Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Birds; and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities, 69287-69288 [2021-26415]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 7, 2021 / Notices [FWS–R4–ES–2021–N209; FVHC98220410150–XXX–FF04H00000] Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Birds; and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities Department of the Interior. Notice of availability; request for public comments. AGENCY: ACTION: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 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 Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group (MS TIG) have prepared the Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Birds; and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities (Draft RP3/EA). In the Draft RP3/EA, the MS TIG proposes projects to partially restore injured habitats, sea turtles, marine mammals, birds, and to compensate for lost recreational use in the Mississippi Restoration Area as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The approximate cost to implement the MS TIG’s proposed action (seven preferred alternatives) is $19,000,000. We invite public comments on the Draft RP3/EA. DATES: We will consider public comments on the Draft RP3/EA received on or before 45 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register. The MS TIG will host a public webinar on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at 2 p.m. Central Time. The public webinar will include a presentation of the Draft RP3/EA. The public may register for the webinar at https:// attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/ 6376489461251797774. 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/mississippi. lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:30 Dec 06, 2021 Jkt 256001 Obtaining Documents: You may download the Draft RP3/EA from either of the following websites: • https://www.doi.gov/deepwater horizon • https://www.gulfspillrestoration. noaa.gov/restoration-areas/mississippi Alternatively, you may request a CD of the Draft RP3/EA (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the following methods: • Via the Web: https://www.gulfspill restoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/ mississippi. • 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, at nanciann_ regalado@fws.gov or 678–296–6805, or via the Federal Relay Service at 800– 877–8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ADDRESSES: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Introduction On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon (DWH), 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 PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 69287 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/deepwaterhorizon). Pursuant to the Consent Decree, restoration projects in the Mississippi Restoration Area are chosen and managed by the MS TIG. The MS TIG is composed of the following Trustees: State of Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; DOI; NOAA; EPA; and USDA. Background On October 30, 2020, the MS TIG posted a public notice at https:// www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov requesting new or revised natural resource restoration project ideas by November 30, 2020, for the Mississippi E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1 69288 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 7, 2021 / Notices Restoration Area. The notice stated that the MS TIG was seeking project ideas for the following restoration types: (1) Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; (2) Sea Turtles; (3) Marine Mammals; (4) Birds; and (5) Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities. On June 11, 2021, the MS TIG announced that it had initiated drafting of the RP3/ EA and that it would include a reasonable range of restoration alternatives (projects) for the five restoration types. Overview of the MS TIG Draft RP3/EA The Draft RP3/EA provides the MS TIG’s analysis of the reasonable range of alternatives. The MS TIG’s seven preferred alternatives are presented in the following table under the restoration type from which funds would be allocated in accordance with the DWH Consent Decree. The MS TIG also evaluated five non-preferred alternatives as part of the reasonable range, and a No Action alternative for each restoration type in the plan. Restoration Type: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands Improve Native Habitats by Removing Marine Debris from Mississippi Barrier Islands lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS–WASO–NRNHL–DTS#–33078; PPWOCRADI0, PCU00RP14.R50000] National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: Restoration Type: Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities Clower Thornton Nature Park Trail Improvement Environmental Education and Stewardship at Walter Anderson Museum of Art Next Steps As described above in DATES, the MS TIG will host a public webinar to facilitate the public review and comment process. After the public comment period ends, the MS TIG will consider and address the comments received before issuing a final RP3/EA. Public comments and MS TIG responses will be included in the final RP3/EA. The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before November 27, 2021, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places. DATES: Comments should be submitted electronically by December 22, 2021. ADDRESSES: Comments are encouraged to be submitted electronically to National_Register_Submissions@ nps.gov with the subject line ‘‘Public Comment on <property or proposed district name, (County) State>.’’ If you have no access to email you may send them via U.S. Postal Service and all other carriers to the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 1849 C Street NW, MS 7228, Washington, DC 20240. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sherry A. Frear, Chief, National Register of Historic Places/National Historic Landmarks Program, 1849 C Street NW, MS 7228, Washington, DC 20240, sherry_frear@nps.gov, 202–913–3763. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The properties listed in this notice are being considered for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places. Nominations for their consideration were received by the National Park Service before November 27, 2021. Pursuant to Section 60.13 of 36 CFR part 60, comments are being accepted concerning the significance of the nominated properties under the National Register criteria for evaluation. 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. Nominations submitted by State or Tribal Historic Preservation Officers: ARIZONA BILLING CODE 4333–15–P Restoration Type: Birds Bird Stewardship and Enhanced Monitoring in Mississippi Jkt 256001 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. [FR Doc. 2021–26415 Filed 12–6–21; 8:45 am] Restoration Type: Marine Mammals Maintaining Enhanced Marine Mammal Stranding Network Capacity and Diagnostic Capabilities Reduction of Marine Mammal Fishery Interactions through Trawl Technique and Component Material Improvements 17:30 Dec 06, 2021 Administrative Record The documents comprising the Administrative Record for the Draft RP3/EA can be viewed electronically at https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/ adminrecord. Mary Josie Blanchard, Director, Gulf of Mexico Restoration, Department of the Interior. Restoration Type: Sea Turtles Maintaining Enhanced Sea Turtle Stranding Network Capacity and Diagnostic Capabilities VerDate Sep<11>2014 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. Sfmt 4703 Pima County Casitas de Castilian Historic District, 643 West Las Lomitas Rd., Tucson, SG100007293 CALIFORNIA Alameda County People’s Park, Between Haste St. Dwight Way, Telegraph Ave., and Bowditch St., Berkeley, SG100007288 Los Angeles County Commercial Club, 1100 South Broadway, Los Angeles, SG100007286 Orange County Floral Park Historic District, Roughly bounded by Santiago Cr., Broadway, 17th, and Flower Sts., Santa Ana, SG100007287 FLORIDA St. Johns County, St. Augustine Beach Hotel and Beachfront, 370 FL A1A, St. Augustine Beach, SG100007284 GEORGIA Habersham County Cornelia Commercial Historic District, Centered around intersection of Main and Irvin Sts., Cornelia, SG100007277 ILLINOIS Madison County Middletown Historic District (Boundary Increase II), Roughly bounded by Front, E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 232 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69287-69288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26415]



