Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore North Carolina-Call for Information and Nominations (Call), 74204-74213 [2012-30093]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 240 / Thursday, December 13, 2012 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–MWR–INDU–10718; PPMWMWROW2/
PPMPSAS1Y.YP0000]
Notice of Availability of the Record of
Decision for the Final White-Tailed
Deer Management Plan/Environmental
Impact Statement, Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore, Indiana
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Park Service
(NPS) announces the availability of the
Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final
White-tailed Deer Management Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement (Plan/
EIS), Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
(Indiana Dunes), Indiana.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are
available by request by writing to
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, 1100
North Mineral Springs Road, Porter,
Indiana 46304; telephone (219) 395–
1550.
Copies of the document also may be
picked up in person at the Indiana
Dunes Headquarters at the address
above. The document may be found on
the internet on the NPS PEPC Web site
at https://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/
indu.
SUMMARY:
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Wildlife Biologist Randy Knutson,
Indiana Dunes, at the address above or
by telephone at (219) 395–1550.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS
has issued a ROD for the Final Whitetailed Deer Management Plan/EIS for
Indiana Dunes. On June 22, 2012, the
Regional Director for the Midwest
Region approved the ROD for the Final
EIS. As soon as practicable, the NPS
will begin to implement the selected
alternative, Alternative D, which was
the preferred alternative identified in
the Final Plan/EIS.
The EIS described four alternatives for
the management of deer at Indiana
Dunes. Action is needed at this time to
ensure that the local deer population
does not become a dominant force that
negatively influences ecosystem
components within Indiana Dunes, such
as sensitive vegetation or other wildlife.
Impacts to these Indiana Dunes
resources would compromise the
exceptional biodiversity found within
its boundaries. The Indiana Dunes staff
currently implements resource
management actions to protect other
resources, but no specific deer
management plan exists.
Under Alternative A (no action),
current deer management actions
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(including limited fencing, limited use
of repellents, and inventorying and
monitoring efforts) would have
continued; no new deer management
actions would be taken. Alternative B
would have included all actions
described under Alternative A, but
would have also incorporated non-lethal
actions to possibly reduce deer numbers
at Indiana Dunes. The additional actions
would have included the construction
of additional small-scale and new largescale exclosures, more extensive use of
repellents in areas where fenced
exclosures would not be appropriate or
feasible, and phasing in reproductive
control of does when there is a federally
approved fertility-control agent for
application to free-ranging populations
that provides multiple year (three to five
years) efficacy for does. Alternative C
would have included all actions
described under Alternative A, but
would also have incorporated a direct
reduction of the deer herd size through
sharpshooting and capture/euthanasia,
where appropriate. Alternative D, the
selected alternative, also includes all the
actions described under Alternative A,
but will incorporate a combination of
specific lethal and non-lethal actions
from Alternatives B and C. These
actions will include the reduction of the
deer herd through sharpshooting, in
combination with capture/euthanasia
and phasing in reproductive control of
does (as described in alternative B) for
longer-term maintenance of lower herd
numbers.
Dated: July 31, 2012.
Patricia S. Trap,
Deputy Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2012–30037 Filed 12–12–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MA–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM–2012–0088]
Commercial Leasing for Wind Power
on the Outer Continental Shelf
Offshore North Carolina—Call for
Information and Nominations (Call)
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Call for Information and
Nominations for Commercial Leasing for
Wind Power on the Outer Continental
Shelf, Offshore North Carolina.
AGENCY:
BOEM invites the submission
of nominations for commercial wind
leases that would allow a lessee to
propose the construction of a wind
energy project on the Outer Continental
SUMMARY:
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Shelf (OCS) offshore North Carolina,
and to develop the project if approved
after further environmental review.
Although this announcement is not
itself a leasing announcement, the Call
Areas described herein, or portions
thereof, may be available for future
leasing. BOEM will use responses to this
Call to gauge specific interest in
acquiring commercial wind leases in
some or all of the Call Areas, as required
by 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3).
Parties wishing to submit a
nomination in response to this Call
should submit detailed and specific
information in response to the
requirements described in the section
entitled, ‘‘Required Nomination
Information.’’
This announcement also requests
comments and information from
interested and affected parties about site
conditions, resources, and multiple uses
in close proximity to, or within, the Call
Areas that would be relevant to BOEM’s
review of any nominations submitted
and/or to BOEM’s subsequent decision
to offer all or part of the Call Areas for
commercial wind leasing. The
information that BOEM is requesting is
described in the section of this Call
entitled, ‘‘Requested Information from
Interested or Affected Parties.’’
This Call is published pursuant to
subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act,
43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3), which was added
by section 388 of the Energy Policy Act
of 2005 (EPAct), as well as the
implementing regulations at 30 CFR part
585.
The Call Areas described in this
notice are located on the OCS offshore
North Carolina and are delineated as
Wilmington-West, Wilmington-East and
Kitty Hawk (formerly referred to as
North Carolina Planning Areas 1, 2, and
5, respectively, during BOEM’s North
Carolina offshore wind planning
efforts). The three Call Areas include
195 whole OCS blocks and 60 partial
blocks in total and comprise
approximately 1,441 square nautical
miles (494,016 hectares). These Call
Areas were established in consultation
with the BOEM North Carolina
Renewable Energy Intergovernmental
Task Force (Task Force). A detailed
description of the areas and how they
were developed is described in the
section of this Call entitled,
‘‘Description of the Area.’’
DATES: BOEM must receive your
nomination describing your interest in
one or more, or any portion of the Call
Areas, postmarked by January 28, 2013
for your nomination to be considered.
BOEM requests comments or
submissions of information to be
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postmarked or delivered by this same
date. BOEM will consider only those
nominations received that conform to
this requirement.
Submission Procedures: If you are
submitting a nomination for a lease in
response to this Call, please submit your
nomination to the following address:
BOEM, Office of Renewable Energy
Programs, 381 Elden Street, HM 1328,
Herndon, Virginia 20170. In addition to
a paper copy of the nomination, include
an electronic copy of the nomination on
a data storage device. BOEM will list the
parties that submitted nominations and
the location of the proposed lease areas
(i.e., OCS blocks nominated) on the
BOEM Web site after the 45-day
comment period has closed.
Comments and other submissions of
information may be submitted by either
of the following two methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. In the entry
entitled ‘‘Enter Keyword or ID,’’ enter
BOEM–2012–0088, and then click
‘‘search.’’ Follow the instructions to
submit public comments and view
supporting and related materials
available for this notice.
2. U.S. Postal Service or other
delivery service. Send your comments
and information to the following
address: Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Office of Renewable
Energy Programs, 381 Elden Street, HM
1328, Herndon, Virginia 20170.
All responses will be reported on
https://www.regulations.gov.
If you wish to protect the
confidentiality of your nominations or
comments, clearly mark the relevant
sections and request that BOEM treat
them as confidential. Please label
privileged or confidential information
‘‘Contains Confidential Information’’
and consider submitting such
information as a separate attachment.
Treatment of confidential information is
addressed in the section of this Call
entitled, ‘‘Protection of Privileged or
Confidential Information.’’ Information
that is not labeled as privileged or
confidential will be regarded by BOEM
as suitable for public release.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Will
Waskes, Oceanographer, BOEM, Office
of Renewable Energy Programs, 381
Elden Street, HM 1328, Herndon,
Virginia 20170, (703) 787–1320 or
Will.Waskes@boem.gov.
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of the Call for Information and
Nominations
The OCS Lands Act requires BOEM to
award leases competitively, unless
BOEM makes a determination that there
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is no competitive interest (43 U.S.C.
1337(p)(3)). BOEM will make this
determination after reviewing the
nominations received in response to this
Call.
This Call also requests information
from interested and affected parties on
issues relevant to BOEM’s review of
nominations for potential leases in the
Call Areas. A lease, whether issued
through a competitive or
noncompetitive process, gives the lessee
the exclusive right to subsequently seek
BOEM approval for the development of
the leasehold. The lease does not grant
the lessee the right to construct any
facilities; rather, the lease grants the
lessee the right to use the leased area to
develop its plans, which BOEM must
approve before the lessee may proceed
to the next stage of the process (30 CFR
585.600 and 585.601). The responses to
this Call could lead to the initiation of
a competitive leasing process in some
parts of the Call Areas (i.e., where
competition exists for certain tracts),
and a noncompetitive process in other
parts of the Call Areas (i.e., where no
competitive interest exists for certain
tracts). The leasing process is described
more completely under the
‘‘Determination of Competitive Interest’’
and ‘‘Noncompetitive Leasing Process’’
sections of this Call. In any parts of the
Call Areas where BOEM determines
there is no competitive interest, BOEM
may proceed with the noncompetitive
lease process pursuant to 30 CFR
585.232. If BOEM determines that there
is competitive interest in some or all of
the Call Areas, then BOEM may proceed
with Area Identification, as set forth in
30 CFR 585.211(b), and the competitive
leasing process set forth under 30 CFR
585.211 through 585.225. Whether the
leasing process is competitive or
noncompetitive, it will include
additional opportunities for the public
to provide input, and any proposed
actions will be reviewed thoroughly for
potential environmental and multiple
use impacts. The area(s) that may be
finally offered for lease, if any, has/have
not yet been determined, and may
include less than the total areal extent
of the Call Areas as identified in this
Call.
Background
Energy Policy Act of 2005
The EPAct amended the OCS Lands
Act by adding subsection 8(p)(1)(C),
which authorizes the Secretary of the
Interior to grant leases, easements, or
rights-of-way (ROWs) on the OCS for
activities that are not otherwise
authorized by law and that produce or
support production, transportation, or
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transmission of energy from sources
other than oil or gas, including
renewable energy sources. The EPAct
also required the issuance of regulations
to carry out the new authority
pertaining to renewable energy on the
OCS. The Secretary delegated this
authority to issue leases, easements, and
ROWs, and to promulgate regulations, to
the Director of BOEM. On April 29,
2009, BOEM published the Renewable
Energy and Alternate Uses (REAU) rule,
at 30 CFR Part 585, which can be found
at: https://www.boem.gov/uploadedFiles/
30_CFR_585.pdf.
Executive Order 13547: Stewardship of
the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great
Lakes
On July 19, 2010, the President signed
Executive Order 13547 (Order)
establishing a national ocean policy and
the National Ocean Council (75 FR
43023). The Order establishes a
comprehensive, integrated national
policy for the stewardship of the ocean,
our coasts, and the Great Lakes. Where
BOEM actions affect the ocean or coast,
the Order requires BOEM to take such
action as necessary to implement the
policy, stewardship principles, and
national priority objectives adopted by
the Order, with guidance from the
National Ocean Council.
BOEM appreciates the importance of
coordinating its planning endeavors
with other OCS users, regulators and
relevant Federal Agencies (e.g., U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, the National
Park Service, and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration) and
intends to follow principles of coastal
and marine spatial planning, and
coordinate with the regional planning
bodies as established by the National
Ocean Council. BOEM anticipates that
continued coordination with its Task
Forces will help inform comprehensive
coastal and marine spatial planning
efforts.
BOEM North Carolina
Intergovernmental Renewable Energy
Task Force
BOEM formed the North Carolina
Task Force in January 2011, to facilitate
coordination among relevant Federal
agencies and affected state, local, and
tribal governments throughout the
leasing process. The Task Force meeting
materials are available on the BOEM
Web site at: https://www.boem.gov/
Renewable-Energy-Program/StateActivities/North-Carolina.aspx.
Environmental Review Process
BOEM intends to prepare an
environmental assessment (EA), which
will consider the environmental
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consequences associated with issuing
commercial wind leases and approving
site assessment activities on those leases
within all or some of the Call Areas.
BOEM is publishing, concurrently with
this Call, a Notice of Intent (NOI) to
prepare an EA, which seeks public
input in identifying the environmental
issues and alternatives to be considered
in the EA.
The EA will consider the reasonably
foreseeable environmental
consequences associated with leasing
and site characterization scenarios
within the Call Areas (including
geophysical, geotechnical,
archaeological, and biological surveys),
and site assessment scenarios (including
the installation and operation of
meteorological towers and buoys) on the
potential leaseholds. The NOI solicits
input on the environmental effects
associated only with the activities
described above. The environmental
effects of the construction or operation
of any wind energy facility would be
considered under a separate, projectspecific National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) environmental review
process.
Several consultations will be
conducted concurrently with, and
integrated into, the current NEPA
process. These consultations include,
but are not limited to, those required by
the Coastal Zone Management Act
(CZMA), the Endangered Species Act
(ESA), the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act,
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA), and Executive
Order 13175—‘‘Consultation and
Coordination with Tribal
Governments.’’ The results of these
consultations will assist BOEM in
deciding whether and where leases may
be issued.
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Actions Taken by the State of North
Carolina in Support of Offshore
Renewable Energy Development
BOEM recognizes the importance of
the steps that the State of North Carolina
has taken to encourage environmentally
sound offshore wind energy
development. While a state may
promote such development, BOEM has
the exclusive authority to issue leases,
easements, and ROWs on the OCS for
renewable energy purposes.
