Notice2023-19956
Notice of Availability of the Empire Offshore Wind Final Environmental Impact Statement
Primary source
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Published
September 15, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the availability of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by Empire Wind, LLC (Empire Wind) for its proposed Empire Wind Offshore Wind Farm Project (Project) offshore New York. The FEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the Project as described in the COP (the proposed action) and the alternatives to the proposed action. The FEIS will inform BOEM's decision whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the COP.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 178 (Friday, September 15, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63615-63616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19956]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2022-0053]
Notice of Availability of the Empire Offshore Wind Final
Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; final environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the
availability of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for the
construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by Empire Wind, LLC
(Empire Wind) for its proposed Empire Wind Offshore Wind Farm Project
(Project) offshore New York. The FEIS analyzes the potential
environmental impacts of the Project as described in the COP (the
proposed action) and the alternatives to the proposed action. The FEIS
will inform BOEM's decision whether to approve, approve with
modifications, or disapprove the COP.
ADDRESSES: The FEIS 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/empire-wind">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/empire-wind</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Stromberg, BOEM Office of
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, VAM-OREP, Sterling,
Virginia 20166, (703) 787-1730 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#345e5147475d57551a4740465b595651465374565b51591a535b42"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e48e8197978d8785ca9790968b8986819683a4868b8189ca838b92">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action: Empire Wind seeks approval to construct, operate,
and maintain the Project: a wind energy facility and its associated
export cables on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore New York.
The Project would be developed within the range of design parameters
outlined in the Empire Wind COP, subject to applicable mitigation
measures. Empire Wind proposes to develop the lease area in two wind
farms, known as Empire Wind 1 (EW 1) and Empire Wind 2 (EW 2)
(collectively, the Project). EW 1 and EW 2 will be independent from
each other. In total, Empire Wind proposes constructing and operating
up to 147 wind turbines and up to 2 offshore substations with 2 cable
routes under the terms of Renewable Energy Lease OCS-A 0512.
The Project is located 14 statute miles from Long Island, New York,
and 19.5 statute miles from Long Branch, New Jersey. The onshore
components of the Project will include up to three export cable
landfalls in New York (one for EW 1 and up to two for EW 2) and two
onshore substations: EW 1 onshore substation in Brooklyn, New York; and
EW 2 onshore substation in either Oceanside, New York, Island Park, New
York, or both.
Alternatives: BOEM considered 30 alternatives when preparing the
FEIS and carried forward 7 alternatives for further analysis in the
FEIS. These seven alternatives include six action alternatives and the
no action alternative. Twenty-three alternatives were rejected because
they did not meet the purpose and need for the proposed action or did
not meet screening criteria, which are presented in FEIS section 2.2.
The screening criteria included consistency with law and regulations;
technical and economic feasibility; environmental impact; and
geographic considerations.
Availability of the FEIS: The FEIS, Empire Wind COP, and associated
information are available on BOEM's website at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/empire-wind">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/empire-wind</a>. BOEM has distributed
digital copies of the FEIS to all parties listed in FEIS appendix K. If
you require a digital copy on a flash drive or a paper copy, BOEM will
provide one upon request, as long as these materials are available. You
may request a flash drive or paper copy of the FEIS by contacting
Brandi Sangunett at (703) 787-1015 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8defffece3e9e4a3feece3eaf8e3e8f9f9cdefe2e8e0a3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7a18081b141e1354091b141d0f141f0e0e3a18151f17541d150c">[email protected]</span></a>.
Cooperating Agencies: The following Federal agencies and State and
city governmental entities participated as cooperating agencies in the
preparation of the FEIS: 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;
Maritime Administration; National Park Service; New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation; New York State Department of
State; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; New
York State Energy Research and Development Authority; and New York City
Mayor's Office of Environmental Coordination. The following Federal and
Tribal entities participated as participating agencies in the
preparation of the FEIS: The Shinnecock Indian Nation; Wampanoag Tribe
of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe of Indians,
Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service; Department of Defense, and Department of the Navy.
[[Page 63616]]
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. 2023-19956 Filed 9-14-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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