Notice of Availability of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan 2 and Environmental Assessment: Fish, Sea Turtles, Marine Mammals, and Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities, 21753-21755 [2019-09554]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 15, 2019 / Notices
discussed, those issues may not be the
subject of formal action during this
meeting. Action will be restricted to
those issues specifically listed in this
document and any issues arising after
publication of this document that
require emergency action under section
305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act,
provided the public has been notified of
the intent to take final action to address
the emergency.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr.
Kris Kleinschmidt, (503) 820–2411, at
least ten business days prior to the
meeting date.
Dated: May 10, 2019.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019–10082 Filed 5–14–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XG958
Notice of Availability of the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill Open Ocean Trustee
Implementation Group Draft
Restoration Plan 2 and Environmental
Assessment: Fish, Sea Turtles, Marine
Mammals, and Mesophotic and Deep
Benthic Communities
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), and a Consent Decree with BP
Exploration & Production Inc. (BP),1 the
Deepwater Horizon Federal natural
resource trustee agencies for the Open
Ocean Trustee Implementation Group
(Open Ocean TIG) have prepared a Draft
Restoration Plan 2 and Environmental
Assessment (Draft RP/EA). The Draft
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SUMMARY:
1 Consent Decree among Defendant BP
Exploration & Production Inc. (‘‘BPXP’’), the United
States of America, and the States of Alabama,
Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas entered
in In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig ‘‘Deepwater
Horizon’’ in the Gulf of Mexico, on April 20, 2010,
MDL No. 2179 in the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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22:43 May 14, 2019
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RP/EA describes and proposes
restoration project alternatives
considered by the Open Ocean TIG to
restore natural resources and ecological
services injured or lost as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Open
Ocean TIG evaluated these alternatives
under criteria set forth in the OPA
natural resource damage assessment
regulations, and also evaluated the
environmental consequences of the
restoration alternatives in accordance
with NEPA. The proposed projects are
consistent with the restoration
alternatives selected in the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill: Final Programmatic
Damage Assessment and Restoration
Plan/Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (PDARP/PEIS). The
purpose of this notice is to inform the
public of the availability of the Draft RP/
EA and to seek public comments on the
document.
DATES: The Open Ocean TIG will
consider public comments received on
or before July 1, 2019.
Public Meetings: The Open Ocean TIG
will conduct one public meeting and
two webinars to facilitate the public
review and comment on the Draft RP/
EA. Each of the public meeting and
webinars will include a presentation of
the Draft RP/EA. Both written and oral
public comments will be taken at the
public meeting. Only written comments
will be taken through the public
webinars. Comments will also be taken
through submission online or through
U.S. mail (see Submitting Comments
below). Public meetings and webinars
will be held on June 4 (public meeting),
June 11 (webinar), and June 13
(webinar). The full meeting schedule is
listed in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
below.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may
download the Draft RP/EA at: https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-areas/open-ocean.
Alternatively, you may request a CD of
the Draft RP/EA (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT below). Also, you
may view the document at any of the
public facilities listed in Appendix G.
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments on the Draft RP/EA by
one of the following methods:
• Via the Web: https://www.gulfspill
restoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/
open-ocean;
• Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 29649,
Atlanta, GA 30345. Please note that
mailed comments must be postmarked
on or before the comment deadline of 45
days following publication of this notice
to be considered; or
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21753
• In Person: Written and oral
comments may be submitted at the
public meeting on June 4, 2019 and
written comments may be submitted
during public webinars on June 11 and
June 13, 2019 (see Invitation to
Comment below).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration—Laurie Rounds,
Laurie.Rounds@noaa.gov, (850) 934–
9284.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On 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 one
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.
The Deepwater Horizon Federal and
State natural resource trustees (DWH
Trustees) conducted the natural
resource damage assessment (NRDA) for
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill under
OPA (OPA; 33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.).
Pursuant to OPA, Federal and State
agencies act as trustees on behalf of the
public to assess natural resource injuries
and losses and to determine the actions
required to compensate the public for
those injuries and losses. OPA further
instructs the designated 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.
The Deepwater Horizon 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;
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 15, 2019 / Notices
• 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 (EPA);
• 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
• State of Texas: Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department, Texas General
Land Office, and Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality.
