Notice2025-05797
Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska Region, Cook Inlet Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258
Primary source
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Published
April 4, 2025
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces its intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258 in the Cook Inlet Planning Area, Alaska. BOEM takes this action consistent with the regulations and guidance implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. This supplemental EIS will provide new analysis in response to a remand by the United States District Court for the District of Alaska (Court).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 64 (Friday, April 4, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 64 (Friday, April 4, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14866-14867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05797]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2020-0018]
Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska Region, Cook Inlet Planning Area,
Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact
statement.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces its
intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS)
for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258 in the
Cook Inlet Planning Area, Alaska. BOEM takes this action consistent
with the regulations and guidance implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. This
[[Page 14867]]
supplemental EIS will provide new analysis in response to a remand by
the United States District Court for the District of Alaska (Court).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Casey Rowe, Supervisor,
Environmental Analysis Section, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
Alaska OCS Region, 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska
99503-5820, telephone (907) 312-3788, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#63000210061a4d110c140623010c060e4d040c15"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ee8d8f9d8b97c09c81998bae8c818b83c0898198">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BOEM was required to hold Cook Inlet Lease
Sale 258 (Lease Sale 258) by the end of December 2022, as directed in
the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-169, enacted Aug. 16,
2022). On October 28, 2022, BOEM published the notice of availability
regarding the Cook Inlet Lease Sale 258 final EIS in the Federal
Register (87 FR 65247). Subsequently, on November 22, 2022, the
Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management signed the record
of decision (ROD). BOEM published a notice of availability in the
Federal Register (87 FR 73322) on November 29, 2022. On December 30,
2022, BOEM held Lease Sale 258, receiving one bid on one block,
resulting in the issuance of one lease.
On December 21, 2022, plaintiffs Cook Inletkeeper, et al., filed a
lawsuit under the Administrative Procedure Act alleging several
violations of NEPA. On July 16, 2024, the Court ruled partially in
favor of the plaintiffs and remanded without vacatur the Lease Sale 258
final EIS and ROD to BOEM to prepare a supplemental EIS to address
three deficiencies identified by the Court. The three deficiencies
identified by the Court are summarized as follows: (1) failure to
consider a reasonable range of alternatives, specifically with respect
to alternatives that would offer for lease a reduced number of blocks
and meaningfully reduce overall impacts; (2) failure to take the
requisite ``hard look'' at the impact of vessel noise from Lease Sale
258 on Cook Inlet beluga whales; and (3) failure to consider the
cumulative impacts on Cook Inlet beluga whales separately from other
marine mammals.
As a result of the Court's decision and order, BOEM announces its
intent to prepare a supplemental EIS for Lease Sale 258 in the Cook
Inlet Planning Area, Alaska. The supplemental EIS will provide
additional analyses to address the deficiencies identified by the
Court. At the completion of the supplemental EIS process, the Secretary
of the Interior or his designee will issue a modified ROD.
Implementation of the Secretary's decision identified in a modified ROD
would require the Secretary to either affirm, modify, or vacate the
previously awarded lease; it would not result in a new lease sale.
Scoping: Under Department of the Interior regulations implementing
NEPA (43 CFR 46.415) and existing practices and procedures, scoping is
not required for a supplemental EIS. The scope of the final EIS for
Lease Sale 258 and the remand by the Court establish the scope for this
supplemental EIS.
When complete, BOEM will publish a notice of availability regarding
the draft supplemental EIS for public review and comment as follows:
(1) in the Federal Register, which will also include a notice of
availability in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency weekly notice
of EIS receipts; (2) on the BOEM Alaska OCS Region homepage; and (3) in
the local media. Public hearings will be held following release of the
draft supplemental EIS. Dates and locations for the public hearings
will be determined and published at a later date.
Authority: This NOI is published pursuant to the Department of the
Interior regulations (43 CFR 46.415) implementing the procedural
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2025-05797 Filed 4-3-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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