Minerals Management Service
Has Prepared an Environmental Assessment for Proposed Federal Oil and
Gas Lease Sale 184 in the Western Gulf of Mexico

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed annual Lease Sale 184 for the Western Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf. In this EA, the MMS reexamined the potential environmental effects of the proposed action and alternatives based on any new information regarding potential impacts and issues that were not available at the time the final multisale environmental impact statement (FEIS) for Western Gulf of Mexico lease sale was completed in 1998.

Proposed Sale 184 is tentatively scheduled for August 2002. It is the first lease sale scheduled in the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2002-2007; Draft Environmental Impact Statement; October 2001 (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2001-079). However, since this EIS and the associated Central and Western multisale EIS are in the draft stages, this EA has been tiered off the previous Western multisale Final EIS prepared for Lease Sales 171, 174, 177, and 180 (OCS EIS/EA MMS 98-0008). That EIS analyzed the effects of a typical lease sale by presenting a set of ranges for resource estimates, project exploration and development activities, and impact-producing factors for any of the proposed Western Gulf sales. The level of activities proposed for Sale 184 falls within the upper limit of these ranges.

In summary, no new significant impacts were identified for proposed Lease Sale 184 that were not already assessed in the Final EIS for Lease Sales 171, 174, 177, and 180. As a result, MMS determined that a supplemental EIS is not required and prepared a Finding of No New Significant Impact.

You may obtain single copies of the EA (MMS 2002-008) from the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Attention: Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 114, New Orleans, LA 70123-2394 or by calling 1-800-200-GULF.

Specific information on the EA may be obtained from Mr. Alvin Jones at (504) 736-1713. Specific information on the proposed lease sale may be obtained from Mr. Charles Hill at (504) 736-2795.

The MMS is the federal agency that manages the Nation's oil, natural gas and other mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf in federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for and disburses mineral revenues from federal and Indian leases. These revenues totaled nearly $10 billion in 2001 and more than $120 billion since the agency was created in 1982. Annually, nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition and development of state and federal park and recreation lands.

-MMS-GOM-

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