Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Phase 2 Restoration Plan 1.2 and Environmental Assessment: Barataria Basin Ridge and Marsh Creation Project Spanish Pass Increment and Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project Increment One; Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, 55976-55978 [2019-22778]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 202 / Friday, October 18, 2019 / Notices
Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C.
Appendix.
The NAC advises the FEMA
Administrator on all aspects of
emergency management. The NAC
incorporates input from State, local, and
Tribal governments, and the private
sector in the development and revision
of FEMA plans and strategies. The NAC
includes a cross-section of officials,
emergency managers, and emergency
response providers from State, local,
and Tribal governments, the private
sector, and nongovernmental
organizations.
Agenda: On Tuesday, November 5,
2019, the three permanent and one adhoc NAC subcommittees (Federal
Insurance and Mitigation
Subcommittee, Preparedness and
Protection Subcommittee, Response and
Recovery Subcommittee, and
Marginalized, Tribal, Rural and Small
Communities Subcommittee) will
discuss and deliberate on their potential
recommendations and, based on group
discussion, the NAC will vote to make
recommendations as appropriate to the
FEMA Administrator. Potential
recommendation topics include (1)
closing the insurance gap, (2)
encouraging adoption of building codes,
(3) building a culture of financial
preparedness, and (4) the Building
Resilient Infrastructure and
Communities program.
On Wednesday, November 6, 2019,
the NAC will discuss process changes
occurring in the next year of NAC
operations, begin to discuss charges for
the subcommittees in the coming year,
and will also hear about strategic
priorities from the FEMA Administrator.
On Thursday, November 7, 2019, the
NAC will review potential topics for
research before the next in-person
meeting, discuss recent disasters, review
agreed upon recommendations, and
confirm charges for the subcommittees.
The full agenda and any related
documents for this meeting will be
posted by Friday, November 1, 2019, on
the NAC website at https://
www.fema.gov/national-advisorycouncil.
Dated: October 11, 2019.
Pete Gaynor,
Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2019–22731 Filed 10–17–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–48–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[FWS–R4–ES–2019–N140;
FVHC98220410150–XXX–FF04H00000]
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft
Phase 2 Restoration Plan 1.2 and
Environmental Assessment: Barataria
Basin Ridge and Marsh Creation
Project Spanish Pass Increment and
Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project
Increment One; Louisiana Trustee
Implementation Group
Department of the Interior.
Notice of availability; request
for public comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), the Final Programmatic
Damage Assessment Restoration Plan
and Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS),
and the Consent Decree, the Federal and
State natural resource trustee agencies
for the Louisiana Trustee
Implementation Group (LA TIG) have
prepared a Louisiana Trustee
Implementation Group Draft Restoration
Plan/Environmental Assessment #1.2:
Barataria Basin Ridge and Marsh
Creation Project Spanish Pass Increment
and Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project
Increment One (Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2),
proposing construction activities for the
restoration of wetlands, coastal, and
nearshore habitats injured in the
Louisiana Restoration Area as a result of
the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill.
The two projects are components of
SUMMARY:
larger marsh restoration strategies, and
were approved for engineering and
design (E&D) in a 2017 restoration plan
entitled Louisiana Trustee
Implementation Group Final
Restoration Plan #1: Restoration of
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore
Habitats; Habitat Projects on Federally
Managed Lands; and Birds (Phase 1 RP
#1). The Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2 analyzes
design alternatives for the two projects,
and proposes a preferred design
alternative for construction of each. We
invite comments on the draft Phase 2
RP/EA #1.2.
DATES:
Submitting Comments: We will
consider public comments on the draft
Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2 received on or
before November 18, 2019.
Public Webinar: The LA TIG will host
a public webinar on October 28, 2019,
at 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. The
public may register for the webinar at
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/
register/4633351197181038605. After
registering, participants will receive a
confirmation email with instructions for
joining the webinar. The presentation
material will be posted on the web
shortly after the webinar is concluded at
https://www.gulfspill
restoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/
louisiana.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may
download the draft Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2
from either of the following websites:
• https://www.doi.gov/
deepwaterhorizon
• https://www.gulfspill
restoration.noaa.gov/restorationareas/louisiana
Alternatively, you may request a CD
of the draft Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2 (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). A hard
copy of the Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2 is also
available for review during the public
comment period at repositories located
across the region. Locations are listed in
the following table.
Library
Address
City
St. Tammany Parish Library .................................
Terrebonne Parish Library ....................................
New Orleans Public Library, Louisiana Division ...
East Baton Rouge Parish Library .........................
Jefferson Parish Library, East Bank Regional Library.
