BOEM Issues Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), announces the availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed Central Planning Area (CPA) Lease Sales 241 and 247 and Eastern Planning Area (EPA) Lease Sale 226.

 
The proposed CPA oil and gas lease sales are tentatively scheduled to be held in March 2016 and 2017, respectively, and the proposed EPA Lease Sale 226 is tentatively scheduled to be held in March 2016 under the Proposed Final Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program:  2012-2017.  

 
BOEM is proposing to offer approximately 44.2 million acres of the total 66.45 million acres in the CPA, with the exception of whole and partial blocks deferred by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. BOEM also proposes to offer for oil and gas leasing approximately 657,905 acres in the Eastern Planning Area (EPA), which includes those blocks previously included for EPA Lease Sales 224 and 225.  The area is south of eastern Alabama and western Florida; the nearest point of land is 125 miles northwest in Louisiana.  

 
BOEM will hold public meetings to obtain comments regarding the Draft Supplemental EIS.  The meetings are scheduled as follows:

• New Orleans, Louisiana: Monday, February 23, 2015, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana, beginning at 1:00 p.m. CST;
• Panama City, Florida:  Tuesday, February 24, 2015, Wyndham Bay Point Resort, 4114 Jan Cooley Drive, Panama City Beach, Florida, 32408, one meeting beginning at 4:00 p.m. CST;
• Mobile, Alabama:  Wednesday, February 25, 2015, Hilton Garden Inn Mobile West, 828 West I-65 Service Road South, Mobile, Alabama  36609, one meeting beginning at 4:00 p.m. CST; and
• Gulfport, Mississippi: Thursday, February 26, 2015, Courtyard by Marriott, Gulfport Beachfront MS Hotel, 1600 East Beach Boulevard, Gulfport, Mississippi  39501, one meeting beginning at 4:00 p.m. CST.

If you cannot attend the meetings, you may submit your written comments on the Draft Supplemental EIS no later than March 16, 2015, in one of the following ways:
 

1. In an envelope labeled "Comments on the Draft CPA 241/EPA 226 Supplemental EIS" to Mr. Gary D. Goeke, Chief, Environmental Assessment Section, Office of Environment (GM 623E), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana  70123-2394;
2.  Through the regulations.gov web portal:  Navigate to: www.regulations.gov and search for "Oil and Gas Lease Sales:  Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 241 and 247 and, Eastern Planning Area Lease Sale 226".  (Note:  It is important to include the quotation marks in your search terms.)  Click on the "Comment Now!" button to the right of the document link.  Enter your information and comment, then click "Submit"; or
3.  Through an email sent to BOEM email address: [email protected].

BOEM will publish the draft SEIS in the January 30, 2015, Federal Register.