Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Vineyard Wind LLC's Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore Massachusetts, 13777-13778 [2018-06638]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2018 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2018–06437 Filed 3–29–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM–2018–0015;
MMAA104000]
Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
Vineyard Wind LLC’s Proposed Wind
Energy Facility Offshore
Massachusetts
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement.
AGENCY:
Consistent with the
regulations implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) is announcing its intent to
prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the approval of a
Construction and Operations Plan (COP)
submitted by Vineyard Wind LLC
(Vineyard Wind) that would allow it to
construct and operate an 800 megawatt
(MW) wind energy facility offshore
Massachusetts. This Notice of Intent
(NOI) serves to announce the EIS
scoping process for the Vineyard Wind
COP.
DATES: Comments should be submitted
no later than April 30, 2018. BOEM’s
scoping meetings will be held at the
following dates and times. Please see
the ADDRESSES section for the specific
locations.
1. Monday, April 16, 2018, 5:00 p.m.
to 8:00 p.m., New Bedford,
Massachusetts.
2. Tuesday, April 17, 2018, 5:00 p.m.
to 8:00 p.m., Martha’s Vineyard,
Massachusetts.
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SUMMARY:
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3. Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 11:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Nantucket,
Massachusetts.
4. Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 6:00
p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Hyannis,
Massachusetts.
5. Thursday, April 19, 2018, 5:00 p.m.
to 8:00 p.m., Kingston, Rhode Island.
ADDRESSES: Detailed information about
the proposed wind energy facility,
including the COP, can be found on
BOEM’s website at: https://
www.boem.gov/Commercial-WindLeasing-Offshore-Massachusetts/.
Comments can be submitted in any of
the following ways:
1. In written form, delivered by hand
or by mail, enclosed in an envelope
labeled ‘‘Vineyard Wind COP EIS’’ and
addressed to Program Manager, Office of
Renewable Energy, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, 45600 Woodland
Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166.
Comments must be received or
postmarked no later than April 30, 2018;
or
2. Through the regulations.gov web
portal: Navigate to https://
www.regulations.gov and search for
Docket No. BOEM–2018–0015. Click on
the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ button to the right
of the document link. Enter your
information and comment, then click
‘‘Submit.’’
Pursuant to the regulations
implementing the provisions of NEPA
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), BOEM will hold
public scoping meetings for the
Vineyard Wind COP at the following
places and times:
• New Bedford, Massachusetts;
Monday, April 16, 2018; Fairfield Inn
and Suites, Waypoint Event Center,
Sealoft Room, 185 MacArthur Drive,
New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740;
Open House 5:00–8:00 p.m.;
Presentation and Q&A 6:00 p.m.
• Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts;
Tuesday, April 17, 2018; Martha’s
Vineyard Hebrew Center, 130 Center
Street, Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts
02568; Open House 5:00–8:00 p.m.;
Presentation and Q&A 6:00 p.m.
• Nantucket, Massachusetts;
Wednesday, April 18, 2018; Nantucket
Middle School, Cafeteria, 10 Surfside
Road, Nantucket, Massachusetts 02554;
Open House 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.;
Presentation and Q&A 12:00 p.m.
• Hyannis, Massachusetts;
Wednesday, April 18, 2018; Double Tree
Hotel, 287 Iyannough Road, Cape Cod
Room, Hyannis, Massachusetts 02601;
Open House 6:00–9:00 p.m.;
Presentation and Q&A 6:30 p.m.
• Kingston, Rhode Island; Thursday,
April 19, 2018; University of Rhode
Island, Ryan Center, Alumni Lounge, 1
PO 00000
Frm 00057
Fmt 4703
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13777
Lincoln Almond Plaza, Kingston, Rhode
Island 02881; Open House 5:00–8:00
p.m.; Presentation and Q&A 6:00 p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information on the Vineyard Wind COP
EIS, the submission of comments, or
BOEM’s policies associated with this
notice, please contact Michelle Morin,
BOEM Office of Renewable Energy
Programs, 45600 Woodland Road,
Sterling, Virginia 20166, (703) 787–1340
or michelle.morin@boem.gov.
Proposed Action: The proposed action
is the construction and operation of a
wind energy facility as described in the
COP submitted by Vineyard Wind on
Lease Area OCS–A 0501. In its COP,
Vineyard Wind is proposing the
construction, operation, and eventual
decommissioning of an 800MW facility,
potentially constructed in two 400 MW
phases up to five years apart. Vineyard
Wind’s COP proposes installing up to
106 wind turbine generators, each with
a capacity of between 8 and 10 MW.