The State of North Carolina has been
engaged in a planning process to
evaluate and identify areas of the OCS
that may be suitable for offshore wind
energy development. This process
helped inform state recommendations to
BOEM regarding potentially suitable
areas for BOEM to consider when
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moving forward with its offshore wind
energy leasing process.
In the summer of 2008, the North
Carolina General Assembly requested
that the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill conduct a 9-month study to
assess the feasibility of producing wind
energy in the Pamlico and Albemarle
Sounds (S.L. 2008–107). Subsequently,
the scope of the study was expanded to
include waters off the North Carolina
coast. The request specified that the
assessment include an analysis of the
spatial distributions of available wind
power, ecological risks and synergies,
use conflicts affecting site selection,
foundation systems and their
compatibility with sound- and oceanbottom geology and associated geologic
dynamics, electric transmission
infrastructure, statutory and regulatory
barriers associated with utilities, the
legal context, carbon reduction
potential, and economics. The study,
entitled, Coastal Wind, Energy for North
Carolina’s Future: A Study of the
Feasibility of Wind Turbines in Pamlico
and Albemarle Sounds and in Ocean
Waters Off the North Carolina Coast
(North Carolina Wind Study), was
presented to the Task Force for
consideration and can be found at:
https://www.climate.unc.edu/coastalwind/Coastal%20Wind%20
Energy%20for%20NC2019s%20
Future.pdf.
BOEM’s Planning and Leasing Process
Determination of Competitive Interest
The first step in the leasing process is
to determine whether or not there is any
interest in acquiring a lease within the
Call Areas. At the same time, BOEM can
determine whether there is overlapping
interest in any particular portion of the
Call Areas that would result in the need
for a competitive process. At the
conclusion of the comment period for
this Call, BOEM will review the
nominations received, undertake a
completeness review and a
qualifications review, and determine
whether competitive interest exists in
any specific location within the Call
Areas.
If two nominated areas of interest
fully or partially overlap, BOEM may
proceed with competitive leasing as
described in the section of this Call
entitled, ‘‘Competitive Leasing Process.’’
For areas where BOEM determines that
there is no competitive interest, BOEM
may proceed with noncompetitive
leasing described in the section entitled,
‘‘Non-Competitive Leasing Process.’’
BOEM may consult with the Task Force
throughout the leasing process.
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Situations may arise in which several
parties nominate areas that do not
overlap. Under these circumstances,
BOEM could choose to employ an
allocation system of leases that involves
the creation of competition across tracts.
This system is referred to as intertract
competition and would also be
implemented under the competitive
process outlined in the regulations.
BOEM may consult with the Task Force
in determining the need for, and/or use
of, intertract competition.
Respondents to this Call and members
of the public should be aware that no
lease will be issued, either
competitively or noncompetitively,
until the necessary consultations and
environmental analysis have been
completed and the public has been
given an opportunity to comment. As a
result, it is possible that certain areas
nominated may not be leased, or that
the areas nominated may be modified
from their original, proposed form
before being offered for lease.
Competitive Leasing Process
If, after receiving responses to this
Call, BOEM proceeds with the
competitive leasing process for certain
areas, it would follow the steps required
by 30 CFR 585.211 through 585.225:
(1) Area Identification: Based on the
information submitted in response to
this Call and the NOI, BOEM would
determine the level of interest and
identify the area(s) that would be
appropriate to move forward with in the
planning and leasing process. The
area(s) identified will constitute a Wind
Energy Area (WEA) under the
Secretary’s ‘‘Smart from the Start’’ wind
energy initiative and will be subject to
environmental analysis, in consultation
with appropriate Federal agencies,
states, local governments, tribes and
other interested parties.
(2) Proposed Sale Notice (PSN): If
BOEM decides to proceed with lease
issuance in the Call Areas, then BOEM
would first complete the analyses
necessary to inform the preparation of
the PSN, including any final NEPA
documentation, the Consistency
Determination required by the CZMA
and its implementing regulations, and
various analyses of proposed lease sale
economic terms and conditions. BOEM
would then publish the PSN in the
Federal Register with a comment period
of 60 days and send the PSN to the
Governor of any affected state, and the
executive of any affected local
government. BOEM will also share the
PSN with the Task Force. The PSN
would describe the area(s) to be offered
for leasing, the proposed conditions of
a lease sale, and the proposed auction
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format, lease document, and lease
provisions/stipulations. Additionally,
the PSN would describe the criteria and
process for evaluating bids.
(3) Final Sale Notice (FSN): If BOEM
decides to proceed with lease issuance
after considering comments on the PSN,
then it would publish the FSN in the
Federal Register at least 30 days before
the date of the lease sale.
(4) Bid Submission and Evaluation:
Following publication of the FSN in the
Federal Register, qualified bidders
would be able to submit their bids to
BOEM in accordance with procedures
specified in the FSN. The bids,
including any required deposits, would
be reviewed for technical and legal
adequacy. BOEM would evaluate the
bids to determine if the bidder had
complied with all applicable
regulations. BOEM reserves the right to
reject any or all bids and the right to
withdraw an offer to lease an area, even
after bids have been submitted.
(5) Issuance of a Lease: Following the
selection of a winning bid(s) by BOEM,
the bidder(s) would be notified of the
decision and provided a set of official
lease documents for execution. The
successful bidder(s) would be required
to execute the lease, pay the remainder
of the bonus bid, if applicable, and file
the required financial assurance within
10 days of receiving the lease
documents. Upon receipt of the required
payments, financial assurance, and
properly executed lease forms, BOEM
would issue a lease to the successful
bidder(s).
Noncompetitive Leasing Process
If, after evaluating the responses to
this Call, BOEM determines that there is
no competitive interest in a proposed
lease area, it may proceed with the
noncompetitive lease issuance process
pursuant to 30 CFR 585.232, as
amended by the rulemaking which took
effect on June 15, 2011, (76 FR 28178).
Should BOEM decide to proceed with
the noncompetitive leasing process, it
would ask if the sole respondent who
nominated a particular area wants to
proceed with acquiring the lease, and if
so, the respondent must submit an
acquisition fee as specified by 30 CFR
585.502(a). After receiving the
acquisition fee, BOEM would follow the
process outlined in 30 CFR 585.231.
Within 60 days of the date of that
notice, the respondent would be
required to submit a Site Assessment
Plan (SAP), as described in 30 CFR
585.231(d)(2)(i). BOEM will comply
with the requirements of NEPA, CZMA,
ESA, NHPA, and other applicable
Federal statutes before issuing a lease
noncompetitively. BOEM would
coordinate and consult, as appropriate,
with relevant Federal agencies, affected
tribes, and affected state and local
governments prior to issuing a
noncompetitive lease, and in
formulating lease terms, conditions, and
stipulations.
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It is possible that responses to this
Call may result in a determination that
there is competitive interest in acquiring
leases in some areas but not in others.
BOEM will publicly announce its
determinations before proceeding with
any type of leasing process.
Description of the Area
The Call Areas offshore North
Carolina are delineated as WilmingtonWest, Wilmington-East and Kitty Hawk,
formerly referred to as North Carolina
Planning Areas 1, 2, and 5 respectively,
during BOEM’s North Carolina offshore
wind planning efforts. The three Areas
include 195 whole OCS blocks and 60
partial blocks in total and comprise
approximately 1,441 square nautical
miles (494,016 hectares).
Call Area Wilmington-West
The boundary of Call Area
Wilmington-West begins 7 nautical
miles (nmi) from the shore and extends
roughly 11 nmi seaward. It extends from
east to west approximately 15 nmi. The
entire area is approximately 78 square
nautical miles (26,784 hectares).
The following 6 full OCS blocks are
included within Call Area WilmingtonWest: Georgetown NI17–09 Blocks 6231,
6232, 6281, 6282, 6283, and 6332. In
addition, parts of the following 9 OCS
blocks are included within the area of
interest: Georgetown NI17–09 Blocks
6230, 6233, 6234, 6235, 6284, 6285,
6333, 6334, and 6383 as described in the
table below.
LIST OF PARTIAL OCS BLOCKS (INCLUDING SUB-BLOCKS) IN CALL AREA WILMINGTON-WEST
Protraction name
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
..............................................
..............................................
..............................................
..............................................
..............................................
..............................................
..............................................
..............................................
..............................................
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI17–09
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Call Area Wilmington-East
The boundary of Call Area
Wilmington-East begins 13 nmi from the
shore and extends roughly 28 nmi
seaward. It extends from east to west
approximately 21 nmi. The entire area
is approximately 327 square nautical
miles (111,984 hectares).
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Block
No.
Protraction No.
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...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
6230
6233
6234
6235
6284
6285
6333
6334
6383
The following 51 full OCS blocks are
included within the Call Area
Wilmington-East: Georgetown NI17–09
Blocks 6438, 6389, 6439, 6488, 6489,
6538, 6539, 6587, 6588, 6589, 6638,
6639; Cape Fear NI18–07: Blocks 6351,
6401, 6402, 6403, 6451, 6452, 6453,
6454, 6501, 6502, 6503, 6504, 6505,
6551, 6552, 6553, 6554, 6555, 6556,
6601, 6602, 6603, 6604, 6605, 6606,
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Sub-block
C, D, F,
A, B, C,
E, F, G,
E, F, G,
A, B, C,
A, B, E.
A, B, C,
A, B, E.
A, B, E.
G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O.
D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O.
D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O.
6652, 6653, 6654, 6655, 6656, 6657,
6703, 6704, 6705, 6706, 6754, 6755,
6804, 6854. In addition, parts of the
following 15 OCS blocks are included
within the area of interest Georgetown
NI17–09: Blocks 6388, 6437, 6487, 6537;
Cape Fear NI18–07: Blocks 6352, 6353,
6404, 6455, 6506, 6507, 6508, 6557,
6558, 6607, and 6855 as described in the
table below.
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LIST OF PARTIAL OCS BLOCKS (INCLUDING SUB-BLOCKS) IN CALL AREA WILMINGTON-EAST
Protraction name
Block
No.
Protraction No.
Georgetown ..............................................
Georgetown ..............................................
Georgetown ..............................................
Georgetown ..............................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
Cape Fear ................................................
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI17–09
NI18–07
NI18–07
NI18–07
NI18–07
NI18–07
NI18–07
NI18–07
NI18–07
NI18–07
NI18–07
NI18–07
Respondents should be aware that
Georgetown NI17–09 Blocks 6439, 6489,
6539, 6589, 6639; Cape Fear NI18–07
Blocks 6351, 6401, 6451, 6501, 6551,
and 6601 border the edge of Universe
Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zones 17
and 18. As a result, while these blocks
are considered full OCS lease blocks,
they vary in area and are smaller than
standard OCS blocks. Official acreages
for the blocks located within OPD NI18–
07 can be found at: https://
www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-EnergyProgram/Mapping-and-Data/NI18-0701-APR-2008-pdf.aspx . Official
acreages for the blocks located within
OPD NI17–09 can be found at: https://
www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-EnergyProgram/Mapping-and-Data/NI17-0901-APR-2008.aspx.
...................................................
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...................................................
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6388
6437
6487
6537
6352
6353
6404
6455
6506
6507
6508
6557
6558
6607
6855
Kitty Hawk
The boundary of Call Area Kitty Hawk
begins 6 nmi from the shore and extends
roughly 34 nmi seaward. It extends from
north to south approximately 45 nmi.
The entire area is approximately 1,036
square nautical miles (355,248 hectares).
The following 138 full OCS blocks are
included within the Call Area Kitty
Hawk: Currituck NJ18–1 Blocks 6608,
6609, 6610, 6611, 6612, 6613, 6614,
6615, 6658, 6659, 6660, 6661, 6662,
6663, 6664, 6665, 6666, 6667, 6668,
6669, 6708, 6709, 6710, 6711, 6712,
6713, 6714, 6715, 6716, 6717, 6718,
6719, 6720, 6759, 6760, 6761, 6762,
6763, 6764, 6765, 6766, 6767, 6768,
6769, 6770, 6809, 6810, 6811, 6812,
6813 6714, 6815, 6816, 6817, 6818,
6819, 6820, 6859, 6860, 6861, 6862,
6863, 6864, 6865, 6866, 6867 6868,
6869, 6870, 6909, 6910, 6911, 6912,
Sub-block
B, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
K, L, O, P.
C, D, G, H, K, L, O, P.
B, C, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
E, F, I, J, K, M, N, O, P.
A, E, F, I, J, K, M, N, O, P.
A, E, F, G, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
A, B, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
L, M, N, O, P.
I, M.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O.
A.
A, B, C, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, P.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O.
