Geoscience Policy Monthly Review
march 2016

The Monthly Review is part of a continuing effort to improve communications about the role of geoscience in policy.
Current and archived monthly reviews are available online.

Subscribe to receive the Monthly Review directly.

federal agencies & administration

DOI announces review of federal coal program

March 25, 2016

The Department of the Interior (DOI) released a notice of intent (NOI) that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to evaluate potential reforms to the federal coal program. The NOI comes after a DOI announcement in January that halted new federal coal leases while the review occurs.

The goal of the review is to produce reforms that ensure a fair return to taxpayers and environmental stewardship, while helping meet the nation’s energy needs. The PEIS will include a series of six meetings to solicit public input for the review.

DOI will release an interim report for the PEIS by the end of 2016. The report will include a summary of the comments received, conclusions about alternatives that will be evaluated and any initial analytical results. The full program review is expected to take three years.

Sources: E&E News, Department of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

BOEM releases proposed five-year offshore drilling plan

March 18, 2016

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released the second of three proposals for the 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The five-year program will succeed the current 2012-2017 program that has held lease sales in both the Arctic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Regulated under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), BOEM is required to perform an extensive review every five years to produce a new leasing sale for offshore oil and gas exploration and development.

The proposed program includes 13 total potential lease sales, with 10 sales in the Gulf of Mexico, and 1 sale each in the Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea, and Cook Inlet within the Arctic Ocean. Currently, no lease sales are proposed for the Pacific or Atlantic OCS. Earlier proposals for lease sales in the Atlantic region generated strong reactions from some states, stakeholders, and the public. The proposed program also includes details on the specific location, size, and timing of each lease for 2017-2022.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and in conjunction with the proposed program, BOEM has also released a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed five-year program. The EIS provides information on potential environmental impacts as a result of oil and gas exploration, development, and production within the lease areas. Both the EIS and proposed program are available for public comment at Regulations.gov.

Sources: Federal Register, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)