Deepwater Horizon, 75126-75128 [2015-30189]
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75126
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 230 / Tuesday, December 1, 2015 / Notices
Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 10.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion
for applications, annually for reports,
and ongoing for recordkeeping.
Estimated Number of Responses and
Annual Burden Hours:
Number of
responses
Activity
Completion
time per
response
Total annual
burden hours
22
20
8 hours ........
14 hours ......
176
280
TOTALS ..................................................................................................................................
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Applications ....................................................................................................................................
Reports and Recordkeeping ..........................................................................................................
42
.....................
456
Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden
Cost: None.
Abstract: Subtitle C of Title VI of the
Omnibus Public Land Management Act
of 2009 (Act; Pub. L. 111–11) authorizes
the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture to develop a
Wolf-Livestock Demonstration Project
Grant Program (WLDPGP) to:
• Assist livestock producers in
undertaking proactive, nonlethal
activities to reduce the risk of livestock
loss due to predation by wolves; and
• Compensate livestock producers for
livestock losses due to such predation.
The Act directs that the program be
established as a grant program to
provide funding to States and tribes,
that the Federal cost share not exceed 50
percent, and that funds be expended
equally between the two purposes. The
Act included an authorization of
appropriations up to $1 million each
fiscal year for 5 years. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Ecological Services
Program will allocate the funding in the
form of competitively awarded grants to
States and tribes with a prior history of
wolf depredation. States with delisted
wolf populations are eligible for
funding, provided that they meet the
eligibility criteria contained in Pub. L.
111–11.
The following additional criteria
apply to all WLDPGP grants and must
be satisfied for a project to receive
WLDPGP funding:
• Proposal cannot include U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service full-time
equivalent (FTE) costs.
• Proposal cannot seek funding for
projects that serve to satisfy regulatory
requirements of the Endangered Species
Act (ESA), including complying with a
biological opinion under section 7 or
fulfilling commitments of a habitat
conservation plan (HCP) under ESA
section 10, or for projects that serve to
satisfy other Federal regulatory
requirements (e.g., mitigation for
Federal permits).
• State administrative costs must be
assumed by the State or included in the
proposal in accordance with Federal
requirements.
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23:35 Nov 30, 2015
Jkt 238001
We will publish notices of funding
opportunity on the Grants.gov Web site
at https://www.grants.gov, as well as in
the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance at https://cfda.gov. This
information collection includes both
grant applications and reporting/
recordkeeping requirements. To
compete for grant funds, eligible States
and tribes must submit an application
that describes in substantial detail
project locations, project resources,
future benefits, and other characteristics
that meet the Wolf-Livestock
Demonstration Project Grant Program
purposes as listed above. In accordance
with the Act, States and tribes that
receive a grant must:
• Maintain files of all claims received
under programs funded by the grant,
including supporting documentation;
and
• Submit an annual report that
includes a summary of claims and
expenditures under the program during
the year and a description of any action
taken on the claims.
Comments Received and Our Responses
On August 18, 2015, we published in
the Federal Register (80 FR 50024) a
notice of our intent to request that OMB
renew approval for this information
collection. In that notice, we solicited
comments for 60 days, ending on
October 19, 2015. We received two
comments. One commenter expressed
opinions about WLDPGP funding and
wolf management in general, but did not
address the information collection
requirements. The second commenter
described the program as an excellent
source of dedicated funds for
preventative strategies to reduce wolflivestock conflict, but expressed
frustration with the accessibility of
annual reports. The Service’s Regional
Offices are responsible for monitoring
the grant projects and maintaining the
administrative record of WLDPGP
grants. In the future, we commit to
ensuring that all annual reports are filed
in the appropriate Regional Offices and
made readily available upon request. No
changes were made to the information
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collection requirements as a result of
these comments.
Request for Public Comments
We again invite comments concerning
this information collection on:
• Whether or not the collection of
information is necessary, including
whether or not the information will
have practical utility;
• The accuracy of our estimate of the
burden for this collection of
information;
• Ways to enhance the quality, utility,
and clarity of the information to be
collected; and
• Ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. Before including your
address, phone number, email address,
or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire
comment, including your personal
identifying information, may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you can ask OMB and us in your
comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that it will
be done.
