Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Final Phase 2 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #8.1: East Orleans Landbridge Restoration Project and Raccoon Island Restoration Project and Finding of No Significant Impact

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) natural resource Trustees for the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (Louisiana TIG) have prepared the Final Phase 2 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #8.1: East Orleans Landbridge Restoration Project and Raccoon Island Restoration Project (RP/EA #8.1) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The Final RP/EA #8.1 considers alternatives to help restore wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats injured by the DWH oil spill. The Final 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) and selects two projects for funding and implementation.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 197 (Wednesday, October 14, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 197 (Wednesday, October 14, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65182-65183]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-20992]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XG060]


Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Louisiana 
Trustee Implementation Group Final Phase 2 Restoration Plan/
Environmental Assessment #8.1: East Orleans Landbridge Restoration 
Project and Raccoon Island Restoration Project and Finding of No 
Significant Impact

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) natural resource Trustees for the 
Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (Louisiana TIG) have prepared 
the Final Phase 2 Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #8.1: East 
Orleans Landbridge Restoration Project and Raccoon Island Restoration 
Project (RP/EA #8.1) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The 
Final RP/EA #8.1 considers alternatives to help restore wetlands, 
coastal, and nearshore habitats injured by the DWH oil spill. The Final 
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) and selects two 
projects for funding and implementation.

DATES: This document was published on October 14, 2026.

ADDRESSES: You may view and download the Final RP/EA #8.1 and FONSI 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 Final RP/EA #8.1, 
FONSI, and a fact sheet (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Reeves, NOAA Restoration Center, 
(225) 726-1914, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f63607a667c666e616e215b46484f61606e6e21686079"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7f13100a160c161e111e512b36383f11101e1e51181009">[email&#160;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 
DWH 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 DWH Oil Spill Final PDARP/
PEIS (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

[[Page 65183]]

analyzed under the OPA NRDA regulations and NEPA. Therefore, in the 
Final RP/EA #8.1, the Louisiana TIG proposes to implement the preferred 
design alternatives to construct the East Orleans Landbridge project 
and the Raccoon Island Restoration project.
    On December 5, 2025, the Louisiana TIG announced on the Gulf Spill 
Restoration website that they were initiating preparation of the RP/EA 
#8.1. On May 18, 2026, the Louisiana TIG published the Draft RP/EA #8.1 
for a 30-day public review period (91 FR 28574). To facilitate public 
understanding of the document, the Louisiana TIG held a public webinar 
on June 8, 2026, during which public comments were solicited. The 
Louisiana TIG accepted public comments through June 17, 2026. After the 
public review period closed, the Louisiana TIG reviewed the comments 
received, prepared responses to those comments, finalized the plan, and 
prepared the FONSI.

Overview of the Louisiana TIG Final RP/EA #8.1

    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 $109.4 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 $156.3 million.
    The total estimated cost to implement the two preferred 
alternatives is approximately $265.7 million. Funding to implement the 
alternatives selected by the Louisiana TIG would come from the 
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats Restoration Type allocation. 
Additional restoration planning in the Louisiana TIG will continue.

Administrative Record

    The Administrative Record for the Final 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 
NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

    Dated: October 9, 2026.
Carrie Diane Robinson,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-20992 Filed 10-13-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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