[[Page 69287]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[FWS-R4-ES-2021-N209; FVHC98220410150-XXX-FF04H00000]


Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Deepwater Horizon Oil 
Spill Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Habitat 
Projects on Federally Managed Lands; Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; 
Birds; and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities

AGENCY: Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 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 
Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group (MS TIG) have prepared the 
Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan 3 and 
Environmental Assessment: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; 
Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Birds; and Provide and Enhance 
Recreational Opportunities (Draft RP3/EA). In the Draft RP3/EA, the MS 
TIG proposes projects to partially restore injured habitats, sea 
turtles, marine mammals, birds, and to compensate for lost recreational 
use in the Mississippi Restoration Area as a result of the Deepwater 
Horizon oil spill. The approximate cost to implement the MS TIG's 
proposed action (seven preferred alternatives) is $19,000,000. We 
invite public comments on the Draft RP3/EA.

DATES: We will consider public comments on the Draft RP3/EA received on 
or before 45 days after the date of publication in the Federal 
Register.
    The MS TIG will host a public webinar on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, 
at 2 p.m. Central Time. The public webinar will include a presentation 
of the Draft RP3/EA. The public may register for the webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6376489461251797774. 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/mississippi.

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may download the Draft RP3/EA from 
either of the following websites:
     https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon
     https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/mississippi
    Alternatively, you may request a CD of the Draft RP3/EA (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the 
following methods:
     Via the Web: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/mississippi.
     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, at 
[email protected] or 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 (DWH), 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 Mississippi Restoration Area are chosen and managed by 
the MS TIG. The MS TIG is composed of the following Trustees: State of 
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; DOI; NOAA; EPA; and 
USDA.

Background

    On October 30, 2020, the MS TIG posted a public notice at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov requesting new or revised natural 
resource restoration project ideas by November 30, 2020, for the 
Mississippi

[[Page 69288]]

Restoration Area. The notice stated that the MS TIG was seeking project 
ideas for the following restoration types: (1) Habitat Projects on 
Federally Managed Lands; (2) Sea Turtles; (3) Marine Mammals; (4) 
Birds; and (5) Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities. On June 
11, 2021, the MS TIG announced that it had initiated drafting of the 
RP3/EA and that it would include a reasonable range of restoration 
alternatives (projects) for the five restoration types.

Overview of the MS TIG Draft RP3/EA

    The Draft RP3/EA provides the MS TIG's analysis of the reasonable 
range of alternatives. The MS TIG's seven preferred alternatives are 
presented in the following table under the restoration type from which 
funds would be allocated in accordance with the DWH Consent Decree. The 
MS TIG also evaluated five non-preferred alternatives as part of the 
reasonable range, and a No Action alternative for each restoration type 
in the plan.

Restoration Type: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands

Improve Native Habitats by Removing Marine Debris from Mississippi 
Barrier Islands

Restoration Type: Sea Turtles

Maintaining Enhanced Sea Turtle Stranding Network Capacity and 
Diagnostic Capabilities

Restoration Type: Marine Mammals

Maintaining Enhanced Marine Mammal Stranding Network Capacity and 
Diagnostic Capabilities
Reduction of Marine Mammal Fishery Interactions through Trawl Technique 
and Component Material Improvements

Restoration Type: Birds

Bird Stewardship and Enhanced Monitoring in Mississippi

Restoration Type: Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities

Clower Thornton Nature Park Trail Improvement
Environmental Education and Stewardship at Walter Anderson Museum of 
Art

Next Steps

    As described above in DATES, the MS TIG will host a public webinar 
to facilitate the public review and comment process. After the public 
comment period ends, the MS TIG will consider and address the comments 
received before issuing a final RP3/EA. Public comments and MS TIG 
responses will be included in the final RP3/EA.

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 Draft 
RP3/EA 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,
Director, Gulf of Mexico Restoration, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 2021-26415 Filed 12-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P


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