Federal bureau taking comments on oil leases

NEW ORLEANS — The federal government will hold five public meetings around the Gulf Coast to get comments about air quality modeling and analysis for proposed region-wide oil lease sales next year.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management says the modeling results have not yet been reviewed.

The open house-style meetings April 25 through May 1 also will take comments on other aspects of a draft environmental impact statement . They’ll run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 25 outside New Orleans; April 27 in Houston; May 1 in Pensacola, Fla.; May 2 in Mobile, Ala.; and May 3 in Gulfport, Miss.

Comments also may be mailed to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management or sent through the regulations.gov web portal, under Docket No. BOEM-2017-0001.

The 45-day comment period ends May 15.