Jefferson Parish Library, West Bank Regional Library.
Plaquemines Parish Library ..................................
St. Bernard Parish Library ....................................
St. Martin Parish Library .......................................
Alex P. Allain Library .............................................
Vermilion Parish Library ........................................
Martha Sowell Utley Memorial Library ..................
South Lafourche Public Library .............................
310 W 21st Avenue ..............................................
151 Library Drive ..................................................
219 Loyola Avenue ..............................................
7711 Goodwood Boulevard ..................................
4747 W Napoleon Avenue ...................................
Covington ......................
Houma ..........................
New Orleans .................
Baton Rouge .................
Metairie .........................
70433
70360
70112
70806
70001
2751 Manhattan Boulevard ..................................
Harvey ...........................
70058
8442 Highway 23 .................................................
1125 E St. Bernard Highway ...............................
201 Porter Street ..................................................
206 Iberia Street ...................................................
405 E St. Victor Street .........................................
314 St. Mary Street ..............................................
16241 E Main Street ............................................
Belle Chasse .................
Chalmette ......................
St. Martinville ................
Franklin .........................
Abbeville .......................
Thibodaux .....................
Cut Off ..........................
70037
70043
70582
70538
70510
70301
70345
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Library
Address
City
Calcasieu Parish Public Library Central Branch ...
Iberia Parish Library ..............................................
Mark Shirley, LSU AgCenter .................................
301 W Claude Street ............................................
445 E Main Street ................................................
1105 West Port Street ..........................................
Lake Charles .................
New Iberia .....................
Abbeville .......................
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments on the draft Phase 2
RP/EA #1.2 by one of the following
methods:
• Via the Web: https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-areas/louisiana.
• Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 29649,
Atlanta, GA 30345. To be considered,
mailed comments must be postmarked
on or before the comment deadline
given in DATES.
• During the public webinar: Written
comments may be provided by the
public during the webinar. Webinar
information is provided in DATES.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nanciann Regalado, via email at
nanciann_regalado@fws.gov, via
telephone at 678–296–805, or via the
Federal Relay Service at 800–877–8339.
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 DWH oil
spill is the largest offshore 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.
The Trustees conducted the natural
resource damage assessment (NRDA) for
the DWH oil spill under the Oil
Pollution Act 1990 (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. The OPA further instructs
the designated trustees to develop and
implement a plan for the restoration,
rehabilitation, replacement, or
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acquisition of the equivalent of the
injured natural resources under their
trusteeship to baseline (the resource
quality and conditions that would exist
if the spill had not occurred). This
includes the loss of use and services
provided by those resources from the
time of injury until the completion of
restoration.
The DWH 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 (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.
On April 4, 2016, the United States
District Court for the Eastern District of
Louisiana entered a Consent Decree
resolving civil claims by the Trustees
against BP arising from the DWH oil
spill: United States v. BPXP et al., Civ.
No. 10–4536, centralized in MDL 2179,
In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig
‘‘Deepwater Horizon’’ in the Gulf of
Mexico, on April 20, 2010 (E.D. La.)
(https://www.justice.gov/enrd/deepwaterhorizon). Pursuant to the Consent
Decree, restoration projects in the
Louisiana Restoration Area are chosen
and managed by the LA TIG. The LA
TIG is composed of the following
Trustees: State of Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority,
Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office,
Departments of Environmental Quality,
Wildlife and Fisheries, and Natural
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70605
70560
70510
Resources; DOI; NOAA; EPA; and
USDA.
Background
The Final PDARP/PEIS provides for
TIGs to propose phasing restoration
projects across multiple restoration
plans. A TIG may propose conceptual
projects to fund for an informationgathering planning phase, such as E&D,
in a restoration plan (phase 1). This
would allow the TIG to develop
information needed to fully consider a
subsequent implementation phase of
that project in a later restoration plan
(phase 2). In the final Phase 1 RP #1, the
LA TIG selected six conceptual projects
for E&D, using funds from the wetlands,
coastal, and nearshore habitats
restoration type, as provided for in the
DWH Consent Decree. Two of those
projects selected to undergo E&D are the
Barataria Basin Ridge and Marsh
Creation Project Spanish Pass Increment
(Spanish Pass project) and the Lake
Borgne Marsh Creation Project
Increment One (Lake Borgne project).
The design alternatives developed
during E&D are currently at a stage
where proposed construction activities
may be analyzed under OPA and NEPA.
Therefore, in the draft Phase 2 RP/EA
#1.2, the Louisiana TIG is proposing to
finalize and implement their preferred
design alternatives to construct the
Spanish Pass and Lake Borgne projects.