The Trustees reached and finalized a
settlement of their natural resource
damage claims with BP in an April 4,
2016, Consent Decree approved by the
United States District Court for the
Eastern District of Louisiana. Pursuant
to that Consent Decree, restoration
projects in the Open Ocean Restoration
Area are now selected and implemented
by the Open Ocean TIG. The Open
Ocean TIG is composed of the following
federal Trustees: NOAA; DOI; EPA; and
USDA.
This restoration planning activity is
proceeding in accordance with the
PDARP/PEIS. Information on the
Restoration Types being considered in
the Draft RP/EA, as well as the OPA
criteria against which project ideas are
being evaluated, can be viewed in the
PDARP/PEIS (https://www.gulfspill
restoration.noaa.gov/restorationplanning/gulf-plan) and in the
Overview of the PDARP/PEIS (https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-planning/gulf-plan).
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Background
On March 31, 2017, the Open Ocean
TIG posted a public notice at https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov
requesting new or revised natural
resource restoration project ideas by
May 15, 2017 for the Open Ocean
Restoration Area. The notice stated that
the Open Ocean TIG was seeking project
ideas for the following Restoration
Types: (1) Birds; (2) Sturgeon; (3) Sea
Turtles; (4) Marine Mammals; (5) Fish
and Water Column Invertebrates; and (6)
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic
Communities.
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22:43 May 14, 2019
Jkt 247001
On February 7, 2018 the Open Ocean
TIG announced that it had initiated
drafting of its first and second post
settlement draft restoration plans; and
that the first plan would include
restoration projects for Birds and
Sturgeon, while the second plan,
noticed here, would include restoration
projects for Sea Turtles, Marine
Mammals, Fish and Water Column
Invertebrates, and Mesophotic and Deep
Benthic Communities.
Overview of the OO TIG Draft RP/EA
The Draft RP/EA is being released in
accordance with OPA NRDA regulations
in the Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) at 15 CFR part 990, NEPA (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Consent Decree,
and the Final PDARP/PEIS.
In the Draft RP/EA, the Open Ocean
TIG analyzes 23 alternatives and
proposes 18 preferred alternatives for
the following restoration types: Fish and
Water Column Invertebrates, Sea
Turtles, Marine Mammals, and
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic
Communities:
Fish and Water Column Invertebrates
• Reduction of Post-Release Mortality
from Barotrauma in Gulf of Mexico Reef
Fish Recreational Fisheries- Preferred,
$30,011,000.
• Better Bycatch Reduction Devices
for the Gulf of Mexico Commercial
Shrimp Trawl Fishery- Preferred,
$17,171,000.
• Communication Networks and
Mapping Tools to Reduce Bycatch—
Phase 1- Preferred, $4,416,000.
• Restoring for Bluefin Tuna via
Fishing Depth Optimization- Preferred,
$6,175,000.
• Reduce the Impacts of Ghost
Fishing by Removing Derelict Fishing
Gear from Marine and Estuarine
Habitats- Not Preferred, $6,128,000.
Sea Turtles
• Gulf of Mexico Sea Turtle AtlasPreferred, $5,700,000.
• Identifying Methods to Reduce Sea
Turtle Bycatch in the Reef Fish Bottom
Longline Fishery- Preferred, $290,000.
• Developing a Gulf-wide
Comprehensive Plan for In-Water Sea
Turtle Data Collection- Preferred,
$655,000.
• Developing Methods to Observe Sea
Turtle Interactions in the Gulf of Mexico
Menhaden Purse Seine FisheryPreferred, $3,000,000.
• Reducing Juvenile Sea Turtle
Bycatch Through Development of
Reduced Bar Spacing in Turtle Excluder
Devices- Preferred, $2,153,000.
• Long-term Nesting Beach Habitat
Protection for Sea Turtles- Preferred,
$7,000,000.
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• Reducing Sea Turtle Entanglement
from Recreational Fishing Debris- Not
Preferred, $1,113,600.
• Reducing Sea Turtle Bycatch at
Recreational Fishing Sites- Not
Preferred, $1,329,000.