Foundations would likely be
monopoles, jackets, or a combination of
both. The proposed facility would also
include two to four offshore substations
or electrical service platforms. The
potential export cable landfalls
identified by Vineyard Wind include
sites near the towns of Yarmouth,
Barnstable, and Nantucket in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Onshore construction and staging would
take place at the New Bedford Marine
Commerce Terminal facility. At its
nearest point, the project area is
approximately 14 miles from the
southeast corner of Martha’s Vineyard
and a similar distance from the
southwest side of Nantucket. Water
depths where the turbines would be
located range from approximately 37 to
49 meters (approximately 121 to 161
feet).
Once BOEM completes the EIS and
associated consultations, BOEM will
decide whether to approve, approve
with modification, or disapprove the
Vineyard Wind COP. If BOEM approves
the COP and the proposed facility is
constructed, the lessee must submit a
plan to decommission the facilities prior
to the end of the lease term.
Scoping Process: This NOI
commences the public scoping process
for identifying issues and potential
alternatives for consideration in the
Vineyard Wind COP EIS. Throughout
the scoping process, Federal agencies,
state, tribal, and local governments, and
the general public have the opportunity
to help BOEM determine significant
resources and issues, impact-producing
factors, reasonable alternatives (e.g.,
size, geographic, seasonal, or other
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13778
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 62 / Friday, March 30, 2018 / Notices
restrictions on construction and siting of
facilities and activities), and potential
mitigation measures to be analyzed in
the EIS, as well as provide additional
information. BOEM will also use the
NEPA commenting process to initiate
the Section 106 consultation process
under the National Historic Preservation
Act (54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), as
permitted by 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
Through this notice, BOEM additionally
intends to inform its Section 106
consultation by seeking public comment
and input regarding the identification of
historic properties or potential effects to
historic properties from activities
associated with approval of the
Vineyard Wind COP.
BOEM’s scoping meetings will be
held at the places and times listed in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice.
Cooperating Agencies: BOEM invites
other Federal agencies and state, tribal,
and local governments to consider
becoming cooperating agencies in the
preparation of its EIS analyzing the
proposed Vineyard Wind COP.
According to Council on Environmental
Quality (CEQ) guidelines, qualified
agencies and governments are those
with ‘‘jurisdiction by law or special
expertise.’’ Potential cooperating
agencies should consider their authority
and capacity to assume the
responsibilities of a cooperating agency,
and should be aware that an agency’s
role in the environmental analysis
neither enlarges nor diminishes the final
decision-making authority of any other
agency involved in the NEPA process.
Upon request, BOEM will provide
potential cooperating agencies with a
written summary of expectations for
cooperating agencies, including time
schedules and critical action dates,
milestones, responsibilities, scope and
detail of cooperating agencies’
contributions, and availability of predecisional information. BOEM
anticipates this summary will form the
basis for a Memorandum of Agreement
between BOEM and any cooperating
agency. Agencies should also consider
the ‘‘Factors for Determining
Cooperating Agency Status’’ in
Attachment 1 to CEQ’s January 30, 2002,
Memorandum for the Heads of Federal
Agencies: Cooperating Agencies in
Implementing the Procedural
Requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act. This
document is available on the internet at:
https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/
nepapub/nepa_documents//G-CEQCoopAgenciesImplem.pdf. BOEM, as the
lead agency, will not provide financial
assistance to cooperating agencies.
Even if a governmental entity is not a
cooperating agency, it will have
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opportunities to provide information
and comments to BOEM during the
public input stages of the NEPA process.
Comments: Federal agencies, tribal,
state, and local governments, and other
interested parties are requested to
comment on the scope of this EIS,
significant issues that should be
addressed, and alternatives that should
be considered. Comments can be
submitted in any of the following ways:
1. In written form, delivered by hand
or by mail, enclosed in an envelope
labeled ‘‘Vineyard Wind COP EIS’’ and
addressed to Program Manager, Office of
Renewable Energy, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, 45600 Woodland
Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166.
Comments must be received or
postmarked no later than April 30, 2018;
or
2. Through the regulations.gov web
portal: Navigate to https://
www.regulations.gov and search for
Docket No. BOEM–2018–0015. Click on
the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ button to the right
of the document link. Enter your
information and comment, then click
‘‘Submit.’’
BOEM does not consider anonymous
comments. Please include your name
and address as part of your submittal.
BOEM makes all comments, including
the names and addresses of
respondents, available for public review
during regular business hours.
Individual respondents may request that
BOEM withhold their names and/or
addresses from the public record;
however, BOEM cannot guarantee that it
will be able to do so. If you wish your
name and/or address to be withheld,
you must state your preference
prominently at the beginning of your
comment. All submissions from
organizations or businesses and from
individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses will be
made available for public inspection in
their entirety.
Authority: This NOI is published pursuant
to the regulations (40 CFR 1501.7)
implementing the provisions of NEPA.
Dated: March 27, 2018.
