Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale: 2012. Central Planning Area Lease Sale 216/222. Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Volume II. Chapters 5-8, Appendices, and Keyword Index

摘要

The purpose of this Supplemental EIS is to address the remaining proposed Gulf of Mexico CPA OCS oil and gas lease sale (CPA Lease Sale 216/222) scheduled under the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2012-2017 (5-Year Program). This Supplemental EIS is being prepared because of the potential changes to the baseline conditions of the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural resources that may have occurred as a result of (1) the DWH event between April 20 and July 15, 2010 (the period when oil flowed from the Macondo well in Mississippi Canyon Block 252 (Figure 1-2)); (2) the acute impacts that have been reported or surveyed since that time; and (3) any new information that may be available since the publication of the Multisale EIS or the 2009-2012 Supplemental EIS. The environmental resources include sensitive coastal environments, offshore benthic resources, marine mammals, sea turtles, coastal and marine birds, endangered and threatened species, and fisheries. This Supplemental EIS analyzes the potential impacts of the proposed action on the marine, coastal, and human environments. It is important to note that this Supplemental EIS was prepared using the scientifically credible information that was publicly available at the time this document was prepared.