Marine Mammals
• Reducing Impacts to Cetaceans
During Disasters by Improving Response
Activities- Preferred, $4,287,000.
• Compilation of Environmental,
Threats, and Animal data for Cetacean
Population Health Analyses—Preferred,
$5,808,500.
• Reduce Impacts of Anthropogenic
Noise on Cetaceans—Preferred,
$8,992,200.
• Reduce and Mitigate Vessel Strike
Mortality of Cetaceans—Preferred,
$3,834,000.
• Assessment of Northern Gulf of
Mexico Shelf Small Cetacean Health,
Habitat. Use, and Movement Patterns—
Not Preferred, $4,620,000.
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic
Communities
• Mapping, Ground-Truthing, and
Predictive Habitat Modeling—Preferred,
$35,909,000.
• Habitat Assessment and
Evaluation—Preferred, $52,639,000.
• Coral Propagation Technique
Development—Preferred, $16,951,000.
• Active Management and
Protection—Preferred, $20,689,000.
• Habitat Characterization at Known
High Priority Sites—Not Preferred,
$21,500,000.
The Open Ocean TIG also analyzes a
No Action alternative. One or more
alternatives may be selected for
implementation by the Open Ocean TIG
in the Final RP/EA or in future
restoration plans.
The Open Ocean TIG has examined
the injuries assessed by the DWH
Trustees and evaluated restoration
alternatives to address the injuries. In
the Draft RP/EA, the Open Ocean TIG
presents to the public its draft plan for
providing partial compensation to the
public for injured natural resources and
ecological services in the Open Ocean
Restoration Area. The proposed
alternatives are intended to continue the
process of using DWH restoration
funding to restore natural resources
injured or lost as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The total
estimated cost of the projects proposed
as preferred is $225,680,700. Additional
restoration planning for the Open Ocean
Restoration Area will continue.
Next Steps
The public is encouraged to review
and comment on the Draft RP/EA. A
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 15, 2019 / Notices
public meeting and webinars are
scheduled to facilitate the public review
and comment process. After the public
comment period ends, the Open Ocean
TIG will consider and address the
comments received before issuing a
Final RP/EA. A summary of comments
received and the Open Ocean TIG’s
responses and any revisions to the
document, as appropriate, will be
included in the final document.
Public Meeting Schedule
The Open Ocean TIG will conduct a
public meeting and webinars to provide
information and seek input on the Draft
RP/EA:
• June 4, 2019 (public meeting), at
5:30 p.m. at the Pensacola City Hall, 222
W Main St., Pensacola, FL 32502;
• June 11, 2019 (webinar), at 12:00
p.m. Central Time. Register at: https://
register.gotowebinar.com/register/
7304216670381829899.
• June 13, 2019 (webinar), at 6:00
p.m. Central Time. Register at: https://
register.gotowebinar.com/register/
2042490581520295947.
Written and oral comments on the
Draft RP/EA may be submitted at the
public meeting and through the
webinars (written comment only).
Persons with disabilities may request
special accommodations at the public
meeting by contacting the Open Ocean
TIG by May 24, 2019 (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
Invitation to Comment
The Open Ocean TIG seeks public
review and comment on the Draft RP/
EA (see ADDRESSES above). Before
including your address, telephone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, please be aware that your
entire comment, including your
personal identifying information, will
become part of the public record.
Administrative Record
The documents comprising the
Administrative Record for the Draft RP/
EA can be viewed electronically at
https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/
adminrecord.
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Authority
The authority of this action is the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et
seq.) and its implementing Oil Pollution
Act Natural Resource Damage
Assessment regulations found at 15 CFR
part 990 and the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
22:43 May 14, 2019
Jkt 247001
Dated: May 3, 2019.
Carrie Selberg,
Deputy Director, Office of Habitat
Conservation, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2019–09554 Filed 5–14–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XH029
New England Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; public meeting.
AGENCY:
The New England Fishery
Management Council (Council) is
scheduling a public meeting of its
Herring Committee to consider actions
affecting New England fisheries in the
exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Recommendations from this group will
be brought to the full Council for formal
consideration and action, if appropriate.