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2018–06638 Filed 3–29–18; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket ID: BOEM–2017–0063;
MMAA104000]
Outer Continental Shelf, Alaska OCS
Region, Beaufort Sea, Proposed Oil
and Gas Lease Sale for 2019
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
ACTION: Call for Information and
Nominations.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM) is issuing this Call
for Information and Nominations (Call)
covering a proposed sale in the Beaufort
Sea Planning Area in late 2019, as
included in the 2019–2024 National
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and
Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program
(2019–2024 National Draft Proposed
Program), which BOEM announced on
January 4, 2018. The purpose of this
Call is to solicit industry nominations
for areas of leasing interest and to gather
comments and information on the area
included in the Call for consideration in
planning for this proposed OCS oil and
gas lease sale. Because this lease sale is
proposed to occur in 2019, and given
the long lead time needed to prepare for
a proposed sale, the planning process
must begin now or the option of a lease
sale in 2019 would be precluded.
However, this Call is not a decision to
lease and is not a prejudgment by the
Secretary concerning any area that may
be made available for leasing under the
2019–2024 National Program.
DATES: All nominations and comments
submitted in response to this Call must
be received by BOEM no later than
April 30, 2018. BOEM will consider
submissions sent by mail so long as they
are postmarked by the last day of the
comment period.
ADDRESSES: Public Comment
Submission Procedures: All public
comments should be submitted through
one of the following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. In the field
entitled, ‘‘Search,’’ enter ‘‘BOEM–2017–
0063’’ 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 to the following
address: Chief, Leasing Section, BOEM,
Alaska OCS Region, 3801 Centerpoint
Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska
99503–5823. Send your comments in an
envelope clearly labelled, ‘‘Comments
on the Call for Information and
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 62 (Friday, March 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13777-13778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06638]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2018-0015; MMAA104000]
Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
Vineyard Wind LLC's Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore
Massachusetts
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Consistent with the regulations implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the approval of a Construction and Operations Plan
(COP) submitted by Vineyard Wind LLC (Vineyard Wind) that would allow
it to construct and operate an 800 megawatt (MW) wind energy facility
offshore Massachusetts. This Notice of Intent (NOI) serves to announce
the EIS scoping process for the Vineyard Wind COP.
DATES: Comments should be submitted no later than April 30, 2018.
BOEM's scoping meetings will be held at the following dates and times.
Please see the ADDRESSES section for the specific locations.
1. Monday, April 16, 2018, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., New Bedford,
Massachusetts.
2. Tuesday, April 17, 2018, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Martha's
Vineyard, Massachusetts.
3. Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Nantucket,
Massachusetts.
4. Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Hyannis,
Massachusetts.
5. Thursday, April 19, 2018, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Kingston,
Rhode Island.
ADDRESSES: Detailed information about the proposed wind energy
facility, including the COP, can be found on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/Commercial-Wind-Leasing-Offshore-Massachusetts/. Comments
can be submitted in any of the following ways:
1. In written form, delivered by hand or by mail, enclosed in an
envelope labeled ``Vineyard Wind COP EIS'' and addressed to Program
Manager, Office of Renewable Energy, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166. Comments must be
received or postmarked no later than April 30, 2018; or
2. Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2018-0015. Click on
the ``Comment Now!'' button to the right of the document link. Enter
your information and comment, then click ``Submit.''
Pursuant to the regulations implementing the provisions of NEPA (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), BOEM will hold public scoping meetings for the
Vineyard Wind COP at the following places and times:
New Bedford, Massachusetts; Monday, April 16, 2018;
Fairfield Inn and Suites, Waypoint Event Center, Sealoft Room, 185
MacArthur Drive, New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740; Open House 5:00-8:00
p.m.; Presentation and Q&A 6:00 p.m.
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts; Tuesday, April 17, 2018;
Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center, 130 Center Street, Vineyard Haven,
Massachusetts 02568; Open House 5:00-8:00 p.m.; Presentation and Q&A
6:00 p.m.
Nantucket, Massachusetts; Wednesday, April 18, 2018;
Nantucket Middle School, Cafeteria, 10 Surfside Road, Nantucket,
Massachusetts 02554; Open House 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.; Presentation and
Q&A 12:00 p.m.
Hyannis, Massachusetts; Wednesday, April 18, 2018; Double
Tree Hotel, 287 Iyannough Road, Cape Cod Room, Hyannis, Massachusetts
02601; Open House 6:00-9:00 p.m.; Presentation and Q&A 6:30 p.m.
Kingston, Rhode Island; Thursday, April 19, 2018;
University of Rhode Island, Ryan Center, Alumni Lounge, 1 Lincoln
Almond Plaza, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881; Open House 5:00-8:00 p.m.;
Presentation and Q&A 6:00 p.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the Vineyard Wind
COP EIS, the submission of comments, or BOEM's policies associated with
this notice, please contact Michelle Morin, BOEM Office of Renewable
Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166, (703)
787-1340 or [email protected].
