Minerals Management Service November 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents
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MMS Information Collection Activity: 1010-0151 (30 CFR 250, Subpart B) Plans and Information, Extension of a Collection; Comment Request
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 B, Plans and Information.
Environmental Documents Prepared for Proposed Oil and Gas Operations on the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
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.
Notice on Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales
Pursuant to the authority vested in the Director of the Minerals Management Service 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, 2007, through April 30, 2008. The List of Restricted Joint Bidders published in the Federal Register on April 17, 2007, covered the period May 1, 2007, through October 31, 2007.
Environmental Assessment (EA), Beaufort Sea Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Deep-Penetration Seismic Survey-2007
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for Shell Offshore, Inc's. (SOI) proposed seismic surveys in the Beaufort Sea Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in 2007. The EA concludes that with required mitigation no significant adverse effects (40 CFR 1508.27) on the quality of the human environment would occur. Therefore MMS issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). Based on the FONSI, MMS issued to SOI the Geological and Geophysical (G&G) Permit 2007-04, which contained mitigation measures to ensure that the Beaufort Sea's fish, wildlife, and Alaska Native subsistence resources would not be adversely impacted.
Notice of Public Workshop To Discuss the Possible Need for Suspension of Operations Specifically Related to High Pressure or High Temperature Equipment
The MMS will hold a workshop to discuss the possible need to develop a new regulation allowing for a Suspension of Operations, specifically related to high pressure or high temperature equipment needed for safe drilling, completion, or production operations. This Suspension of Operations would allow for an extension of a lease when the modification of existing technology is considered necessary in order to operate in frontier areas due to unexpected high temperatures or high pressures encountered on your lease. This type of Suspension of Operations would not apply to the initial design, development, or manufacturing of new technology. Workshop Date: January 23, 2008, beginning at 9 a.m. Workshop Location:The workshop will be held at the Gulf of Mexico Regional Office, Minerals Management Service, Room 111, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. All interested parties are invited to attend.
Request for Information and Nominations of Areas for Leases Authorizing Alternative Energy Resource Assessment and Technology Testing Activities Pursuant to Subsection 8(p) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as Amended
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) invites comments concerning the authorization of activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) involving the installation of meteorological or marine data collection facilities to assess alternative energy resources (e.g., wind, wave, and ocean current) or to test alternative energy technology to produce or support production of alternative energy. The MMS intends to adopt an interim policy to authorize such facilities (e.g., meteorological towers or wave and current data collection instruments and wave or current generators or other developing technology) under subsection 8(p) of the OCS Lands Act, as amended by section 388 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Parties wishing to obtain such authorizations should submit detailed and specific nomination and application information as described below.
Alternative Energy and Alternate Use Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
The MMS has prepared a final programmatic EIS in support of the establishment of a program for authorizing alternative energy and alternate use activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), as authorized by Section 388 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), and codified in subsection 8(p) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA). Pursuant to the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the MMS is announcing the availability of this final programmatic EIS. As part of its efforts to develop a regulatory program for alternative energy and alternate use activities, this final programmatic EIS examines the potential environmental effects of the program on the OCS and identifies policies and best management practices that may be adopted for the program. Several alternatives available to the MMS for implementing an alternative energy and alternate use program on the OCS are analyzed in this final programmatic EIS, including the ``no action'' alternative. The MMS intends to prepare a separate NEPA analysis, tiered from this EIS, to evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed rule for alternative energy and alternate use activities on the OCS. Further, separate lease sale, activity-specific, and proposal-specific NEPA analyses will be prepared as appropriate.
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Scientific Committee (SC)
The MMS is seeking interested and qualified individuals to serve on its OCS SC during the period of April 29, 2008 through April 28, 2010. The initial 2-year term may be renewable for up to an additional 4 years. The OCS SC is chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to advise the Secretary of the Interior through the Director of the MMS on the appropriateness, feasibility, and scientific value of the OCS Environmental Studies Program (ESP) and environmental aspects of the offshore energy and marine minerals programs. The ESP, which was authorized by the OCS Lands Act as amended (Section 20), is administered by the MMS and covers a wide range of field and laboratory studies in biology, chemistry, and physical oceanography, as well as studies of the social and economic impacts of OCS energy and marine minerals development. Currently, the work is conducted through award of competitive contracts and interagency and cooperative agreements. The OCS SC reviews the relevance of the information being produced by the ESP and may recommend changes in its scope, direction, and emphasis. The OCS SC comprises distinguished scientists in appropriate disciplines of the biological, physical, chemical, and socioeconomic sciences. Currently, the OCS SC has four vacancies in the following disciplines: Biological oceanography/marine biology; economics; and physical oceanography. The selections are based on maintaining disciplinary expertise in all areas of research, as well as geographic balance. Demonstrated knowledge of the scientific issues related to OCS oil and gas development is essential. Selections are made by the Secretary of the Interior on the basis of these factors.
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