Notice2026-09901
Deepwater Horizon Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Draft Phase 2 Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #8.1: East Orleans Landbridge Restoration and Raccoon Island Restoration
Primary source
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Published
May 18, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) natural resource Trustees for the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (Louisiana TIG) have prepared the Draft Phase 2 Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #8.1: East Orleans Landbridge Restoration Project and Raccoon Island Restoration Project (RP/EA #8.1). The Draft RP/EA #8.1 proposes alternatives to help restore wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats impacted by the DWH oil spill. The Draft RP/EA #8.1 evaluates three design alternatives for each project under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) including criteria set forth in the OPA Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA, as amended). The total estimated cost to implement the Louisiana TIG's two preferred alternatives is approximately $246.7 million. The Louisiana TIG invites the public to comment on the Draft RP/EA #8.1.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 95 (Monday, May 18, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 95 (Monday, May 18, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28574-28575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-09901]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF761]
Deepwater Horizon Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Draft
Phase 2 Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #8.1: East
Orleans Landbridge Restoration and Raccoon Island Restoration
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) natural resource Trustees for the
Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (Louisiana TIG) have prepared
the Draft Phase 2 Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #8.1:
East Orleans Landbridge Restoration Project and Raccoon Island
Restoration Project (RP/EA #8.1). The Draft RP/EA #8.1 proposes
alternatives to help restore wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats
impacted by the DWH oil spill. The Draft RP/EA #8.1 evaluates three
design alternatives for each project under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA)
including criteria set forth in the OPA Natural Resource Damage
Assessment (NRDA) regulations, and the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 (NEPA, as amended). The total estimated cost to implement
the Louisiana TIG's two preferred alternatives is approximately $246.7
million. The Louisiana TIG invites the public to comment on the Draft
RP/EA #8.1.
DATES: The Louisiana TIG will consider public comments on the Draft RP/
EA #8.1 received on or before June 17, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may view and download the Draft RP/
EA #8.1 at <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana">https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana</a>. You may also request a flash drive containing the Draft RP/
EA #8.1 (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft RP/EA
#8.1 by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/parkplanning.nps.gov/LATIGRP8-1">https://parkplanning.nps.gov/parkplanning.nps.gov/LATIGRP8-1</a>. Follow the online instructions for
submitting comments.
<bullet> Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf Restoration
Office, 341 N. Greeno Rd., Suite A, Fairhope, AL 36532. To be
considered, mailed comments must be postmarked on or before the comment
deadline given in DATES.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Public Webinar: The Louisiana TIG will host one public webinar to
facilitate public review and comment on the Draft RP/EA #8.1. The
webinar date, time, and registration link is as follows:
<bullet> Monday, June 8, 2026 from 12:00pm--1:00pm Central Time.
Register at: <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana">https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana</a>
After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email
with instructions for joining the webinar and how to make comments
during the webinar. Shortly after the webinar concludes, the
presentation material will be posted on the web at <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana">https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration--David Reeves, NOAA Restoration Center, (225) 726-1914,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7a16150f1309131b141b542e333d3a14151b1b541d150c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="91fdfee4f8e2f8f0fff0bfc5d8d6d1fffef0f0bff6fee7">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon, which was drilling a well for BP Exploration and Production,
Inc. (BP), experienced a significant explosion, fire and subsequent
sinking in the Gulf of America, resulting in the release of millions of
barrels of oil and other discharges into the Gulf. Under the authority
of the OPA, designated Federal and state Trustees, acting on behalf of
the public, assessed the injuries to natural resources and prepared the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and
Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(Final PDARP/PEIS), and the Record of Decision for the
[[Page 28575]]
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and
Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(ROD), which sets forth the governance structure and process for DWH
restoration planning under the OPA NRDA regulations. On April 4, 2016,
the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
entered a Consent Decree resolving civil claims by the Trustees against
BP.
The Louisiana TIG, which includes the State of Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority, Oil Spill Coordinator's Office,
Departments of Environmental Quality, Wildlife and Fisheries, and
Natural Resources, the NOAA, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, selects and implements restoration projects under the
Louisiana TIG's management authority in accordance with the Consent
Decree. The Final PDARP/PEIS, ROD, Consent Decree, and information on
the DWH Trustees can be found at <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan">https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan</a>.
Background
As provided for in the Final PDARP/PEIS, TIGs may propose
conceptual projects for funding of a planning phase (e.g., initial
engineering and design [E&D]) in a restoration plan. This allows the
TIG to develop information needed to fully consider a subsequent
implementation phase of the project in a subsequent restoration plan.
In the Final RP/EA #8, the Louisiana TIG selected conceptual projects
to fund for E&D, including the East Orleans Landbridge Restoration
project and the Raccoon Island Restoration project. Both projects have
design alternatives that are now at a stage where proposed construction
alternatives may be analyzed under the OPA NRDA regulations and NEPA.
Therefore, in the Draft RP/EA #8.1, the Louisiana TIG is proposing to
implement the preferred design alternatives to construct the East
Orleans Landbridge project and the Raccoon Island Restoration project.
Overview of the Louisiana TIG Draft RP/EA #8.1
The Draft RP/EA #8.1 is being released in accordance with OPA NRDA
regulations, NEPA, the Final PDARP/PEIS, and the Consent Decree. The
Draft RP/EA #8.1 provides OPA NRDA and NEPA analyses for a reasonable
range of design alternatives and identifies the Louisiana TIG's
preferred design alternative for each project. The preferred design
alternative, East Orleans Landbridge Restoration Alternative 4 (E.O.
Alternative 4) would dredge and place approximately 5.0 million cubic
yards (3.8 million cubic meters) of sediment dredged from a nearby
inland borrow source to restore up to 1,320 acres (534 hectares) of a
wetland complex. E.O. Alternative 4 would also include 14,867 linear
feet (4.53 kilometers) of shoreline protection. The approximate cost to
implement the preferred alternative is $101.2 million. The preferred
design alternative, Raccoon Island Restoration Project Alternative 3
(RI Alternative 3) would dredge approximately 2.9 million cubic yards
(2.2 million cubic meters) of sand from an offshore borrow source to
restore up to 410 acres (166 hectares) of barrier island habitat. RI
Alternative 3 also includes maintenance of existing Gulfside
breakwaters, construction of four bayside breakwaters, and construction
of nine living shoreline structures. The approximate cost to implement
the preferred alternative is $145.5 million.
Funding to implement any of the alternatives ultimately selected by
the Louisiana TIG would come from the Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore
Habitats Restoration Type allocation. The total estimated cost to
implement the two preferred alternatives is approximately $246.7
million.
Next Steps
After the public comment period ends, the Louisiana TIG will
consider and address all substantive comments received before making a
final decision on which, if any, alternatives to fund and implement. A
Final RP/EA #8.1 and Finding of No Significant Impact, as appropriate,
identifying selected alternatives will be made publicly available.
Administrative Record
The Administrative Record for the Draft RP/EA #8.1 can be viewed
electronically at <a href="https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord">https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord</a>
under the folder 6.5.5.2.16.
Authority: The authority for this action is the OPA of 1990 (33
U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), its implementing NRDA regulations found at 15 CFR
part 990, and the NEPA as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
Dated: May 14, 2026.
Carrie Diane Robinson,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-09901 Filed 5-15-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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