U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) will hold public scoping meetings in Texas during the first week of April 1997, to gather additional information for the draft EIS and to provide an opportunity for public participation in the process.  On January 29, 1997, the MMS has published in the Federal Register, the Call for Information and Nominations and the Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on four proposed OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales in the Western Gulf of Mexico.  The specific sales included in this action are Sales 171, 174, 177, and 180, tentatively scheduled in August of each year beginning in 1998 and running through 2001.  The meetings are scheduled as follows:

The meetings will be conducted in an informal manner.  We are most interested in learning about any new concerns that should be addressed in this EIS.  (The most recent EIS covering the area may be obtained from the Public Information Office at (800) 200-GULF or (504) 736-2519.)  Participants in the meeting will be asked to contribute ideas and information that will help answer the following questions:

• Should additional significant issues be addressed?
• Does MMS adequately address the environmental effects (direct, indirect, and cumulative) projected as a result of OCS activities?
• Should additional alternatives be considered?
• Should additional significant resources be analyzed?
• Should any data gaps be considered in preparation of this document?
• Should additional mitigating measures be considered?