Notice2023-09478
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for a Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 4, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) intends to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to consider the reasonably foreseeable environmental consequences associated with the issuance of a research lease to the State of Maine. That lease would grant Maine the exclusive right to submit, for BOEM's potential approval, plans for wind energy-related research activities offshore Maine. BOEM is seeking public input regarding important environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the EA.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 86 (Thursday, May 4, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 86 (Thursday, May 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28611-28612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09478]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2023-0031]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for a
Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
Offshore Maine
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) intends to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to consider
the reasonably foreseeable environmental consequences associated with
the issuance of a research lease to the State of Maine. That lease
would grant Maine the exclusive right to submit, for BOEM's potential
approval, plans for wind energy-related research activities offshore
Maine. BOEM is seeking public input regarding important environmental
issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be
considered in the EA.
DATES: BOEM must receive your comments no later than June 5, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
In the entry entitled, ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2023-0031,
and then click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public
comments and view supporting and related materials available for this
notice; or
<bullet> By U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service, send
your comments and information to the following address: Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland
Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP, Sterling, VA 20166.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Stromberg, BOEM, Environment
Branch for Renewable Energy, 45600 Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP,
Sterling, VA 20166, 703-787-1730, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f9939c8a8a909a98d78a8d8b96949b9c8b9eb99b969c94d79e968f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="22484751514b41430c5156504d4f4047504562404d474f0c454d54">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: This notice of intent to prepare an EA is published
pursuant to 43 CFR 46.305.
1. Background
On March 20, 2023, BOEM issued a notice that competitive interest
did not exist in the area proposed for a research lease by the State of
Maine (88 FR 16662). Thus, BOEM has decided to proceed with the
research leasing process using the procedures described in 30 CFR
585.239. The next step in that process includes initiating an
environmental review of potential impacts from activities associated
with the research lease, if issued.
Proposed Action and Scope of Analysis
The proposed action that will be the subject of the EA is the
issuance of a research lease. In addition to the no action alternative
(no lease issuance), other alternatives may be considered, such as
exclusion of certain areas from project siting or modification of
project activities. The EA will consider the reasonably foreseeable
environmental consequences associated with lease issuance that are
expected to take place following issuance of a research lease to the
State of Maine, including the potential impacts of site
characterization surveys and site assessment activities, such as the
deployment and recovery of a meteorological buoy. BOEM has decided to
prepare an EA for this proposed action in order to assist agency's
planning and decision making (40 CFR 1501.5(b)). This notice starts the
formal scoping process for the EA under 40 CFR 1501.9 and solicits
information regarding additional important environmental issues and
alternatives that should be considered in the EA. Additionally, BOEM
will use the scoping process to identify and eliminate from detailed
analysis issues that are not significant or that have been analyzed by
prior environmental reviews (40 CFR 1501.9(f)(1)).
BOEM will use responses to this notice and the EA public input
process to satisfy the public involvement requirements of the National
Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108), as provided in 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3). Consequently, BOEM seeks information from the public on
the identification of historic properties that might be impacted by the
leasing activities should BOEM decide to issue the research lease. The
analyses contained within the EA also will support compliance with
other environmental statutes (e.g., Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and Marine Mammal
Protection Act).
The research lease would not authorize any activities on the Outer
Continental Shelf, but would grant the State of Maine the exclusive
rights to submit plans for BOEM approval. Prior to the approval of any
plan authorizing the construction and operation of wind
[[Page 28612]]
energy-related research facilities, BOEM would prepare a plan-specific
environmental analysis and will comply with all required consultation
requirements.
2. Cooperating Agencies
BOEM invites Federal, State, and local government agencies, as well
as Tribal governments, to consider becoming cooperating agencies in the
preparation of this EA. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA defines
cooperating agencies as those with ``jurisdiction by law or special
expertise with respect to any environmental impact involved in a
proposal (or a reasonable alternative)'' (40 CFR 1508.1(e)). Potential
cooperating agencies should consider their authority and capacity to
assume the responsibilities of a cooperating agency and remember that
an agency's role in the environmental analysis neither enlarges nor
diminishes the final decision-making authority of any other agency
involved in the NEPA process.
Upon request, BOEM will provide potential cooperating agencies with
a draft memorandum of agreement that includes a schedule with critical
action dates and milestones, mutual responsibilities, designated points
of contact, and expectations for handling pre-decisional information.
Agencies should also consider the ``Factors for Determining Whether to
Invite, Decline or End Cooperating Agency Status'' in attachment 1 to
CEQ's January 30, 2002, memorandum for Federal agencies titled,
``Cooperating Agencies in Implementing the Procedural Requirements of
the National Environmental Policy Act.'' A copy of this document is
available at: <a href="https://www.energy.gov/nepa/articles/cooperating-agencies-implementing-procedural-requirements-national-environmental">https://www.energy.gov/nepa/articles/cooperating-agencies-implementing-procedural-requirements-national-environmental</a>.
BOEM, as the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance to
cooperating agencies. Even if an organization is not a cooperating
agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and comments to
BOEM during the normal public input phases of the NEPA and EA process.
3. Comments
Federal, State, local government agencies, Tribal governments, and
other interested parties are requested to send their written comments
on the important issues to be considered in the EA by either of the
following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. In the
entry entitled, ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2023-0031, and then
click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and
view supporting and related materials available for this notice; or
2. By U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service, send your
comments and information to the following address and marked ``Gulf of
Maine Research Lease EA'': Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Office of
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP,
Sterling, VA 20166.
Freedom of Information Act
BOEM will protect privileged or confidential information that you
submit when required by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Exemption 4 of FOIA applies to trade secrets and commercial or
financial information that is privileged or confidential. If you wish
to protect the confidentiality of such information, clearly label it
and request that BOEM treat it as confidential. BOEM will not disclose
such information if BOEM determines under 30 CFR 585.114(b) that it
qualifies for exemption from disclosure under FOIA. Please label
privileged or confidential information ``Contains Confidential
Information'' and consider submitting such information as a separate
attachment.
BOEM will not treat as confidential any aggregate summaries of such
information or comments not containing such privileged or confidential
information. Information that is not labeled as privileged or
confidential may be regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.
b. Personally Identifiable Information
BOEM encourages you not to submit anonymous comments. Please
include your name and address as part of your comment. You should be
aware that your entire comment, including your name, address, and any
personally identifiable information (PII) included in your comment, may
be made publicly available. All submissions from identified
individuals, businesses, and organizations will be available for public
viewing on <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>. Note that BOEM will make available for
public inspection all comments, in their entirety, submitted by
organizations and businesses, or by individuals identifying themselves
as representatives of organizations or businesses.
For BOEM to consider withholding your PII from disclosure, you must
identify any information contained in your comments that, if released,
would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of your personal
privacy. You must also briefly describe any possible harmful
consequences of the disclosure of information, such as embarrassment,
injury, or other harm. Even if BOEM withholds your information in the
context of this rulemaking, your submission is subject to FOIA and, if
your submission is requested under the FOIA, your information will only
be withheld if a determination is made that one of the FOIA's
exemptions to disclosure applies. Such a determination will be made in
accordance with the Department's FOIA regulations and applicable law.
c. Section 304 of the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 307103(a))
After consultation with the Secretary, BOEM is required to withhold
the location, character, or ownership of historic resources if it
determines that disclosure may, among other things, risk harm to the
historic resources or impede the use of a traditional religious site by
practitioners. Tribal entities should designate information that falls
under section 304 of NHPA as confidential.
Elizabeth Klein,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-09478 Filed 5-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 4, 2023.
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