DATES: This meeting will be held on
Thursday, May 30, 2019 at 10 a.m.
ADDRESSES:
Meeting address: The meeting will be
held at the Four Points by Sheraton,
Wakefield, MA 01880; telephone: (781)
245–9300.
Council address: New England
Fishery Management Council, 50 Water
Street, Mill 2, Newburyport, MA 01950.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director,
New England Fishery Management
Council; telephone: (978) 465–0492.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Agenda
Frm 00008
Set-Aside (RSA) Program Review and
identify which issues the Council
should consider further. Other business
may be discussed as necessary.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained on this agenda may come
before this Council for discussion, those
issues may not be the subject of formal
action during this meeting. Council
action will be restricted to those issues
specifically listed in this notice and any
issues arising after publication of this
notice that require emergency action
under section 305(c) of the MagnusonStevens Act, provided the public has
been notified of the Council’s intent to
take final action to address the
emergency.
Special Accommodations
This meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. This meeting
will be recorded. Consistent with 16
U.S.C. 1852, a copy of the recording is
available upon request. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to
Thomas A. Nies, Executive Director, at
(978) 465–0492, at least 5 days prior to
the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: May 10, 2019.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019–10084 Filed 5–14–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XH031
Pacific Fishery Management Council;
Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting
(webinar).
AGENCY:
The Committee will review
Framework 6 to the Herring Fishery
Management Plan, an action considering
fishery specifications for FY 2019–21;
identify final preferred alternatives for
Council consideration. They will also
discuss and make recommendations for
the Council review of the Management
Strategy Evaluation (MSE) process used
in Amendment 8 to develop and analyze
acceptable biological catch (ABC)
control rule alternatives. The Committee
will have an initial discussion of a
background document being prepared
on Atlantic herring spawning activity on
Georges Bank.
They will review findings and
recommendations from the Research
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The Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Pacific Council)
will convene a webinar meeting of its
Groundfish Management Team (GMT) to
discuss items on the Pacific Council’s
June 2019 meeting agenda. The meeting
is open to the public.
DATES: The webinar meeting will be
held Wednesday, June 12, 2019, from 1
p.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
The scheduled ending time for the GMT
webinar is an estimate, the meeting will
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21753-21755]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09554]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XG958
Notice of Availability of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Open
Ocean Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan 2 and
Environmental Assessment: Fish, Sea Turtles, Marine Mammals, and
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and a Consent Decree with BP
Exploration & Production Inc. (BP),\1\ the Deepwater Horizon Federal
natural resource trustee agencies for the Open Ocean Trustee
Implementation Group (Open Ocean TIG) have prepared a Draft Restoration
Plan 2 and Environmental Assessment (Draft RP/EA). The Draft RP/EA
describes and proposes restoration project alternatives considered by
the Open Ocean TIG to restore natural resources and ecological services
injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The
Open Ocean TIG evaluated these alternatives under criteria set forth in
the OPA natural resource damage assessment regulations, and also
evaluated the environmental consequences of the restoration
alternatives in accordance with NEPA. The proposed projects are
consistent with the restoration alternatives selected in the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill: Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration
Plan/Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PDARP/PEIS). The
purpose of this notice is to inform the public of the availability of
the Draft RP/EA and to seek public comments on the document.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Consent Decree among Defendant BP Exploration & Production
Inc. (``BPXP''), the United States of America, and the States of
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas entered in In
re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig ``Deepwater Horizon'' in the Gulf of
Mexico, on April 20, 2010, MDL No. 2179 in the United States
District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
DATES: The Open Ocean TIG will consider public comments received on or
before July 1, 2019.
Public Meetings: The Open Ocean TIG will conduct one public meeting
and two webinars to facilitate the public review and comment on the
Draft RP/EA. Each of the public meeting and webinars will include a
presentation of the Draft RP/EA. Both written and oral public comments
will be taken at the public meeting. Only written comments will be
taken through the public webinars. Comments will also be taken through
submission online or through U.S. mail (see Submitting Comments below).
Public meetings and webinars will be held on June 4 (public meeting),
June 11 (webinar), and June 13 (webinar). The full meeting schedule is
listed in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may download the Draft RP/EA at: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/open-ocean.
