Notice2022-25309
Notice of Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Surveying and Mapping Projects in U.S. Waters for Coastal and Marine Data Acquisition
Primary source
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Published
November 25, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service has prepared a final programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with NOS' recurring data collection projects to characterize submerged features (e.g., habitat, bathymetry, marine debris). The "action area" for these projects encompasses the United States (U.S.) territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (U.S. EEZ), U.S. rivers, States' offshore waters, and coastal and riparian lands. As part of the Proposed Action, NOS may use active acoustic equipment such as sub-bottom profilers, single beam and multibeam echo sounders, side-scan sonars, and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers. The Final PEIS analyzes NOS data collection projects for a time period of five years. In preparing the Final PEIS, NOS has considered public comments received on the Draft PEIS, which was published in June 2021.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 226 (Friday, November 25, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 226 (Friday, November 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72447-72449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25309]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Notice of Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement for Surveying and Mapping Projects in U.S. Waters for
Coastal and Marine Data Acquisition
AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a final programmatic environmental
impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National
Ocean Service has prepared a final programmatic environmental impact
[[Page 72448]]
statement (PEIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), to analyze the potential environmental
impacts associated with NOS' recurring data collection projects to
characterize submerged features (e.g., habitat, bathymetry, marine
debris). The ``action area'' for these projects encompasses the United
States (U.S.) territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone (U.S. EEZ), U.S. rivers, States' offshore waters, and
coastal and riparian lands. As part of the Proposed Action, NOS may use
active acoustic equipment such as sub-bottom profilers, single beam and
multibeam echo sounders, side-scan sonars, and Acoustic Doppler Current
Profilers. The Final PEIS analyzes NOS data collection projects for a
time period of five years. In preparing the Final PEIS, NOS has
considered public comments received on the Draft PEIS, which was
published in June 2021.
DATES: NOS will publish a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 days
after publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Notice
of Availability for this Final PEIS in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: The Final PEIS can be viewed or downloaded from the NOS
website at <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/about/environmental-compliance/surveying-mapping.html">https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/about/environmental-compliance/surveying-mapping.html</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay Nunenkamp, Environmental
Compliance Coordinator, National Ocean Service, SSMC4, 1305 East West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#89e7e6fae8e8a7eceac9e7e6e8e8a7eee6ff"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3856574b5959165d5b7856575959165f574e">[email protected]</span></a>, (302) 715-2405.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action analyzed in the Final
PEIS is to continue NOS' surveying and mapping projects throughout the
action area. The Final PEIS assesses the direct, indirect, and
cumulative environmental impacts of a suite of surveying and mapping
data collection activities.
The Final PEIS responds to, and incorporates where appropriate,
agency and public comments received on the Draft PEIS, which was
available for public review from June 25, 2021 to November 22, 2021.
During the public comment period for the Draft PEIS, NOS received 31
comment submissions from 30 commenters via <a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> and email.
NOS responses to agency and public comments are provided in Appendix C
of the Final PEIS.
NOS updated the Draft PEIS to include additional mitigation
measures designed to minimize the impacts of surveying and mapping
activities on the human environment. Additional mitigation measures
incorporated into the Final PEIS are expected to result in a reduction
of adverse environmental impacts analyzed in the Draft PEIS.
Due to the timing of the consultations and publication of the Final
PEIS, the temporal scope of the Proposed Action has been reduced from
six years (2022-2027) to five years (2023-2027). The annual numbers for
project activities and project miles are expected to remain consistent
with those estimated in the Draft PEIS; however, since the Final PEIS
covers one less year than the Draft PEIS, the total estimated survey
effort has decreased.
NOS has incorporated additional data sources into the calculations
of marine mammal density, and made technical corrections to the
acoustic exposure estimates. These data have been updated for the Final
PEIS.