6913, 6914, 6915, 6916, 6917, 6918,
6919, 6920, 6960, 6961, 6962, 6963,
6964, 6965, 6966, 6967, 6968, 6969,
6970, 7010, 7011, 7012, 7013, 7014,
7015, 7016, 7017, 7018, 7019, 7020,
7061, 7062, 7063, 7066, 7067, 7068,
7069, 7070, 7112, 7116, 7117, 7118,
7119, 7166, 7167, 7168, 6769; NI18–02
Blocks 6017, 6018, 6019, 6067, 6068,
6069, 6117, 6618, 6119, 6165, 6166,
6167, 6168, 6169, 6216, 6217, 6218, and
6219. In addition, parts of the following
36 OCS blocks are included within the
area of interest: Currituck NJ18–11:
Blocks 6607, 6657, 6758, 6808, 6858,
6909, 6959, 7010, 7060, 7064, 7065,
7111, 7113, 7114, 7115, 7120, 7161
7162, 7163, 7170; Manteo NI18–02:
Blocks 6012, 6016, 6020, 6066, 6070,
6114, 6115, 6116, 6120, 6164, 6215,
6265, 6266, 6267, 6268, and 6269 as
described in the table below.
LIST OF PARTIAL OCS BLOCKS (INCLUDING SUB-BLOCKS) IN CALL AREA KITTY HAWK
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with
Protraction name
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Currituck ...................................................
Manteo .....................................................
Manteo .....................................................
Manteo .....................................................
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:21 Dec 12, 2012
Block
No.
Protraction No.
Jkt 229001
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NJ18–11
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
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PO 00000
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6607
6657
6758
6808
6858
6909
6959
7010
7060
7064
7065
7111
7113
7114
7115
7120
7161
7162
7163
7170
6012
6016
6020
Sub-block
C, D, G, H, K, L, O, P.
D, H, L, P.
B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
C, D, G, H, K, L, P.
D, H.
A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, O, P.
C, D, G, H, L, P.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
C, D, G, H, L.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, P.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N.
A.
B, C, D, G, H, L, P.
A, B, C, E, F, G, I, J, K, M, N, O.
C, D, G, H, L, P.
A, B, C, D, E, F, H, I, J, K, M, N.
A.
A, B, C, E, F, G, I, J, K, M, N, O.
A.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, O, P.
A, B, C, E, F, I, J, M, N.
E:\FR\FM\13DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 240 / Thursday, December 13, 2012 / Notices
LIST OF PARTIAL OCS BLOCKS (INCLUDING SUB-BLOCKS) IN CALL AREA KITTY HAWK—Continued
Protraction name
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
Manteo
.....................................................
.....................................................
.....................................................
.....................................................
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NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
NI18–02
OCS Blocks (Including Sub-Blocks) In
the Call Areas Potentially Subject to
Limitations
Navigational Safety
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) advises
that most of the blocks included in the
Call Areas would require further study
to determine risks to navigational safety
(see the following ‘‘Navigational Issues’’
...................................................
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...................................................
...................................................
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Department of Defense Activities
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with
Sub-block
C, D, H, L, P.
A, B, E, F, I, J, M, N.
H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
E, I, J, M, N, O, P.
C, D, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
A, B, E, F, I, J, M, N.
B, C, D, H, L.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, P.
B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K.
A, B, C, D, E, F.
A.
D.
A, B, C, D, G, H.
Wilmington-East were to be made
available for leasing and development,
portions of a number of sub-blocks may
not be available for surface occupancy,
(i.e. the placement of wind facilities),
because of proximity to the Traffic
Separation Scheme (TSS) in the
approaches to the Cape Fear River.
These sub-blocks are listed in the table
below.
Protraction name
Wilmington-West ...................................................
Wilmington-West ...................................................
Wilmington-West ...................................................
Wilmington-West ...................................................
Wilmington-West ...................................................
Wilmington-East ....................................................
Wilmington-West ...................................................
The Department of Defense (DOD)
conducts offshore testing, training, and
operations in the Call Areas. To avoid
or minimize potential conflicts with
existing DOD activities, site-specific
stipulations may be necessary for all
OCS blocks within the Call Areas.
Such stipulations may include, but
are not limited to, a hold-and-saveharmless agreement where the lessee
assumes all risks of damage or injury to
persons or property if such injury or
damage to such person or property
occurs by reason of the activities of the
U.S. Government, and/or a requirement
that at times requested by the DOD, the
lessee controls its own electromagnetic
emissions and those of its agents,
employees, invitees, independent
contractors, or subcontractors when
operating in specified DOD Operating
Areas (OPAREAs) or warning areas.
Other examples of stipulations that may
be required include a stipulation that
the lessee enter into an agreement with
the appropriate DOD commander when
16:21 Dec 12, 2012
6066
6070
6114
6115
6116
6120
6164
6215
6265
6266
6267
6268
6269
section) if they were selected for leasing
and development. BOEM may decide
that certain OCS blocks included in the
Call Areas will not be made available for
leasing and/or development for
navigational safety reasons, or
stipulations may be developed to
mitigate navigational concerns.
If all of the blocks included in Call
Areas Wilmington-West and
Call area
VerDate Mar<15>2010
Block
No.
Protraction No.
Jkt 229001
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
Georgetown
..........................................................
..........................................................
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..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
..........................................................
operating vessels or aircraft in a
designated OPAREA or warning area,
requiring that these vessel and aircraft
movements be coordinated with the
appropriate DOD commander, and/or a
stipulation that DOD can request
temporary suspension of operations
and/or require evacuation on the lease
in the interest of safety and/or national
security.
Map of the Call Areas
A map of the Call Areas and a table
of the boundary coordinates in X, Y
(eastings, northings) UTM Zone 17 or
UTM Zone 18 (based on the Call Area
geographic location), NAD83 Datum and
geographic X, Y (longitude, latitude),
NAD83 Datum can be found at the
following URL: https://www.BOEM.gov/
offshore/RenewableEnergy/
StateActivities-North Carolina.htm.
A large scale map of the Call Areas
showing their boundaries with
numbered blocks is available from
BOEM at the following address: Bureau
of Ocean Energy Management, Office of
PO 00000
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Protraction No.
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
NI1709
NI1709
NI1709
NI1709
NI1709
NI1709
NI1709
Block
No.
6235
6285
6284
6334
6333
6437
6383
Sub-block
H, K, L, N, O.
A, B, E.
H, K, L, N, O.
B, E.
L, O.
K, O.
B, E.
Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden
Street, HM 1328, Herndon, Virginia
20170. Phone: (703) 787–1320, Fax:
(703) 787–1708.
Development of the Call Areas
The Call Areas were delineated by
BOEM in consultation with the Task
Force, and are intended to minimize
user conflicts while making appropriate
areas available for potential commercial
offshore wind energy leasing and
development. The USCG advises that
navigational conflicts may exist as
described in the section entitled,
‘‘Navigational Issues.’’ Specific
mitigation, stipulations, or exclusion
areas may be developed and applied at
the leasing, site assessment, and/or the
construction and operations stages as a
result of environmental reviews and
associated consultations, and by using
information gathered through continued
coordination with the Task Force. The
following information and issues were
discussed during consultation with the
Task Force.
E:\FR\FM\13DEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 240 / Thursday, December 13, 2012 / Notices
Results of North Carolina’s Coastal
Wind Study
The Call Areas were developed with
consideration of the boundaries
recommended by the North Carolina
Wind Study. The results of the study
helped to identify areas that may not be
suitable for wind development, based
on features ranging from ocean-bottom
geological and associated geological
dynamics, electric transmission
infrastructure, ocean usages and the
presence and density of biological
resources including avian populations
and aquatic habitat. Of additional
concern, as indicated by the North
Carolina Study, is the alteration of
viewscapes from the Cape Hatteras and
Cape Lookout National Seashores.
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with
Areas Removed From Further Leasing
Consideration
BOEM considered the findings of the
North Carolina Study, Task Force input,
and other relevant studies and removed
the following areas from further leasing
consideration:
1. No Build Areas (e.g., TSSs, marine
sanctuaries, shipwreck clusters,
explosive zones, areas in close
proximity to anchorage areas, etc.):
Leasing and potential development has
been removed from consideration in
blocks containing some of these features
(e.g., TSSs) since it would likely directly
and adversely affect shipping or be
impractical to conduct ocean-bottom
penetrating activities. BOEM may later
require set-backs from these or other
features.
2. Areas of High Avian Densities:
Areas with high avian densities are
mostly concentrated along inlet areas (to
a distance of 5 miles in all directions
from the center of the inlet), in large
zones off each of the three major Capes
(Hatteras, Lookout, and Fear), and in
areas swept by the Gulf Stream. Adverse
effects may occur because of the greater
potential for in-flight mortality from
collisions with wind turbines,
avoidance behaviors caused by the
disturbance/presence of turbines and/or
disturbance of ocean-bottom features.
3. Areas with Unique Geological
Conditions:
a. The shoreline seaward to the 15meter depth contour, including a fourmile zone around the inlet/outlet
systems. This area is the active part of
the barrier island system associated
with sediment transport, inlet
dynamics, and storm processes.
b. Highly dissected outcrops of
Oligocene Limestone, Miocene Pungo
River Formation, and thin Quaternary
carbonate cap rocks. These extensive
hard-bottoms and firm-bottoms contain
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:21 Dec 12, 2012
Jkt 229001
tremendous relief, biodiversity, and bioproductivity.
c. Algal reef which occurs at the shelf
edge and above the steep drop-off of the
continental slope that is dominated by
steep clinoform sediment deposits,
slump blocks, and flow structures.
d. East of Diamond Shoals where the
shelf edge is characterized by an
extremely steep erosional scarp with a
downstream sediment scour and a
deposition zone that sweeps off to the
northeast. These features are probably
the direct result of erosion and
deposition by the Gulf Stream as it is
deflected off the North Carolina
continental margin at Cape Hatteras.
e. Shallow and Active Sand Bodies of
the cross-shelf and the cape shoal
structures (Frying Pan Shoals, Diamond
Shoals and Cape Lookout Shoals) are
critical components of the large-scale
and long-term sediment dynamics of the
barrier island system and are
characterized by active bedforms and
scour.
4. Areas within 6 miles from shore:
The results of the numerous studies
along the Mid-Atlantic and NorthAtlantic found that birds, certain marine
mammals and other resources occur in
higher densities closer to shore. In
addition, numerous shipwrecks, reefs,
and shoals tend to occur in this zone,
typically from the shoreline to 6 miles
offshore. Therefore, some environmental
impacts could be reduced with
increasing distance from the shoreline.
5. Fish, Fisheries and Marine
Habitats: The three main Capes in North
Carolina are regions of high biological
productivity and high levels of fishing
activity. Live bottom habitat becomes
increasingly common on the North
Carolina OCS from north to south. A
zone south of Cape Fear and located in
a band that ranges from about 8 to 20
miles wide is thought to be such a
concentration and has been removed
from consideration.
6. Military Areas: DOD conducts
operations readiness activities for both
hardware and personnel on the OCS.
The Call Areas were refined based on
DOD assessments of compatibility
between potential commercial offshore
wind development and DOD testing,
training and operational activities.
Although OCS blocks determined to be
incompatible with these activities were
removed from consideration, site
specific stipulations may be necessary
for remaining lease blocks in the Call
Areas to avoid conflicts with DOD
activities. BOEM will consult with the
DOD regarding potential issues
concerning offshore testing, training and
operational activities, and will use best
management practices to develop
PO 00000
Frm 00047
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
appropriate stipulations to avoid
conflicts with DOD in the Call Areas.
Areas Under National Park Service
(NPS) Jurisdiction
The mission of the NPS, as set forth
under the NPS Organic Act, is to protect
the natural and cultural resources,
including the scenery, in units of the
National Park System, and to provide
for their enjoyment in a manner that
will leave them unimpaired for future
generations (https://www.nps.gov/
aboutus/mission.htm; also see 16 U.S.C.
1). The NPS has advised BOEM that
Congress established the Cape Hatteras
National Seashore, in part, to conserve
the scenic values and natural and
cultural resources of the dynamic
barrier islands in the area. Cape Hatteras
National Seashore is home to the
National Historic Landmark Cape
Hatteras Light Station and other historic
properties.
The NPS has informed BOEM that the
Cape Hatteras National Seashore is
important to the local economy and that
in 2010, the NPS recorded more than 2.1
million recreational visits to Cape
Hatteras National Seashore and a
contribution of $115 million and
approximately 1,800 jobs to the local
economy. The NPS shared with BOEM
a 2002 Outer Banks Group Parks Visitor
Study conducted by the University of
Idaho. In this study, visitors were asked
to rate the importance of selected
attributes in planning for the
preservation of Cape Hatteras National
Seashore for future generations.
According to the study, 84 percent of
the respondents identified scenic views
as extremely or very important. The
NPS believes these economic and
recreational values are directly
dependent on the quality of park
resources and the visitor experience at
this popular seashore.
