Do you have thoughts on a proposed oil and gas lease sale in Cook Inlet? The federal government wants to hear from you.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is holding a final open house today, Aug. 31, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Alaska Standard Time for a five-year oil and gas leasing program that was proposed earlier this year by the Department of the Interior.
That proposed program describes 11 locations for oil and gas lease sales, including one in northern Cook Inlet and 10 sales in the Gulf of Mexico. Per the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the proposed Cook Inlet lease sale would occur in 2026.
The Biden administration earlier this year canceled a proposal that would have opened more than 1 million acres of Cook Inlet to oil and gas development.
The 90-day public comment period officially opened on July 8, 2022, and will end on Oct. 6. Those interested in participating in Wednesday’s meeting are encouraged to register on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management website at https://forms.gle/WqTN6z9YFTRUSsbH8.
Comments can also be submitted online at www.regulations.gov with docket ID BOEM-2022-0031. Comments can also be submitted via mail to:
Ms. Kelly Hammerle, Chief, National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program Development and Coordination Branch Leasing Division, Office of Strategic Resources, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM-LD)
45600 Woodland Road
Sterling, VA 20166-9216
The full plan can be found on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management website at boem.gov.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
