BOEM Public Meetings on Gulf Central Planning Area

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is preparing a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed Central Planning Area (CPA) lease sales beginning with Lease Sale 235 in the Gulf of Mexico off the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Sale 235 is scheduled to be held in 2015. The study will also cover CPA lease sales 241 and 247, to be held in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The supplemental EIS will update the environmental and socioeconomic analyses completed in July 2012 and in April 2013.

The supplemental EIS will consider possible new circumstances and information arising from, among other things, the Deepwater Horizon explosion, oil spill and response. It will focus on updating the baseline conditions and potential environmental effects of oil and natural gas leasing, exploration, development and production in the CPA.

BOEM will hold public scoping meetings to solicit comments on the scope of the CPA 235 supplemental EIS. BOEM's scoping meetings will be held at the following places and times:
•Gulfport, Mississippi: Monday, September 9, 2013, Courtyard Gulfport Beachfront Marriott, 1600 East Beach Blvd., Gulfport, Mississippi 39501, one meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. CDT;
•Mobile, Alabama: Tuesday, September 10, 2013, Hilton Garden Inn Mobile West, 828 West I-65 Service Road South, Mobile, Alabama 36609, one meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. CDT; and
•New Orleans, Louisiana: Thursday, September 12, 2013, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123; one meeting beginning at 1:00 p.m. CDT.

All interested parties may submit written comments on the scope of the supplemental EIS, significant issues that should be addressed, alternatives that should be considered, potential mitigation measures and the types of oil and gas activities of interest in the proposed CPA lease sale area. Written scoping comments may be submitted in one of the following ways:
1. In an envelope labeled "Scoping Comments for the CPA Lease Sales 235, 241, and 247 Supplemental EIS" and mailed (or hand delivered) 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. Go to the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to http://www.regulations.gov and search for "Oil and Gas Lease Sales: Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 235, 241, and 247." (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. BOEM's email address: [email protected].

bome.gov