Notice2024-09360
Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Lease Issuance on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf, Oregon
Primary source
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Published
May 1, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) to consider the potential environmental impacts associated with possible wind energy- related leasing and grant issuance, site assessment, and site characterization activities on the U.S. Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Oregon. This notice of availability (NOA) announces the start of the public review and comment period, as well as the dates and times for public meetings on the draft EA. After BOEM holds a public meeting and addresses public comments submitted during the review period, BOEM will publish a final EA. The EA will inform BOEM's decision on whether to issue wind energy leases and grants in the Pacific wind energy areas (WEAs) offshore Oregon.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 85 (Wednesday, May 1, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 1, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35220-35221]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09360]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2023-0065]
Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment for
Commercial Wind Lease Issuance on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf,
Oregon
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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[[Page 35221]]
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the
availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) to consider the
potential environmental impacts associated with possible wind energy-
related leasing and grant issuance, site assessment, and site
characterization activities on the U.S. Pacific Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS) offshore Oregon. This notice of availability (NOA) announces the
start of the public review and comment period, as well as the dates and
times for public meetings on the draft EA. After BOEM holds a public
meeting and addresses public comments submitted during the review
period, BOEM will publish a final EA. The EA will inform BOEM's
decision on whether to issue wind energy leases and grants in the
Pacific wind energy areas (WEAs) offshore Oregon.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than 30 days after
publication date.
BOEM's virtual public meeting will be held on the following date at
the time (Pacific time) indicated.
<bullet> Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 1 p.m.
Please go to <a href="https://www.boem.gov/oregon">https://www.boem.gov/oregon</a> for meeting link, dates,
times and for additional information and updates. Meetings are open to
the public and free to attend. Pre-registration is not required to
attend.
ADDRESSES: The draft EA and detailed information about BOEM's actions
related to offshore wind energy planning in Oregon can be found on
BOEM's website at <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/oregon">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/oregon</a>. Comments can be submitted in any of the following
ways:
<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.
Click on the ``Comment'' button below the document link and follow
online instructions. Enter your information and comment, then click
``Submit Comment.'' A commenter's checklist is available on the comment
web page;
<bullet> Orally during the public meetings identified in this
announcement; or
<bullet> In written form by mail or any other delivery service,
enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Oregon Wind Leasing EA'' and
addressed to Chief, Environmental Analysis Section, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, Camarillo, California Office, 760 Paseo Camarillo,
Suite 102, Camarillo, CA 93010.
For more information about submitting comments, please see
``Information on Submitting Comments'' under the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION heading below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Gilbane, Chief, Environmental
Analysis Section, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Camarillo,
California Office, 760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 102, Camarillo, CA 93010,
(805) 384-6387 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#44282d37256a232d2826252a2104262b21296a232b32"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4824213b29662f21242a29262d082a272d25662f273e">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft EA analyzes the proposed action,
which is the issuance of wind energy leases within the Oregon WEAs, and
the no action alternative. The lease sale itself would not authorize
any activities on the OCS. Therefore, the EA considers the reasonably
foreseeable environmental consequences of site characterization surveys
(i.e., biological, archeological, geological and geophysical surveys,
and core samples) and site assessment activities (i.e., installation of
meteorological buoys), which are expected to take place following lease
issuance. Under the National Environmental Policy Act and its
implementing regulations, BOEM is preparing an EA for this proposed
action to assist the agency's planning and decision-making (40 CFR
1501.5(b)).
Availability of the Draft EA: The draft EA and associated
information are available on BOEM's website at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/oregon">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/oregon</a>.
Information on Submitting Comments: All interested parties are
requested to comment on the EA document and appendices. For information
on how to submit comments, see the ADDRESSES section above.
Freedom of Information Act: BOEM will protect privileged or
confidential information that you submit as required by the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). Exemption 4 of FOIA applies to trade secrets
and commercial or 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
information or any comments not containing 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: BOEM encourages you not to
submit 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 at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
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 FOIA's exemptions to disclosure
applies. Such a determination will be made in accordance with the
Department of the Interior's FOIA regulations and applicable law.
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.
Section 304 of the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 307103(a)): After consultation
with the Secretary, BOEM is required to withhold the location,
character, or ownership of historic resources if it determines that
disclosure may, among other things, risk harm to the historic resources
or impede the use of a traditional religious site by practitioners.
Tribal entities should designate information that falls under section
304 of NHPA as confidential.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq. (NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR
1506.6.
Richard Yarde,
Pacific Regional Supervisor, Office of Environment, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-09360 Filed 4-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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