Dated: November 25, 2015.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and
Management Programs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–30431 Filed 11–30–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[FWS–R4–FHC–2015–N213;
FVHC98210408710–XXX–FF04G01000]
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill; Draft
Phase V Early Restoration Plan and
Environmental Assessment
Interior.
Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
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01DEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 230 / Tuesday, December 1, 2015 / Notices
In accordance with the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), and the Framework Agreement
for Early Restoration Addressing
Injuries Resulting from the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill, the Federal and State
natural resource trustee agencies
(Trustees) have prepared a Draft Phase
V Early Restoration Plan and
Environmental Assessment (Draft Phase
SUMMARY:
V ERP/EA) describing and proposing the
first phase of the Florida Coastal Access
Project. This early restoration project is
intended to continue the process of
restoring natural resources and services
injured or lost as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which
occurred on or about April 20, 2010, in
the Gulf of Mexico. The Draft Phase V
ERP/EA also includes notices of change
and supporting analysis for two Phase
75127
III Early Restoration Projects:
‘‘Strategically Provided Boat Access
Along Florida’s Gulf Coast—City of Port
St. Joe, Frank Pate Boat Ramp
Improvements’’ and ‘‘Florida Artificial
Reef Creation and Restoration.’’
Comments Due Date: We will
consider public comments received on
or before December 31, 2015.
DATES:
PUBLIC MEETING DATE
Date
Time
Location
December 14, 2015 ........................
6:00 p.m. Open house ...................
6:30 p.m. Public meeting
Gulf Coast State College, Student Union East, Room 231 (Gibson
Lecture Hall), 5230 West U.S. Highway 98, Panama City, FL
32411.
ADDRESSES:
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Obtaining Documents: You may
download the Draft Phase V ERP/EA by
one of following methods:
• Via the Web: https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov or
https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon.
You may also view the document at any
of the public facilities listed at https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
• Via U.S. mail, you may request a CD
of the Draft Phase V ERP/EA (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments on the Draft Phase V
ERP/EA by one of following methods:
• Via the Web: https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
• Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 49567,
Atlanta, GA 30345.
Public Meeting Location: Gulf Coast
State College, Student Union East, Room
231 (Gibson Lecture Hall), 5230 West
U.S. Highway 98, Panama City, FL
32411.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nanciann Regalado, at 404–679–4161.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On or about April 20, 2010, the
mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon, which was being used to drill
a well for BP Exploration and
Production, Inc. (BP), in the Macondo
prospect (Mississippi Canyon 252—
MC252), experienced a significant
explosion, fire, and subsequent sinking
in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in an
unprecedented volume of oil and other
discharges from the rig and from the
wellhead on the seabed. The Deepwater
Horizon oil spill is the largest off shore
oil spill in U.S. history, discharging
millions of barrels of oil over a period
of 87 days. In addition, well over 1
million gallons of dispersants were
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23:35 Nov 30, 2015
Jkt 238001
applied to the waters of the spill area in
an attempt to disperse the spilled oil.
An undetermined amount of natural gas
was also released into the environment
as a result of the spill.
Under the Oil Pollution Act 1990
(OPA; 33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.),
designated Federal and State agencies
may act as trustees on behalf of the
public to assess natural resource injuries
and losses resulting from an oil spill
and to determine the restoration actions
needed to compensate the public for
those injuries and losses. OPA instructs
the trustees to develop and implement
a plan for the restoration, rehabilitation,
replacement, or acquisition of the
equivalent of the injured natural
resources under their trusteeship,
including the loss of use and services
from those resources from the time of
injury until the time of restoration to
baseline (the resource quality and
conditions that would exist if the spill
had not occurred) is complete. For the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, designated
trustees (Trustees) in four Federal
agencies and all five Gulf States—
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana,
Mississippi, and Texas—have been
working together to assess natural
resource injuries and prepare a series of
restoration plans described below.
The Trustees are:
• U.S. Department of the Interior
(DOI), as represented by the National
Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, and Bureau of Land
Management;
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), on behalf of
the U.S. Department of Commerce;
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA);
• U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA);
• State of Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority,
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Sfmt 4703
Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office,
Department of Environmental Quality,
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries,
and Department of Natural Resources;
• State of Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality;
• State of Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources and
Geological Survey of Alabama;
• State of Florida Department of
Environmental Protection and Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission; and
• For the State of Texas: Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department, Texas General
Land Office, and Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality.
