Notice2024-24862
Notice of Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Expected Wind Energy Development in the New York Bight
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
October 25, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentOcean Energy Management Bureau
Abstract
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the availability of the final programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) to analyze the potential impacts of wind energy development in six lease areas of the New York (NY) Bight. The Proposed Action for the final PEIS is the identification of specific measures at the programmatic stage that could avoid, minimize, mitigate, or monitor potential impacts. The final PEIS will inform BOEM's decision about whether to identify certain avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and monitoring (AMMM) measures at this stage that could potentially be required as conditions of approval for activities proposed by NY Bight lessees in their construction and operations plans (COPs) or defer the identification of such measures to each project-specific environmental review.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 207 (Friday, October 25, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85233-85234]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24862]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2024-0054]
Notice of Availability of a Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement for Expected Wind Energy Development in the New York
Bight
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; final programmatic environmental impact
statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the
availability of the final programmatic environmental impact statement
(PEIS) to analyze the potential impacts of wind energy development in
six lease areas of the New York (NY) Bight. The Proposed Action for the
final PEIS is the identification of specific measures at the
programmatic stage that could avoid, minimize, mitigate, or monitor
potential impacts. The final PEIS will inform BOEM's decision about
whether to identify certain avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and
monitoring (AMMM) measures at this stage that could potentially be
required as conditions of approval for activities proposed by NY Bight
lessees in their construction and operations plans (COPs) or defer the
identification of such measures to each project-specific environmental
review.
ADDRESSES: The final PEIS can be found on the NY Bight website at:
<a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-york-bight">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-york-bight</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Lewandowski, BOEM Office of
Environmental Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, VAM-OEP, Sterling,
Virginia 20166, (703) 787-1703 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#503a393c3c7e3c3527313e343f27233b3910323f353d7e373f26"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0c666560602260697b6d6268637b7f67654c6e636961226b637a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action: The final PEIS analyzes the development of both
one and six representative projects, including associated export
cables, within a range of design parameters informed by lessees, for
the NY Bight and considers the potential environmental impacts of that
development. The Proposed Action for the PEIS is the identification of
measures at the programmatic stage that could avoid, minimize,
mitigate, and monitor impacts. BOEM may require some or all of these
measures as conditions of approval for activities proposed by lessees
in COPs submitted for the six NY Bight lease areas. BOEM may require
additional or different measures based on subsequent, project-specific
environmental analyses. These AMMM measures are considered programmatic
insofar as they may be applied to COPs for the six NY Bight lease
areas, not because they necessarily will apply to COPs under BOEM's
renewable energy program outside of the NY Bight area. The PEIS
analyzes the potential impacts of development in the NY Bight area and
how those impacts can be avoided, minimized, or mitigated by AMMM
measures. The alternatives analyzed do not involve any final actions by
BOEM or lessees.
Alternatives: BOEM considered 19 alternatives when preparing the
draft PEIS and carried forward three alternatives for further analysis
in the final PEIS. These three alternatives include two action
alternatives and the no action alternative. Sixteen alternatives were
rejected because they did not meet the purpose and need for the
proposed action or did not meet screening criteria, which are presented
in Chapter 2 of the final PEIS. The screening criteria included
consistency with law and regulations, technical and economic
feasibility, environmental impact, and geographic considerations.
Availability of the Final PEIS: The final PEIS and associated
information are available on the New York Bight website at: <a href="https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-york-bight">https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-york-bight</a>. BOEM has
distributed digital copies of the final PEIS to all parties listed in
Appendix N of the final PEIS. If you need a flash drive or paper copy,
BOEM will provide one upon request as long as copies are available. You
may request a flash drive or paper copy of the final PEIS by calling
(703) 787-1703.
Cooperating Agencies: The following 13 Federal, State, and local
agencies participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the
final PEIS: the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency; National Marine Fisheries Service;
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service; National Park Service; New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection; New Bedford Port Authority; New York State Department of
State; New York State Department of Environmental Compliance; New
Jersey Board of Public
[[Page 85234]]
Utilities; and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management. The
following Tribal Nations participated as Cooperating Tribal Governments
in the preparation of the final PEIS: the Stockbridge-Munsee Community
Band of Mohican Indians and the Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal
Nation. The New York City Mayor's Office of Environmental Coordination
served as a participating agency in the preparation of the final PEIS.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (NEPA, as amended), and 40 CFR
1506.6.
Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2024-24862 Filed 10-24-24; 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 October 25, 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.