Notice of Availability of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Texas Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #2: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats; Nutrient Reduction; Oysters; Sea Turtles; and Birds, 10787-10789 [2022-03885]
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lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 38 / Friday, February 25, 2022 / Notices
The detailed unit-by-unit data and
preliminary allowance allocation
calculations for ‘‘new’’ units are set
forth in Excel spreadsheets titled
‘‘CSAPR_NUSA_2021_NOX_Annual_
Prelim_Data_New_Units’’, ‘‘CSAPR_
NUSA_2021_NOX_OS_Prelim_Data_
New_Units’’, and ‘‘CSAPR_NUSA_
2021_SO2_Prelim_Data_New_Units’’,
available on EPA’s website at https://
www.epa.gov/csapr/csapr-allowanceallocations#nusa. Each of the
spreadsheets contains a separate
worksheet for each state covered by that
program showing, for each unit
identified as eligible for a NUSA
allocation, (1) the unit’s emissions in
the 2021 control period (annual or
ozone season as applicable), (2) the
maximum 2021 NUSA allowance
allocation for which the unit is eligible
(typically the unit’s emissions in the
2021 control period), (3) various
adjustments to the unit’s maximum
allocation if the NUSA pool is
oversubscribed, and (4) the preliminary
calculation of the unit’s 2021 NUSA
allowance allocation.
Each state worksheet for ‘‘new’’ units
also contains a summary showing (1)
the quantity of allowances initially
available in that state’s 2021 NUSA, (2)
the sum of the 2021 NUSA allowance
allocations that will be made to new
units in that state, assuming there are no
corrections to the data, and (3) the
quantity of allowances that would
remain in the 2021 NUSA for allocation
to existing units, again assuming there
are no corrections to the data.
The preliminary calculations of
allocations of the remaining unallocated
allowances to ‘‘existing’’ units are set
forth in Excel spreadsheets titled
‘‘CSAPR_NUSA_2021_NOX_Annual_
Prelim_Data_Existing_Units’’, ‘‘CSAPR_
NUSA_2021_NOX_OS_Prelim_Data_
Existing_Units’’, and ‘‘CSAPR_NUSA_
2021_SO2_Prelim_Data_Existing_
Units’’, available at the same location.
Objections should be strictly limited
to the data and calculations upon which
the NUSA allowance allocations are
based and should be emailed to the
address identified in ADDRESSES.
Objections must include: (1) Precise
identification of the specific data and/or
calculations the commenter believes are
inaccurate, (2) new proposed data and/
or calculations upon which the
commenter believes EPA should rely
instead to determine allowance
allocations, and (3) the reasons why
EPA should rely on the commenter’s
proposed data and/or calculations and
not the data referenced in this notice.
EPA notes that an allocation or lack
of allocation of allowances to a given
unit does not constitute a determination
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that CSAPR does or does not apply to
the unit. EPA also notes that, under 40
CFR 97.411(c), 97.511(c), 97.611(c),
97.711(c), 97.811(c), and 97.1011(c),
allocations are subject to potential
correction if a unit to which allowances
have been allocated for a given control
period is not actually an affected unit as
of the start of that control period.
(Authority: 40 CFR 97.411(b), 97.511(b),
97.611(b), 97.711(b), 97.811(b), and
97.1011(b).)
Rona Birnbaum,
Acting Director, Clean Air Markets Division,
Office of Atmospheric Programs, Office of
Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2022–04031 Filed 2–24–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
[FRL–9337–01–OW]
Notice of Availability of the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill Texas Trustee
Implementation Group Draft
Restoration Plan/Environmental
Assessment #2: Restoration of
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore
Habitats; Nutrient Reduction; Oysters;
Sea Turtles; and Birds
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for public comments.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the Oil
Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) and the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), the federal and state natural
resource trustee agencies for the Texas
Trustee Implementation Group (Texas
TIG) prepared the Draft Restoration
Plan/Environmental Assessment #2:
Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and
Nearshore Habitats; Nutrient Reduction;
Oysters; Sea Turtles; and Birds (Draft
RP/EA #2). The Draft RP/EA #2
describes and proposes restoration
project alternatives considered by the
Texas TIG to restore natural resources
and ecological services injured or lost as
a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill. The Texas TIG evaluated these
alternatives under criteria set forth in
the OPA natural resource damage
assessment (NRDA) regulations and
evaluated the environmental
consequences of the restoration
alternatives in accordance with the
NEPA. The proposed projects are
consistent with the restoration
alternatives selected in the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill: Final Programmatic
Damage Assessment and Restoration
Plan and Final Programmatic
SUMMARY:
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10787
Environmental Impact Statement
(PDARP/PEIS). This notice informs the
public of the availability of the Draft RP/
EA #2 and provides an opportunity for
the public to submit comments on the
document.