Background
In the April 2011 Framework
Agreement for Early Restoration
Addressing Injuries Resulting from the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
(Framework Agreement), BP agreed to
provide to the Trustees up to $1 billion
toward early restoration projects in the
Gulf of Mexico to address injuries to
natural resources caused by the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The
Framework Agreement represents a
preliminary step toward the restoration
of injured natural resources and is
intended to expedite the start of
restoration in the Gulf in advance of the
completion of the injury assessment
process. The Framework Agreement
provides a mechanism through which
the Trustees and BP can work together
‘‘to commence implementation of early
restoration projects that will provide
meaningful benefits to accelerate
restoration in the Gulf as quickly as
practicable’’ prior to the resolution of
the Trustees’ natural resource damages
claim. Early restoration is not intended
to and does not fully address all injuries
caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill. Restoration beyond early
restoration projects will be required to
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75128
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 230 / Tuesday, December 1, 2015 / Notices
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
fully compensate the public for natural
resource losses, including recreational
use losses, from the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill.
This Notice addresses Phase V of the
early restoration process. In four
previous phases, the Trustees selected,
and BP agreed to fund, a total of 64 early
restoration projects expected to cost a
total of approximately $832 million. The
Trustees selected these projects after
public notice, public meetings, and
consideration of public comments,
through the Phase I Early Restoration
Plan/Environmental Assessment (Phase
I ERP/EA), Phase II Early Restoration
Plan/Environmental Review (Phase II
ERP/ER), the Programmatic and Phase
III Early Restoration Plan and Early
Restoration Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (Phase
III ERP/PEIS), and the Phase IV Early
Restoration Plan/Environment
Assessments (Phase IV ERP/EA).
The Trustees released the Phase I
ERP/EA on April 20, 2012 (77 FR 23741)
and the Phase II ERP/ER on February 5,
2013 (78 FR 8184). The Trustees
released the Phase III ERP/PEIS on June
26, 2014 (79 FR 36328), and
subsequently approved that Plan and
programmatic EIS in a Record of
Decision on October 31, 2014 (79 FR
64831). The Trustees released the Phase
IV ERP/EA on September 23, 2015 (80
FR 57384). These plans are available at:
https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/
adminrecord.
In the Draft Phase V Early Restoration
Plan and Environmental Assessment
announced in this Notice, the Trustees
are proposing the first phase of the
Florida Coastal Access Project to
address lost recreational opportunities
in Florida caused by the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill. The proposed first
phase of the Florida Coastal Access
Project is consistent with the
Programmatic ERP and PEIS included in
the Final Phase III ERP/PEIS previously
developed by the Trustees. The Draft
Phase V ERP/EA is not intended to and
does not fully address all injuries
caused by the spill or provide the extent
of restoration needed to make the public
and the environment whole.
Overview of the Draft Phase V ERP/EA
The Draft Phase V ERP/EA is being
released in accordance with the Oil
Pollution Act (OPA), the Natural
Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA)
regulations found in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR 990, the
National Environmental Policy Act (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Framework
for Early Restoration Addressing
Injuries Resulting from the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
23:35 Nov 30, 2015
Jkt 238001
The Trustees are considering the first
phase of the Florida Coastal Access
Project in the Draft Phase V ERP/EA.
The total estimated cost for the
proposed first phase of the Florida
Coastal Access Project is $34,372,184.
The total estimated cost of the proposed
Florida Coastal Access Project is
$45,415,573. The Trustees will propose
in an additional future phase similar
restoration activities that would utilize
the remaining $11,043,389, if approved.
Details on the proposed first phase of
the Florida Coastal Access Project are
provided in the Draft Phase V ERP/EA.
The proposed first phase of the
Florida Coastal Access Project is
intended to continue the process of
using early restoration funding to
restore natural resources, ecological
services, and recreational use services
injured or lost as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The
Trustees considered hundreds of
projects leading to the identification of
the Florida Coastal Access Project and
considered both ecological and
recreational use restoration projects to
restore injuries caused by the Deepwater
Horizon oil spill, addressing both the
physical and biological environment, as
well as the relationship people have
with the environment.
