Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #7: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats; and Birds, 51475-51477 [2020-18205]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 162 / Thursday, August 20, 2020 / Notices
formula CDBG grants and program
income, separately from CDBG–CV
funds. For purposes of calculating the
public services cap, the treatment of
program income generated by the
CDBG–CV grant and received (i.e.,
documented in IDIS) by the annual
formula CDBG program shall be
considered as any other program income
received by the annual formula CDBG
program.
IV.B.3.(b) Provisions in Section III that
apply to Coronavirus-Related Activities.
The following provisions in Section III
apply to the use of fiscal year 2019 and
2020 CDBG funds for activities to
prevent, prepare for, and respond to
coronavirus; these provisions shall also
apply to the use of Section 108
guaranteed loan funds when they are
used together with fiscal year 2019 and
2020 CDBG funds for activities to
prevent, prepare for, and respond to
coronavirus. Where these paragraphs
refer to CDBG–CV funds, they shall
apply equally to fiscal years 2019 and
2020 CDBG grants.
• III.B.5.(d)(i) Use of Urgent Need
National Objective.
• III.B.5.(d)(ii) Modification of
Location-Based Presumption of LMI
Benefit for Job Creation and Retention
National Objective Criteria.
• III.B.5.(d)(iii) LMI Job Creation and
Retention Records.
• III.B.5.(e)(i) Elimination of
Aggregate Public Benefit Test.
• III.B.5.(e)(ii) Modification of
Individual Public Benefit Standards.
• III.B.5.(f)(i) Extension of Emergency
Payments.
• III.B.5.(f)(ii) Opportunity Zones and
Related Flexibilities for Economic
Development.
• III.B.5.(f)(iii) Public Services Cap.
• III.B.5.(f)(iv) Other Public Services
Considerations.
• III.B.5.(f)(v) Clarification on
Application of Cost Principles.
• III.B.6.(d)(iii) Clarifying note on
emergency environmental review
procedures.
• III.B.9. Duplication of Benefits
(applies for programs and activities with
annual formula CDBG funds when the
grantee uses these funds to carry out
programs to respond to losses caused by
disasters and emergencies).
• III.B.10. Citizenship Requirements.
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IV.B.4. Provisions That Do Not Apply to
FY 19 and FY 20 Grants
Waivers and alternative requirements
and other provisions in the following
paragraphs of Section III do not apply to
fiscal year 2019 CDBG Grants and fiscal
year 2020 CDBG grants:
• III.A. Allocations of CDBG–CV
Funds
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• III.B.1. General Grant Requirements
• III.B.2. Responsible Use of CARES
Act Funds
• III.B.3. Overview of Process to
Receive CDBG–CV Grants
• III.B.4.(b) CDBG–CV Application
Content and Submission
• III.B.5.(a) Use of Funds for CARES
Act Purposes
• III.B.5.(b) Reimbursements
• III.B.5.(c) Terms and Conditions
Made Applicable by the CARES Act
• III.B.5.(d)(iv) Overall Benefit to LMI
Persons.
• III.B.6.(a) Program Income
• III.B.6.(b) Rules Applicable to State
CDBG–CV Grants
• III.B.6.(c) Rules for Entitlements,
Insular Areas, and Nonentitlement
Hawaii Counties
• III.B.6.(d)(ii) Clarifying note on the
process for environmental release of
funds when a state carries out activities
directly.
• III.B.6.(e) Compliance with Labor
Laws
• III.B.6.(f) Relationship to Section
108 Loan Guarantees
• III.B.7. Period of Performance,
Timeliness, and Closeout
• III.B.8. Reporting
Paperwork Reduction Act: The
information collection requirements in
this notice have been approved by the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–3520) and
assigned OMB Control Number 2506–
0085. In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act, HUD may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless the collection displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance: The Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance numbers for the
CDBG–CV grants under the CARES Act
are: 14.218 (Community Development
Block Grants/Entitlement Grants);
14.225 (Community Development Block
Grants/Special Purpose Grants/Insular
Areas); and 14.228 (Community
Development Block Grants/State’s
Program and Non-Entitlement Grants in
Hawaii) (formerly CDBG Grant/Small
Cities Program).