The Final PEIS evaluates three alternatives:
<bullet> Alternative A--No Action: Under Alternative A, NOS would
continue to operate a variety of equipment and technologies to gather
accurate and timely data on the nature and condition of the marine and
coastal environment. This alternative reflects the technology,
equipment, scope, and methods currently in use by NOS, at the level of
effort reflecting NOS fiscal year 2019 funding levels. (NOS is using
2019 as the baseline year for funding, as that was the last year of
normal NOS operations prior to COVID-19 disruptions.)
<bullet> Alternative B: This alternative consists of Alternative A
plus the more widespread adoption of new techniques and technologies
(such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), microwave water level
(MWWL) sensors, etc.) to more efficiently perform surveying, mapping,
charting and related data gathering. Specific examples of adaptive
methods and equipment that NOS programs are likely to adopt under
Alternative B in the next five years include:
[cir] Greater use of ROVs with echo sounder technologies;
[cir] Greater use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and
uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) with echo sounder technologies;
[cir] Conversion of one or more existing 10-m (33 feet) crewed
survey boats into USVs;
[cir] Greater use of more efficient, wide-beam sonar systems
(phase-differencing bathymetric systems) for nearshore hydrographic
surveys;
[cir] Increased field operations in the National Marine Sanctuary
system with associated requirements for hydroacoustic charting,
surveying, mapping and associated activities; and
[cir] Installation, operation, and maintenance of additional water
level stations including transitioning to mostly MWWL sensors and
upgraded storm strengthening to make stations more climate resilient.
Under Alternative B, all of the activities and equipment operation
described in Alternative A would continue, many at a higher level of
effort. The nature of these actions would not change, but the overall
level of activity would be increased.
<bullet> Alternative C: Like Alternative B, Alternative C adopts
new techniques and technologies to encourage greater program
efficiencies regarding surveying, mapping, charting, and related data
gathering activities. In addition, Alternative C would consist of NOS
program implementation with an overall funding increase of 20 percent
relative to Alternative B. Under Alternative C, all of the activities
and equipment operation described in Alternative B would continue, many
at a higher level of effort. The nature of these actions would not
change, but the overall level of activity would be augmented.
NOS has identified Alternative B as the preferred alternative,
which fully addresses the purpose and need of the Proposed Action.
NOS initiated consultations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act for Essential Fish Habitat, Endangered
Species Act, and National Marine Sanctuaries Act following publication
of the Draft PEIS. NOS has also completed Federal consistency
determinations to comply with Section 307 of the Coastal Zone
Management Act (CZMA) and has received concurrence responses from
several States. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NOS has
submitted an application for a Letter of Authorization to the National
Marine Fisheries Service, and an Incidental Take Regulation request to
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. NOS will initiate consultation
under the National Historic Preservation Act prior to conducting
individual projects that may affect cultural and historic properties.
Public Review
We are not requesting public comments on the FEIS, but any written
comments we receive will become part of the public record associated
with this action. The entirety of the comment, including the name of
the commenter, email address, attachments, and other supporting
materials, will be publicly accessible. Sensitive personal information,
such as account numbers or Social Security numbers, should not
[[Page 72449]]
be included with the comment. Comments that are not responsive or that
contain profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate language
will not be considered.
Authority: The preparation of the Final PEIS was conducted in
accordance with the requirements of NEPA, the Council on Environmental
Quality's Regulations (40 CFR 1500 et seq. (1978)), other applicable
regulations, and NOAA's policies and procedures for compliance with
those regulations. While the CEQ regulations implementing NEPA were
revised as of September 14, 2020 (85 FR 43304, July 16, 2020), and
further revised as of May 20, 2022 (87 FR 23453, April 20, 2022), NOS
prepared this Final PEIS using the 1978 CEQ regulations because this
environmental review began on December 19, 2016, when NOS published a
Notice of Intent to prepare a NEPA document for its mapping program.
Nicole R. LeBoeuf,
Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management,
National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-25309 Filed 11-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P
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