The Draft Phase V ERP/EA also
includes notices of change and
supporting analysis for two Phase III
Early Restoration Projects: ‘‘Strategically
Provided Boat Access Along Florida’s
Gulf Coast—City of Port St. Joe, Frank
Pate Boat Ramp Improvements’’ and
‘‘Florida Artificial Reef Creation and
Restoration.’’
Next Steps
The Trustees have scheduled a public
meeting to facilitate public review and
comment on the Draft Phase V ERP/EA.
Both written and verbal comments will
be taken at the public meeting. The
Trustees will hold an open house
followed by a formal meeting. The
public meeting will include a
presentation of the Draft Phase V ERP/
EA. After the public comment period
ends, the Trustees will consider and
address the comments received before
issuing a final Phase V Early Restoration
Plan and Environmental Assessment
(Final Phase V ERP/EA). After issuing a
Final Phase V ERP/EA and if the
Trustees approve the first phase of the
Florida Coastal Access Project, the
Trustees will file a negotiated
stipulation for the approved Florida
Coastal Access Project with the court. If
approved, the first phase of the Florida
Coastal Access Project will then proceed
to implementation, pending compliance
with all applicable State and Federal
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
laws. The Trustees anticipate
considering a second phase of this
Florida Coastal Access Project through a
future restoration plan that will be
subject to a separate notice and public
comment process.
Invitation to Comment
The Trustees seek public review and
comment on the proposed first phase of
the Florida Coastal Access Project and
supporting analysis included in the
Draft Phase V ERP/EA. Through this
Notice of Availability, the Trustees are
seeking public review and comment for
only the Draft Phase V ERP/EA. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment, including your
personal identifying information, may
be made publicly available at any time.
You may submit comments on the Draft
Phase V ERP/EA by one of the methods
described in ADDRESSES.
This public review and comment
process for the Draft Phase V ERP/EA is
separate from the public comment
processes for the Deepwater Horizon Oil
Spill Draft Programmatic Damage
Assessment and Restoration Plan and
Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (Draft PDARP/PEIS)
and the proposed Consent Decree
Among Defendant BP Exploration &
Production, Inc., the United States of
America, and the States of Alabama,
Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Texas, which ends on December 4,
2015. For more information on the Draft
PDARP/PEIS, please visit https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov. A
link for the proposed Consent Decree
and directions for comment to the
Department of Justice is available at
https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
Administrative Record
The documents comprising the
Administrative Record for the Draft
Phase V ERP/EA can be viewed
electronically at the following location:
https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/
adminrecord.
Authority
The authority of this action is the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et
seq.) and the implementing Natural
Resource Damage Assessment
regulations found at 15 CFR 990.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
DOI Authorized Official.
[FR Doc. 2015–30189 Filed 11–30–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 230 (Tuesday, December 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75126-75128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30189]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[FWS-R4-FHC-2015-N213; FVHC98210408710-XXX-FF04G01000]
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill; Draft Phase V Early Restoration Plan
and Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 75127]]
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Framework Agreement
for Early Restoration Addressing Injuries Resulting from the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill, the Federal and State natural resource trustee
agencies (Trustees) have prepared a Draft Phase V Early Restoration
Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft Phase V ERP/EA) describing and
proposing the first phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project. This
early restoration project is intended to continue the process of
restoring natural resources and services injured or lost as a result of
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which occurred on or about April 20,
2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. The Draft Phase V ERP/EA also includes
notices of change and supporting analysis for two Phase III Early
Restoration Projects: ``Strategically Provided Boat Access Along
Florida's Gulf Coast--City of Port St. Joe, Frank Pate Boat Ramp
Improvements'' and ``Florida Artificial Reef Creation and
Restoration.''
DATES: Comments Due Date: We will consider public comments received on
or before December 31, 2015.
