the settlement agreement, the MMS proposes to expand Lease Sale 205, scheduled in the Proposed 5-Year Program for 2007-2012 and accompanying Draft EIS, from the currently proposed program area (Map 1) to include all available acreage in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area as proposed in the new program for subsequent Central Gulf sales (Map 2). The MMS is providing a 45-day comment period to specifically address this proposed change. The earlier comment periods on the Proposed 5-Year Program and Draft EIS, remain as announced on August 25, 2006. The comment period on the Program closes on November 24, 2006, and on the Draft EIS on November 22, 2006.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are 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) is titled ``Training and Outreach Evaluation.'' The form associated with this collection is Form MMS-4420A-F, Training and Outreach Evaluation.

Agenda items for the meeting of the Royalty Policy Committee (RPC) will include remarks from the Director, MMS, and the Associate Director, Minerals Revenue Management (MRM), as well as updates from the following subcommittees: Coal, Federal Oil and Gas Valuation, and Oil and Gas Royalty Reporting. The RPC membership includes representatives from states, Indian tribes, individual Indian mineral owner organizations, minerals industry associations, the general public, and other Federal departments.

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 30 CFR Part 210Forms and Reports, regarding Form MMS-2014, Report of Sales and Royalty Remittance. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

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) for a new approval of the paperwork requirements that address the narrative portion only of MMS's Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) which is a grant program. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 gave responsibility to MMS for CIAP by amending Section 31 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1356a; Appendix A). This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

The purpose of the proposed Federal action addressed in this DEIS (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2006-060) is to offer for lease areas in the Chukchi Sea Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that might contain economically recoverable oil and gas resources. This lease sale would provide qualified bidders the opportunity to bid on certain blocks in the Chukchi Sea OCS to gain conditional rights to explore, develop, and produce oil and natural gas. This DEIS is the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis to enable the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to make informed decisions on the configuration of the lease sale and the applicable mitigation measures. In the DEIS, the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of the sale, including estimated exploration and development and production activities related to the sale, on the physical, biological, and human environments in the Chukchi Sea area are analyzed. The DEIS also provides NEPA evaluation for exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea, including seismic survey geophysical permitting (30 CFR 251), ancillary activities (30 CFR 250.207), and exploration plans (30 CFR 250.214). In addition, the DEIS will provide NEPA documentation for the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) possible issuance of Incidental Harassment Authorizations to the seismic-survey industry to take marine mammals by harassment, incidental to conducting prelease and ancillary on-lease oil and gas seismic surveys in the Chukchi Sea. To address its NEPA responsibilities, the NMFS agreed to become a cooperating agency (as that term is defined in 40 CFR 1501.6) and proposes to adopt the DEIS as authorized by 40 CFR 1506.3 as its own NEPA statement.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is issuing this notice to advise the public of the availability of guidelines for the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP). The guidelines are an important step in the formulation of CIAP.

The Minerals Management Service has prepared an environmental assessment and a Finding of No New Significant Impact for the proposed Alaska Region Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Beaufort Sea Planning Area Lease Sale 202. In this EA, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2006-001, MMS reexamined the potential environmental effects of the proposed action and its alternatives based on any new information regarding potential impacts and issues that were not available at the time the Alaska Region OCS Beaufort Sea Planning Area Oil and Gas Lease Sales 186, 195, and 202, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Volumes I through IV (multiple- sale EIS) was completed in February 2003.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS 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 under 30 CFR part 256, ``Leasing of Sulphur or Oil and Gas in the Outer Continental Shelf.''

Minerals Management Service (MMS), 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 MMS for the following oil and gas activities proposed on the Gulf of Mexico OCS.

MMS is changing the title ``District Supervisor'' to ``District Manager'' in regulations to make them consistent with a change in the title within MMS.

MMS is implementing regulations which impose new fees to process certain plans, applications, and permits. The service fees will offset MMS's costs of processing these plans, applications, and permits.

On August 16, 2006, the MMS will open and publicly announce bids received for blocks offered in Western GOM Oil and Gas Lease Sale 200, pursuant to the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331-1356, as amended), and the regulations issued thereunder (30 CFR part 256). The Final Notice of Sale 200 Package (FNOS 200 Package) contains information essential to bidders, and bidders are charged with the knowledge of the documents contained in the Package.

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 for the Notice to Lessees (NTL) on the Historical Well Data Cleanup (HWDC) Project. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

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 30 CFR parts 210 and 216. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements. The new title for this ICR is ``30 CFR Part 210Forms and Reports and Part 216 Production Accounting.'' This ICR uses Forms MMS-4054, Oil and Gas Operations Report, and MMS-4058, Production Allocation Schedule Report.

The MMS is proposing to amend its existing regulations for reporting production and royalties on oil, gas, coal, and geothermal resources produced on Federal and Indian leases in order to align the regulations with current MMS business practices. These amendments reflect changes that were implemented as a result of a major reengineering of MMS's financial system and other legal requirements.

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 ``30 CFR Part 251, Geological and Geophysical (G&G) Explorations of the OCS,'' and related documents. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is issuing this notice to advise the public, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., that MMS intends to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) for proposed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas Lease Sale 201 in the Central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) (Lease Sale 201) scheduled for March 2007. The MMS is issuing this notice to facilitate public involvement. The preparation of this EA is an important step in the decision process for Lease Sale 201. The proposal and alternatives for Lease Sale 201 were identified by the MMS Director in January 2002 following the Call for Information and Nominations/Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and were analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2003-2007; Central Planning Area Sales 185, 190, 194, 198, and 201; Western Planning Area Sales 187, 192, 196, and 200Final Environmental Impact Statement; Volumes I and II (Multisale EIS, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2002-052). This EA will reexamine the potential environmental effects of the proposed action (the offering of all available unleased acreage in the GOM Central Planning Area (CPA)) and its alternatives (the proposed action excluding the unleased blocks near biologically sensitive topographic features; the proposed action excluding the unleased blocks within 15 miles of the Baldwin County, Alabama, coast; and no action) based on any new information regarding potential impacts and issues that were not available at the time the Multisale EIS was prepared.

The MMS has received a request from Cape Wind Associates, LLC (CWA) for a lease, easement or right-of-way to construct and operate a wind park located in Federal waters 4.7 miles offshore Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The purpose of this project is to provide a utility- scale wind energy facility providing power to the New England power grid. By this document, the MMS announces: (1) Its intention to prepare an EIS; (2) commencement of a 45-day written scoping period under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and (3) invitation for participation by interested cooperating agencies.