Notice2024-04727
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Florida Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Water Quality
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
March 8, 2024
Issuing agencies
Environmental Protection Agency
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon natural resource Trustees for the Florida Trustee Implementation Group have prepared the Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Water Quality. The Draft RP3/EA proposes alternatives to help restore water quality impacted by the DWH oil spill. The Draft RP3/EA evaluates a reasonable range of thirteen project alternatives under the Oil Pollution Act, including criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource damage assessment regulations, and the National Environmental Policy Act and its implementing regulations. A no action alternative is also evaluated pursuant to the NEPA. The total estimated cost to implement the Florida TIG's eleven preferred alternatives is approximately $111.5 million. The Florida TIG invites the public to comment on the Draft RP3/EA.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 47 (Friday, March 8, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16765-16766]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04727]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-11586-01-OW]
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Florida
Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental
Assessment: Water Quality
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Deepwater Horizon natural resource Trustees for the
Florida Trustee Implementation Group have prepared the Draft
Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Water Quality. The
Draft RP3/EA proposes alternatives to help restore water quality
impacted by the DWH oil spill. The Draft RP3/EA evaluates a reasonable
range of thirteen project alternatives under the Oil Pollution Act,
including criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource damage
assessment regulations, and the National Environmental Policy Act and
its implementing regulations. A no action alternative is also evaluated
pursuant to the NEPA. The total estimated cost to implement the Florida
TIG's eleven preferred alternatives is approximately $111.5 million.
The Florida TIG invites the public to comment on the Draft RP3/EA.
DATES: The Florida TIG will consider public comments on the Draft RP3/
EA received on or before April 8, 2024.
Public Webinar: The Florida TIG will host a public webinar on March
27, 2024, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time/2 p.m. Central Time to facilitate
public review and comment on the Draft RP3/EA. The public may register
for the webinar at <a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8172353705750284118">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8172353705750284118</a>. After registering, participants will receive a
confirmation email with instructions for
[[Page 16766]]
joining the webinar and how to make comments during the webinar.
Shortly after the webinar concludes, the presentation material will be
posted on the web at <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/florida">https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/florida</a>.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may view and download the Draft
RP3/EA at <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/florida">https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/florida</a>. You may also request a flash drive containing the Draft RP3/EA
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft RP3/EA by
any of the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/FLTIGRP3">https://parkplanning.nps.gov/FLTIGRP3</a>. Follow the
online instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf Restoration
Office, 1875 Century Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30345. To be considered, mailed
comments must be postmarked on or before the comment deadline given in
DATES.
<bullet> Public Webinar: The public may submit comments during the
webinar. Webinar information is provided in DATES.
Instructions: Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or
withdrawn. The Florida TIG may publish any comment received regarding
the document. Do not submit electronically any information you consider
to be Confidential Business Information or other information whose
disclosure is restricted by statute. Please be aware that your entire
comment, including your personal identifying information, will become
part of the public record.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sarah Ketron; Florida Department of Environmental Protection; 850-
245-2167; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#88dbe9fae9e0a6c3edfcfae7e6c8cee4e7fae1ece9cccdd8a6efe7fe"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="14477566757c3a5f7160667b7a5452787b667d70755051443a737b62">[email protected]</span></a>.
Tripp Boone; Environmental Protection Agency; 228-209-7555;
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e6a489898883c8b2948f9696a6839687c8818990"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="45072a2a2b206b11372c3535052035246b222a33">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon, which was drilling a well for BP Exploration and Production,
Inc., experienced a significant explosion, fire and subsequent sinking
in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the release of millions of barrels
of oil and other discharges into the Gulf. Under the authority of the
OPA, designated Federal and State Trustees, acting on behalf of the
public, assessed the injuries to natural resources and prepared the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and
Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement,
and the Record of Decision for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final
Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, which sets forth the
governance structure and process for DWH restoration planning under the
OPA NRDA regulations. On April 4, 2016, the United States District
Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered a Consent Decree
resolving civil claims by the Trustees against BP.
The Florida TIG, which is composed of the State of Florida
Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.
Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, selects and
implements restoration projects under the TIG's management authority in
accordance with the Consent Decree. The Final PDARP/PEIS, ROD, Consent
Decree, and information on the DWH Trustees can be found at <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan">https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan</a>.
Background
On November 7, 2022, the Florida TIG issued a notice of
solicitation on the Gulf Spill Restoration website requesting project
ideas for the Water Quality Restoration Type as described in the Final
PDARP/PEIS. On August 7, 2023, the TIG announced on the Gulf Spill
Restoration website that they reviewed project idea submissions and
initiated drafting the RP3/EA which tiers from the Final PDARP/PEIS and
would include a reasonable range of restoration project alternatives
for the Water Quality Restoration Type.
Overview of the Florida TIG Draft RP3/EA
In the Draft RP3/EA, the Florida TIG analyzes a reasonable range of
thirteen project alternatives and, pursuant to the NEPA, a no action
alternative. Two of the alternatives analyzed are not preferred by the
TIG at this time. Funding to implement any of the alternatives
ultimately selected by the Florida TIG would come from the Water
Quality Restoration Type Allocation. The reasonable range of project
alternatives evaluated by the TIG are listed below:
1. Pensacola and Perdido Watersheds Microbial Source Tracking
(Planning);
2. Pensacola Bay Unpaved Roads Initiative Phase 2 (Planning);
3. Carpenter Creek Hydrologic Restoration and Stormwater
Improvements;
4. Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park;
5. Gulf Breeze Septic to Sewer Conversion;
6. Santa Rosa County Septic to Sewer Conversion;
7. Choctawhatchee Bay Unpaved Roads Initiative;
8. Telogia Creek Watershed Water Quality Improvements;
9. Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge Hydrologic Restoration
Phase 2 (Planning);
10. Bond Farm Hydrologic Enhancement Impoundment;
11. Bond Farm Hydrologic Enhancement Southwest Discharge Structure
(Planning);
12. Swift Creek Hydrologic Restoration (Non-preferred); and
13. Springfield Stream and Wetland Enhancement (Non-preferred).
The total estimated cost to implement the eleven preferred
alternatives is approximately $111.5 million.
Next Steps
After the public comment period ends, the Florida TIG will consider
and address all substantive comments received before making a final
decision on which, if any, alternatives to fund and implement. A Final
RP3/EA and finding of no significant impact, as appropriate,
identifying the selected alternatives will be made publicly available.
Administrative Record
The Administrative Record for the Draft RP3/EA can be viewed
electronically at <a href="https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord">https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord</a>
under the folder 6.5.4.2.
Authority
The authority for this action is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33
U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), its implementing NRDA regulations found at 15 CFR
part 990, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.), its implementing regulations found at 40 CFR parts 1500-
1508.
Benita Best-Wong,
Deputy Assistant Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2024-04727 Filed 3-7-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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