Public Meeting Date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date Time Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 14, 2015............. 6:00 p.m. Open Gulf Coast State
house. College, Student
6:30 p.m. Public Union East, Room 231
meeting. (Gibson Lecture
Hall), 5230 West
U.S. Highway 98,
Panama City, FL
32411.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may download the Draft Phase V ERP/EA by
one of following methods:
Via the Web: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov or
https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon. You may also view the document at
any of the public facilities listed at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
Via U.S. mail, you may request a CD of the Draft Phase V
ERP/EA (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft Phase V
ERP/EA by one of following methods:
Via the Web: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box
49567, Atlanta, GA 30345.
Public Meeting Location: Gulf Coast State College, Student Union
East, Room 231 (Gibson Lecture Hall), 5230 West U.S. Highway 98, Panama
City, FL 32411.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nanciann Regalado, at 404-679-4161.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On or about April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit
Deepwater Horizon, which was being used to drill a well for BP
Exploration and Production, Inc. (BP), in the Macondo prospect
(Mississippi Canyon 252--MC252), experienced a significant explosion,
fire, and subsequent sinking in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in an
unprecedented volume of oil and other discharges from the rig and from
the wellhead on the seabed. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the
largest off shore oil spill in U.S. history, discharging millions of
barrels of oil over a period of 87 days. In addition, well over 1
million gallons of dispersants were applied to the waters of the spill
area in an attempt to disperse the spilled oil. An undetermined amount
of natural gas was also released into the environment as a result of
the spill.
Under the Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA; 33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.),
designated Federal and State agencies may act as trustees on behalf of
the public to assess natural resource injuries and losses resulting
from an oil spill and to determine the restoration actions needed to
compensate the public for those injuries and losses. OPA instructs the
trustees to develop and implement a plan for the restoration,
rehabilitation, replacement, or acquisition of the equivalent of the
injured natural resources under their trusteeship, including the loss
of use and services from those resources from the time of injury until
the time of restoration to baseline (the resource quality and
conditions that would exist if the spill had not occurred) is complete.
For the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, designated trustees (Trustees) in
four Federal agencies and all five Gulf States--Alabama, Florida,
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas--have been working together to assess
natural resource injuries and prepare a series of restoration plans
described below.
The Trustees are:
U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), as represented by
the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau
of Land Management;
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on
behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce;
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA);
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA);
State of Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration
Authority, Oil Spill Coordinator's Office, Department of Environmental
Quality, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Department of
Natural Resources;
State of Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality;
State of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources and Geological Survey of Alabama;
State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection
and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and
For the State of Texas: Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, Texas General Land Office, and Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality.
Background
In the April 2011 Framework Agreement for Early Restoration
Addressing Injuries Resulting from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
(Framework Agreement), BP agreed to provide to the Trustees up to $1
billion toward early restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico to
address injuries to natural resources caused by the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill. The Framework Agreement represents a preliminary step toward
the restoration of injured natural resources and is intended to
expedite the start of restoration in the Gulf in advance of the
completion of the injury assessment process. The Framework Agreement
provides a mechanism through which the Trustees and BP can work
together ``to commence implementation of early restoration projects
that will provide meaningful benefits to accelerate restoration in the
Gulf as quickly as practicable'' prior to the resolution of the
Trustees' natural resource damages claim. Early restoration is not
intended to and does not fully address all injuries caused by the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Restoration beyond early restoration
projects will be required to
[[Page 75128]]
fully compensate the public for natural resource losses, including
recreational use losses, from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
This Notice addresses Phase V of the early restoration process. In
four previous phases, the Trustees selected, and BP agreed to fund, a
total of 64 early restoration projects expected to cost a total of
approximately $832 million. The Trustees selected these projects after
public notice, public meetings, and consideration of public comments,
through the Phase I Early Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment
(Phase I ERP/EA), Phase II Early Restoration Plan/Environmental Review
(Phase II ERP/ER), the Programmatic and Phase III Early Restoration
Plan and Early Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(Phase III ERP/PEIS), and the Phase IV Early Restoration Plan/
Environment Assessments (Phase IV ERP/EA).
The Trustees released the Phase I ERP/EA on April 20, 2012 (77 FR
23741) and the Phase II ERP/ER on February 5, 2013 (78 FR 8184). The
Trustees released the Phase III ERP/PEIS on June 26, 2014 (79 FR
36328), and subsequently approved that Plan and programmatic EIS in a
Record of Decision on October 31, 2014 (79 FR 64831). The Trustees
released the Phase IV ERP/EA on September 23, 2015 (80 FR 57384). These
plans are available at: https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord.
