Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore the Island of Oahu, Hawaii; MMAA104000, 41334-41335 [2016-14829]

Download as PDF 41334 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 122 / Friday, June 24, 2016 / Notices sradovich on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES The area described contains 107.02 acres in Lemhi County. The purpose of the withdrawal is to ensure the continued conservation of the aquatic and riparian habitats, and to protect the USFS watershed investments in the Salmon River Drainage. The use of a right-of-way, interagency agreement, or cooperative agreement would not adequately protect the land from nondiscretionary uses which could result in a permanent loss of significant values and capital investments. There are no suitable alternative sites with equal or greater benefit to the government and the structures needing protection already exist on this site. It is not economically feasible to construct the necessary watershed protection dam and other related improvements on alternative sites because of the topography and hydrologic conditions. The USFS would not need to acquire water rights to fulfill the purpose of the requested withdrawal. Records related to the application may be examined by contacting the Salmon-Challis National Forest, Forest Supervisor’s Office, at 1206 S. Challis St. Salmon, ID 83467, or by contacting Jeff Cartwright at the above BLM address or by phone number. For a period until September 22, 2016, all persons who wish to submit comments, suggestions, or objections in connection with the withdrawal application may present their views in writing to the BLM State Director at the address indicated above. Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will be available for public review during regular business hours. 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 may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Notice is hereby given that an opportunity for a public meeting is afforded in connection with the withdrawal application. All interested persons who desire a public meeting for the purpose of being heard on the withdrawal application must submit a written request to the BLM State Director at the address indicated above by September 22, 2016. Upon determination by the authorized officer that a public meeting will be held, a notice of the time and place will be VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:43 Jun 23, 2016 Jkt 238001 published in the Federal Register and a newspaper having a general circulation in the vicinity of the land at least 30 days before the scheduled date of the meeting. For a period until June 25, 2018, the National Forest System land described in this notice will be segregated from location and entry under the United States mining laws, but not from discretionary uses, unless the application is denied or canceled or the withdrawal is approved prior to that date. The application will be processed in accordance with the regulations set forth in 43 CFR part 2300. James M. Fincher, Chief, Branch of Lands, Minerals and Water Rights, Resource Services. [FR Doc. 2016–15015 Filed 6–23–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3411–15–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [Docket No. BOEM–2016–0049] Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore the Island of Oahu, Hawaii; MMAA104000 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior. ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment. AGENCY: BOEM is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) of potential commercial wind leasing and site assessment activities on the OCS offshore the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The EA will address environmental impacts and socioeconomic effects related to the proposed action, issuance of one or more commercial wind energy leases and approval of site assessment activities on those leases. This notice serves to announce the beginning of the formal scoping process. Scoping will help identify reasonable alternatives to the proposed action, focus the analysis in the EA on potentially significant issues, and eliminate those issues that are determined to be insignificant or considered irrelevant to the analysis. BOEM will also use the scoping process to seek public comment on the full range of potential environmental impacts, including input relevant to the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Additional information on the proposed action may be found at https:// www.boem.gov/Hawaii/. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Comments should be submitted no later than August 8, 2016. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Eckenrode, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Pacific OCS Region, 760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 102, Camarillo, California 93010, (805) 384– 6388, or mark.eckenrode@boem.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: 1. Proposed Action The proposed action that will be the subject of the EA consists of (a) the issuance of a wind energy lease or leases within some or all of the Call Area (see below) offshore the island of Oahu; and (b) the approval of site assessment activities (including the installation and operation of a meteorological tower and/ or one or more meteorological buoys) on the lease or leases. BOEM will also consider the environmental impacts associated with potential site characterization activities—including geophysical, geotechnical, archaeological, and biological surveys— that a lessee may undertake to fulfill the information requirements for its Site Assessment Plan and Construction and Operation Plan at 30 CFR 585.610 and .626 respectively. 2. Description of the Call Area A detailed description of the Call Area can be found in the Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore the Island of Oahu, Hawaii—Call for Information and Nominations that is being published concurrently with this notice. A map of the Call Area can be found at: https:// www.boem.gov/Hawaii/. 3. National Historic Preservation Act BOEM will use the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to inform its Section 106 consultation pursuant to the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), as provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). BOEM will consider the potential effects of wind energy development on historic properties early in the planning process. BOEM is seeking public comment and input regarding the identification of historic properties or potential impacts to historic properties located in nearshore and coastal areas adjacent to the Call Area from the proposed action. 