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This Web site is the online center for public involvement on the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2012–2017 Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.
The comment period has officially closed.
The United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has prepared a draft programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) for the 2012-2017 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The Draft Programmatic EIS analyzes the potential impacts of the adoption of the proposed five-year program.
The draft Programmatic EIS evaluates offering all or portions of six OCS planning areas for oil and gas leasing: the Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Cook Inlet Planning Areas, which are offshore Alaska; and Western, Central, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Areas, the latter focusing on a small portion in the southwestern third of the planning area. These areas also will be the focus of the proposed program analyses. Additional information on the OCS Leasing Program may be found at: www.boem.gov/5-year/2012-2017, and in the Offshore Energy Plan fact sheet.
Public Participation
Public participation in the 2012–2017 OCS Oil and Gas Programmatic EIS is important. This Web site provides information and services to help you participate in the Programmatic EIS process.
Getting Involved
Information about how to participate in the Programmatic EIS process, instructions for submitting comments, and public hearing information.
Programmatic EIS Documents
Programmatic EIS-related documents for downloading or online browsing.
Other Resources
Other resources include news updates and e-mail notices of important events.
Background Information
In January 2009, the previous Administration published a Draft Proposed Program (DPP) and a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS that set out a schedule for scoping meetings in the areas of the DPP. In February 2009, the Secretary of the Interior extended the comment period on the DPP and postponed the scoping meetings to allow time to consider further public comment before determining which areas in the DPP should be scoped for the EIS, and thus, be analyzed for consideration in the subsequent program proposals under Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act, 43 U.S.C 1344. The fact that an area is analyzed in a five-year EIS does not mean that it will be included in a final leasing program. However, an area must be analyzed pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
For additional supplemental information, please see the Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare and Scope an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012–2017.
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