Notice2024-20242
Notice of Availability of a Joint Record of Decision for US Wind Inc.'s Proposed Maryland Offshore Wind Project
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
September 9, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the availability of the joint record of decision (ROD) on the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by US Wind Inc. (US Wind) for its proposed Maryland Offshore Wind Project (Project). The joint ROD includes the Department of the Interior's (DOI) decision regarding the COP and National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) decision, pending completion of all statutory processes, regarding US Wind's requested Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and an associated Letter of Authorization (LOA) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). NMFS has adopted the final EIS to support its decision about whether to promulgate the requested ITR and issue a LOA to US Wind under the MMPA. The joint ROD concludes the National Environmental Policy Act process for each agency.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 174 (Monday, September 9, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 174 (Monday, September 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73121-73122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-20242]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2024-0046]
Notice of Availability of a Joint Record of Decision for US Wind
Inc.'s Proposed Maryland Offshore Wind Project
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior; National Marine
Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Commerce.
ACTION: Record of decision; notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the
availability of the joint record of decision (ROD) on the final
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the construction and
operations plan (COP) submitted by US Wind Inc. (US Wind) for its
proposed Maryland Offshore Wind Project (Project). The joint ROD
includes the Department of the Interior's (DOI) decision regarding the
COP and National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) decision, pending
completion of all statutory processes, regarding US Wind's requested
Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and an associated Letter of
Authorization (LOA) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). NMFS
has adopted the final EIS to support its decision about whether to
promulgate the requested ITR and issue a LOA to US Wind under the MMPA.
The joint ROD concludes the National Environmental Policy Act process
for each agency.
ADDRESSES: The joint ROD and associated information are available on
BOEM's website at <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maryland-offshore-wind">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maryland-offshore-wind</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information related to BOEM's
action, please contact Lorena Edenfield, BOEM Office of Renewable
Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, VAM-OREP, Sterling, Virginia
20166, (907) 231-7679, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cba7a4b9aea5aae5aeafaea5ada2aea7af8ba9a4aea6e5aca4bd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="600c0f12050e014e0504050e0609050c0420020f050d4e070f16">[email protected]</span></a>. For information
related to NMFS' action, contact Katherine Renshaw, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of General Counsel, (302)
515-0324, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#acc2c3cdcd82c2c9dccdecc2c3cdcd82cbc3da"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c4aaaba5a5eaaaa1b4a584aaaba5a5eaa3abb2">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: US Wind seeks approval to construct,
operate, and maintain a wind energy facility and the associated export
cables on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Maryland. The
Project would be
[[Page 73122]]
developed within the range of design parameters outlined in the
Maryland Offshore Wind COP, subject to the applicable mitigation
measures.
A notice of availability for the final EIS was published in the
Federal Register on August 2, 2024. On August 22, 2024, BOEM published
an errata on its website that included certain edits to chapter 2,
chapter 3, and appendix G. None of these edits are substantive or
affect the analysis or conclusions in the final EIS.
The Project (full build-out) as proposed in the COP would include
up to 121 wind turbine generators (WTGs), 1 meteorological tower, up to
4 offshore substations, and up to 4 offshore export cables, distributed
across the lease area (OCS-A 0490). The lease area is located 10.1
statute miles (16.2 kilometers) off the coast of Maryland. The onshore
components of the Project would include a cable landfall area in Sussex
County, Delaware. From the landfall, onshore cables would continue
along an inshore cable export route in Indian River Bay to connect to
onshore substations adjacent to the point of interconnection in
Millsboro, Delaware.
After carefully considering public comments on the draft EIS and
the alternatives described and analyzed in the final EIS, DOI selected
Alternative B, ``Proposed Action''. Alternative B reduces the total
number of WTGs from 121 to 114. Development of the wind energy facility
would occur within the range of design parameters outlined in the COP,
subject to applicable mitigation measures. The anticipated mitigation,
monitoring, and reporting requirements, which will be included in
BOEM's COP approval as terms and conditions, are included in the ROD,
which is available at <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maryland-offshore-wind">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maryland-offshore-wind</a>.
NMFS has adopted BOEM's final EIS to support its decision about
whether to promulgate the requested ITR and issue the associated LOA to
US Wind. NMFS' final decision will be documented in a separate Decision
Memorandum prepared in accordance with internal NMFS policy and
procedures. The final ITR and a notice of issuance of the LOA, if
issued, will be published in the Federal Register. The LOA would
authorize US Wind to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to
Project construction and would set forth permissible methods of
incidental taking; means of affecting the least practicable adverse
impact on the species and their habitat; and requirements for
monitoring and reporting. Pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act (ESA), NMFS issued a final Biological Opinion to BOEM on
June 18, 2024, evaluating the effects of the proposed action on ESA-
listed species. The proposed action in the Biological Opinion includes
the associated permits, approvals, and authorizations that may be
issued.
The US Army Corps of Engineers plans to adopt the final EIS to
support its decision whether to issue a Department of the Army permit
under sections 10 and 14 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, section
404 of the Clean Water Act, and section 103 of the Marine Protection,
Research, and Sanctuaries Act at a later date under an independent ROD.
Authority: National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended,
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 40 CFR 1505.2.
Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-20242 Filed 9-6-24; 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 September 9, 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.