DATES: The Texas TIG will consider
public comments received on or before
March 28, 2022.
Public Webinar: The Texas TIG will
conduct a public webinar on March 9,
2022, at 6 p.m. Central Standard Time
to facilitate public review and comment
on the Draft RP/EA #2. The public
webinar will include a presentation on
the Draft RP/EA #2. Public comments
will be taken during the public webinar.
The public may register for the webinar
at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/
register/2667653123715836432. After
registering, participants will receive a
confirmation email with instructions for
joining the webinar. The presentation
will be posted on the web after the
webinar is conducted.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may
download the Draft RP/EA #2 at https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-areas/texas. Alternatively,
you may request a compact disc (CD) of
the Draft RP/EA #2 (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT). You may also
view the document at any of the public
facilities listed at https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-areas/texas.
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments on the Draft RP/EA #2
by one of the following methods:
• Via the Web: https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/TXRP2.
• Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 29649,
Atlanta, GA 30345.
• During the Public Webinar:
Comments may be provided by the
public during the webinar on March 9,
2022.
Once submitted, comments cannot be
edited or withdrawn. The Texas TIG
may publish any comment received
regarding the document. Do not submit
electronically any information you
consider to be Confidential Business
Information (CBI) or other information
whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
Multimedia submissions (audio, video,
etc.) must be accompanied by a written
comment. The written comment is
considered the official comment and
should include discussion of all points
you wish to make. The Texas TIG will
generally not consider comments or
comment contents located outside of the
written submission (i.e., on the web,
cloud, or other file sharing system).
Please be aware that your entire
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10788
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 38 / Friday, February 25, 2022 / Notices
comment, including your personal
identifying information, will become
part of the public record. Please note
that mailed comments must be
postmarked on or before the comment
deadline of March 28, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
• Texas—Angela Schrift;
Angela.Schrift@tpwd.texas.gov; 512–
389–8755.
• EPA—Douglas Jacobson;
Jacobson.Doug@epa.gov; 214–665–6692.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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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 the
release of an unprecedented volume of
oil and other discharges from the rig and
from the wellhead on the seabed. The
Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the
largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history,
discharging millions of barrels of oil
over a period of 87 days. The Trustees
conducted the natural resource damage
assessment for the Deepwater Horizon
oil spill under the OPA. Under the 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, including the loss of use
and services from those resources from
the time of injury until the time
restoration to baseline (the resource
quality and conditions that would exist
if the spill had not occurred) is
complete.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Trustees are:
• U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA);
• 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);
• State of Louisiana Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority,
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16:44 Feb 24, 2022
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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 Parks and Wildlife
Department (TPWD), General Land
Office (TGLO), and Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
On April 4, 2016, the Trustees
reached and finalized a settlement of
their natural resource damage claims
with BP in a Consent Decree approved
by the United States District Court for
the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Pursuant to that Consent Decree,
restoration projects in the Texas
Restoration Area are chosen and
managed by the Texas TIG. The Texas
TIG is composed of the following
Trustees: TPWD, TGLO, TCEQ, EPA,
DOI, NOAA, USDA.
