[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 141 (Monday, July 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44148-44149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15757]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[20X.LLAK930000.L51010000. 000000.LVRWL20L1090]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement for the Willow Master Development Plan, Alaska
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) prepared a Draft
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address
deficiencies identified by the U.S. District Court for the District of
Alaska in the 2020 Willow Master Development Plan (MDP)/Final
Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision (ROD) issued in
October 2020, and to ensure compliance with applicable law. The BLM, by
this notice, is announcing the opening of the public comment period on
this Draft Supplemental EIS and is also announcing that it intends to
hold in-person public meetings in Utqiagvik and Nuiqsut, as well as
three virtual public meetings. A hearing to receive comments on the
Draft Supplemental EIS and the proposed project's potential to impact
subsistence resources and activities will be held in Nuiqsut concurrent
with the planned in-person public meeting.
DATES: To afford the BLM the opportunity to consider comments, please
ensure that the BLM receives your comments within 45 days following the
date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its Notice of
Availability (NOA) of the Draft Supplemental EIS in the Federal
Register. To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must
receive written comments on the Draft Supplemental EIS for the Willow
Master Development Plan by August 29, 2022. Dates, times, and locations
of public meetings and subsistence hearings will be announced at least
15 days in advance on the project website, as well as through various
additional means
[[Page 44149]]
such as public notices, media releases, social media posts, and
mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on issues related to the Draft
Supplemental EIS by any of the following methods:
BLM's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Register
website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/109410/510.
Mail: 222 W 7th Avenue, Stop #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513.
More details and instructions for submitting public comment may be
found on the BLM NEPA Register website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/109410/510. Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the NEPA Register website.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Rice at (907) 271-3202, or
by email at [email protected], on questions specific to NEPA or to have
your name added to our mailing list. Individuals in the United States
who are deaf, blind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may
dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay
services offered within their country to make international calls to
the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Willow project was originally analyzed
in the 2020 Willow MDP/Final EIS and authorized in a ROD issued in
October 2020. In August 2021, the U.S. District Court for the District
of Alaska vacated the ROD and remanded the matter to BLM to correct
deficiencies in the EIS regarding analysis of foreign greenhouse gas
emissions and screening of alternatives for detailed analysis. In order
to comply with this ruling, the BLM made numerous updates to the
analysis, including development of a new alternative that substantially
reduces infrastructure in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area. This Draft
Supplemental EIS complies with all applicable laws and current
Department of the Interior guidance, including (but not limited to)
NEPA, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the Alaska
National Interest Lands Conservation Act, and the Naval Petroleum
Reserves Production Act.
The input of Alaska Native Tribes and Corporations is of critical
importance to this Supplemental EIS. Therefore, during the NEPA
process, the BLM will continue to consult with potentially affected
Federally recognized Tribes on a government-to-government basis, and
with affected Alaska Native Corporations in accordance with Executive
Order 13175, as well as Public Law 108-199, Div. H, sec. 161, 118 Stat.
452, as amended by Public Law 108-447, Div. H, sec. 518, 118 Stat.
3267, and other Department and Bureau policies. We respectfully request
participation in consultation by Alaska Native Tribes and Alaska Native
Corporations to provide their views and recommendations on the
analysis, including effects from the proposed activities. The BLM will
hold individual consultation meetings upon request.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of
the Supplemental EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to
the close of the comment period and should clearly articulate the
reviewer's concerns and contentions. Comments received in response to
this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment,
will be part of the public record for this proposed action. Comments
submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6(b))
Steven Cohn,
State Director, BLM Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2022-15757 Filed 7-22-22; 8:45 am]
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