BOEM to Hold Series of Public Meetings

 The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently announced that it will hold a series of public meetings and have an open comment period in which to gather information that will be used in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for two proposed oil and gas lease sales located in the Eastern Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico. Recently the President mentioned in his State of the Union address BOEM’s Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017. The program would make over 75% of undiscovered oil and gas on the continental shelf available for development.

“BOEM will use this information to help determine the scope of the issues to be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement, and to identify and evaluate potential environmental effects related to the proposed sales,” said BOEM Director Tommy P. Beaudreau.

The public is invited to comment during meetings to be held at the following places and times:

April 3, 2012, at 1:00 pm (EDT) at Tallahassee Community College, 444 Appleyard Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32304

April 4, 2012, at 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm (CDT) at Wyndham Bay Point Resort, 4114 Jan Cooley Drive, Panama City Beach, FL 32408

April 5, 2012, at 1:00 pm (CDT) at Five River’s Delta Resource Center, 30945 Five Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, AL 36527 

April 9, 2012, at 1:00 pm (CDT) at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70123

The area designated for sale is approximately 120 miles off the coasts of Alabama and Florida where there is either known or anticipated hydrocarbon potential.