Units of the National Park System and
other marine protected areas are
identified as ‘‘Areas of Special Concern’’
in Section 5.2.15 of the October 2007
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
Alternative Energy Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS).
Call Area Kitty Hawk is located offshore
of properties managed by the NPS.
The NPS has raised concerns over the
potential impact that wind energy
development off the coast of North
Carolina could have on scenic ocean
views and night skies of the Cape
Hatteras National Seashore. At this time,
BOEM has not modified the Call Area
Kitty Hawk, portions of which are off
the coast of the Cape Hatteras National
Seashore, to address these concerns.
To help BOEM and NPS better
evaluate the potential visual impacts of
E:\FR\FM\13DEN1.SGM
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srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with
commercial wind energy development
on visitors to the Cape Hatteras and
Cape Lookout National Seashores, the
two agencies undertook a visual
simulation study in the interest of
providing accurate representations of
offshore wind facilities at various
distances (i.e., 10, 15 and 20 nmi) from
shore and under a variety of conditions
(e.g., daytime and nighttime views,
multiple array configurations, various
lighting conditions, etc.). The study was
completed in August 2012. Based on the
study results and the dimension of the
turbines analyzed, from certain
locations and under certain conditions,
turbines could be visible during the day
and at night at 20 nmi (the outer limit
of the visual simulations
configurations). Results of the
visualization study can be found at:
https://www.boem.gov/RenewableEnergy-Program/State-Activities/NorthCarolina.aspx.
The NPS is concerned about the
potential impact to the scenic
experience of visitors to the Cape
Hatteras National Seashore. Although
BOEM is not modifying the Call Area
Kitty Hawk at this time, BOEM may in
the future determine that portions of the
Call Area Kitty Hawk may not be
appropriate for commercial wind
development.
Navigational Issues
The USCG used a color-coding system
to designate portions of the three Call
areas as green, yellow, and red. A
designation of green indicates that the
USCG believes that an area, if
developed, would pose minimal to no
detrimental impact on navigational
safety, but that the area should still be
subject to further study. A designation
of yellow indicates that the USCG
believes that development of the area
could have unacceptable effects on
navigational safety and that further
study is required to determine the
potential effect that development of the
area would have on navigational safety.
A designation of red indicates that the
USCG believes that development of that
area would have an unacceptable effect
on navigational safety based on existing
navigational routes. A map showing the
OCS blocks (including sub-blocks) and
their corresponding color coding can be
found at: https://boem.gov/RenewableEnergy-Program/State-Activities/NorthCarolina.aspx.
BOEM has analyzed USCG 2009 and
2010 Automatic Identification System
(AIS) data, including density plots (by
1/16th of an OCS Block) for all vessel
types and various individual vessel
types (e.g. tankers, cargo vessels, tugs,
etc.) for the OCS offshore North
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:21 Dec 12, 2012
Jkt 229001
Carolina. Maps of Call Areas
Wilmington-West, Wilmington-East and
Kitty Hawk overlaid on these AIS
analyses can be found at: https://
boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/
State-Activities/North-Carolina.aspx.
The 2009 and 2010 AIS data used to
conduct this analysis, in addition to
other AIS tools, can be downloaded at:
https://www.marinecadastre.gov/AIS/
default.aspx.
BOEM encourages respondents and
interested parties to incorporate this
information into their decision-making
and comments and when nominating
areas.
In general, placement of obstacles in
previously open seas may have an
impact on maritime traffic. The AIS data
show that portions of the Call Areas are
trafficked by multiple types of vessels
traveling along the Atlantic Coast and
entering and leaving ports located in
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and
North Carolina and South Carolina.
These vessels include commercial,
military, and commercial fishing
vessels. The transit patterns of these
vessels are influenced by the unique
coastal geology and oceanographic
conditions off North Carolina’s coast.
BOEM will consider potential impacts
to existing users when conducting
reviews of any Construction and
Operations Plans (COP) submitted
subsequent to a leasing process and may
require that lessees mitigate these
impacts. Potential respondents to the
Call should recognize that the impacts
on existing users must be evaluated
before a project can be approved. The
USCG has generated AIS data plots and
information for the Call Areas that are
available on the USCG Atlantic Coast
Port Access Route study Web site at:
www.uscg.mil/lantarea/acpars and will
provide raw data for analysis upon
request. Potential respondents should
recognize that portions of the Call Areas
may not be offered for leasing and
development by BOEM because of
existing vessel traffic.
The USCG has a responsibility to
ensure the safety of navigation under
the Ports and Waterways Safety Act
(PWSA) (33 U.S.C. 1221). The PWSA
requires the USCG to provide safe
access routes for the movement of vessel
traffic proceeding to or from ports or
places subject to the jurisdiction of the
United States. The USCG does so by
designating necessary fairways and
TSSs for vessels operating in the
territorial sea of the United States and
in high sea approaches, outside the
territorial sea. The USCG may also
determine that establishment of other
ships’ routing measures would enhance
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74211
navigational safety, and it works with its
Federal interagency and International
Maritime Organization partners to
establish these voluntary measures as
necessary.
The potential for navigational safety
risk posed by building structures in
proximity to shipping routes is affected
by numerous factors including, but not
limited to: Vessel size, vessel type,
density of traffic, prevailing weather
and hydrographic conditions, ocean and
wind driven currents, cumulative
impact of multiple obstructions (for
example, wind assessment or
development facilities), existence of
multiple shipping routes (for example,
crossing or meeting situations), radar/
automatic radar plotting aid (ARPA)
interference, and the existence of
mitigating factors such as navigational
aids, vessel traffic services, or pilotage.
Currently, there is no standard
recommended separation distance
between offshore renewable energy
facilities and shipping routes. The
USCG has reviewed guidance published
by other countries, such as the United
Kingdom’s Maritime Guidance Note
MGN–371, and consulted with its own
waterways subject matter experts.
Currently, the USCG considers that the
placement of offshore wind assessment
and generation facilities in any area less
than 1 nmi from traditional shipping
routes poses a high risk to navigational
safety and therefore does not
recommend placement of offshore
renewable energy facilities in such
areas. The USCG considers placement of
such wind facilities in areas greater than
5 nmi from existing shipping routes to
pose minimal risk to navigational safety.
Areas considered for placement of wind
facilities between 1 nmi and 5 nmi
would require additional USCG analysis
to determine if mitigation factors could
be applied to bring navigational safety
risk within USCG acceptable levels.
Respondents to this Call should note
that impacts to radar and ARPA may
still occur outside of 1 nmi and will
have to be evaluated along with other
potential impacts. The above are only
planning guidelines and may be
changed based on the completion of the
Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study
(ACPARS), which is described herein.
In addition, these guidelines may be
further modified upon completion of a
Navigational Safety Risk Assessment
(NSRA) that is required before BOEM
approves construction of any offshore
renewable energy facilities. The USCG
is conducting an ACPARS to determine
how best to route traffic on the Atlantic
coast. See 76 FR 27288 (May 11, 2011).
This study will better inform the USCG
about the navigational safety risks
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associated with construction of offshore
renewable energy facilities. The data
gathered during this ACPARS may
result in the establishment of new vessel
routing measures, modification of
existing routing measures, or removal of
some existing routing measures off the
Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida.
As a parallel effort that is shorter in
duration, BOEM is working to establish
a Maritime Working Group (MWG) to
facilitate consideration of vessel traffic
and safety concerns when making
decisions regarding the further
delineation of North Carolina Call Areas
for potential leasing and development
offshore North Carolina. BOEM hopes to
address these concerns through the
analysis of vessel movement data, such
as AIS information, and the integration
of maritime stakeholder input. The
MWG would comprise maritime
stakeholders that use the waters offshore
North Carolina, regulate their use, or
have a unique geographic expertise of
vessel traffic patterns in the area.
Ideally, this effort would distinguish
traditional shipping routes, delineate
appropriate shipping corridor widths
and buffers, and recommend potential
modifications to established routing
measures and new routing measures
that could be incorporated into the
USCG ACPARS and assist BOEM in
decision-making.
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with
Transmission Issues
As indicated in Section 5.2.15.3 of the
OCS Alternative Energy Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)
at: https://www.boem.gov/RenewableEnergy-Program/RegulatoryInformation/Index.aspx#Programmatic_
Environmental_Impact_Statement_
(PEIS), transmission facilities would not
be located on NPS properties.
Required Nomination Information
If you intend to submit a nomination
for a commercial wind energy lease in
the areas identified in this notice, you
must provide the following information:
(1) The BOEM Protraction name,
number, and specific whole or partial
OCS blocks within the Call Area(s) that
are of interest for commercial wind
leasing, including any required buffer
area. This information should be
submitted as a spatial file compatible
with ArcGIS 10.0 in a geographic
coordinate system (NAD 83) in addition
to your hard copy submittal. If your
proposed lease area(s) includes one or
more partial blocks, please describe
those partial blocks in terms of a
sixteenth (i.e. sub-block) of an OCS
block. BOEM will not consider any
areas outside of the Call Areas in this
process;
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(2) A description of your objectives
and the facilities that you would use to
achieve those objectives;
(3) A preliminary schedule of
proposed activities, including those
leading to commercial operations;
(4) Available and pertinent data and
information concerning renewable
energy resources and environmental
conditions in the area(s) that you wish
to lease, including energy and resource
data and information used to evaluate
the Call Areas. Where applicable, spatial
information should be submitted in a
format compatible with ArcGIS 10.0 in
a geographic coordinate system (NAD
83);
(5) Documentation demonstrating that
you are legally qualified to hold a lease,
as set forth in 30 CFR 585.106 and 107.
Examples of the documentation
appropriate for demonstrating your legal
qualifications and related guidance can
be found in Chapter 2 and Appendix B
of the BOEM Renewable Energy
Framework Guide Book available at:
https://www.BOEM.gov/offshore/
RenewableEnergy/PDFs/REnGuidebook_
03August2009_3_.pdf. Legal
qualification documents will be placed
in an official file that may be made
available for public review. If you wish
that any part of your legal qualification
documentation be kept confidential,
clearly identify what should be kept
confidential, and submit it under
separate cover (see ‘‘Protection of
Privileged or Confidential Information
Section’’, below); and
(6) Documentation demonstrating that
you are technically and financially
capable of constructing, operating,
maintaining and decommissioning the
facilities described in (2) above.
Guidance regarding the required
documentation to demonstrate your
technical and financial qualifications
can be found at: https://www.BOEM.gov/
offshore/RenewableEnergy/PDFs/
QualificationGuidelines.pdf.
Documentation you submit to
demonstrate your legal, technical, and
financial qualifications must be
provided to BOEM in both paper and
electronic formats. BOEM considers an
Adobe PDF file stored on a storage
media device to be an acceptable format
for submitting an electronic copy.
It is critical that you submit a
complete nomination so that BOEM may
evaluate your submission in a timely
manner. If BOEM reviews your
nomination and determines that it is
incomplete, BOEM will inform you of
this determination in writing. This letter
will describe the information that
BOEM determined to be missing from
your nomination, and which you must
submit in order for BOEM to deem your
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submission complete. You will be given
15 business days from the date of that
letter to submit the information that
BOEM found to be missing from your
original submission. If you do not meet
this deadline, or if BOEM determines
this second submission is insufficient
and has failed to complete your
nomination, then BOEM retains the
right to deem your nomination invalid.
In such a case, BOEM will not process
your nomination.
It is not required that you submit a
nomination in response to this Call in
order to submit a bid in a potential lease
sale offshore North Carolina, should
BOEM determine that competitive
interest exists in one or more portions
of the Call Areas after the close of the
Call comment period. However, you
would not be able to participate in such
a lease sale unless, prior to the sale, you
had demonstrated that you are legally
qualified to hold a BOEM renewable
energy lease, and you had demonstrated
that you are technically and financially
capable of constructing, operating,
maintaining, and decommissioning the
facilities you would propose to install
on your lease. To ensure that BOEM has
sufficient time to process your
qualifications package, you should
submit this package during the PSN 60day public comment period. More
information can be found at: https://
www.BOEM.gov/offshore/Renewable
Energy/PDFs/QualificationGuidelines.
pdf.