Background
In an October 2020 notice posted at
https://www.gulfspillrestoration.
noaa.gov/2020/10/submit-your-ideastexas-restoration-area-planning, the
Texas TIG requested public input on
restoration project ideas in the Texas
Restoration Area within the following
restoration types: Wetlands, Coastal,
and Nearshore Habitats, Nutrient
Reduction, Oysters, Sea Turtles, and
Birds. The Texas TIG reviewed and
considered these restoration project
ideas in developing the Draft RP/EA #2.
Overview of the Draft RP/EA
The Draft RP/EA #2 is being released
in accordance with the OPA, NRDA
implementing regulations, and the
NEPA. In the Draft RP/EA #2, the Texas
TIG presents to the public the Texas
TIG’s most recent plan to restore natural
resources and ecological services
injured or lost as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Draft
RP/EA #2 evaluates a total of eighteen
restoration project alternatives within
the Texas Restoration Area. Of those,
thirteen are identified as preferred
alternatives. The Draft RP/EA #2 also
evaluates a no-action alternative. The
Draft RP/EA #2 proposes the following
preferred project alternatives for each
restoration type:
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore
Habitats
• Bird Island Cove Habitat
Restoration—Construction;
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• Bahia Grande Channel F Hydrologic
Restoration;
• Follets Island Habitat Acquisition
Phase 2; and
• Galveston Island Habitat
Acquisition.
Nutrient Reduction
• Petronila Creek Constructed
Wetlands Planning; and
• Petronila Creek Watershed Nutrient
Reduction Initiative.
Oysters
• Landscape Scale Oyster Restoration
in Galveston Bay.
Sea Turtles
• Upper Texas Coast Sea Turtle
Rehabilitation Facility; and
• Lancha Sea Turtle Mitigation Plan.
Birds
• Laguna Vista Rookery Island
Habitat Protection;
• Jones Bay Oystercatcher Habitat
Restoration;
• San Antonio Bay Bird Island; and
• Texas Breeding Shorebird and
Seabird Stewardship.
The total estimated cost of the
preferred alternatives is approximately
$39 million. One or more alternatives
may be selected for implementation by
the Texas TIG. Additional restoration
planning for the Texas Restoration Area
will continue.
Next Steps
The public is encouraged to review
and comment on the Draft RP/EA #2. A
public webinar is scheduled to help
facilitate the public review and
comment process. After the public
comment period ends, the Texas TIG
will consider the comments received
before finalizing the Final RP/EA #2. A
summary of comments received and the
Texas TIG’s responses and any revisions
to the document, as appropriate, will be
included in the final document.
Administrative Record
The documents comprising the
Administrative Record for the Draft RP/
EA #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 NRDA
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 38 / Friday, February 25, 2022 / Notices
regulations found at 15 CFR part 990,
and the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
Benita Best-Wong,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of
Water.
[FR Doc. 2022–03885 Filed 2–24–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
[Public Notice: 2022–6005]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Final Collection; Comment
Request
Export-Import Bank of the
United States.
ACTION: Submission for OMB review and
comments request.
AGENCY:
The Export-Import Bank of
the United States (EXIM), as a part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden, invites the
general public and other Federal
Agencies to comment on the proposed
information collection, as required by
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
This collection of information is
necessary to determine whether or not
a company has a good payment history.
This form will enable EXIM to make a
credit decision on a foreign buyer credit
limit request submitted by a new or
existing policy holder. Additionally,
this form is used by those EXIM policy
holders granted delegated authority to
commit the Bank to a foreign buyer
credit limit.
DATES: Comments should be received on
or before April 26, 2022 to be assured
of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted electronically on
www.regulations.gov (EIB 99–14) or by
email to Mia.Johnson@exim.gov, or by
mail to Mia L. Johnson, Export-Import
Bank of the United States, 811 Vermont
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20571. The
form can be viewed at https://
www.exim.gov/sites/default/files/pub/
pending/eib99-14.pdf.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Titles and Form Number: EIB 99–14
Export-Import Bank Trade Reference
form.
OMB Number: 3048–0042.
Type of Review: Renew.
