U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region NEWS RELEASE

MMS Completes Environmental Assessment on Application to Inject
E&P Waste at Main Pass 299

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) has completed a programmatic environmental assessment (EA) on Freeport-McMoRan Sulphur LLC's (Freeport) Applications to Inject OCS-Generated Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Exempt Exploration and Production (E&P) Waste into Salt Caverns and Caprock on Sulphur and Salt Lease OCS-G 9372, Main Pass Block 299 (MP 299). Our programmatic EA on the proposed disposal activities and disposal site resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). On the basis of this EA, we have concluded that the proposed disposal method at MP 299 will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment. Preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required.

The MMS requests interested parties to submit comments regarding the proposed project and EA/ FONSI to Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Office of Leasing and Environment, Attention: Regional Supervisor (MS 5410), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. The MMS will also accept comments submitted by e-mail to Environment@mms.gov. Comments must be submitted no later than 30 days from the publication of this Notice.

MMS is the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior 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-