81 FR 8743 - Notice of Availability of Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment To Evaluate Potential Environmental Effects of Well Stimulation Treatments on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 34 (February 22, 2016)

After an 11 month process that began in March of 2015, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) have prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) to evaluate potential environmental effects of well stimulation treatments (WSTs) on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). These activities include: Fracturing WSTs (Diagnostic fracture injection test; Frac pac; and Acid fracturing) and non-fracturing WSTs (Matrix acidizing; and Polymer/surfactant injection).

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8743-8744]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03600]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

[16761700D2 ET1EX0000.PEB000 EEAA000000]


Notice of Availability of Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment To Evaluate Potential Environmental Effects of Well 
Stimulation Treatments on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf

AGENCY:  Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior; and Bureau 
of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: After an 11 month process that began in March of 2015, the 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Bureau of Safety and 
Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) have prepared a Draft Programmatic 
Environmental Assessment (PEA) to evaluate potential environmental 
effects of well stimulation treatments (WSTs) on the Pacific Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS). These activities include: Fracturing WSTs 
(Diagnostic fracture injection test; Frac pac; and Acid fracturing) and 
non-fracturing WSTs (Matrix acidizing; and Polymer/surfactant 
injection).

DATES: Comments on this Draft PEA will be accepted until March 23, 
2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on the Draft PEA, 
you may contact Mr. Rick Yarde, Regional

[[Page 8744]]

Supervisor, Office of Environment Pacific Region, BOEM, (805) 384-6379 
or Mr. David Fish, Acting Chief Environmental Compliance Division, 
BSEE, (202) 208-3599.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This NOA is published pursuant to the 
regulations (40 CFR part 1503) implementing the provisions of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (1988)). To obtain a copy of the Draft PEA:
    1. You may download or view the Draft PEA on the following Web 
site: http://pocswellstim.evs.anl.gov.
    2. Hard Copies are available at:

Santa Barbara Public Library, 40 E Anapamu St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, 
(805) 962-7653;
E.P. Foster Library, 651 E. Main St., Ventura, CA 93001, (805) 648-
2716; and
Long Beach Public Library, 101 Pacific Ave, Long Beach, CA 90822, (562) 
570-7500.

    3. You may also obtain a hard copy of the Draft PEA by contacting 
either Mr. Rick Yarde or Mr. David Fish.
    Comments: Government agencies and other interested parties are 
requested to send their written comments on the Draft PEA in one of the 
following ways:
    1. Preferred: Submit your comment on the project's public review 
Web site at: http://pocswellstim.evs.anl.gov/;
    2. In an envelope labeled ``Comments on the Draft PEA for Well 
Stimulation Treatments on the Pacific OCS'' and mailed (or hand 
carried) to Mr. Rick Yarde, Regional Supervisor, Office of Environment 
Pacific Region, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 760 Paseo Camarillo, 
Suite 102 (CM102), Camarillo, CA 93010; or Mr. David Fish, Acting Chief 
Environmental Compliance Division, Bureau of Safety and Environmental 
Enforcement, 1849 C Street NW., Room 5429, Washington, DC 20240; and
    3. By email to: [email protected].
    Comments must be submitted by March 23, 2016.

Public Disclosure of Names and Addresses

    Before including your address, phone number, email address or other 
personal identifying information in your comment, be advised 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 from public review your personal identifying 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. The 
Bureaus will not consider anonymous comments, and the Bureaus will make 
available for inspection, in their entirety, all comments submitted by 
organizations or businesses or by individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives of organizations or businesses.

    Dated: February 9, 2016.
Brian Salerno,
Director, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

    Dated: February 9, 2016.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2016-03600 Filed 2-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-VH-P