4. Cooperating Agencies BOEM invites other Federal, State, and local governments to consider becoming cooperating agencies in the preparation of this EA. CEQ regulations implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA define cooperating agencies as those with ‘‘jurisdiction by law or special expertise’’ (40 CFR 1508.5). E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM 24JNN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 122 / Friday, June 24, 2016 / Notices Potential cooperating agencies should consider their authority and capacity to assume the responsibilities of a cooperating agency and remember that an agency’s role in the environmental analysis neither enlarges nor diminishes the final decision-making authority of any agency involved in the NEPA process. BOEM, as the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance to cooperating agencies. Even if an organization is not a cooperating agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and comments to BOEM during the normal public input phases of the NEPA process. 5. Public Scoping Meetings BOEM will hold public meetings on Oahu. The specific dates, times, and locations of the scoping meetings will be advertised at least two weeks in advance of each event. sradovich on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES 6. Comments Federal, State, and local governments, Native Hawaiians, and the public are requested to send their written comments regarding environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives related to the proposed action described in this notice through one of the following methods: 1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. In the field entitled, ‘‘Enter Keyword or ID,’’ enter BOEM–2016–0049, and then click ‘‘search.’’ Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view supporting and related materials available for this notice; or 2. U.S. mail in an envelope labeled ‘‘Comments on Hawaii EA’’ and addressed to Regional Director, BOEM Pacific OCS Region, 760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 102, Camarillo, California 93010. Comments must be postmarked by the last day of the comment period to be considered. This date is August 8, 2016. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comments to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Authority: This Notice of Intent to prepare an EA is in compliance with NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq.), and is published pursuant to 43 CFR 46.305. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:43 Jun 23, 2016 Jkt 238001 Dated: June 16, 2016. Abigail Ross Hopper, Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. [FR Doc. 2016–14829 Filed 6–23–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [Docket No. BOEM–2016–0036]; [MMAA104000] Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore the Island of Oahu, Hawaii— 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 the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. AGENCY: With this Call for Information and Nominations (Call), BOEM invites the submission of information and nominations from parties interested in obtaining one or more commercial wind energy leases that would allow lessees to propose the construction of wind energy projects on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 1 offshore the island of Oahu, Hawaii. In general, the OCS is defined as 3—200 nautical miles from shore. Although this announcement is not itself a leasing announcement, the area described herein as the ‘‘Oahu Call Area,’’ or portions thereof, may be made 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 Oahu Call Area, 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 as described in the section entitled, ‘‘Required Nomination Information.’’ A ‘‘nomination’’ for purpose of this Call would be a submission from a company interested in a commercial wind energy lease within the Oahu Call Area. This announcement also requests comments and information from interested and affected parties about site SUMMARY: 1 As defined in 43 U.S.C. 1331(a), the term OCS means ‘‘all submerged lands lying seaward and outside of the area of lands beneath navigable waters, as defined in section 1301 of this title, and of which the subsoil and seabed appertain to the United States and are subject to its jurisdiction and control.’’ PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 41335 conditions, resources, and existing uses within or in close proximity to the Oahu Call Area 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 Oahu Call Area for commercial wind leasing. The information 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 (OCSLA), 43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3), as well as the implementing regulations at 30 CFR part 585. The Oahu Call Area described in this notice is located on the OCS offshore the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The Oahu Call Area consists of two subareas, the area to the north of Oahu (‘‘Oahu North’’) and the area to the south of Oahu (‘‘Oahu South’’). Oahu North is approximately 7 to 24 nautical miles Northwest of Kaena Point and consists of 17 full and 20 partial OCS blocks. Oahu South is approximately 7 to 35 nautical miles South of Diamond Head and consists of 44 full and 32 partial OCS blocks. In total, the Oahu Call Area consists of the sum of these two subareas, totaling 61 full and 52 partial OCS blocks. A detailed description of the area and how it was developed is described in the section of this Call entitled, ‘‘Description of the Oahu Call Area.’’ DATES: BOEM must receive nominations describing your interest within the Oahu Call Area by a postmarked date of August 8, 2016 for your nomination to be considered. BOEM will consider only those nominations received by August 8, 2016. BOEM requests comments or other submissions of information by this same date. Parties having already submitted unsolicited lease requests prior to this publication do not need to resubmit the areas previously requested in their unsolicited lease requests. However, such parties may submit modifications to the areas they are requesting for lease during the comment period associated with this notice. Such modifications must conform to the first requirement of the section in this Call entitled, ‘‘Required Nomination Information.’’ Submission Procedures: If you are submitting a nomination for a lease in response to this Call, you must submit your nomination to the following address: BOEM, Pacific OCS Region, 760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 102 (CM 102), Camarillo, California 93010. A paper copy submitted to this address, postmarked by the deadline noted above, is the only method for submitting E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM 24JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 122 (Friday, June 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41334-41335]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14829]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2016-0049]


Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Leasing and Site 
Assessment Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore the 
Island of Oahu, Hawaii; MMAA104000

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: BOEM is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) of potential commercial wind leasing and site 
assessment activities on the OCS offshore the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 
The EA will address environmental impacts and socioeconomic effects 
related to the proposed action, issuance of one or more commercial wind 
energy leases and approval of site assessment activities on those 
leases. This notice serves to announce the beginning of the formal 
scoping process. Scoping will help identify reasonable alternatives to 
the proposed action, focus the analysis in the EA on potentially 
significant issues, and eliminate those issues that are determined to 
be insignificant or considered irrelevant to the analysis. BOEM will 
also use the scoping process to seek public comment on the full range 
of potential environmental impacts, including input relevant to the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Additional information on 
the proposed action may be found at https://www.boem.gov/Hawaii/.

DATES: Comments should be submitted no later than August 8, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Eckenrode, Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, Pacific OCS Region, 760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 102, 
Camarillo, California 93010, (805) 384-6388, or 
mark.eckenrode@boem.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Proposed Action

    The proposed action that will be the subject of the EA consists of 
(a) the issuance of a wind energy lease or leases within some or all of 
the Call Area (see below) offshore the island of Oahu; and (b) the 
approval of site assessment activities (including the installation and 
operation of a meteorological tower and/or one or more meteorological 
buoys) on the lease or leases. BOEM will also consider the 
environmental impacts associated with potential site characterization 
activities--including geophysical, geotechnical, archaeological, and 
biological surveys--that a lessee may undertake to fulfill the 
information requirements for its Site Assessment Plan and Construction 
and Operation Plan at 30 CFR 585.610 and .626 respectively.

2. Description of the Call Area

    A detailed description of the Call Area can be found in the 
Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf 
Offshore the Island of Oahu, Hawaii--Call for Information and 
Nominations that is being published concurrently with this notice. A 
map of the Call Area can be found at: https://www.boem.gov/Hawaii/.

3. National Historic Preservation Act

    BOEM will use the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process 
to inform its Section 106 consultation pursuant to the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 
300101 et seq.), as provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). BOEM will 
consider the potential effects of wind energy development on historic 
properties early in the planning process. BOEM is seeking public 
comment and input regarding the identification of historic properties 
or potential impacts to historic properties located in nearshore and 
coastal areas adjacent to the Call Area from the proposed action.

4. Cooperating Agencies

    BOEM invites other Federal, State, and local governments to 
consider becoming cooperating agencies in the preparation of this EA. 
CEQ regulations implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA define 
cooperating agencies as those with ``jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise'' (40 CFR 1508.5).

[[Page 41335]]

Potential cooperating agencies should consider their authority and 
capacity to assume the responsibilities of a cooperating agency and 
remember that an agency's role in the environmental analysis neither 
enlarges nor diminishes the final decision-making authority of any 
agency involved in the NEPA process.
    BOEM, as the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance to 
cooperating agencies. Even if an organization is not a cooperating 
agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and comments to 
BOEM during the normal public input phases of the NEPA process.

5. Public Scoping Meetings

    BOEM will hold public meetings on Oahu. The specific dates, times, 
and locations of the scoping meetings will be advertised at least two 
weeks in advance of each event.

6. Comments

    Federal, State, and local governments, Native Hawaiians, and the 
public are requested to send their written comments regarding 
environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives 
related to the proposed action described in this notice through one of 
the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the 
field entitled, ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2016-0049, and then 
click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and 
view supporting and related materials available for this notice; or
    2. U.S. mail in an envelope labeled ``Comments on Hawaii EA'' and 
addressed to Regional Director, BOEM Pacific OCS Region, 760 Paseo 
Camarillo, Suite 102, Camarillo, California 93010. Comments must be 
postmarked by the last day of the comment period to be considered. This 
date is August 8, 2016.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying 
information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comments to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  This Notice of Intent to prepare an EA is in 
compliance with NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq.), and is 
published pursuant to 43 CFR 46.305.

    Dated: June 16, 2016.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2016-14829 Filed 6-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.