Alternatively, you may request a CD of the Draft RP/EA (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT below). Also, you may view the document at any of
the public facilities listed in Appendix G.
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft RP/EA by
one of the following methods:
Via the Web: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/open-ocean;
Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box
29649, Atlanta, GA 30345. Please note that mailed comments must be
postmarked on or before the comment deadline of 45 days following
publication of this notice to be considered; or
In Person: Written and oral comments may be submitted at
the public meeting on June 4, 2019 and written comments may be
submitted during public webinars on June 11 and June 13, 2019 (see
Invitation to Comment below).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration--Laurie Rounds, [email protected], (850) 934-9284.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On 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 one 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.
The Deepwater Horizon Federal and State natural resource trustees
(DWH Trustees) conducted the natural resource damage assessment (NRDA)
for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill under OPA (OPA; 33 U.S.C. 2701 et
seq.). Pursuant to OPA, Federal and State agencies act as trustees on
behalf of the public to assess natural resource injuries and losses and
to determine the actions required to compensate the public for those
injuries and losses. OPA further instructs the designated 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.
The Deepwater Horizon 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;
[[Page 21754]]
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 (EPA);
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
State of Texas: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas
General Land Office, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The Trustees reached and finalized a settlement of their natural
resource damage claims with BP in an April 4, 2016, Consent Decree
approved by the United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Louisiana. Pursuant to that Consent Decree, restoration projects in
the Open Ocean Restoration Area are now selected and implemented by the
Open Ocean TIG. The Open Ocean TIG is composed of the following federal
Trustees: NOAA; DOI; EPA; and USDA.
This restoration planning activity is proceeding in accordance with
the PDARP/PEIS. Information on the Restoration Types being considered
in the Draft RP/EA, as well as the OPA criteria against which project
ideas are being evaluated, can be viewed in the PDARP/PEIS (https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan) and
in the Overview of the PDARP/PEIS (https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan).
Background
On March 31, 2017, the Open Ocean TIG posted a public notice at
https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov requesting new or revised
natural resource restoration project ideas by May 15, 2017 for the Open
Ocean Restoration Area. The notice stated that the Open Ocean TIG was
seeking project ideas for the following Restoration Types: (1) Birds;
(2) Sturgeon; (3) Sea Turtles; (4) Marine Mammals; (5) Fish and Water
Column Invertebrates; and (6) Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities.
On February 7, 2018 the Open Ocean TIG announced that it had
initiated drafting of its first and second post settlement draft
restoration plans; and that the first plan would include restoration
projects for Birds and Sturgeon, while the second plan, noticed here,
would include restoration projects for Sea Turtles, Marine Mammals,
Fish and Water Column Invertebrates, and Mesophotic and Deep Benthic
Communities.
Overview of the OO TIG Draft RP/EA
The Draft RP/EA is being released in accordance with OPA NRDA
regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR part
990, NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Consent Decree, and the Final
PDARP/PEIS.
In the Draft RP/EA, the Open Ocean TIG analyzes 23 alternatives and
proposes 18 preferred alternatives for the following restoration types:
Fish and Water Column Invertebrates, Sea Turtles, Marine Mammals, and
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities:
Fish and Water Column Invertebrates
Reduction of Post-Release Mortality from Barotrauma in
Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Recreational Fisheries- Preferred,
$30,011,000.
Better Bycatch Reduction Devices for the Gulf of Mexico
Commercial Shrimp Trawl Fishery- Preferred, $17,171,000.
Communication Networks and Mapping Tools to Reduce
Bycatch--Phase 1- Preferred, $4,416,000.
Restoring for Bluefin Tuna via Fishing Depth Optimization-
Preferred, $6,175,000.
Reduce the Impacts of Ghost Fishing by Removing Derelict
Fishing Gear from Marine and Estuarine Habitats- Not Preferred,
$6,128,000.
Sea Turtles
Gulf of Mexico Sea Turtle Atlas- Preferred, $5,700,000.
Identifying Methods to Reduce Sea Turtle Bycatch in the
Reef Fish Bottom Longline Fishery- Preferred, $290,000.
