Notice2024-05699
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Lease Issuance, Site Characterization Activities, and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Maine Offshore the States of Maine, New Hampshire, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Primary source
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Published
March 18, 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 characterization activities, and site assessment activities on the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Maine offshore the States of Maine and New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. BOEM is seeking public input regarding important environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the EA. The environmental impacts of any proposed wind energy projects will be assessed after a lease is issued and before BOEM decides whether or not to approve any lessee's project construction and operations plan.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 53 (Monday, March 18, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 53 (Monday, March 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19354-19356]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05699]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2024-0020]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for
Commercial Wind Lease Issuance, Site Characterization Activities, and
Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf in
the Gulf of Maine Offshore the States of Maine, New Hampshire, and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
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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 characterization activities, and site assessment
activities on the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the
Gulf of Maine offshore the States of Maine and New Hampshire and the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. BOEM is seeking public input regarding
important environmental issues and the identification of reasonable
alternatives that should be considered in the EA. The environmental
impacts of any proposed wind energy projects will be assessed after a
lease is issued and before BOEM decides whether or not to approve any
lessee's project construction and operations plan.
DATES: BOEM must receive your comments no later than April 17, 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-2024-0020 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 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: Brandi Sangunett, BOEM, Environment
Branch for Renewable Energy, 45600 Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP,
Sterling, VA 20166, (703) 787-1015 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e58797848b818ccb96848b82908b809191a5878a8088cb828a93"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="90f2e2f1fef4f9bee3f1fef7e5fef5e4e4d0f2fff5fdbef7ffe6">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: On October 19, 2023, BOEM announced a draft wind energy
area (WEA) on the U.S. Gulf of Maine OCS for public review and comment.
The Draft WEA is in the Gulf of Maine offshore the States of Maine and
New Hampshire and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, covering
approximately 3.5 million acres. Before finalizing the WEA, BOEM
considered feedback from government partners, federally recognized
Tribes, ocean users, and other stakeholders. Concurrently with this
NOI, BOEM is announcing the final wind energy area (Final WEA) in the
Gulf of Maine, covering approximately 2 million acres. Detailed
information about the WEA can be found on BOEM's website at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine</a>.
Proposed Action and Scope of Analysis
The EA's proposed action is issuing wind energy leases in the Gulf
of Maine WEA. 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
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site characterization activities (i.e., biological, archaeological,
geological, and geophysical surveys and core samples) and site
assessment activities (i.e., installation of meteorological buoys) that
are expected to take place following lease issuance. The EA's proposed
action does not include the installation of meteorological towers
because developers prefer meteorological buoys to collect data. In
addition to the no-action alternative, other alternatives may be
considered, such as exclusion of certain areas.
BOEM has decided to prepare an EA for this proposed action in order
to assist agency planning and decision-making (40 CFR 1501.3). This
notice starts the scoping process for the EA and solicits information
regarding important environmental issues and alternatives that should
be considered in the EA (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), as provided in 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 WEA.
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's consideration and approval. Prior to deciding whether to approve
any plan for the construction and operation of 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 Final WEA.
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 procedural provisions of
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. 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 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 CEQ's memo ``Cooperating Agencies in Implementing
the Procedural Requirements of [NEPA]'' dated January 30, 2002. A copy
of this document is available at: <a href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/nepapub/nepa_documents/RedDont/G-CEQ-CoopAgenciesImplem.pdf">https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/nepapub/nepa_documents/RedDont/G-CEQ-CoopAgenciesImplem.pdf</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 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 deadline, see the DATES and ADDRESSES sections above.
Information on Submitting Comments
a. 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 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 discourages 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>.
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. If your
submission is requested under 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 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
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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: This notice of intent to prepare an EA is published
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq., 40 CFR part 1500, and 43 CFR 46.305.
Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-05699 Filed 3-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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