Notice2024-02985
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Oregon
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
February 14, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) intends to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to consider the potential environmental impacts associated with possible wind energy-related leasing, site assessment, and site characterization activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Oregon. BOEM seeks public input regarding important environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the EA. BOEM will assess the environmental impacts of any proposed wind energy projects after a lease is issued and before deciding whether or not to approve any lessee's construction and operations plan.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11313-11314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02985]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2023-0065]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for
Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the U.S.
Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Oregon
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) intends to
prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to consider the potential
environmental impacts associated with possible wind energy-related
leasing, site assessment, and site characterization activities on the
U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Oregon. BOEM seeks public
input regarding important environmental issues and the identification
of reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the EA. BOEM
will assess the environmental impacts of any proposed wind energy
projects after a lease is issued and before deciding whether or not to
approve any lessee's construction and operations plan.
DATES: BOEM must receive your comments no later than 11:59 p.m. eastern
time on March 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
<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-2023-0065 to
submit public comments and view supporting and related materials
available for this notice. Click on the ``Comment'' button below the
document link. Enter your information and comment, then click ``Submit
Comment''; or
<bullet> By U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service: Send
your comments and information to: ``OREGON Environmental Assessment''
addressed to Chief, Environmental Assessment Section, Office of
Environment, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 760 Paseo Camarillo,
Suite 102, Camarillo, California 93010.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Gilbane, BOEM Pacific Region
Office of Environment, 760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 102, Camarillo,
California 93010, (805) 384-6387 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e38f8a9082cd848a8f81828d86a3818c868ecd848c95"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dbb7b2a8baf5bcb2b7b9bab5be9bb9b4beb6f5bcb4ad">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: On August 15, 2023, BOEM announced two draft wind
energy areas (WEAs) on the U.S. OCS offshore Oregon for public review
and comment. BOEM has now finalized the WEAs. The final WEAs offshore
Oregon cover approximately 195,000 acres, an 11 percent reduction from
the draft WEAs. Before finalizing the WEAs, BOEM considered feedback
from Tribes, government partners, ocean users, and stakeholders, and
potential conflicts with commercial and recreational fishing, seafloor
habitat, marine mammals, sea turtles, and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) scientific survey locations.
Proposed Action and Scope of Analysis: The EA's proposed action is
issuing wind energy leases in the WEAs offshore Oregon. The EA will
consider project easements and grants for subsea cable corridors
associated with leasing. The EA also will consider the potential
environmental impacts associated with site characterization surveys
(biological, archeological, geological, and geophysical surveys and
core samples) and site assessment activities (e.g., installation of
meteorological buoys) that are expected to take place following
leasing. The EA's proposed action does not include the installation of
meteorological towers because buoys have become the preferred
meteorological and oceanographic data collection platforms for
developers. In addition to the no-action alternative, other
alternatives may be considered, such as exclusion of certain areas.
BOEM is preparing an EA for this proposed action to assist its
planning and decision-making (40 CFR 1501.3). This notice starts the
scoping process for the EA and solicits information regarding
additional important environmental issues and alternatives that should
be considered (43 CFR 46.305). 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 (NHPA) (36 CFR 800.2(d)(3)). Specific to
NHPA, BOEM seeks information from the public on the identification and
assessment of potential impacts to cultural resources and historic
properties that might be impacted by possible wind energy-related
leasing, site characterization, and site assessment activities in the
WEAs.
The EA analyses will also support compliance with other
environmental statutes (e.g., Coastal Zone Management Act, Endangered
Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act,
and Marine Mammal Protection Act).
Wind energy leases do not authorize any activities on the OCS.
Instead, leases grant lessees the exclusive right to submit plans for
BOEM approval. Prior to deciding whether to approve any construction
and operation plan for commercial wind energy facilities, BOEM will
prepare a plan-specific environmental analysis and will comply with all
consultation requirements. Therefore, this EA will not consider the
construction and operation of any commercial wind energy facilities in
the WEAs.
Cooperating Agencies: BOEM invites Tribal governments and Federal,
State, and local government agencies to consider becoming cooperating
agencies in the preparation of this EA. Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) define 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. A cooperating 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 Tribal
governments and 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
[[Page 11314]]
CEQ's memo ``Cooperating Agencies in Implementing the Procedural
Requirements of [NEPA]'' dated January 30, 2002.
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 process.
Comments: Federal agencies; Tribal, State, and local governments;
and other interested parties are requested to comment on the important
issues to be considered in the EA. For information on how to submit
comments and the submission deadline, see the DATES and ADDRESSES
sections above.
Privileged and Confidential Information: BOEM will protect
privileged and confidential information in your comment under the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Exemption 4 of FOIA applies to trade
secrets and commercial and 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 the information qualifies for a
FOIA exemption. 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.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII): BOEM encourages you to
not submit anonymous comments. Please include your name with your
comment. You should be aware that your entire comment, including your
name and any other 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>.
Except for clearly identified privileged and confidential information,
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 notice, your submission is subject to FOIA, and if your
submission is requested under FOIA, your information will only be
withheld if a determination is made that one of FOIA's exemptions to
disclosure applies. Such a determination will be made in accordance
with the Department's FOIA regulations and applicable law.
Section 304 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C.
307103(a)): After consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, BOEM
is required to withhold the location, character, or ownership of
historic resources if it determines that disclosure may, among other
things, cause a significant invasion of privacy, risk harm to the
historic resources, or impede the use of a traditional religious site
by practitioners. Tribal entities and other parties providing
information on historic resources should designate information that
they wish to be held as confidential and provide the reasons why BOEM
should do so.
Authority: National Environmental Policy Act, 43 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.; 43 CFR 46.305.
Douglas P. Boren,
Pacific Regional Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-02985 Filed 2-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 14, 2024.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.