Developing a Gulf-wide Comprehensive Plan for In-Water Sea
Turtle Data Collection- Preferred, $655,000.
Developing Methods to Observe Sea Turtle Interactions in
the Gulf of Mexico Menhaden Purse Seine Fishery- Preferred, $3,000,000.
Reducing Juvenile Sea Turtle Bycatch Through Development
of Reduced Bar Spacing in Turtle Excluder Devices- Preferred,
$2,153,000.
Long-term Nesting Beach Habitat Protection for Sea
Turtles- Preferred, $7,000,000.
Reducing Sea Turtle Entanglement from Recreational Fishing
Debris- Not Preferred, $1,113,600.
Reducing Sea Turtle Bycatch at Recreational Fishing Sites-
Not Preferred, $1,329,000.
Marine Mammals
Reducing Impacts to Cetaceans During Disasters by
Improving Response Activities- Preferred, $4,287,000.
Compilation of Environmental, Threats, and Animal data for
Cetacean Population Health Analyses--Preferred, $5,808,500.
Reduce Impacts of Anthropogenic Noise on Cetaceans--
Preferred, $8,992,200.
Reduce and Mitigate Vessel Strike Mortality of Cetaceans--
Preferred, $3,834,000.
Assessment of Northern Gulf of Mexico Shelf Small Cetacean
Health, Habitat. Use, and Movement Patterns--Not Preferred, $4,620,000.
Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities
Mapping, Ground-Truthing, and Predictive Habitat
Modeling--Preferred, $35,909,000.
Habitat Assessment and Evaluation--Preferred, $52,639,000.
Coral Propagation Technique Development--Preferred,
$16,951,000.
Active Management and Protection--Preferred, $20,689,000.
Habitat Characterization at Known High Priority Sites--Not
Preferred, $21,500,000.
The Open Ocean TIG also analyzes a No Action alternative. One or
more alternatives may be selected for implementation by the Open Ocean
TIG in the Final RP/EA or in future restoration plans.
The Open Ocean TIG has examined the injuries assessed by the DWH
Trustees and evaluated restoration alternatives to address the
injuries. In the Draft RP/EA, the Open Ocean TIG presents to the public
its draft plan for providing partial compensation to the public for
injured natural resources and ecological services in the Open Ocean
Restoration Area. The proposed alternatives are intended to continue
the process of using DWH restoration funding to restore natural
resources injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill. The total estimated cost of the projects proposed as preferred
is $225,680,700. Additional restoration planning for the Open Ocean
Restoration Area will continue.
Next Steps
The public is encouraged to review and comment on the Draft RP/EA.
A
[[Page 21755]]
public meeting and webinars are scheduled to facilitate the public
review and comment process. After the public comment period ends, the
Open Ocean TIG will consider and address the comments received before
issuing a Final RP/EA. A summary of comments received and the Open
Ocean TIG's responses and any revisions to the document, as
appropriate, will be included in the final document.
Public Meeting Schedule
The Open Ocean TIG will conduct a public meeting and webinars to
provide information and seek input on the Draft RP/EA:
June 4, 2019 (public meeting), at 5:30 p.m. at the
Pensacola City Hall, 222 W Main St., Pensacola, FL 32502;
June 11, 2019 (webinar), at 12:00 p.m. Central Time.
Register at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7304216670381829899.
June 13, 2019 (webinar), at 6:00 p.m. Central Time.
Register at: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2042490581520295947.
Written and oral comments on the Draft RP/EA may be submitted at
the public meeting and through the webinars (written comment only).
Persons with disabilities may request special accommodations at the
public meeting by contacting the Open Ocean TIG by May 24, 2019 (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Invitation to Comment
The Open Ocean TIG seeks public review and comment on the Draft RP/
EA (see ADDRESSES above). Before including your address, telephone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, please be aware that your entire comment, including your
personal identifying information, will become part of the public
record.
Administrative Record
The documents comprising the Administrative Record for the Draft
RP/EA can be viewed electronically at 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 its implementing Oil Pollution Act Natural
Resource Damage Assessment regulations found at 15 CFR part 990 and the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
Dated: May 3, 2019.
Carrie Selberg,
Deputy Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-09554 Filed 5-14-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