Requested Information From Interested
or Affected Parties
BOEM is requesting from the public
and other interested or affected parties
specific and detailed comments
regarding the following:
1. Geological, geophysical, and
biological conditions (including bottom
and shallow hazards and live bottom) in
the area described in this notice;
2. Known archaeological and/or
cultural resource sites on the seabed in
the areas described in this notice;
3. Historic properties potentially
affected by the construction of
meteorological towers, the installation
of meteorological buoys, or commercial
wind development in the areas
identified in this Call;
4. Multiple uses of the areas,
including navigation (commercial and
recreational vessel use), fishing
hotspots, and commercial fishing areas;
5. Information relating to whether or
not offshore wind turbines located in
the areas identified in this notice would
adversely affect the North Carolina
seascape, and ideas or strategies that
could be used to help mitigate or
minimize any adverse visual effects,
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such as: how far offshore turbines
should be placed to minimize the visual
impact from the coastline, specific
locations or areas to avoid development
altogether, or any other strategies to
help reduce the visual footprint (for
example, the color of the turbines
[towers, nacelle, blades], the
arrangement or pattern of the turbine
array, the dimension of the turbines
(e.g., height and blade span), visual
navigational lighting requirements, the
maximum number of turbines that
should be allowed in a specific area,
etc.);
6. The type of transmission system
(e.g., AC, HVDC, etc.) a prospective
developer would likely utilize for a
wind facility offshore North Carolina. If
AC, please state and explain the
maximum distance you would be
willing to run an AC transmission
system to deliver power from an
offshore wind facility to an onshore
substation;
7. General interest by a developer(s)
in constructing a backbone transmission
system that would transport electricity
generated by wind projects located
offshore North Carolina, including a
general description of the transmission’s
proposed path and potential
interconnection points;
8. Available and pertinent data and
information concerning renewable
energy resources and environmental
conditions in the area identified in this
notice. Where applicable, spatial
information should be submitted in a
format compatible with ArcGIS 10.0 in
a geographic coordinate system (NAD
83);
9. Habitats that may require special
attention during siting and construction;
and
10. Other relevant socioeconomic,
biological, and environmental
information.
commercial or financial information
that you submit that is privileged or
confidential. If you wish to protect the
confidentiality of such information,
clearly mark it and request that BOEM
treat it as confidential. BOEM will not
disclose such information, subject to the
requirements of FOIA. Please label
privileged or confidential information
‘‘Contains Confidential Information’’
and consider submitting such
information as a separate attachment.
However, BOEM will not treat as
confidential any aggregate summaries of
such information or comments not
containing such information.
Additionally, BOEM will not treat as
confidential (1) the legal title of the
nominating entity (for example, the
name of your company), or (2) the list
of whole or partial blocks that you are
nominating. Information that is not
labeled as privileged or confidential will
be regarded by BOEM as suitable for
public release.
Section 304 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470w–3(a))
BOEM is required, after consultation
with the Secretary, to withhold the
location, character, or ownership of
historic resources if it determines that
disclosure may, among other things, risk
harm to the historic resources or impede
the use of a traditional religious site by
practitioners. Tribal entities should
designate information that falls under
Section 304 of NHPA as confidential.
Dated: December 10, 2012.
Tommy P. Beaudreau,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2012–30093 Filed 12–12–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Protection of Privileged or Confidential
Information
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Freedom of Information Act
BOEM will protect privileged or
confidential information that you
submit, as required by the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). Exemption 4 of
FOIA applies to trade secrets and
Environmental Documents Prepared
for Oil, Gas, and Mineral Operations by
the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS) Region
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM), Interior.
AGENCY:
74213
Notice of the availability of
environmental documents prepared for
OCS mineral proposals by the Gulf of
Mexico OCS region.
ACTION:
BOEM, in accordance with
Federal regulations that implement the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), announces the availability of
NEPA-related Site-Specific
Environmental Assessments (SEAs) and
Findings of No Significant Impact
(FONSIs). These documents were
prepared during the period July 1, 2012,
through September 30, 2012, for oil, gas,
and mineral-related activities that were
proposed in the Gulf of Mexico, and are
more specifically described in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this notice.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Attention:
Public Information Office (GM 250E),
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room
250, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123–
2394, or by calling 1–800–200–GULF.
BOEM
prepares SEAs and FONSIs for certain
proposals that relate to exploration,
development, production, and transport
of oil, gas, and mineral resources on the
Federal OCS. These SEAs examine the
potential environmental effects of
proposed activities and present BOEM
conclusions regarding the significance
of those effects. The SEAs are used as
a basis for determining whether or not
approval of a proposal constitutes a
major Federal action that significantly
affects the quality of the human
environment in accordance with NEPA
Section 102(2)(C). A FONSI is prepared
in those instances when BOEM finds
that approval will not result in
significant effects on the quality of the
human environment. The FONSI briefly
presents the basis for that finding and
includes a summary or copy of the SEA.
This notice constitutes the public
notice of availability of environmental
documents required under the NEPA
regulations.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with
Activity/Operator
Location
Shell Offshore Inc., Geological & Geophysical Survey, SEA
L12–005.
Cobalt International Energy, L.P., Exploration Plan, SEA R–
5605.
Noble Energy, Inc., Exploration Plan, SEA N–9644 .....................
Located in the Central Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico ......
7/3/2012
Located in the Central Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico,
south of Louisiana.
Located in the Central Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico,
southeast of Venice, Louisiana.
High Island, Block A554, Lease OCS–G 21356, located 87
miles from the nearest Texas shoreline.
Mississippi Canyon, Block 950, Lease OCS–G 27318, located
71 miles from the nearest Louisiana shoreline.
7/3/2012
Hunt Oil Company, Structure Removal, SEA ES/SR 12–118 ......
Murphy Exploration & Production Company—USA, Exploration
Plan, SEA R–5399.
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7/5/2012
7/5/2012
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 240 (Thursday, December 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74204-74213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-30093]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2012-0088]
Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf
Offshore North Carolina--Call for Information and Nominations (Call)
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Call for Information and Nominations for Commercial Leasing for
Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf, Offshore North Carolina.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: BOEM invites the submission of nominations for commercial wind
leases that would allow a lessee to propose the construction of a wind
energy project on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore North
Carolina, and to develop the project if approved after further
environmental review. Although this announcement is not itself a
leasing announcement, the Call Areas described herein, or portions
thereof, may be available for future leasing. BOEM will use responses
to this Call to gauge specific interest in acquiring commercial wind
leases in some or all of the Call Areas, as required by 43 U.S.C.
1337(p)(3).
Parties wishing to submit a nomination in response to this Call
should submit detailed and specific information in response to the
requirements described in the section entitled, ``Required Nomination
Information.''
This announcement also requests comments and information from
interested and affected parties about site conditions, resources, and
multiple uses in close proximity to, or within, the Call Areas that
would be relevant to BOEM's review of any nominations submitted and/or
to BOEM's subsequent decision to offer all or part of the Call Areas
for commercial wind leasing. The information that BOEM is requesting is
described in the section of this Call entitled, ``Requested Information
from Interested or Affected Parties.''
This Call is published pursuant to subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS
Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3), which was added by section 388 of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), as well as the implementing
regulations at 30 CFR part 585.
The Call Areas described in this notice are located on the OCS
offshore North Carolina and are delineated as Wilmington-West,
Wilmington-East and Kitty Hawk (formerly referred to as North Carolina
Planning Areas 1, 2, and 5, respectively, during BOEM's North Carolina
offshore wind planning efforts). The three Call Areas include 195 whole
OCS blocks and 60 partial blocks in total and comprise approximately
1,441 square nautical miles (494,016 hectares). These Call Areas were
established in consultation with the BOEM North Carolina Renewable
Energy Intergovernmental Task Force (Task Force). A detailed
description of the areas and how they were developed is described in
the section of this Call entitled, ``Description of the Area.''
DATES: BOEM must receive your nomination describing your interest in
one or more, or any portion of the Call Areas, postmarked by January
28, 2013 for your nomination to be considered. BOEM requests comments
or submissions of information to be
[[Page 74205]]
postmarked or delivered by this same date. BOEM will consider only
those nominations received that conform to this requirement.
Submission Procedures: If you are submitting a nomination for a
lease in response to this Call, please submit your nomination to the
following address: BOEM, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden
Street, HM 1328, Herndon, Virginia 20170. In addition to a paper copy
of the nomination, include an electronic copy of the nomination on a
data storage device. BOEM will list the parties that submitted
nominations and the location of the proposed lease areas (i.e., OCS
blocks nominated) on the BOEM Web site after the 45-day comment period
has closed.
Comments and other submissions of information may be submitted by
either of the following two methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the
entry entitled ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2012-0088, and then
click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and
view supporting and related materials available for this notice.
2. U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service. Send your
comments and information to the following address: Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden
Street, HM 1328, Herndon, Virginia 20170.
All responses will be reported on https://www.regulations.gov.
If you wish to protect the confidentiality of your nominations or
comments, clearly mark the relevant sections and request that BOEM
treat them as confidential. Please label privileged or confidential
information ``Contains Confidential Information'' and consider
submitting such information as a separate attachment. Treatment of
confidential information is addressed in the section of this Call
entitled, ``Protection of Privileged or Confidential Information.''
Information that is not labeled as privileged or confidential will be
regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Will Waskes, Oceanographer, BOEM,
Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden Street, HM 1328,
Herndon, Virginia 20170, (703) 787-1320 or Will.Waskes@boem.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of the Call for Information and Nominations
The OCS Lands Act requires BOEM to award leases competitively,
unless BOEM makes a determination that there is no competitive interest
(43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3)). BOEM will make this determination after
reviewing the nominations received in response to this Call.
This Call also requests information from interested and affected
parties on issues relevant to BOEM's review of nominations for
potential leases in the Call Areas. A lease, whether issued through a
competitive or noncompetitive process, gives the lessee the exclusive
right to subsequently seek BOEM approval for the development of the
leasehold. The lease does not grant the lessee the right to construct
any facilities; rather, the lease grants the lessee the right to use
the leased area to develop its plans, which BOEM must approve before
the lessee may proceed to the next stage of the process (30 CFR 585.600
and 585.601). The responses to this Call could lead to the initiation
of a competitive leasing process in some parts of the Call Areas (i.e.,
where competition exists for certain tracts), and a noncompetitive
process in other parts of the Call Areas (i.e., where no competitive
interest exists for certain tracts). The leasing process is described
more completely under the ``Determination of Competitive Interest'' and
``Noncompetitive Leasing Process'' sections of this Call. In any parts
of the Call Areas where BOEM determines there is no competitive
interest, BOEM may proceed with the noncompetitive lease process
pursuant to 30 CFR 585.232. If BOEM determines that there is
competitive interest in some or all of the Call Areas, then BOEM may
proceed with Area Identification, as set forth in 30 CFR 585.211(b),
and the competitive leasing process set forth under 30 CFR 585.211
through 585.225. Whether the leasing process is competitive or
noncompetitive, it will include additional opportunities for the public
to provide input, and any proposed actions will be reviewed thoroughly
for potential environmental and multiple use impacts. The area(s) that
may be finally offered for lease, if any, has/have not yet been
determined, and may include less than the total areal extent of the
Call Areas as identified in this Call.
Background
Energy Policy Act of 2005
The EPAct amended the OCS Lands Act by adding subsection
8(p)(1)(C), which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to grant
leases, easements, or rights-of-way (ROWs) on the OCS for activities
that are not otherwise authorized by law and that produce or support
production, transportation, or transmission of energy from sources
other than oil or gas, including renewable energy sources. The EPAct
also required the issuance of regulations to carry out the new
authority pertaining to renewable energy on the OCS. The Secretary
delegated this authority to issue leases, easements, and ROWs, and to
promulgate regulations, to the Director of BOEM. On April 29, 2009,
BOEM published the Renewable Energy and Alternate Uses (REAU) rule, at
30 CFR Part 585, which can be found at: https://www.boem.gov/uploadedFiles/30_CFR_585.pdf.
Executive Order 13547: Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the
Great Lakes
On July 19, 2010, the President signed Executive Order 13547
(Order) establishing a national ocean policy and the National Ocean
Council (75 FR 43023). The Order establishes a comprehensive,
integrated national policy for the stewardship of the ocean, our
coasts, and the Great Lakes. Where BOEM actions affect the ocean or
coast, the Order requires BOEM to take such action as necessary to
implement the policy, stewardship principles, and national priority
objectives adopted by the Order, with guidance from the National Ocean
Council.
BOEM appreciates the importance of coordinating its planning
endeavors with other OCS users, regulators and relevant Federal
Agencies (e.g., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park
Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and
intends to follow principles of coastal and marine spatial planning,
and coordinate with the regional planning bodies as established by the
National Ocean Council. BOEM anticipates that continued coordination
with its Task Forces will help inform comprehensive coastal and marine
spatial planning efforts.
BOEM North Carolina Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force
BOEM formed the North Carolina Task Force in January 2011, to
facilitate coordination among relevant Federal agencies and affected
state, local, and tribal governments throughout the leasing process.
The Task Force meeting materials are available on the BOEM Web site at:
https://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/State-Activities/North-Carolina.aspx.
Environmental Review Process
BOEM intends to prepare an environmental assessment (EA), which
will consider the environmental
[[Page 74206]]
consequences associated with issuing commercial wind leases and
approving site assessment activities on those leases within all or some
of the Call Areas. BOEM is publishing, concurrently with this Call, a
Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EA, which seeks public input in
identifying the environmental issues and alternatives to be considered
in the EA.