Overview of the LA TIG Draft Phase 2
RP/EA #1.2
The draft Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2 is being
released in accordance with OPA NRDA
regulations found in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR part 990,
NEPA and its implementing regulations
found at 40 CFR parts 1500–508, the
Final PDARP/PEIS, and the Consent
Decree. The Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2
provides OPA and NEPA analyses for a
reasonable range of design alternatives
for the Spanish Pass and Lake Borgne
projects, and identifies the LA TIG’s
preferred design alternatives.
The proposed Spanish Pass project is
a component of an overall large-scale
restoration strategy for the Barataria
Basin that would reestablish, through
multiple increments, ridge and
intertidal marsh habitats degraded due
to sea level rise, land subsidence,
diminished sediment supply, and storm
events. The total cost for the proposed
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Spanish Pass project is approximately
$99,396,000.
The proposed Lake Borgne project is
a component of an overall large-scale
restoration strategy for the southwestern
shoreline of Lake Borgne that would
reestablish, through multiple
increments, the bay rim and intertidal
marsh habitat. The estimated total cost
for this proposed increment is
$108,814,700.
Next Steps
As described above in DATES, the
Trustees will host a public webinar to
facilitate the public review and
comment process. After the public
comment period ends, the Trustees will
consider and address the comments
received before issuing a final Phase 2
RP/EA #1.2.
Public Availability of Comments
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 comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Administrative Record
The documents comprising the
Administrative Record for the Phase 2
RP/EA #1.2 can be viewed electronically
at https://www.doi.gov/deepwater
horizon/adminrecord.
Authority
The authority for this action is the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et
seq.), its implementing 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.) and its
implementing regulations found at 40
CFR parts 1500–1508.
Mary Josie Blanchard,
Director of Gulf of Mexico Restoration,
Department of Interior.
[FR Doc. 2019–22778 Filed 10–17–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[19X 1109AF LLUT930000
Ll6100000.DQ0000.LXSSJ0640000]
Notice of Error in Proposed Resource
Management Plans and Associated
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Grand Staircase-Escalante National
Monument-Grand Staircase,
Kaiparowits, and Escalante Canyon
Units and Federal Lands Previously
Included in the Monument That Are
Excluded From the Boundaries; New
Protest Period, Utah
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of error and protest
period.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument (GSENM)
and Kanab Field Office have published
modified Proposed Resource
Management Plans (RMPs) and an
associated Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the GSENM-Grand
Staircase, Kaiparowits, and Escalante
Canyon Units and Federal lands
previously included in the Monument
that are excluded from the boundaries,
referred to as the Kanab-Escalante
Planning Area (KEPA). This action
corrects an error related to Appendix W
within the Proposed RMPs and Final
EIS that the BLM had published on
August 23, 2019. The BLM is modifying
the Proposed RMPs and Final EIS to
respond to certain public comments that
the BLM received during the Draft EIS
public-comment period that were not
addressed in the Appendix W-Comment
Analysis Report. By this Notice, the
BLM is announcing the opening of a
protest period concerning the modified
Proposed RMPs and Final EIS.
DATES: The BLM planning regulations
state that any person who meets the
conditions as described in the
regulations may protest the BLM’s
Proposed RMPs and Final EIS. A person
who meets the conditions and files a
protest must file the protest within 30
days of the date that the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes its Notice
of Availability for the modified
Proposed RMPs and Final EIS in the
Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: The modified Proposed
RMPs and Final EIS and accompanying
errata sheet are available on the BLM
ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/
xVCGJ. Click the ‘‘Documents and
Report’’ link on the left side of the
screen to find the electronic versions of
these materials. Hard copies of the
SUMMARY:
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modified Proposed RMPs and Final EIS
are available for public inspection at the
Kanab Field Office, 669 South Highway
89A, Kanab, UT 84741.
Instructions for filing a protest with
the BLM regarding the Proposed RMPs
may be found online at https://
www.blm.gov/filing-a-plan-protest and
at 43 CFR 1610.5–2.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Harry Barber, Monument Manager,
telephone (435) 644–1200; address 669
S Hwy 89A, Kanab, UT 84741; email
BLM_UT_CCD_monuments@blm.gov.
Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–
877–8339 to contact Mr. Barber during
normal business hours. The FRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
to leave a message or question. You will
receive a reply during normal business
hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
December 4, 2017, President Donald J.
