Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment for Additional Site Assessment Activities on Beacon Wind, LLC's Renewable Energy Lease OCS-A 0520
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Abstract
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the availability of a final environmental assessment (EA) and its finding that additional site assessment activities in Lease Area OCS-A 0520 offshore Massachusetts will not significantly impact the environment. Beacon Wind, LLC (Beacon Wind), the leaseholder, requested to conduct the additional activities in the lease area, which were not analyzed in the initial EA titled "Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Massachusetts" (2014 EA). This final EA analyzed the potential environmental impacts of the proposed additional site assessment activities. Those activities comprise 35 deployments and removals of a single suction bucket foundation at 26 locations within the lease area to gather engineering information to inform Beacon Wind's foundation design for wind turbines and offshore substations. This EA will inform BOEM's decision whether to approve Beacon Wind's site assessment plan (SAP) amendment for suction bucket foundation testing.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 89 (Tuesday, May 7, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 7, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 38183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-09844]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2024-0027]
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Assessment for
Additional Site Assessment Activities on Beacon Wind, LLC's Renewable
Energy Lease OCS-A 0520
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the
availability of a final environmental assessment (EA) and its finding
that additional site assessment activities in Lease Area OCS-A 0520
offshore Massachusetts will not significantly impact the environment.
Beacon Wind, LLC (Beacon Wind), the leaseholder, requested to conduct
the additional activities in the lease area, which were not analyzed in
the initial EA titled ``Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site
Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore
Massachusetts'' (2014 EA). This final EA analyzed the potential
environmental impacts of the proposed additional site assessment
activities. Those activities comprise 35 deployments and removals of a
single suction bucket foundation at 26 locations within the lease area
to gather engineering information to inform Beacon Wind's foundation
design for wind turbines and offshore substations. This EA will inform
BOEM's decision whether to approve Beacon Wind's site assessment plan
(SAP) amendment for suction bucket foundation testing.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Lee Wolfson, BOEM Office of
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia
20166, (703) 787-1433 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d2beb3a7a0b3beb7b7fca5bdbeb4a1bdbc92b0bdb7bffcb5bda4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dcb0bda9aebdb0b9b9f2abb3b0baafb3b29cbeb3b9b1f2bbb3aa">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action: The final EA analyzes the proposed action
alternative, which is approving the additional site assessment
activities proposed in the Beacon Wind SAP amendment to the lease area.
The EA considers the reasonably foreseeable environmental consequences
associated with the deployment and recovery of suction bucket
foundations to further assess the site conditions and gather
information to support the engineering design of wind turbine and
offshore substation foundations that would potentially be installed
within the lease area for the proposed Beacon Wind project. BOEM
prepared an EA for this proposed action in order to assist the agency's
planning and decision-making (40 CFR 1501.5(b)).
Alternatives: In addition to the proposed action, BOEM considered
the no action alternative. Under the no action alternative, BOEM would
not approve the SAP amendment, and the additional site assessment
activities for foundation testing would not occur within the Beacon
Wind lease area OCS-A 0520. BOEM's preferred alternative is the
proposed action.
Finding of no significant Impact: After carefully considering
alternatives described and analyzed in the final EA and comments from
the public and cooperating and consulting agencies on the draft EA,
BOEM finds that approval of the SAP amendment for suction bucket
foundation testing within the Beacon Wind lease area would have no
significant impact on the environment.
Availability of the final EA and finding: This EA, its finding, and
associated information are available on BOEM's website at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/beacon-wind">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/beacon-wind</a>.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq. (NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR
1506.6.
Walter Cruickshank,
Deputy Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-09844 Filed 5-6-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
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