The EA will consider the reasonably foreseeable environmental
consequences associated with leasing and site characterization
scenarios within the Call Areas (including geophysical, geotechnical,
archaeological, and biological surveys), and site assessment scenarios
(including the installation and operation of meteorological towers and
buoys) on the potential leaseholds. The NOI solicits input on the
environmental effects associated only with the activities described
above. The environmental effects of the construction or operation of
any wind energy facility would be considered under a separate, project-
specific National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review
process.
Several consultations will be conducted concurrently with, and
integrated into, the current NEPA process. These consultations include,
but are not limited to, those required by the Coastal Zone Management
Act (CZMA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and Executive Order 13175--
``Consultation and Coordination with Tribal Governments.'' The results
of these consultations will assist BOEM in deciding whether and where
leases may be issued.
Actions Taken by the State of North Carolina in Support of Offshore
Renewable Energy Development
BOEM recognizes the importance of the steps that the State of North
Carolina has taken to encourage environmentally sound offshore wind
energy development. While a state may promote such development, BOEM
has the exclusive authority to issue leases, easements, and ROWs on the
OCS for renewable energy purposes.
The State of North Carolina has been engaged in a planning process
to evaluate and identify areas of the OCS that may be suitable for
offshore wind energy development. This process helped inform state
recommendations to BOEM regarding potentially suitable areas for BOEM
to consider when moving forward with its offshore wind energy leasing
process.
In the summer of 2008, the North Carolina General Assembly
requested that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conduct
a 9-month study to assess the feasibility of producing wind energy in
the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds (S.L. 2008-107). Subsequently, the
scope of the study was expanded to include waters off the North
Carolina coast. The request specified that the assessment include an
analysis of the spatial distributions of available wind power,
ecological risks and synergies, use conflicts affecting site selection,
foundation systems and their compatibility with sound- and ocean-bottom
geology and associated geologic dynamics, electric transmission
infrastructure, statutory and regulatory barriers associated with
utilities, the legal context, carbon reduction potential, and
economics. The study, entitled, Coastal Wind, Energy for North
Carolina's Future: A Study of the Feasibility of Wind Turbines in
Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds and in Ocean Waters Off the North Carolina
Coast (North Carolina Wind Study), was presented to the Task Force for
consideration and can be found at: https://www.climate.unc.edu/coastal-wind/Coastal%20Wind%20Energy%20for%20NC2019s%20Future.pdf.
BOEM's Planning and Leasing Process
Determination of Competitive Interest
The first step in the leasing process is to determine whether or
not there is any interest in acquiring a lease within the Call Areas.
At the same time, BOEM can determine whether there is overlapping
interest in any particular portion of the Call Areas that would result
in the need for a competitive process. At the conclusion of the comment
period for this Call, BOEM will review the nominations received,
undertake a completeness review and a qualifications review, and
determine whether competitive interest exists in any specific location
within the Call Areas.
If two nominated areas of interest fully or partially overlap, BOEM
may proceed with competitive leasing as described in the section of
this Call entitled, ``Competitive Leasing Process.'' For areas where
BOEM determines that there is no competitive interest, BOEM may proceed
with noncompetitive leasing described in the section entitled, ``Non-
Competitive Leasing Process.'' BOEM may consult with the Task Force
throughout the leasing process.
Situations may arise in which several parties nominate areas that
do not overlap. Under these circumstances, BOEM could choose to employ
an allocation system of leases that involves the creation of
competition across tracts. This system is referred to as intertract
competition and would also be implemented under the competitive process
outlined in the regulations. BOEM may consult with the Task Force in
determining the need for, and/or use of, intertract competition.
Respondents to this Call and members of the public should be aware
that no lease will be issued, either competitively or noncompetitively,
until the necessary consultations and environmental analysis have been
completed and the public has been given an opportunity to comment. As a
result, it is possible that certain areas nominated may not be leased,
or that the areas nominated may be modified from their original,
proposed form before being offered for lease.
Competitive Leasing Process
If, after receiving responses to this Call, BOEM proceeds with the
competitive leasing process for certain areas, it would follow the
steps required by 30 CFR 585.211 through 585.225:
(1) Area Identification: Based on the information submitted in
response to this Call and the NOI, BOEM would determine the level of
interest and identify the area(s) that would be appropriate to move
forward with in the planning and leasing process. The area(s)
identified will constitute a Wind Energy Area (WEA) under the
Secretary's ``Smart from the Start'' wind energy initiative and will be
subject to environmental analysis, in consultation with appropriate
Federal agencies, states, local governments, tribes and other
interested parties.
(2) Proposed Sale Notice (PSN): If BOEM decides to proceed with
lease issuance in the Call Areas, then BOEM would first complete the
analyses necessary to inform the preparation of the PSN, including any
final NEPA documentation, the Consistency Determination required by the
CZMA and its implementing regulations, and various analyses of proposed
lease sale economic terms and conditions. BOEM would then publish the
PSN in the Federal Register with a comment period of 60 days and send
the PSN to the Governor of any affected state, and the executive of any
affected local government. BOEM will also share the PSN with the Task
Force. The PSN would describe the area(s) to be offered for leasing,
the proposed conditions of a lease sale, and the proposed auction
[[Page 74207]]
format, lease document, and lease provisions/stipulations.
Additionally, the PSN would describe the criteria and process for
evaluating bids.
(3) Final Sale Notice (FSN): If BOEM decides to proceed with lease
issuance after considering comments on the PSN, then it would publish
the FSN in the Federal Register at least 30 days before the date of the
lease sale.
(4) Bid Submission and Evaluation: Following publication of the FSN
in the Federal Register, qualified bidders would be able to submit
their bids to BOEM in accordance with procedures specified in the FSN.
The bids, including any required deposits, would be reviewed for
technical and legal adequacy. BOEM would evaluate the bids to determine
if the bidder had complied with all applicable regulations. BOEM
reserves the right to reject any or all bids and the right to withdraw
an offer to lease an area, even after bids have been submitted.
(5) Issuance of a Lease: Following the selection of a winning
bid(s) by BOEM, the bidder(s) would be notified of the decision and
provided a set of official lease documents for execution. The
successful bidder(s) would be required to execute the lease, pay the
remainder of the bonus bid, if applicable, and file the required
financial assurance within 10 days of receiving the lease documents.
Upon receipt of the required payments, financial assurance, and
properly executed lease forms, BOEM would issue a lease to the
successful bidder(s).
Noncompetitive Leasing Process
If, after evaluating the responses to this Call, BOEM determines
that there is no competitive interest in a proposed lease area, it may
proceed with the noncompetitive lease issuance process pursuant to 30
CFR 585.232, as amended by the rulemaking which took effect on June 15,
2011, (76 FR 28178). Should BOEM decide to proceed with the
noncompetitive leasing process, it would ask if the sole respondent who
nominated a particular area wants to proceed with acquiring the lease,
and if so, the respondent must submit an acquisition fee as specified
by 30 CFR 585.502(a). After receiving the acquisition fee, BOEM would
follow the process outlined in 30 CFR 585.231. Within 60 days of the
date of that notice, the respondent would be required to submit a Site
Assessment Plan (SAP), as described in 30 CFR 585.231(d)(2)(i). BOEM
will comply with the requirements of NEPA, CZMA, ESA, NHPA, and other
applicable Federal statutes before issuing a lease noncompetitively.
BOEM would coordinate and consult, as appropriate, with relevant
Federal agencies, affected tribes, and affected state and local
governments prior to issuing a noncompetitive lease, and in formulating
lease terms, conditions, and stipulations.
It is possible that responses to this Call may result in a
determination that there is competitive interest in acquiring leases in
some areas but not in others. BOEM will publicly announce its
determinations before proceeding with any type of leasing process.
Description of the Area
The Call Areas offshore North Carolina are delineated as
Wilmington-West, Wilmington-East and Kitty Hawk, formerly referred to
as North Carolina Planning Areas 1, 2, and 5 respectively, during
BOEM's North Carolina offshore wind planning efforts. The three Areas
include 195 whole OCS blocks and 60 partial blocks in total and
comprise approximately 1,441 square nautical miles (494,016 hectares).
Call Area Wilmington-West
The boundary of Call Area Wilmington-West begins 7 nautical miles
(nmi) from the shore and extends roughly 11 nmi seaward. It extends
from east to west approximately 15 nmi. The entire area is
approximately 78 square nautical miles (26,784 hectares).
The following 6 full OCS blocks are included within Call Area
Wilmington-West: Georgetown NI17-09 Blocks 6231, 6232, 6281, 6282,
6283, and 6332. In addition, parts of the following 9 OCS blocks are
included within the area of interest: Georgetown NI17-09 Blocks 6230,
6233, 6234, 6235, 6284, 6285, 6333, 6334, and 6383 as described in the
table below.
List of Partial OCS Blocks (Including Sub-Blocks) in Call Area Wilmington-West
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Block
Protraction name Protraction No. No. Sub-block
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6230 C, D, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6233 A, B, C, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6234 E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6235 E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6284 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6285 A, B, E.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6333 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6334 A, B, E.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6383 A, B, E.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Call Area Wilmington-East
The boundary of Call Area Wilmington-East begins 13 nmi from the
shore and extends roughly 28 nmi seaward. It extends from east to west
approximately 21 nmi. The entire area is approximately 327 square
nautical miles (111,984 hectares).
The following 51 full OCS blocks are included within the Call Area
Wilmington-East: Georgetown NI17-09 Blocks 6438, 6389, 6439, 6488,
6489, 6538, 6539, 6587, 6588, 6589, 6638, 6639; Cape Fear NI18-07:
Blocks 6351, 6401, 6402, 6403, 6451, 6452, 6453, 6454, 6501, 6502,
6503, 6504, 6505, 6551, 6552, 6553, 6554, 6555, 6556, 6601, 6602, 6603,
6604, 6605, 6606, 6652, 6653, 6654, 6655, 6656, 6657, 6703, 6704, 6705,
6706, 6754, 6755, 6804, 6854. In addition, parts of the following 15
OCS blocks are included within the area of interest Georgetown NI17-09:
Blocks 6388, 6437, 6487, 6537; Cape Fear NI18-07: Blocks 6352, 6353,
6404, 6455, 6506, 6507, 6508, 6557, 6558, 6607, and 6855 as described
in the table below.
[[Page 74208]]
List of Partial OCS Blocks (Including Sub-Blocks) in Call Area Wilmington-East
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Block
Protraction name Protraction No. No. Sub-block
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6388 B, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6437 K, L, O, P.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6487 C, D, G, H, K, L, O, P.
Georgetown............................... NI17-09..................... 6537 B, C, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6352 E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6353 E, F, I, J, K, M, N, O, P.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6404 A, E, F, I, J, K, M, N, O, P.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6455 A, E, F, G, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6506 A, B, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6507 L, M, N, O, P.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6508 I, M.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6557 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6558 A.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6607 A, B, C, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, P.
Cape Fear................................ NI18-07..................... 6855 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Respondents should be aware that Georgetown NI17-09 Blocks 6439,
6489, 6539, 6589, 6639; Cape Fear NI18-07 Blocks 6351, 6401, 6451,
6501, 6551, and 6601 border the edge of Universe Transverse Mercator
(UTM) Zones 17 and 18. As a result, while these blocks are considered
full OCS lease blocks, they vary in area and are smaller than standard
OCS blocks. Official acreages for the blocks located within OPD NI18-07
can be found at: https://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-Program/Mapping-and-Data/NI18-07-01-APR-2008-pdf.aspx . Official acreages for
the blocks located within OPD NI17-09 can be found at: https://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-Program/Mapping-and-Data/NI17-09-01-APR-2008.aspx.
Kitty Hawk
The boundary of Call Area Kitty Hawk begins 6 nmi from the shore
and extends roughly 34 nmi seaward. It extends from north to south
approximately 45 nmi. The entire area is approximately 1,036 square
nautical miles (355,248 hectares).
The following 138 full OCS blocks are included within the Call Area
Kitty Hawk: Currituck NJ18-1 Blocks 6608, 6609, 6610, 6611, 6612, 6613,
6614, 6615, 6658, 6659, 6660, 6661, 6662, 6663, 6664, 6665, 6666, 6667,
6668, 6669, 6708, 6709, 6710, 6711, 6712, 6713, 6714, 6715, 6716, 6717,
6718, 6719, 6720, 6759, 6760, 6761, 6762, 6763, 6764, 6765, 6766, 6767,
6768, 6769, 6770, 6809, 6810, 6811, 6812, 6813 6714, 6815, 6816, 6817,
6818, 6819, 6820, 6859, 6860, 6861, 6862, 6863, 6864, 6865, 6866, 6867
6868, 6869, 6870, 6909, 6910, 6911, 6912, 6913, 6914, 6915, 6916, 6917,
6918, 6919, 6920, 6960, 6961, 6962, 6963, 6964, 6965, 6966, 6967, 6968,
6969, 6970, 7010, 7011, 7012, 7013, 7014, 7015, 7016, 7017, 7018, 7019,
7020, 7061, 7062, 7063, 7066, 7067, 7068, 7069, 7070, 7112, 7116, 7117,
7118, 7119, 7166, 7167, 7168, 6769; NI18-02 Blocks 6017, 6018, 6019,
6067, 6068, 6069, 6117, 6618, 6119, 6165, 6166, 6167, 6168, 6169, 6216,
6217, 6218, and 6219. In addition, parts of the following 36 OCS blocks
are included within the area of interest: Currituck NJ18-11: Blocks
6607, 6657, 6758, 6808, 6858, 6909, 6959, 7010, 7060, 7064, 7065, 7111,
7113, 7114, 7115, 7120, 7161 7162, 7163, 7170; Manteo NI18-02: Blocks
6012, 6016, 6020, 6066, 6070, 6114, 6115, 6116, 6120, 6164, 6215, 6265,
6266, 6267, 6268, and 6269 as described in the table below.
