00-29961. Environmental Assessment Prepared for Proposed Central Gulf Sale 178 on the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf

AGENCY:

Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of availability of the environmental assessment on proposed central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 178.

SUMMARY:

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed annual Lease Sale 178 for the Central Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf.

In this EA, MMS has reexamined the potential environmental effects of the proposed action and alternatives based on any new information regarding potential impacts and issues that was not available at the time the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for Lease Sales 169, 172, 175, 178, and 182 was prepared.

In summary, no new significant impacts were identified for proposed Lease Sale 178 that were not already assessed in the FEIS for Lease Sales 169, 172, 175, 178, and 182. As a result, MMS determined that a supplemental EIS is not required and prepared a Finding of No New Significant Impact.

If you wish to comment, you may mail or hand-carry written comments to the Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service, Regional Director (MS 5410), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. Our practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours.

Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There may be circumstances in which we would withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by the law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Public Information Unit, Information Services Section at the number below. You may obtain single copies of the EA from the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Attention: Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 114, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 or by calling 1-800-200-GULF.

Dated: November 17, 2000.

Chris C. Oynes,

Regional Director, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region.