Notice2023-24295
Notice of Availability of a Joint Record of Decision for the Proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project
Primary source
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Published
November 3, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
BOEM announces the availability of the joint ROD on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by Virginia Electric and Power Company (dba Dominion Energy) for its proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project (Project), offshore Virginia Beach, Virginia. The joint ROD includes the Department of the Interior's (DOI) decision regarding the COP and NMFS' plans for decision, pending completion of all statutory processes, regarding Dominion Energy's requested Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and an associated Letter of Authorization (LOA) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). NMFS has adopted the final EIS to support its decision of whether or not to issue the requested ITR under the MMPA. The joint ROD concludes the National Environmental Policy Act process for each agency.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 212 (Friday, November 3, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 212 (Friday, November 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75624-75625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24295]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2023-0047]
Notice of Availability of a Joint Record of Decision for the
Proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior; National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Record of decision (ROD); notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: BOEM announces the availability of the joint ROD on the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the construction and
operations plan (COP) submitted by Virginia Electric and Power Company
(dba Dominion Energy) for its proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind
Commercial Project (Project), offshore Virginia Beach, Virginia. The
joint ROD includes the Department of the Interior's (DOI) decision
regarding the COP and NMFS' plans for decision, pending completion of
all statutory processes, regarding Dominion Energy's requested
Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and an associated Letter of
Authorization (LOA) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). NMFS
has adopted the final EIS to support its decision of whether or not to
issue the requested ITR under the MMPA. The joint ROD concludes the
National Environmental Policy Act process for each agency.
ADDRESSES: The joint ROD 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>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information related to BOEM's
action, 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#f49e9187879d9795da8780869b9996918693b4969b9199da939b82"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bfd5daccccd6dcde91cccbcdd0d2dddacdd8ffddd0dad291d8d0c9">[email protected]</span></a>; For information related
to NMFS' action, contact Katherine Renshaw, NOAA Office of General
Counsel, (302) 515-0324.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Dominion Energy seeks approval to construct,
operate, and maintain the Project: a wind energy facility and the
associated export cables on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore
Virginia. The Project would be developed within the range of design
parameters outlined in the COP, subject to applicable mitigation
measures.
The Project as proposed in the COP would include up to 202 wind
turbine generators (WTGs); 3 offshore, high voltage, alternating
current substations; inter-array cables linking the individual turbines
to the offshore substations; substation interconnector cables linking
the substations to each other; offshore export cables; an onshore
export cable system; an onshore switching station north of Harpers Road
(Harpers Switching Station) or north of Princess Anne Road (Chicory
Switching Station) in Virginia Beach, Virginia; and an overhead power
line connection to the existing electrical grid at the Fentress
Substation in Chesapeake, Virginia.
The WTGs, offshore substations, inter-array cables, and substation
interconnector cables would be located on the OCS approximately 24
nautical miles (27 statute miles) east of Virginia Beach, Virginia,
within the area defined by Renewable Energy Lease OCS-A-0483. The
offshore export cables would be buried below the seabed surface on the
OCS and Commonwealth of Virginia-owned submerged lands. The onshore
export cables, substations, and grid connections would be located in
Princess Anne County, Virginia.
After carefully considering public comments on the draft EIS and
the alternatives described and analyzed in the final EIS, DOI selected
Alternative B, ``Revised Layout to Accommodate the Fish Haven and
Navigation,'' in combination with Alternative D-1, ``Onshore Habitat
Impact Minimization Alternative.'' This combination of alternatives B
and D-1 is the preferred alternative identified in the final EIS. The
anticipated mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements, which
will be included in BOEM's COP approval as terms and conditions, are
included in the ROD, which is available at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/CVOW-C</a>.
NMFS has adopted BOEM's final EIS to support its decision of
whether or not to promulgate the requested ITR and issue the associated
LOA to Dominion Energy. NMFS' final decision of whether or not to
promulgate the requested ITR and issue the LOA will be documented in a
separate Decision Memorandum prepared in accordance with internal NMFS
policy and procedures. The final ITR and a notice of issuance of the
LOA, if issued, will be published in the Federal Register. The LOA
would authorize Dominion Energy to take small numbers of marine mammals
incidental to Project construction and would set forth permissible
methods of incidental
[[Page 75625]]
taking; means of affecting the least practicable adverse impact on the
species and their habitat; and requirements for monitoring and
reporting. Pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, NMFS
issued a final Biological Opinion to BOEM on September 18, 2023,
evaluating the effects of the proposed action on ESA-listed species.
The proposed action in the Biological Opinion includes the associated
permits, approvals, and authorizations that may be issued.
Authority: National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended,
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 40 CFR 1505.2.
Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-24295 Filed 11-2-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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