List of Partial OCS Blocks (Including Sub-Blocks) in Call Area Kitty Hawk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Block
Protraction name Protraction No. No. Sub-block
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 6607 C, D, G, H, K, L, O, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 6657 D, H, L, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 6758 B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 6808 C, D, G, H, K, L, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 6858 D, H.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 6909 A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, O, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 6959 C, D, G, H, L, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7010 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7060 C, D, G, H, L.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7064 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7065 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7111 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7113 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7114 A.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7115 B, C, D, G, H, L, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7120 A, B, C, E, F, G, I, J, K, M, N, O.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7161 C, D, G, H, L, P.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7162 A, B, C, D, E, F, H, I, J, K, M, N.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7163 A.
Currituck................................ NJ18-11..................... 7170 A, B, C, E, F, G, I, J, K, M, N, O.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6012 A.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6016 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, O, P.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6020 A, B, C, E, F, I, J, M, N.
[[Page 74209]]
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6066 C, D, H, L, P.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6070 A, B, E, F, I, J, M, N.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6114 H, J, K, L, N, O, P.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6115 E, I, J, M, N, O, P.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6116 C, D, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6120 A, B, E, F, I, J, M, N.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6164 B, C, D, H, L.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6215 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, P.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6265 B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6266 A, B, C, D, E, F.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6267 A.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6268 D.
Manteo................................... NI18-02..................... 6269 A, B, C, D, G, H.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OCS Blocks (Including Sub-Blocks) In the Call Areas Potentially Subject
to Limitations
Navigational Safety
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) advises that most of the blocks
included in the Call Areas would require further study to determine
risks to navigational safety (see the following ``Navigational Issues''
section) if they were selected for leasing and development. BOEM may
decide that certain OCS blocks included in the Call Areas will not be
made available for leasing and/or development for navigational safety
reasons, or stipulations may be developed to mitigate navigational
concerns.
If all of the blocks included in Call Areas Wilmington-West and
Wilmington-East were to be made available for leasing and development,
portions of a number of sub-blocks may not be available for surface
occupancy, (i.e. the placement of wind facilities), because of
proximity to the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the approaches to
the Cape Fear River. These sub-blocks are listed in the table below.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protraction Block
Call area Protraction name No. No. Sub-block
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wilmington-West..................... Georgetown............. NI1709 6235 H, K, L, N, O.
Wilmington-West..................... Georgetown............. NI1709 6285 A, B, E.
Wilmington-West..................... Georgetown............. NI1709 6284 H, K, L, N, O.
Wilmington-West..................... Georgetown............. NI1709 6334 B, E.
Wilmington-West..................... Georgetown............. NI1709 6333 L, O.
Wilmington-East..................... Georgetown............. NI1709 6437 K, O.
Wilmington-West..................... Georgetown............. NI1709 6383 B, E.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Defense Activities
The Department of Defense (DOD) conducts offshore testing,
training, and operations in the Call Areas. To avoid or minimize
potential conflicts with existing DOD activities, site-specific
stipulations may be necessary for all OCS blocks within the Call Areas.
Such stipulations may include, but are not limited to, a hold-and-
save-harmless agreement where the lessee assumes all risks of damage or
injury to persons or property if such injury or damage to such person
or property occurs by reason of the activities of the U.S. Government,
and/or a requirement that at times requested by the DOD, the lessee
controls its own electromagnetic emissions and those of its agents,
employees, invitees, independent contractors, or subcontractors when
operating in specified DOD Operating Areas (OPAREAs) or warning areas.
Other examples of stipulations that may be required include a
stipulation that the lessee enter into an agreement with the
appropriate DOD commander when operating vessels or aircraft in a
designated OPAREA or warning area, requiring that these vessel and
aircraft movements be coordinated with the appropriate DOD commander,
and/or a stipulation that DOD can request temporary suspension of
operations and/or require evacuation on the lease in the interest of
safety and/or national security.
Map of the Call Areas
A map of the Call Areas and a table of the boundary coordinates in
X, Y (eastings, northings) UTM Zone 17 or UTM Zone 18 (based on the
Call Area geographic location), NAD83 Datum and geographic X, Y
(longitude, latitude), NAD83 Datum can be found at the following URL:
https://www.BOEM.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/StateActivities-North
Carolina.htm.
A large scale map of the Call Areas showing their boundaries with
numbered blocks is available from BOEM at the following address: Bureau
of Ocean Energy Management, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 381
Elden Street, HM 1328, Herndon, Virginia 20170. Phone: (703) 787-1320,
Fax: (703) 787-1708.
Development of the Call Areas
The Call Areas were delineated by BOEM in consultation with the
Task Force, and are intended to minimize user conflicts while making
appropriate areas available for potential commercial offshore wind
energy leasing and development. The USCG advises that navigational
conflicts may exist as described in the section entitled,
``Navigational Issues.'' Specific mitigation, stipulations, or
exclusion areas may be developed and applied at the leasing, site
assessment, and/or the construction and operations stages as a result
of environmental reviews and associated consultations, and by using
information gathered through continued coordination with the Task
Force. The following information and issues were discussed during
consultation with the Task Force.
[[Page 74210]]
Results of North Carolina's Coastal Wind Study
The Call Areas were developed with consideration of the boundaries
recommended by the North Carolina Wind Study. The results of the study
helped to identify areas that may not be suitable for wind development,
based on features ranging from ocean-bottom geological and associated
geological dynamics, electric transmission infrastructure, ocean usages
and the presence and density of biological resources including avian
populations and aquatic habitat. Of additional concern, as indicated by
the North Carolina Study, is the alteration of viewscapes from the Cape
Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores.
Areas Removed From Further Leasing Consideration
BOEM considered the findings of the North Carolina Study, Task
Force input, and other relevant studies and removed the following areas
from further leasing consideration:
1. No Build Areas (e.g., TSSs, marine sanctuaries, shipwreck
clusters, explosive zones, areas in close proximity to anchorage areas,
etc.): Leasing and potential development has been removed from
consideration in blocks containing some of these features (e.g., TSSs)
since it would likely directly and adversely affect shipping or be
impractical to conduct ocean-bottom penetrating activities. BOEM may
later require set-backs from these or other features.
2. Areas of High Avian Densities: Areas with high avian densities
are mostly concentrated along inlet areas (to a distance of 5 miles in
all directions from the center of the inlet), in large zones off each
of the three major Capes (Hatteras, Lookout, and Fear), and in areas
swept by the Gulf Stream. Adverse effects may occur because of the
greater potential for in-flight mortality from collisions with wind
turbines, avoidance behaviors caused by the disturbance/presence of
turbines and/or disturbance of ocean-bottom features.
3. Areas with Unique Geological Conditions:
a. The shoreline seaward to the 15-meter depth contour, including a
four-mile zone around the inlet/outlet systems. This area is the active
part of the barrier island system associated with sediment transport,
inlet dynamics, and storm processes.
b. Highly dissected outcrops of Oligocene Limestone, Miocene Pungo
River Formation, and thin Quaternary carbonate cap rocks. These
extensive hard-bottoms and firm-bottoms contain tremendous relief,
biodiversity, and bio-productivity.
c. Algal reef which occurs at the shelf edge and above the steep
drop-off of the continental slope that is dominated by steep clinoform
sediment deposits, slump blocks, and flow structures.
d. East of Diamond Shoals where the shelf edge is characterized by
an extremely steep erosional scarp with a downstream sediment scour and
a deposition zone that sweeps off to the northeast. These features are
probably the direct result of erosion and deposition by the Gulf Stream
as it is deflected off the North Carolina continental margin at Cape
Hatteras.
e. Shallow and Active Sand Bodies of the cross-shelf and the cape
shoal structures (Frying Pan Shoals, Diamond Shoals and Cape Lookout
Shoals) are critical components of the large-scale and long-term
sediment dynamics of the barrier island system and are characterized by
active bedforms and scour.
4. Areas within 6 miles from shore: The results of the numerous
studies along the Mid-Atlantic and North-Atlantic found that birds,
certain marine mammals and other resources occur in higher densities
closer to shore. In addition, numerous shipwrecks, reefs, and shoals
tend to occur in this zone, typically from the shoreline to 6 miles
offshore. Therefore, some environmental impacts could be reduced with
increasing distance from the shoreline.
5. Fish, Fisheries and Marine Habitats: The three main Capes in
North Carolina are regions of high biological productivity and high
levels of fishing activity. Live bottom habitat becomes increasingly
common on the North Carolina OCS from north to south. A zone south of
Cape Fear and located in a band that ranges from about 8 to 20 miles
wide is thought to be such a concentration and has been removed from
consideration.
6. Military Areas: DOD conducts operations readiness activities for
both hardware and personnel on the OCS. The Call Areas were refined
based on DOD assessments of compatibility between potential commercial
offshore wind development and DOD testing, training and operational
activities. Although OCS blocks determined to be incompatible with
these activities were removed from consideration, site specific
stipulations may be necessary for remaining lease blocks in the Call
Areas to avoid conflicts with DOD activities. BOEM will consult with
the DOD regarding potential issues concerning offshore testing,
training and operational activities, and will use best management
practices to develop appropriate stipulations to avoid conflicts with
DOD in the Call Areas.
Areas Under National Park Service (NPS) Jurisdiction
The mission of the NPS, as set forth under the NPS Organic Act, is
to protect the natural and cultural resources, including the scenery,
in units of the National Park System, and to provide for their
enjoyment in a manner that will leave them unimpaired for future
generations (https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/mission.htm; also see 16 U.S.C.
1). The NPS has advised BOEM that Congress established the Cape
Hatteras National Seashore, in part, to conserve the scenic values and
natural and cultural resources of the dynamic barrier islands in the
area. Cape Hatteras National Seashore is home to the National Historic
Landmark Cape Hatteras Light Station and other historic properties.
The NPS has informed BOEM that the Cape Hatteras National Seashore
is important to the local economy and that in 2010, the NPS recorded
more than 2.1 million recreational visits to Cape Hatteras National
Seashore and a contribution of $115 million and approximately 1,800
jobs to the local economy. The NPS shared with BOEM a 2002 Outer Banks
Group Parks Visitor Study conducted by the University of Idaho. In this
study, visitors were asked to rate the importance of selected
attributes in planning for the preservation of Cape Hatteras National
Seashore for future generations. According to the study, 84 percent of
the respondents identified scenic views as extremely or very important.
The NPS believes these economic and recreational values are directly
dependent on the quality of park resources and the visitor experience
at this popular seashore.
Units of the National Park System and other marine protected areas
are identified as ``Areas of Special Concern'' in Section 5.2.15 of the
October 2007 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Alternative Energy
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). Call Area Kitty
Hawk is located offshore of properties managed by the NPS.
The NPS has raised concerns over the potential impact that wind
energy development off the coast of North Carolina could have on scenic
ocean views and night skies of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. At
this time, BOEM has not modified the Call Area Kitty Hawk, portions of
which are off the coast of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, to
address these concerns.
To help BOEM and NPS better evaluate the potential visual impacts
of
[[Page 74211]]
commercial wind energy development on visitors to the Cape Hatteras and
Cape Lookout National Seashores, the two agencies undertook a visual
simulation study in the interest of providing accurate representations
of offshore wind facilities at various distances (i.e., 10, 15 and 20
nmi) from shore and under a variety of conditions (e.g., daytime and
nighttime views, multiple array configurations, various lighting
conditions, etc.). The study was completed in August 2012. Based on the
study results and the dimension of the turbines analyzed, from certain
locations and under certain conditions, turbines could be visible
during the day and at night at 20 nmi (the outer limit of the visual
simulations configurations). Results of the visualization study can be
found at: https://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/State-Activities/North-Carolina.aspx.
The NPS is concerned about the potential impact to the scenic
experience of visitors to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Although
BOEM is not modifying the Call Area Kitty Hawk at this time, BOEM may
in the future determine that portions of the Call Area Kitty Hawk may
not be appropriate for commercial wind development.