Need and Use: This form provides
essential credit information used by
EXIM credit officers when analyzing
requests for export credit insurance/
financing support, both short-term (360
days and less) and medium-term (longer
than 360 days), for the export of their
U.S. goods and services. Additionally,
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:44 Feb 24, 2022
Jkt 256001
this form is an integral part of the short
term Multi-Buyer export credit
insurance policy for those policy
holders granted foreign buyer
discretionary credit limit authority
(DCL). Multi-Buyer policy holders given
DCL authority may use this form as the
sole source or one piece among several
sources of credit information for their
internal foreign buyer credit decision
which, in turn, commits EXIM’s
insurance.
Affected Public: This form affects
entities involved in the export of U.S.
goods and services.
Annual Number of Respondents:
6,500.
Estimated Time per Respondent: 15
minutes.
Annual Burden Hours: 1,625 hours.
Frequency of Reporting or Use: As
needed.
Government Expenses:
Reviewing Time per Year: 1,625
hours.
Average Wages per Hour: $42.50.
Average Cost per Year: $69,062 (time
* wages).
Benefits and Overhead: 20%.
Total Government Cost: $82,875.
Bassam Doughman,
IT Specialist.
[FR Doc. 2022–03976 Filed 2–24–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6690–01–P
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
[Public Notice: 2022–6006]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Comment Request
Export-Import Bank of the
United States.
ACTION: Submission for OMB review and
comments request.
AGENCY:
The Export-Import Bank of
the United States (EXIM), as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork
and respondent burden, invites the
general public and other Federal
Agencies to comment on the proposed
information collection, as required by
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Financial institutions interested in
becoming an Approved Finance
Provider (AFP) with EXIM must
complete this application in order to
obtain approval to make loans under
EXIM insurance policies and/or enter
into one or more Master Guarantee
Agreements (MGA) with EXIM.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before April 26, 2022 to be assured
of consideration.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted electronically on
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
10789
www.regulations.gov (EIB 10–06) or by
email to Mia.Johnson@exim.gov, or by
mail to Mia L. Johnson, Export-Import
Bank, 811 Vermont Ave. NW,
Washington, DC 20571.
The information collection tool can be
reviewed at: https://exim.gov/sites/
default/files/pub/pending/eib10_06.pdf.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An AFP
may participate in the Medium-Term
Insurance, Bank Letter of Credit, and
Financial Institution Buyer Credit
programs as an insured lender, while
AFPs approved for an MGA may apply
for multiple loan or lease transactions to
be guaranteed by EXIM.
EXIM uses the information provided
in the form and the supplemental
information required to be submitted
with the form to determine whether the
lender qualifies to participate in its
lender insurance and guarantee
programs. The details are necessary to
evaluate whether the lender has the
capital to fund potential transactions,
proper due diligence procedures, and
the monitoring capacity to carry out
transactions.
Title and Form Number: EIB 10–06
Application for Approved Finance
Provider.
OMB Number: 3048–0032.
Type of Review: Renew.
Need and Use: The information
collected will allow EXIM to determine
compliance and content for transaction
requests submitted to the Export-Import
Bank under its insurance, guarantee,
and direct loan programs.
Affected Public: This form affects
entities involved in the export of U.S.
goods and services.
Annual Number of Respondents: 50.
Estimated Time per Respondent: 30
minutes.
Annual Burden Hours: 25 hours.
Frequency of Reporting of Use: On
occasion.
Government Expenses:
Reviewing Time per Year: 25 hours.
Average Wages per Hour: $42.50.
Average Cost per Year: $1,062.50
(time * wages).
Benefits and Overhead: 20%.
Total Government Cost: $1,275.
Bassam Doughman,
IT Specialist.
[FR Doc. 2022–03978 Filed 2–24–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6690–01–P
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
[Public Notice 2021–3004]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Comment Request
Export-Import Bank of the
United States.
