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Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Alaska OCS Region, North Aleutian Basin, Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale 214

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[Federal Register: August 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 157)]
[Notices]
[Page 47221-47222]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13au08-120]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Alaska OCS Region, North Aleutian
Basin, Proposed Oil and Gas Lease Sale 214

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of scoping meetings and extension of scoping period to
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: As part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
scoping process for the EIS on the proposed North Aleutian Basin OCS
Oil and Gas Lease Sale 214, MMS has scheduled seven scoping meetings
for August and September of 2008 to provide opportunity for public
participation in the scoping process from communities within the
vicinity of the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area. In addition, the
MMS is announcing an extension of the deadline for submission of
written scoping comments along with this public scoping meeting
schedule.

[[Page 47222]]

DATES: The MMS has extended the deadline for submission of written
scoping comments for the EIS to October 17, 2008. Scoping comments must
be received no later than October 17, 2008, to be included in the
Scoping Report. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for public
scoping meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: Written scoping comments should be mailed to: Minerals
Management Service, Alaska Region, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500,
Anchorage, AK 99503-5823. Submittals should be labeled ``Attn: Sale 214
NOI.'' Comments may also be submitted via e-mail to:
sale214NOI@mms.gov. Please include ``Attn: NAB Lease Sale 214 NOI'' in
the subject line and your name and return address in the body of the
message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Cleve Cowles, Regional Supervisor,
Office of Leasing and Environment, Minerals Management Service, Alaska
OCS Region, 3801 Centerpoint Drive #500, Anchorage, Alaska
99503-5820, phone (907) 334-5230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION FOR THE SCOPING PROCESS: The Minerals
Management Service (MMS) announced a Call for Information and
Nominations (Call) and Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS for
Sale 214 in the North Aleutian Basin in Federal Register Notice Vol.
73, No. 68, Page No. 19095, dated April 8, 2008. Proposed lease sale
214 is that subarea of the larger North Aleutian Basin Planning Area
identified in the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012.
Readers are cautioned that this announcement is not a decision to hold
a lease sale, but rather a continuation of the information gathering
and evaluation process.
    The EIS analysis will focus on the potential environmental effects
of oil and gas exploration, development, and production in the proposed
sale area and its vicinity. The Notice of Intent announced the
initiation of the scoping process for the EIS, with public comments due
July 7, 2008. The MMS has extended the deadline for submission of
written scoping comments for the EIS to October 17, 2008 and has
scheduled public scoping meetings to provide opportunity for public
participation in the NEPA process.
    Although the formal public scoping process will conclude on October
17, 2008, the MMS will continue to consider new information throughout
the preparation of the EIS. Information about proposed OCS Oil and Gas
Lease Sale 214 in the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area offshore of
the State of Alaska was published in Federal Register Notice Vol. 73,
No. 68, No. 19095, dated April 8, 2008. Additional information on
proposed lease sale 214 is on the MMS Web site: http://www.mms.gov.
    1. Notice of Public Scoping Meetings. The MMS has scheduled seven
public scoping meetings on the following dates and locations:
    (1) August 18, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., King Salmon, AK, Lake and
Peninsula Borough Administration Building.
    (2) August 19, 2008, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Naknek, AK, Bristol Bay
Borough Assembly Chambers.
    (3) September 2, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Dillingham, AK, City
Council Chambers.
    (4) September 15, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sand Point, AK,
Aleutians East Borough Offices.
    (5) September 16, 2008, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nelson Lagoon, AK,
Nelson Lagoon Community Building.
    (6) September 16, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Cold Bay, AK, Cold Bay
Community Center.
    (7) September 17, 2008, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., King Cove, AK, King
Cove City Council Chambers.
    Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments and other interested
parties help the MMS to determine significant issues, reasonable
alternatives, potential mitigation measures to be analyzed in the EIS,
as well as relevant information sources and recommendations for
additional information. Alternatives include, at a minimum, the
proposed action and taking no action. Alternatives developed through
the scoping and analytical processes would be considered in the
decision-making process.
    2. Background Information. In addition to the seven public scoping
meetings planned for August and September 2008, the MMS held three
public scoping meetings for proposed Lease Sale 214 in the communities
of Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, Kodiak, and Anchorage in May and June 2008.
    The MMS makes comments, including names and addresses of
respondents, available for public review. Individual commenters may
request that MMS withhold their addresses from the public record. MMS
will honor such requests to the extent allowable by law. There may also
be circumstances in which the MMS would withhold identity, as allowable
by law. If an individual would like the MMS to withhold their name and/
or address, this must be stated prominently at the beginning of the
comment. The MMS will not consider anonymous comments. Submissions from
organizations, businesses, individuals identified as representatives,
or officials of organizations and/or businesses will be made available
for public inspection in their entirety.
    Additional information may be found at the following Web site:
http://www.mms.gov/alaska/re/index.htm.

    Dated: July 3, 2008.
John T. Goll,
Regional Director, Alaska OCS Region.
[FR Doc. E8-18709 Filed 8-12-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P

 
 

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