MMS schedules hearings on Beaufort Sea multiple sale draft EIS

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

The Minerals Management Service will hold public hearings this month on the proposed Beaufort Sea multiple sale draft environmental impact statement.

The Anchorage hearing will be July 30 from 4-7 p.m. at the MMS Alaska Region conference room, third floor, 949 E. 36th Ave.

Hearings will be held July 22-26 in Barrow, Kaktovik and Nuiqsut.

MMS is proposing three sales in the Beaufort Sea planning area between 2002 and 2007 under its current five-year plan.

MMS will answer questions about the proposal at the hearings and also take comments on the DEIS. MMS said it will continue to evaluate new issues and it is especially interested in hearing about any new issues or information developed over the past two years.

MMS prepared a single EIS for the three proposed Beaufort Sea sales. The completed EIS for proposed Sale 186 (2003) will be the basis for evaluating subsequent sales proposed in the five-year plan. MMS said it will prepare either an environmental assessment or if necessary a supplemental EIS and a consistency determination for each subsequent sale, Sale 195 in 2005 and Sale 202 in 2007.

The comment period closes Sept. 20.

The Beaufort Sea planning area is offshore Alaska’s northern coast and extends from three to approximately 60 nautical miles offshore in water depths generally ranging from about 25 to 200 feet. The area covers some 9.9 million acres from the Canadian border on the east to Barrow on the west.

All current leases are within three to 12 miles of the coast or barrier islands.