Environmental Impact: A Finding of
No Significant Impact (FONSI) with
respect to the environment has been
made in accordance with HUD
regulations at 24 CFR part 50, which
implement section 102(2)(C) of the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)). The FONSI
is available for inspection at HUD’s
Funding Opportunities web page at:
https://www.hud.gov/grants/. The
FONSI is available for public inspection
PO 00000
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51475
between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays in
the Regulations Division, Office of
General Counsel, Department of
Housing and Urban Development, 451
7th Street SW, Room 10276,
Washington, DC 20410–0500. Due to
security measures at the HUD
Headquarters building, an advance
appointment to review the docket file
must be scheduled by calling the
Regulations Division at 202–708–3055
(this is not a toll-free number). Hearingor speech-impaired individuals may
access this number through TTY by
calling the Federal Relay Service at 800–
877–8339 (this is a toll-free number).
John Gibbs,
Assistant Secretary for Community Planning
and Development.
[FR Doc. 2020–18242 Filed 8–19–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[FWS–R4–ES–2020–N106;
FVHC98220410150–XXX–FF04H00000]
Louisiana Trustee Implementation
Group Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Draft Restoration Plan and
Environmental Assessment #7:
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore
Habitats; and Birds
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 Record of Decision; and the Consent
Decree, the federal and state natural
resource trustee agencies for the
Louisiana Trustee Implementation
Group (LA TIG) have prepared the
Louisiana Trustee Implementation
Group Draft Restoration Plan #7 and
Environmental Assessment: Wetlands,
Coastal and Nearshore Habitats; and
Birds (RP/EA #7). In the Draft RP/EA #7,
the LA TIG proposes projects to help
restore bird habitat and marshes injured
as a result of the Deepwater Horizon
(DWH) oil spill in the Louisiana
Restoration Area under the ‘‘Wetlands,
Coastal and Nearshore Habitats’’ and
‘‘Birds’’ restoration types described in
the Final PDARP/PEIS. The
approximate cost to implement the LA
TIG’s proposed project with five
preferred alternatives is $234,100,000.
We invite public comments on the Draft
RP/EA #7.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\20AUN1.SGM
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51476
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 162 / Thursday, August 20, 2020 / Notices
We will consider public
comments on the Draft RP/EA #7
received on or before September 22,
2020.
The LA TIG will host a public
webinar on September 3, 2020, at 3:00
Central. The public may register for the
webinar at https://
attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/
6495772168532544525. After
registering, participants will receive a
confirmation email with instructions for
DATES:
• https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-areas/louisiana
Alternatively, you may request a CD
of the Draft RP/EA (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT). Copies of the
Draft RP/EA are also available for
review during the public comment
period at the locations 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 ................................
Calcasieu Parish Public Library Central Branch ......
Iberia Parish Library .................................................
Mark Shirley, LSU AgCenter ....................................
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 ..............................................
301 W. Claude Street ..............................................
445 E. Main Street ..................................................
1105 West Port Street .............................................
Belle Chasse ..................
Chalmette .......................
St. Martinville ..................
Franklin ...........................
Abbeville .........................
Thibodaux .......................
Cut Off ............................
Lake Charles ..................
New Iberia ......................
Abbeville .........................
70037
70043
70582
70538
70510
70301
70345
70605
70560
70510
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments 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 678–296–6805, or via the
Federal Relay Service at 800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
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joining the webinar. Instructions for
commenting will be provided during the
webinar. Shortly after the webinar is
concluded, the presentation material
will be posted on the web at https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-areas/louisiana.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You
may download the Draft RP/EA #7 from
either of the following websites:
• https://www.doi.gov/
deepwaterhorizon
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
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:01 Aug 19, 2020
Jkt 250001
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:
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Zip
• 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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 162 / Thursday, August 20, 2020 / Notices
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
Resources; DOI; NOAA; EPA; and
USDA.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Background
The Final PDARP/PEIS provides for
TIGs to propose restoration projects
using a planning process that involves
phasing restoration projects across
multiple restoration plans. A TIG may
propose funding a planning phase (e.g.,
initial engineering and design (E&D)) in
a restoration plan for a conceptual
project (phase 1). This allows the TIG to
develop information needed to fully
consider a subsequent implementation
phase of the project in a future
restoration plan (phase 2). In the Draft
RP/EA #7, the LA TIG considers
alternatives to fund E&D for conceptual
projects and also to fund projects for
implementation.
