Minerals Management Service October 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Secretary's approved 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2002-2007 provides for 3 sales: Sales 186, 195, and 202 to be held in the Beaufort Sea Programlanning Area. The presale process incorporated planning and analysis for all three sales. From the initial step in the process (the Call for Information and Nominations (Call)) through the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/ Consistency Determination (CD) step, the process covered the multiple- sale proposals. However, we indicated that we would conduct and did conduct complete National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), OCS Lands Act, and Coastal Zone Management Act processes for each sale, including a proposed and final Notice of Sale. The environmental analysis and the CD for Sale 202 will focus primarily on new issues, new scientific information, and/or changes in the state's federally-approved coastal management plan. The Call NOI to Prepare an EIS for Sales 186, 195, and 202 was published in the Federal Register on September 19, 2001, at 66 FR 48268. The Beaufort Sea Multiple-Sale Final EIS for these sales was released in February 2003 (OCS EIS/EA, MMS 2003-001). Sales 186 and 195 were held on September 24, 2003, and March 30, 2005, respectively. When the multiple-sale EIS was prepared, MMS indicated it would do an EA for Sales 195 and 202 if no significant new issues or impacts are identified. The MMS is now initiating a RFI for Beaufort Sea Sale 202.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 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 title of this information collection request (ICR) is ``30 CFR Part 227Delegation to States; 30 CFR Part 228Cooperative Activities with States and Indian Tribes; and 30 CFR Part 229 Delegation to States.'' We changed the title of this ICR to clarify the regulatory language we are covering under 30 CFR parts 227, 228, and 229 and to reflect OMB approval of consolidation of two ICRs, titled: 1010-0087: 30 CFR Part 228Cooperative Activities with States and Indian Tribes; and 1010-0088: 30 CFR Part 227Delegation to States. In the two ICRs, much of the general information was repeated and cross referenced. This consolidated ICR 1010-0087 eliminates that duplication of effort and redundancy of data and, also, includes 30 CFR part 229 information collection burden hours, which were not included in the previous information collections (1010-0087 and 1010-0088).

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 250, subpart I, Platforms and Structures, Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL)Damage Caused by Hurricane(s). MMS is consolidating, renewing, and expanding upon OMB approved Emergency Requests 1010-0163 and 1010-0164. MMS is consolidating the burden hours from NTL Damage Caused by Hurricane Katrina into this collection. We are also renewing this collection because information needs to be collected for a longer period than allowed by the Emergency OMB Requests. After a major hurricane, lessees need to keep reporting and submitting new information to MMS until all facilities that are able, are back to normal. We are expanding this ICR to include all damage due to any hurricane(s) that may occur in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) over the next 3 years.