Proposed Action: The proposed action is the construction and
operation of a wind energy facility as described in the COP submitted
by Vineyard Wind on Lease Area OCS-A 0501. In its COP, Vineyard Wind is
proposing the construction, operation, and eventual decommissioning of
an 800MW facility, potentially constructed in two 400 MW phases up to
five years apart. Vineyard Wind's COP proposes installing up to 106
wind turbine generators, each with a capacity of between 8 and 10 MW.
Foundations would likely be monopoles, jackets, or a combination of
both. The proposed facility would also include two to four offshore
substations or electrical service platforms. The potential export cable
landfalls identified by Vineyard Wind include sites near the towns of
Yarmouth, Barnstable, and Nantucket in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. On-shore construction and staging would take place at
the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal facility. At its nearest
point, the project area is approximately 14 miles from the southeast
corner of Martha's Vineyard and a similar distance from the southwest
side of Nantucket. Water depths where the turbines would be located
range from approximately 37 to 49 meters (approximately 121 to 161
feet).
Once BOEM completes the EIS and associated consultations, BOEM will
decide whether to approve, approve with modification, or disapprove the
Vineyard Wind COP. If BOEM approves the COP and the proposed facility
is constructed, the lessee must submit a plan to decommission the
facilities prior to the end of the lease term.
Scoping Process: This NOI commences the public scoping process for
identifying issues and potential alternatives for consideration in the
Vineyard Wind COP EIS. Throughout the scoping process, Federal
agencies, state, tribal, and local governments, and the general public
have the opportunity to help BOEM determine significant resources and
issues, impact-producing factors, reasonable alternatives (e.g., size,
geographic, seasonal, or other
[[Page 13778]]
restrictions on construction and siting of facilities and activities),
and potential mitigation measures to be analyzed in the EIS, as well as
provide additional information. BOEM will also use the NEPA commenting
process to initiate the Section 106 consultation process under the
National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), as
permitted by 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Through this notice, BOEM additionally
intends to inform its Section 106 consultation by seeking public
comment and input regarding the identification of historic properties
or potential effects to historic properties from activities associated
with approval of the Vineyard Wind COP.
BOEM's scoping meetings will be held at the places and times listed
in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
Cooperating Agencies: BOEM invites other Federal agencies and
state, tribal, and local governments to consider becoming cooperating
agencies in the preparation of its EIS analyzing the proposed Vineyard
Wind COP. According to Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
guidelines, qualified agencies and governments are those with
``jurisdiction by law or special expertise.'' Potential cooperating
agencies should consider their authority and capacity to assume the
responsibilities of a cooperating agency, and should be aware that an
agency's role in the environmental analysis neither enlarges nor
diminishes the final decision-making authority of any other agency
involved in the NEPA process. Upon request, BOEM will provide potential
cooperating agencies with a written summary of expectations for
cooperating agencies, including time schedules and critical action
dates, milestones, responsibilities, scope and detail of cooperating
agencies' contributions, and availability of pre-decisional
information. BOEM anticipates this summary will form the basis for a
Memorandum of Agreement between BOEM and any cooperating agency.
Agencies should also consider the ``Factors for Determining Cooperating
Agency Status'' in Attachment 1 to CEQ's January 30, 2002, Memorandum
for the Heads of Federal Agencies: Cooperating Agencies in Implementing
the Procedural Requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.
This document is available on the internet at: https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/nepapub/nepa_documents//G-CEQ-CoopAgenciesImplem.pdf. BOEM,
as the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance to
cooperating agencies.
Even if a governmental entity is not a cooperating agency, it will
have opportunities to provide information and comments to BOEM during
the public input stages of the NEPA process.
Comments: Federal agencies, tribal, state, and local governments,
and other interested parties are requested to comment on the scope of
this EIS, significant issues that should be addressed, and alternatives
that should be considered. Comments can be submitted in any of the
following ways:
1. In written form, delivered by hand or by mail, enclosed in an
envelope labeled ``Vineyard Wind COP EIS'' and addressed to Program
Manager, Office of Renewable Energy, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166. Comments must be
received or postmarked no later than April 30, 2018; or
2. Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2018-0015. Click on
the ``Comment Now!'' button to the right of the document link. Enter
your information and comment, then click ``Submit.''
BOEM does not consider anonymous comments. Please include your name
and address as part of your submittal. BOEM makes all comments,
including the names and addresses of respondents, available for public
review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may
request that BOEM withhold their names and/or addresses from the public
record; however, BOEM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.
If you wish your name and/or address to be withheld, you must state
your preference prominently at the beginning of your comment. All
submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their
entirety.
Authority: This NOI is published pursuant to the regulations
(40 CFR 1501.7) implementing the provisions of NEPA.
Dated: March 27, 2018.
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2018-06638 Filed 3-29-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