Overview of the LA TIG Draft RP/EA #7
The Draft RP/EA #7 provides the LA
TIG’s analysis of alternatives under the
‘‘Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore
Habitats’’ restoration type and the
‘‘Birds’’ restoration type. Under the
‘‘Wetlands, Coastal and Nearshore
Habitats’’ restoration type, the preferred
alternatives include a conceptual project
that would undergo E&D if selected, and
two alternatives that are analyzed for
full implementation if selected. These
alternatives are: (1) Bird’s Foot Delta
Hydrologic Restoration project (E&D),
(2) Terrebonne Basin Ridge and Marsh
Creation Project: Bayou Terrebonne
Increment (Terrebonne project) (full
implementation) and (3) Grande
Cheniere Ridge Marsh Creation (full
implementation).
The Terrebonne project was approved
and funded for E&D in the 2017
Louisiana Trustee Implementation
Group Final Restoration Plan #1:
Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and
Nearshore Habitats; Habitat Projects on
Federally Managed Lands; and Birds.
The other, Bayou Grand Cheniere Ridge
and Marsh Creation project underwent
E&D through a separate funding process.
Both projects have reached a stage in
their E&D where sufficient information
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18:01 Aug 19, 2020
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has been developed for analysis under
NEPA and the OPA NRDA regulations.
Under the ‘‘Birds’’ restoration type,
the LA TIG proposes conceptual
projects that would undergo E&D if
selected for funding. The preferred
‘‘Birds’’ alternatives are (1) Isle au Pitre
Restoration, and (2) Terrebonne Houma
Navigation Canal Island Restoration.
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 RP/EA
#7.
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 RP/EA #7 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 NRDA
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 1500–1508.
Mary Josie Blanchard,
Department of the Interior, Director of Gulf
of Mexico Restoration.
[FR Doc. 2020–18205 Filed 8–19–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AA–10488;
20X.LLAK944000.L14100000.HY0000.P]
Alaska Native Claims Selection
AGENCY:
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
PO 00000
Frm 00075
Fmt 4703
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51477
Notice of decision approving
lands for conveyance.
ACTION:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) hereby provides
constructive notice that it will issue an
appealable decision approving
conveyance of the surface and
subsurface estates in certain lands to
Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native
regional corporation, pursuant to the
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of
1971 (ANCSA).
DATES: Any party claiming a property
interest in the lands affected by the
decision may appeal the decision in
accordance with the requirements of 43
CFR part 4 within the time limits set out
in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
section.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of
the decision from the Bureau of Land
Management, Alaska State Office, 222
West Seventh Avenue, #13, Anchorage,
AK 99513–7504.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Matthew R. Lux, BLM Alaska State
Office, 907–271–3176, or mlux@
blm.gov. The BLM Alaska State Office
may also be contacted via
Telecommunications Device for the Deaf
(TDD) through the Federal Relay Service
at 1–800–877–8339. The relay service is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
to leave a message or question with the
BLM. The BLM will reply during
normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As
required by 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is
hereby given that the BLM will issue an
appealable decision to Sealaska
Corporation. The decision approves
conveyance of the surface and
subsurface estates in certain lands
pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601, et seq.).
The lands are located on Baranof Island
within T. 60 S., R. 65 E., Copper River
Meridian, Alaska, and contain 12.85
acres.
The decision addresses public access
easements, if any, to be reserved to the
United States pursuant to Sec. 17(b) of
ANCSA (43 U.S.C. 1616(b)), in the lands
described above.
The BLM will also publish notice of
the decision once a week for four
consecutive weeks in the Daily Sitka
Sentinel newspaper.
