BOEM Updates Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 257 Record of Decision

Release Date
08/31/2021

As follow up to the Department of the Interior’s announcement on August 24, BOEM has posted an updated Record of Decision (ROD) for Lease Sale 257 (LS 257) to its website.

The Department has determined to move forward with the process for Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Lease Sale 257, consistent with the Secretary’s authorities and discretion under applicable law.

This ROD identifies BOEM’s selected alternative (i.e., Alternative A) for proposed LS 257, which is analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Lease Sale:  Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 2018 (2018 GOM Supplemental EIS).  Alternative A allows for a proposed GOM regionwide lease sale encompassing all three planning areas:  Western Planning Area (WPA); Central Planning Area (CPA); and a small portion of the Eastern Planning Area (EPA) not under congressional moratorium. 

As stated in the Department of the Interior’s announcement, BOEM expects a Final Notice of Sale for LS 257 to publish in September, with a lease sale to follow in the fall of this year.

For more information, including a copy of the ROD, please go to https://www.boem.gov/environment/environmental-assessment/nepa-activities-gulf-mexico.

-- BOEM --

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is responsible for America’s offshore energy and mineral resources. The bureau promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of energy and mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.