Trump signed Presidential Proclamation
9682 modifying the boundaries of the
GSENM to exclude from designation
and reservation approximately 861,974
acres of land. Lands that remain part of
the GSENM are included in three units,
known as the Grand Staircase,
Kaiparowits, and Escalante Canyons
Units, and are reserved for the care and
management of the objects of historic
and scientific interest described in
Proclamation 6920, as modified by
Proclamation 9682. Lands that are
excluded from the Monument
boundaries are now referred to as the
KEPA and are managed in accordance
with the BLM’s multiple-use mandate.
The planning area is located in Kane
and Garfield Counties, Utah, and
encompasses approximately 1.87
million acres of public land. For the
GSENM-Grand Staircase, Kaiparowits,
and Escalante Canyons Units, this
planning effort is needed to identify
goals, objectives, and management
actions necessary for the proper care
and management of the objects and
values identified in Proclamation 6920,
as modified by Proclamation 9682. For
lands in the KEPA, this planning effort
is needed to identify goals, objectives,
and management actions necessary to
ensure that public lands and their
various resource values are utilized in
the combination that will best meet the
present and future needs of the
American people.
The entire planning area is currently
managed by the BLM and under the
GSENM Plan (BLM 2000), as amended.
This planning effort would replace the
existing Monument Management Plan
with four new RMPs.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 202 (Friday, October 18, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55976-55978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22778]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[FWS-R4-ES-2019-N140; FVHC98220410150-XXX-FF04H00000]
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Phase 2 Restoration Plan 1.2
and Environmental Assessment: Barataria Basin Ridge and Marsh Creation
Project Spanish Pass Increment and Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project
Increment One; Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group
AGENCY: Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Final
Programmatic Damage Assessment Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS), and the Consent
Decree, the Federal and State natural resource trustee agencies for the
Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG) have prepared a
Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan/
Environmental Assessment #1.2: Barataria Basin Ridge and Marsh Creation
Project Spanish Pass Increment and Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project
Increment One (Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2), proposing construction activities
for the restoration of wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats
injured in the Louisiana Restoration Area as a result of the Deepwater
Horizon (DWH) oil spill. The two projects are components of larger
marsh restoration strategies, and were approved for engineering and
design (E&D) in a 2017 restoration plan entitled Louisiana Trustee
Implementation Group Final Restoration Plan #1: Restoration of
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats; Habitat Projects on
Federally Managed Lands; and Birds (Phase 1 RP #1). The Phase 2 RP/EA
#1.2 analyzes design alternatives for the two projects, and proposes a
preferred design alternative for construction of each. We invite
comments on the draft Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2.
DATES:
Submitting Comments: We will consider public comments on the draft
Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2 received on or before November 18, 2019.
Public Webinar: The LA TIG will host a public webinar on October
28, 2019, at 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. The public may register
for the webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4633351197181038605. After registering, participants will receive a
confirmation email with instructions for joining the webinar. The
presentation material will be posted on the web shortly after the
webinar is concluded at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may download the draft Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2
from either of the following websites:
https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon
https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana
Alternatively, you may request a CD of the draft Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). A hard copy of the Phase 2 RP/EA
#1.2 is also available for review during the public comment period at
repositories located across the region. Locations are listed in the
following table.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Library Address City Zip
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Tammany Parish Library.............. 310 W 21st Avenue......... Covington................. 70433
Terrebonne Parish Library............... 151 Library Drive......... Houma..................... 70360
New Orleans Public Library, Louisiana 219 Loyola Avenue......... New Orleans............... 70112
Division.
East Baton Rouge Parish Library......... 7711 Goodwood Boulevard... Baton Rouge............... 70806
Jefferson Parish Library, East Bank 4747 W Napoleon Avenue.... Metairie.................. 70001
Regional Library.
Jefferson Parish Library, West Bank 2751 Manhattan Boulevard.. Harvey.................... 70058
Regional Library.
Plaquemines Parish Library.............. 8442 Highway 23........... Belle Chasse.............. 70037
St. Bernard Parish Library.............. 1125 E St. Bernard Highway Chalmette................. 70043
St. Martin Parish Library............... 201 Porter Street......... St. Martinville........... 70582
Alex P. Allain Library.................. 206 Iberia Street......... Franklin.................. 70538
Vermilion Parish Library................ 405 E St. Victor Street... Abbeville................. 70510
Martha Sowell Utley Memorial Library.... 314 St. Mary Street....... Thibodaux................. 70301
South Lafourche Public Library.......... 16241 E Main Street....... Cut Off................... 70345
[[Page 55977]]
Calcasieu Parish Public Library Central 301 W Claude Street....... Lake Charles.............. 70605
Branch.