In the Draft Phase V Early Restoration Plan and Environmental
Assessment announced in this Notice, the Trustees are proposing the
first phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project to address lost
recreational opportunities in Florida caused by the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill. The proposed first phase of the Florida Coastal Access
Project is consistent with the Programmatic ERP and PEIS included in
the Final Phase III ERP/PEIS previously developed by the Trustees. The
Draft Phase V ERP/EA is not intended to and does not fully address all
injuries caused by the spill or provide the extent of restoration
needed to make the public and the environment whole.
Overview of the Draft Phase V ERP/EA
The Draft Phase V ERP/EA is being released in accordance with the
Oil Pollution Act (OPA), the Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA)
regulations found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR
990, the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.),
and the Framework for Early Restoration Addressing Injuries Resulting
from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
The Trustees are considering the first phase of the Florida Coastal
Access Project in the Draft Phase V ERP/EA. The total estimated cost
for the proposed first phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project is
$34,372,184. The total estimated cost of the proposed Florida Coastal
Access Project is $45,415,573. The Trustees will propose in an
additional future phase similar restoration activities that would
utilize the remaining $11,043,389, if approved. Details on the proposed
first phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project are provided in the
Draft Phase V ERP/EA.
The proposed first phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project is
intended to continue the process of using early restoration funding to
restore natural resources, ecological services, and recreational use
services injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill. The Trustees considered hundreds of projects leading to the
identification of the Florida Coastal Access Project and considered
both ecological and recreational use restoration projects to restore
injuries caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, addressing both the
physical and biological environment, as well as the relationship people
have with the environment.
The Draft Phase V ERP/EA also includes notices of change and
supporting analysis for two Phase III Early Restoration Projects:
``Strategically Provided Boat Access Along Florida's Gulf Coast--City
of Port St. Joe, Frank Pate Boat Ramp Improvements'' and ``Florida
Artificial Reef Creation and Restoration.''
Next Steps
The Trustees have scheduled a public meeting to facilitate public
review and comment on the Draft Phase V ERP/EA. Both written and verbal
comments will be taken at the public meeting. The Trustees will hold an
open house followed by a formal meeting. The public meeting will
include a presentation of the Draft Phase V ERP/EA. After the public
comment period ends, the Trustees will consider and address the
comments received before issuing a final Phase V Early Restoration Plan
and Environmental Assessment (Final Phase V ERP/EA). After issuing a
Final Phase V ERP/EA and if the Trustees approve the first phase of the
Florida Coastal Access Project, the Trustees will file a negotiated
stipulation for the approved Florida Coastal Access Project with the
court. If approved, the first phase of the Florida Coastal Access
Project will then proceed to implementation, pending compliance with
all applicable State and Federal laws. The Trustees anticipate
considering a second phase of this Florida Coastal Access Project
through a future restoration plan that will be subject to a separate
notice and public comment process.
Invitation to Comment
The Trustees seek public review and comment on the proposed first
phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project and supporting analysis
included in the Draft Phase V ERP/EA. Through this Notice of
Availability, the Trustees are seeking public review and comment for
only the Draft Phase V ERP/EA. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including
your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available
at any time. You may submit comments on the Draft Phase V ERP/EA by one
of the methods described in ADDRESSES.
This public review and comment process for the Draft Phase V ERP/EA
is separate from the public comment processes for the Deepwater Horizon
Oil Spill Draft Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and
Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft PDARP/PEIS)
and the proposed Consent Decree Among Defendant BP Exploration &
Production, Inc., the United States of America, and the States of
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, which ends on
December 4, 2015. For more information on the Draft PDARP/PEIS, please
visit https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov. A link for the proposed
Consent Decree and directions for comment to the Department of Justice
is available at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
Administrative Record
The documents comprising the Administrative Record for the Draft
Phase V ERP/EA can be viewed electronically at the following location:
https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord.
Authority
The authority of this action is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33
U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) and the implementing Natural Resource Damage
Assessment regulations found at 15 CFR 990.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
DOI Authorized Official.
[FR Doc. 2015-30189 Filed 11-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
