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The NewsRoom
Release: #3641
Date: June 6, 2007
Coastal
Impact Assistance Program Environmental Assessment Available
Finding of No
Significant Impact
WASHINGTON
– The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service
(MMS) has published a final programmatic Environmental Assessment
(EA) for the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) and Finding of
No Significant Impact. The EA assesses potential impacts on the
environment from the implementation of the program, and assists MMS
in planning and decision making on future assessment of individual
CIAP projects. The EA is available on the
MMS website.
The CIAP was
established under section 384 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and
authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through MMS, to distribute
$250 million annually to six states -- Alabama, Alaska, California,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas -- all Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS) oil and gas producing states, in fiscal years 2007 through
2010. The Act requires that all CIAP funding be used for projects
and activities for the conservation, protection, or restoration of
coastal areas, including wetlands; mitigation of damage to fish,
wildlife, or natural resources; planning assistance and the
administrative costs of complying with CIAP legislation;
implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal, or
comprehensive conservation management plan; or mitigation of the
impact of OCS activities through funding of onshore infrastructure
projects and public service needs.
MMS recently
announced availability of the FY 2007 and FY 2008 allocations to
each of the six eligible states and their Coastal Political
Subdivisions (CPSs), which include counties, parishes, or boroughs.
CIAP funds
will be distributed through a grant process. States must submit a
State CIAP plan to MMS. Once a State plan has been approved by MMS,
States and their CPSs can submit grant applications to MMS. CIAP
funds cannot be drawn without MMS approval of grant applications.
MMS will accept grant applications beginning in mid-October 2007.
More information
on the CIAP program is available at.Media Contact:
Nicolette Nye 703-787-1011
MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for
America
U.S. Department of the Interior
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