Iberia Parish Library................... 445 E Main Street......... New Iberia................ 70560
Mark Shirley, LSU AgCenter.............. 1105 West Port Street..... Abbeville................. 70510
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the draft Phase 2
RP/EA #1.2 by one of the following methods:
Via the Web: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana.
Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box
29649, Atlanta, GA 30345. To be considered, mailed comments must be
postmarked on or before the comment deadline given in DATES.
During the public webinar: Written comments may be
provided by the public during the webinar. Webinar information is
provided in DATES.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nanciann Regalado, via email at
[email protected], via telephone at 678-296-805, or via the
Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.
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 DWH oil spill is the largest offshore 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.
The Trustees conducted the natural resource damage assessment
(NRDA) for the DWH oil spill under the Oil Pollution Act 1990 (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. The 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 to
baseline (the resource quality and conditions that would exist if the
spill had not occurred). This includes the loss of use and services
provided by those resources from the time of injury until the
completion of restoration.
The DWH 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 (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.
On April 4, 2016, the United States District Court for the Eastern
District of Louisiana entered a Consent Decree resolving civil claims
by the Trustees against BP arising from the DWH oil spill: United
States v. BPXP et al., Civ. No. 10-4536, centralized in MDL 2179, In
re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig ``Deepwater Horizon'' in the Gulf of
Mexico, on April 20, 2010 (E.D. La.) (https://www.justice.gov/enrd/deepwater-horizon). Pursuant to the Consent Decree, restoration
projects in the Louisiana Restoration Area are chosen and managed by
the LA TIG. The LA TIG is composed of the following Trustees: State of
Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Oil Spill
Coordinator's Office, Departments of Environmental Quality, Wildlife
and Fisheries, and Natural Resources; DOI; NOAA; EPA; and USDA.
Background
The Final PDARP/PEIS provides for TIGs to propose phasing
restoration projects across multiple restoration plans. A TIG may
propose conceptual projects to fund for an information-gathering
planning phase, such as E&D, in a restoration plan (phase 1). This
would allow the TIG to develop information needed to fully consider a
subsequent implementation phase of that project in a later restoration
plan (phase 2). In the final Phase 1 RP #1, the LA TIG selected six
conceptual projects for E&D, using funds from the wetlands, coastal,
and nearshore habitats restoration type, as provided for in the DWH
Consent Decree. Two of those projects selected to undergo E&D are the
Barataria Basin Ridge and Marsh Creation Project Spanish Pass Increment
(Spanish Pass project) and the Lake Borgne Marsh Creation Project
Increment One (Lake Borgne project). The design alternatives developed
during E&D are currently at a stage where proposed construction
activities may be analyzed under OPA and NEPA. Therefore, in the draft
Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2, the Louisiana TIG is proposing to finalize and
implement their preferred design alternatives to construct the Spanish
Pass and Lake Borgne projects.
Overview of the LA TIG Draft Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2
The draft Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2 is being released in accordance with
OPA NRDA regulations found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at
15 CFR part 990, NEPA and its implementing regulations found at 40 CFR
parts 1500-508, the Final PDARP/PEIS, and the Consent Decree. The Phase
2 RP/EA #1.2 provides OPA and NEPA analyses for a reasonable range of
design alternatives for the Spanish Pass and Lake Borgne projects, and
identifies the LA TIG's preferred design alternatives.
The proposed Spanish Pass project is a component of an overall
large-scale restoration strategy for the Barataria Basin that would
reestablish, through multiple increments, ridge and intertidal marsh
habitats degraded due to sea level rise, land subsidence, diminished
sediment supply, and storm events. The total cost for the proposed
[[Page 55978]]
Spanish Pass project is approximately $99,396,000.
The proposed Lake Borgne project is a component of an overall
large-scale restoration strategy for the southwestern shoreline of Lake
Borgne that would reestablish, through multiple increments, the bay rim
and intertidal marsh habitat. The estimated total cost for this
proposed increment is $108,814,700.
Next Steps
As described above in DATES, the Trustees will host a public
webinar to facilitate the public review and comment process. After the
public comment period ends, the Trustees will consider and address the
comments received before issuing a final Phase 2 RP/EA #1.2.
Public Availability of Comments
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 comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Administrative Record
The documents comprising the Administrative Record for the Phase 2
RP/EA #1.2 can be viewed electronically at https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord.
Authority
The authority for this action is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33
U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), its implementing 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.) and its
implementing regulations found at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508.
Mary Josie Blanchard,
Director of Gulf of Mexico Restoration, Department of Interior.
[FR Doc. 2019-22778 Filed 10-17-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
