U.S. Department of the Interior
Minerals Management Service
Office of Communications

NEWS RELEASE

MMS ISSUES CZM FINAL RULE

        Today, the Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) published a final rule amending regulations

for  the coastal zone consistency review of offshore oil and natural gas exploration plans and development and production 

plans.  The amended rule corrects discrepancies between MMS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

regulations. It also clarifies how States review offshore oil and gas exploration plans, and development and production plans for

coastal zone consistency.

        Under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), States are granted the authority to review Federal activities to ensure the activities are consistent with a State’s coastal management program. The revised regulation clarifies that when MMS prepares an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a development and production plan, the agency will provide a copy to those States requiring the draft EIS as necessary information that must be received before beginning their consistency review. MMS recognized this change was needed to support the States’ efforts to obtain the best available environmental information before making consistency determinations under the CZMA.

        MMS Director Walt Rosenbusch commented, "This regulation will maximize the amount of good science and analysis available to the States in making their important CZMA decisions. Further, it strengthens my commitment to manage the OCS program based on consensus, rather than conflict, by working closely with our coastal States and partners."

        The CZMA was enacted to protect the coastal environment from growing demands associated with residential, recreational, commercial, and industrial uses (e.g., State and Federal offshore oil and gas development). CZMA provisions help States develop coastal management programs to manage and balance competing uses of the coastal zone.

        MMS is the Federal agency that manages the Nation=s natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf; and collects, accounts for, and last year disbursed about $6 billion in revenues from Federal offshore mineral leases and from onshore mineral leases on Federal and American Indian lands.

-MMS-

MMS Internet website address: http://www.mms.gov
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