[Federal Register: July 8, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 130)]
[Notices]               
[Page 36917-36918]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08jy99-97]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

 
Northstar Oil and Gas Development Project, Beaufort Sea

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS).

ACTION: Notice of Adoption of a Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS).

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SUMMARY: The Northstar development project involves a joint Federal and 
State managed reservoir in the Beaufort Sea offshore the Alaskan arctic 
coast. The production facilities and pipeline would be located on State 
of Alaska submerged lands. Up to six development wells (and a Class II 
disposal well) could be drilled from a surface location on State 
submerged lands into the Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). 
Drilling these wells requires approval of an OCS Development and 
Production Plan (DPP). The MMS determined in October 1996, that 
approval of a DPP for the Northstar development project would be a 
major Federal action warranting preparation of an EIS. The MMS entered 
into an agreement with the U. S. Corps of Engineers as a cooperating 
agency for the Northstar EIS. The FEIS, Beaufort Sea Oil and Gas 
Development/Northstar Project was published on February 5, 1999.
    The MMS has determined that the Northstar FEIS is adequate to meet 
MMS's National Environmental Policy Act needs for the DPP. The FEIS 
provides a complete and thorough analysis of reasonable alternatives 
and impacts. The MMS hereby adopts the Northstar FEIS for use in its 
decision to

[[Page 36918]]

approve, disapprove, or require modification of the proposed DPP. The 
regulations at 40 CFR 1506.3 contain provisions for a cooperating 
agency to adopt the environmental impact statement of a lead agency.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain single copies of the FEIS from the Regional 
Director, Minerals Management Service, 949 East 36th Avenue, Anchorage, 
Alaska 99503-4302, Attention: Public Affairs Office. You may request 
copies by telephone at (907) 271-6070; 1-800-764-2627; or via e-mail at 
akwebmaster@mms.gov.

    Note: This FEIS is identical to that listed in the Corps of 
Engineers FR Notice, Vol. 64, No. 24, February 5, 1999, page 5789.

    Copies of the FEIS are also available for inspection in the 
following public libraries:

Tuzzy Consortium Library, Barrow, Alaska
North Slope Borough Office, Barrow, Alaska
Barrow City Office, Barrow, Alaska
Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission Office, Barrow, Alaska
Nuiqsut City Office, Nuiqsut, Alaska
Kaktovik City Office, Kaktovik, Alaska
Noel Wien Public Library, 1215 Cowels Street, Fairbanks, Alaska
Valdez Consortium Library, 200 Fairbanks Street, Valdez, Alaska
Juneau Public Library, 292 Marine Way, Juneau, Alaska
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
Z.J. Loussac Library, 3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska Resources Library and Information Services, 3150 C Street, Suite 
100, Anchorage, Alaska
Minerals Management Service, Resource Center, Room 330, 949 East 36th 
Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska

    Adoption of this FEIS constitutes the MMS Notice on the release and 
availability of an EIS for MMS's action to approve, disapprove, or 
require modification of a DPP for the Northstar development project. 
The MMS will take no action on the DPP for 30 days following the date 
of this notice. Under 30 CFR 250.204, MMS must approve, disapprove, or 
require modification of the DPP no later than 60 days after release of 
the FEIS.

ACTION: Availability of the Environmental Assessment (EA) and finding 
of no significant impact (FONSI) for the State-approved Oil Discharge 
Prevention and Contingency Plan.

SUMMARY: The Alaska OCS Region has also written an EA on the Oil Spill 
Response Plan for the Northstar Development Project on Beaufort Sea 
Leases OCS Y-0179 and -0181. We have reviewed the Northstar Development 
and Production Plan (DPP), the FEIS, and the Draft and State-approved 
versions of the Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plans 
(Response Plans). Our summary finding is based on the analysis and 
conclusion of the corresponding EA No. AK 99-01. Based on this 
assessment, we have concluded that the State-approved Response Plan 
would mitigate the significant oil-spill impacts listed in the FEIS and 
would not introduce new significant impacts requiring preparation of an 
EIS. Therefore, approval of the State-approved Response Plan as part of 
the DPP would not significantly (40 CFR 1508.27) affect the quality of 
the human environment.
    Individual copies of EA No. AK 99-01 and FONSI can be obtained by 
contacting the Alaska OCS Region at the same address as indicated 
earlier in this notice, under ADDRESSES, for obtaining copies of the 
FEIS. A copy of EA No. AK 99-01 is available for inspection at the 
Minerals Management Service, Resource Center, Room 330, 949 East 36th 
Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
    Mr. Paul Stang, Regional Supervisor, Leasing and Environment 
Division, Alaska OCS Region, Minerals Management Service, 949 East 36th 
Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4363, (907) 271-6045.

    Dated: July 1, 1999.
Carolita U. Kallaur,
Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 99-17266 Filed 7-7-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P