Any party claiming a property interest
in the lands affected by the decision
may appeal the decision in accordance
with the requirements of 43 CFR part 4
within the following time limits:
1. Unknown parties, parties unable to
be located after reasonable efforts have
been expended to locate, parties who
fail or refuse to sign their return receipt,
SUMMARY:
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 162 (Thursday, August 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51475-51477]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18205]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[FWS-R4-ES-2020-N106; FVHC98220410150-XXX-FF04H00000]
Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Deepwater Horizon Oil
Spill Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment #7: Wetlands,
Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats; and Birds
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 Record of
Decision; and the Consent Decree, the federal and state natural
resource trustee agencies for the Louisiana Trustee Implementation
Group (LA TIG) have prepared the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group
Draft Restoration Plan #7 and Environmental Assessment: Wetlands,
Coastal and Nearshore Habitats; and Birds (RP/EA #7). In the Draft RP/
EA #7, the LA TIG proposes projects to help restore bird habitat and
marshes injured as a result of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in
the Louisiana Restoration Area under the ``Wetlands, Coastal and
Nearshore Habitats'' and ``Birds'' restoration types described in the
Final PDARP/PEIS. The approximate cost to implement the LA TIG's
proposed project with five preferred alternatives is $234,100,000. We
invite public comments on the Draft RP/EA #7.
[[Page 51476]]
DATES: We will consider public comments on the Draft RP/EA #7 received
on or before September 22, 2020.
The LA TIG will host a public webinar on September 3, 2020, at 3:00
Central. The public may register for the webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6495772168532544525. After
registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with
instructions for joining the webinar. Instructions for commenting will
be provided during the webinar. Shortly after the webinar is concluded,
the presentation material will be posted on the web at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may download the Draft RP/EA #7
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 RP/EA (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Copies of the Draft RP/EA are also
available for review during the public comment period at the locations
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
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 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 678-296-6805, 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.
[[Page 51477]]
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 restoration
projects using a planning process that involves phasing restoration
projects across multiple restoration plans. A TIG may propose funding a
planning phase (e.g., initial engineering and design (E&D)) in a
restoration plan for a conceptual project (phase 1). This allows the
TIG to develop information needed to fully consider a subsequent
implementation phase of the project in a future restoration plan (phase
2). In the Draft RP/EA #7, the LA TIG considers alternatives to fund
E&D for conceptual projects and also to fund projects for
implementation.
Overview of the LA TIG Draft RP/EA #7
The Draft RP/EA #7 provides the LA TIG's analysis of alternatives
under the ``Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats'' restoration
type and the ``Birds'' restoration type. Under the ``Wetlands, Coastal
and Nearshore Habitats'' restoration type, the preferred alternatives
include a conceptual project that would undergo E&D if selected, and
two alternatives that are analyzed for full implementation if selected.
These alternatives are: (1) Bird's Foot Delta Hydrologic Restoration
project (E&D), (2) Terrebonne Basin Ridge and Marsh Creation Project:
Bayou Terrebonne Increment (Terrebonne project) (full implementation)
and (3) Grande Cheniere Ridge Marsh Creation (full implementation).
The Terrebonne project was approved and funded for E&D in the 2017
Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Final Restoration Plan #1:
Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats; Habitat
Projects on Federally Managed Lands; and Birds. The other, Bayou Grand
Cheniere Ridge and Marsh Creation project underwent E&D through a
separate funding process. Both projects have reached a stage in their
E&D where sufficient information has been developed for analysis under
NEPA and the OPA NRDA regulations.
Under the ``Birds'' restoration type, the LA TIG proposes
conceptual projects that would undergo E&D if selected for funding. The
preferred ``Birds'' alternatives are (1) Isle au Pitre Restoration, and
(2) Terrebonne Houma Navigation Canal Island Restoration.
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 RP/EA #7.
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 RP/EA #7 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 NRDA 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 1500-
1508.
Mary Josie Blanchard,
Department of the Interior, Director of Gulf of Mexico Restoration.
[FR Doc. 2020-18205 Filed 8-19-20; 8:45 am]
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