Notice2022-27183
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) Commercial Project
Primary source
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Published
December 16, 2022
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
BOEM announces the availability of the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by Virginia Electric and Power Company, doing business as Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion Energy), for its proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project (CVOW Project or Project). The DEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the Project as described in the COP (the proposed action) and alternatives to the proposed action, including no action. This notice of availability announces the start of the public review and comment period, as well as the dates and times for virtual public hearings on the DEIS. After the comment period and public hearings, BOEM will publish a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) addressing comments received on the DEIS. The FEIS will inform BOEM's decision whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the Dominion Energy COP for the CVOW Project.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 241 (Friday, December 16, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 241 (Friday, December 16, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77135-77136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27183]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2022-0069]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) Commercial
Project
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: BOEM announces the availability of the draft environmental
impact statement (DEIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP)
submitted by Virginia Electric and Power Company, doing business as
Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion Energy), for its proposed Coastal
Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project (CVOW Project or Project).
The DEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the Project as
described in the COP (the proposed action) and alternatives to the
proposed action, including no action. This notice of availability
announces the start of the public review and comment period, as well as
the dates and times for virtual public hearings on the DEIS. After the
comment period and public hearings, BOEM will publish a final
environmental impact statement (FEIS) addressing comments received on
the DEIS. The FEIS will inform BOEM's decision whether to approve,
approve with modifications, or disapprove the Dominion Energy COP for
the CVOW Project.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than February 14, 2023. BOEM
will conduct three virtual public meetings. BOEM's virtual public
meetings will be held at the following times (eastern time).
<bullet> Wednesday, January 25, 2023; 5:00 p.m.
<bullet> Tuesday, January 31, 2023; 5:00 p.m.
<bullet> Thursday, February 2, 2023; 11:00 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The DEIS and detailed information about the Project,
including the COP, can be found on BOEM's website at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C</a>.
Comments can be submitted in any of the following ways:
<bullet> Orally or in written form during any of the public
meetings identified in this notice.
<bullet> In written form by U.S. mail or other delivery service,
enclosed in an envelope labeled ``CVOW COP DEIS'' and addressed to
Program Manager, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166.
<bullet> Through the <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a> web portal: Navigate to
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and search for Docket No. BOEM-2022-0069.
Click on the ``Comment'' button below the document link. Enter your
information and comment, then click ``Submit Comment.''
For more information about submitting comments, please see
``Information on Submitting Comments''
[[Page 77136]]
under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION heading below.
Registration for the virtual public meetings may be completed at:
<a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C</a> or by
calling (504) 736-5713. Meeting information will be sent to registrants
via their email address provided during registration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Stromberg, BOEM Office of
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia
20166, (703) 787-1730 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3d57584e4e545e5c134e494f52505f584f5a7d5f525850135a524b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="32585741415b51531c4146405d5f5057405572505d575f1c555d44">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action: Dominion Energy seeks approval to construct,
operate, and maintain the CVOW Project on the Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS) offshore coastal Virginia. The Project includes associated subsea
export cables and an onshore cable route. The Project would be
developed within the range of design parameters outlined in the CVOW
COP, subject to applicable mitigation measures. The Project as proposed
in the COP would include up to 205 wind turbine generators; up to 3
offshore high-voltage substations; inter-array cables linking the
individual turbines to the offshore substations; up to 9 buried high-
voltage, offshore export cables; a single export cable landing point on
the Virginia State Military Reservation, Virginia Beach; and an onshore
export cable route potentially comprised of combination of overhead and
underground transmission facilities with a terminal point of
interconnection to the existing Dominion Energy electrical grid at the
Fentress Substation in Chesapeake, Virginia. The CVOW Project is
located on the OCS approximately 24 nautical miles (27 statute miles,
44 kilometers) east of Virginia Beach, Virginia, within an area defined
by Renewable Energy Lease OCS-A 0483 (Lease Area). The offshore export
cables would be buried below the seabed surface in the U.S. OCS and
Commonwealth of Virginia-owned submerged lands.
Alternatives: BOEM considered seven Project alternatives and six
alternate onshore cable routes when preparing the DEIS. BOEM carried
forward four of the Project alternatives and two of the alternate cable
routes for detailed analysis in the DEIS. The four Project alternatives
include three action alternatives and the no action alternative. The
alternatives not carried forward for detailed analysis did not meet the
purpose and need for the proposed action or did not meet the
alternative screening criteria, which are described in DEIS chapter 2.
The screening criteria included consistency with law and regulations;
technical and economic feasibility; environmental impacts; and
geographic considerations.
Availability of the DEIS: The Project DEIS, CVOW COP, and
associated information are available on BOEM's website at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C</a>.
BOEM has distributed digital copies of the DEIS to all parties
listed in DEIS appendix H. If you require a flash drive or paper copy,
BOEM will provide one upon request, as long as supplies are available.
You may request a flash drive or paper copy of the DEIS by calling
(504) 736-5713.
Cooperating and Consulting Agencies: The following Federal agencies
participated as cooperating agencies under the National Environmental
Policy Act in the preparation of the DEIS: Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S.
Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of the
Navy. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; National Park
Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and the Virginia Department of
Energy are designated as participating agencies.
Information on Submitting Comments: BOEM does not consider
anonymous comments. Please include your name and address as part of
your comment. BOEM makes your comments, including your name and
address, available for public review online and during regular business
hours. You may request that BOEM withhold your name, address, or any
other personally identifiable information (PII) included in your
comment from the public record; however, BOEM cannot guarantee that it
will be able to do so. If you wish your name, address, or other PII to
be withheld, you must state your request prominently in a cover letter
and explain the harm that you fear from its disclosure, such as
unwarranted privacy invasion, embarrassment, or injury. Even if BOEM
withholds your information in the context of this notice, your comment
is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and any relevant
court orders. If your comment is requested under FOIA or relevant court
order, your information will only be withheld if a determination is
made that one of the FOIA exemptions to disclosure applies or if the
relevant court order is challenged. Such a determination will be made
in accordance with the Department of the Interior's FOIA regulations
and applicable law.
Please label privileged or confidential information as ``Contains
Confidential Information,'' and consider submitting such information as
a separate attachment. Information that is not labeled as privileged or
confidential may be regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.
All submissions from organizations or businesses and from
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses will be made available for public
inspection in their entirety.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq. (NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR
1506.6.
Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2022-27183 Filed 12-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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