Minerals Management Service August 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has issued a Record of Decision for OCS Central GOM Lease Sale 205 (October 2007). As part of the decision process, MMS published in April 2007 a final environmental impact statement (EIS) on the 2007-2012 Western and Central GOM oil and gas leasing proposals, including Sale 205. In preparing this decision, MMS has considered alternatives to the proposed actions, the impacts of Sale 205 as presented in the EIS, and all comments received throughout the EIS-process. AVAILABILITY: To obtain a copy of the Record of Decision and Final EIS, you may contact the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 114, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-200- GULF). An electronic copy of the Record of Decision and Final EIS is available at the MMS's Internet Web site at https://www.gomr.mms.gov/ homepg/regulate/environ/nepa/nepaprocess.html.

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 250, Subpart A, General, and related documents. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

This Call for Information and Nominations (hereinafter referred to as ``Call'') is the initial step in a multiple-sale process that incorporates planning and analysis for lease sales in the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea planning areas included in the proposed final OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2007-2012 (see 72 Federal Register (FR) 24326, May 2, 2007). Four lease sales are addressed in this Call; two in the Beaufort Sea (sales 209 and 217) and two in the Chukchi Sea (sales 212 and 221). (Sale 193 in the Chukchi Sea is a carryover from the Program for 2002-2007 and is not addressed by this Call.) Simultaneously with this Call, MMS is giving notice of its intent to prepare a multiple-sale EIS for the four sales.

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 new title of this information collection request (ICR) is ``30 CFR Part 218, Collection of Monies Due the Federal Government.'' The form associated with this collection is Form MMS-4425, Designation Form for Royalty Payment Responsibility. The previous title of this ICR was ``30 CFR Part 218, Subpart AGeneral Provisions, 218.42 Cross- lease netting in calculation of late-payment interest; Subpart BOil and Gas, General, 218.52 How does a lessee designate a Designee? (Form MMS-4425, Designation Form for Royalty Payment Responsibility) and 218.53 Recoupment of overpayments on Indian mineral leases; and Subpart ESolid MineralsGeneral, 218.203 Recoupment of overpayments on Indian mineral leases.'' We revised this ICR in order to enable program-wide review of all information collections for solid minerals and geothermal resources. We removed 218.203, which relates to solid minerals, from this ICR and included 218.203 in the solid minerals ICR 1010-0120 (expires October 31, 2007).

The MMS announces the availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale for Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 in the Chukchi Sea. This Notice is published pursuant to 30 CFR 256.29(c) as a matter of information to the public. 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 the affected States the opportunity to review the Proposed Notice. The Proposed Notice sets forth the proposed terms and conditions of the sale, including minimum bids, royalty rates, and rentals.