Navigational Issues
The USCG used a color-coding system to designate portions of the
three Call areas as green, yellow, and red. A designation of green
indicates that the USCG believes that an area, if developed, would pose
minimal to no detrimental impact on navigational safety, but that the
area should still be subject to further study. A designation of yellow
indicates that the USCG believes that development of the area could
have unacceptable effects on navigational safety and that further study
is required to determine the potential effect that development of the
area would have on navigational safety. A designation of red indicates
that the USCG believes that development of that area would have an
unacceptable effect on navigational safety based on existing
navigational routes. A map showing the OCS blocks (including sub-
blocks) and their corresponding color coding can be found at: https://boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/State-Activities/North-Carolina.aspx.
BOEM has analyzed USCG 2009 and 2010 Automatic Identification
System (AIS) data, including density plots (by 1/16th of an OCS Block)
for all vessel types and various individual vessel types (e.g. tankers,
cargo vessels, tugs, etc.) for the OCS offshore North Carolina. Maps of
Call Areas Wilmington-West, Wilmington-East and Kitty Hawk overlaid on
these AIS analyses can be found at: https://boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/State-Activities/North-Carolina.aspx.
The 2009 and 2010 AIS data used to conduct this analysis, in
addition to other AIS tools, can be downloaded at: https://www.marinecadastre.gov/AIS/default.aspx.
BOEM encourages respondents and interested parties to incorporate
this information into their decision-making and comments and when
nominating areas.
In general, placement of obstacles in previously open seas may have
an impact on maritime traffic. The AIS data show that portions of the
Call Areas are trafficked by multiple types of vessels traveling along
the Atlantic Coast and entering and leaving ports located in New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North
Carolina and South Carolina. These vessels include commercial,
military, and commercial fishing vessels. The transit patterns of these
vessels are influenced by the unique coastal geology and oceanographic
conditions off North Carolina's coast. BOEM will consider potential
impacts to existing users when conducting reviews of any Construction
and Operations Plans (COP) submitted subsequent to a leasing process
and may require that lessees mitigate these impacts. Potential
respondents to the Call should recognize that the impacts on existing
users must be evaluated before a project can be approved. The USCG has
generated AIS data plots and information for the Call Areas that are
available on the USCG Atlantic Coast Port Access Route study Web site
at: www.uscg.mil/lantarea/acpars and will provide raw data for analysis
upon request. Potential respondents should recognize that portions of
the Call Areas may not be offered for leasing and development by BOEM
because of existing vessel traffic.
The USCG has a responsibility to ensure the safety of navigation
under the Ports and Waterways Safety Act (PWSA) (33 U.S.C. 1221). The
PWSA requires the USCG to provide safe access routes for the movement
of vessel traffic proceeding to or from ports or places subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States. The USCG does so by designating
necessary fairways and TSSs for vessels operating in the territorial
sea of the United States and in high sea approaches, outside the
territorial sea. The USCG may also determine that establishment of
other ships' routing measures would enhance navigational safety, and it
works with its Federal interagency and International Maritime
Organization partners to establish these voluntary measures as
necessary.
The potential for navigational safety risk posed by building
structures in proximity to shipping routes is affected by numerous
factors including, but not limited to: Vessel size, vessel type,
density of traffic, prevailing weather and hydrographic conditions,
ocean and wind driven currents, cumulative impact of multiple
obstructions (for example, wind assessment or development facilities),
existence of multiple shipping routes (for example, crossing or meeting
situations), radar/automatic radar plotting aid (ARPA) interference,
and the existence of mitigating factors such as navigational aids,
vessel traffic services, or pilotage. Currently, there is no standard
recommended separation distance between offshore renewable energy
facilities and shipping routes. The USCG has reviewed guidance
published by other countries, such as the United Kingdom's Maritime
Guidance Note MGN-371, and consulted with its own waterways subject
matter experts. Currently, the USCG considers that the placement of
offshore wind assessment and generation facilities in any area less
than 1 nmi from traditional shipping routes poses a high risk to
navigational safety and therefore does not recommend placement of
offshore renewable energy facilities in such areas. The USCG considers
placement of such wind facilities in areas greater than 5 nmi from
existing shipping routes to pose minimal risk to navigational safety.
Areas considered for placement of wind facilities between 1 nmi and 5
nmi would require additional USCG analysis to determine if mitigation
factors could be applied to bring navigational safety risk within USCG
acceptable levels.
Respondents to this Call should note that impacts to radar and ARPA
may still occur outside of 1 nmi and will have to be evaluated along
with other potential impacts. The above are only planning guidelines
and may be changed based on the completion of the Atlantic Coast Port
Access Route Study (ACPARS), which is described herein. In addition,
these guidelines may be further modified upon completion of a
Navigational Safety Risk Assessment (NSRA) that is required before BOEM
approves construction of any offshore renewable energy facilities. The
USCG is conducting an ACPARS to determine how best to route traffic on
the Atlantic coast. See 76 FR 27288 (May 11, 2011). This study will
better inform the USCG about the navigational safety risks
[[Page 74212]]
associated with construction of offshore renewable energy facilities.
The data gathered during this ACPARS may result in the establishment of
new vessel routing measures, modification of existing routing measures,
or removal of some existing routing measures off the Atlantic Coast
from Maine to Florida.
As a parallel effort that is shorter in duration, BOEM is working
to establish a Maritime Working Group (MWG) to facilitate consideration
of vessel traffic and safety concerns when making decisions regarding
the further delineation of North Carolina Call Areas for potential
leasing and development offshore North Carolina. BOEM hopes to address
these concerns through the analysis of vessel movement data, such as
AIS information, and the integration of maritime stakeholder input. The
MWG would comprise maritime stakeholders that use the waters offshore
North Carolina, regulate their use, or have a unique geographic
expertise of vessel traffic patterns in the area. Ideally, this effort
would distinguish traditional shipping routes, delineate appropriate
shipping corridor widths and buffers, and recommend potential
modifications to established routing measures and new routing measures
that could be incorporated into the USCG ACPARS and assist BOEM in
decision-making.
Transmission Issues
As indicated in Section 5.2.15.3 of the OCS Alternative Energy
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) at: https://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/Regulatory-Information/Index.aspx#Programmatic_Environmental_Impact_Statement_(PEIS),
transmission facilities would not be located on NPS properties.
Required Nomination Information
If you intend to submit a nomination for a commercial wind energy
lease in the areas identified in this notice, you must provide the
following information:
(1) The BOEM Protraction name, number, and specific whole or
partial OCS blocks within the Call Area(s) that are of interest for
commercial wind leasing, including any required buffer area. This
information should be submitted as a spatial file compatible with
ArcGIS 10.0 in a geographic coordinate system (NAD 83) in addition to
your hard copy submittal. If your proposed lease area(s) includes one
or more partial blocks, please describe those partial blocks in terms
of a sixteenth (i.e. sub-block) of an OCS block. BOEM will not consider
any areas outside of the Call Areas in this process;
(2) A description of your objectives and the facilities that you
would use to achieve those objectives;
(3) A preliminary schedule of proposed activities, including those
leading to commercial operations;
(4) Available and pertinent data and information concerning
renewable energy resources and environmental conditions in the area(s)
that you wish to lease, including energy and resource data and
information used to evaluate the Call Areas. Where applicable, spatial
information should be submitted in a format compatible with ArcGIS 10.0
in a geographic coordinate system (NAD 83);
(5) Documentation demonstrating that you are legally qualified to
hold a lease, as set forth in 30 CFR 585.106 and 107. Examples of the
documentation appropriate for demonstrating your legal qualifications
and related guidance can be found in Chapter 2 and Appendix B of the
BOEM Renewable Energy Framework Guide Book available at: https://www.BOEM.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/PDFs/REnGuidebook_03August2009_3_.pdf. Legal qualification documents will be placed in an official
file that may be made available for public review. If you wish that any
part of your legal qualification documentation be kept confidential,
clearly identify what should be kept confidential, and submit it under
separate cover (see ``Protection of Privileged or Confidential
Information Section'', below); and
(6) Documentation demonstrating that you are technically and
financially capable of constructing, operating, maintaining and
decommissioning the facilities described in (2) above. Guidance
regarding the required documentation to demonstrate your technical and
financial qualifications can be found at: https://www.BOEM.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/PDFs/QualificationGuidelines.pdf. Documentation you
submit to demonstrate your legal, technical, and financial
qualifications must be provided to BOEM in both paper and electronic
formats. BOEM considers an Adobe PDF file stored on a storage media
device to be an acceptable format for submitting an electronic copy.
It is critical that you submit a complete nomination so that BOEM
may evaluate your submission in a timely manner. If BOEM reviews your
nomination and determines that it is incomplete, BOEM will inform you
of this determination in writing. This letter will describe the
information that BOEM determined to be missing from your nomination,
and which you must submit in order for BOEM to deem your submission
complete. You will be given 15 business days from the date of that
letter to submit the information that BOEM found to be missing from
your original submission. If you do not meet this deadline, or if BOEM
determines this second submission is insufficient and has failed to
complete your nomination, then BOEM retains the right to deem your
nomination invalid. In such a case, BOEM will not process your
nomination.
It is not required that you submit a nomination in response to this
Call in order to submit a bid in a potential lease sale offshore North
Carolina, should BOEM determine that competitive interest exists in one
or more portions of the Call Areas after the close of the Call comment
period. However, you would not be able to participate in such a lease
sale unless, prior to the sale, you had demonstrated that you are
legally qualified to hold a BOEM renewable energy lease, and you had
demonstrated that you are technically and financially capable of
constructing, operating, maintaining, and decommissioning the
facilities you would propose to install on your lease. To ensure that
BOEM has sufficient time to process your qualifications package, you
should submit this package during the PSN 60-day public comment period.
More information can be found at: https://www.BOEM.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/PDFs/QualificationGuidelines.pdf.
Requested Information From Interested or Affected Parties
BOEM is requesting from the public and other interested or affected
parties specific and detailed comments regarding the following:
1. Geological, geophysical, and biological conditions (including
bottom and shallow hazards and live bottom) in the area described in
this notice;
2. Known archaeological and/or cultural resource sites on the
seabed in the areas described in this notice;
3. Historic properties potentially affected by the construction of
meteorological towers, the installation of meteorological buoys, or
commercial wind development in the areas identified in this Call;
4. Multiple uses of the areas, including navigation (commercial and
recreational vessel use), fishing hotspots, and commercial fishing
areas;
5. Information relating to whether or not offshore wind turbines
located in the areas identified in this notice would adversely affect
the North Carolina seascape, and ideas or strategies that could be used
to help mitigate or minimize any adverse visual effects,
[[Page 74213]]
such as: how far offshore turbines should be placed to minimize the
visual impact from the coastline, specific locations or areas to avoid
development altogether, or any other strategies to help reduce the
visual footprint (for example, the color of the turbines [towers,
nacelle, blades], the arrangement or pattern of the turbine array, the
dimension of the turbines (e.g., height and blade span), visual
navigational lighting requirements, the maximum number of turbines that
should be allowed in a specific area, etc.);
6. The type of transmission system (e.g., AC, HVDC, etc.) a
prospective developer would likely utilize for a wind facility offshore
North Carolina. If AC, please state and explain the maximum distance
you would be willing to run an AC transmission system to deliver power
from an offshore wind facility to an onshore substation;
7. General interest by a developer(s) in constructing a backbone
transmission system that would transport electricity generated by wind
projects located offshore North Carolina, including a general
description of the transmission's proposed path and potential
interconnection points;
8. Available and pertinent data and information concerning
renewable energy resources and environmental conditions in the area
identified in this notice. Where applicable, spatial information should
be submitted in a format compatible with ArcGIS 10.0 in a geographic
coordinate system (NAD 83);
9. Habitats that may require special attention during siting and
construction; and
10. Other relevant socioeconomic, biological, and environmental
information.
Protection of Privileged or Confidential Information
Freedom of Information Act
BOEM will protect privileged or confidential information that you
submit, as required by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Exemption
4 of FOIA applies to trade secrets and commercial or financial
information that you submit that is privileged or confidential. If you
wish to protect the confidentiality of such information, clearly mark
it and request that BOEM treat it as confidential. BOEM will not
disclose such information, subject to the requirements of FOIA. Please
label privileged or confidential information ``Contains Confidential
Information'' and consider submitting such information as a separate
attachment.
However, BOEM will not treat as confidential any aggregate
summaries of such information or comments not containing such
information. Additionally, BOEM will not treat as confidential (1) the
legal title of the nominating entity (for example, the name of your
company), or (2) the list of whole or partial blocks that you are
nominating. Information that is not labeled as privileged or
confidential will be regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.
Section 304 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470w-
3(a))
BOEM is required, after consultation with the Secretary, to
withhold the location, character, or ownership of historic resources if
it determines that disclosure may, among other things, risk harm to the
historic resources or impede the use of a traditional religious site by
practitioners. Tribal entities should designate information that falls
under Section 304 of NHPA as confidential.
Dated: December 10, 2012.
Tommy P. Beaudreau,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-30093 Filed 12-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