AGENCY:
E:\FR\FM\25FEN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 38 (Friday, February 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10787-10789]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-03885]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9337-01-OW]
Notice of Availability of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Texas
Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental
Assessment #2: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore
Habitats; Nutrient Reduction; Oysters; Sea Turtles; and Birds
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) and the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the federal and state natural
resource trustee agencies for the Texas Trustee Implementation Group
(Texas TIG) prepared the Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental
Assessment #2: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore
Habitats; Nutrient Reduction; Oysters; Sea Turtles; and Birds (Draft
RP/EA #2). The Draft RP/EA #2 describes and proposes restoration
project alternatives considered by the Texas TIG to restore natural
resources and ecological services injured or lost as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Texas TIG evaluated these alternatives
under criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource damage assessment
(NRDA) regulations and evaluated the environmental consequences of the
restoration alternatives in accordance with the NEPA. The proposed
projects are consistent with the restoration alternatives selected in
the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Final Programmatic Damage Assessment
and Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (PDARP/PEIS). This notice informs the public of the
availability of the Draft RP/EA #2 and provides an opportunity for the
public to submit comments on the document.
DATES: The Texas TIG will consider public comments received on or
before March 28, 2022.
Public Webinar: The Texas TIG will conduct a public webinar on
March 9, 2022, at 6 p.m. Central Standard Time to facilitate public
review and comment on the Draft RP/EA #2. The public webinar will
include a presentation on the Draft RP/EA #2. Public comments will be
taken during the public webinar. The public may register for the
webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2667653123715836432. After registering, participants will receive a
confirmation email with instructions for joining the webinar. The
presentation will be posted on the web after the webinar is conducted.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may download the Draft RP/EA #2 at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/texas.
Alternatively, you may request a compact disc (CD) of the Draft RP/EA
#2 (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). You may also view the
document at any of the public facilities listed at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/texas.
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft RP/EA #2
by one of the following methods:
Via the Web: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/TXRP2.
Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box
29649, Atlanta, GA 30345.
During the Public Webinar: Comments may be provided by the
public during the webinar on March 9, 2022.
Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. The Texas
TIG may publish any comment received regarding the document. Do not
submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must
be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered
the official comment and should include discussion of all points you
wish to make. The Texas TIG will generally not consider comments or
comment contents located outside of the written submission (i.e., on
the web, cloud, or other file sharing system). Please be aware that
your entire
[[Page 10788]]
comment, including your personal identifying information, will become
part of the public record. Please note that mailed comments must be
postmarked on or before the comment deadline of March 28, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Texas--Angela Schrift; [email protected]; 512-
389-8755.
EPA--Douglas Jacobson; [email protected]; 214-665-
6692.
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 the release of an
unprecedented volume of oil and other discharges from the rig and from
the wellhead on the seabed. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the
largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, discharging millions of
barrels of oil over a period of 87 days. The Trustees conducted the
natural resource damage assessment for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
under the OPA. Under the 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,
including the loss of use and services from those resources from the
time of injury until the time restoration to baseline (the resource
quality and conditions that would exist if the spill had not occurred)
is complete.
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill Trustees are:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
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);
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 Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD),
General Land Office (TGLO), and Commission on Environmental Quality
(TCEQ).
On April 4, 2016, the Trustees reached and finalized a settlement
of their natural resource damage claims with BP in a Consent Decree
approved by the United States District Court for the Eastern District
of Louisiana. Pursuant to that Consent Decree, restoration projects in
the Texas Restoration Area are chosen and managed by the Texas TIG. The
Texas TIG is composed of the following Trustees: TPWD, TGLO, TCEQ, EPA,
DOI, NOAA, USDA.
Background
In an October 2020 notice posted at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/2020/10/submit-your-ideas-texas-restoration-area-planning, the Texas TIG requested public input on
restoration project ideas in the Texas Restoration Area within the
following restoration types: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats,
Nutrient Reduction, Oysters, Sea Turtles, and Birds. The Texas TIG
reviewed and considered these restoration project ideas in developing
the Draft RP/EA #2.
Overview of the Draft RP/EA
The Draft RP/EA #2 is being released in accordance with the OPA,
NRDA implementing regulations, and the NEPA. In the Draft RP/EA #2, the
Texas TIG presents to the public the Texas TIG's most recent plan to
restore natural resources and ecological services injured or lost as a
result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Draft RP/EA #2 evaluates
a total of eighteen restoration project alternatives within the Texas
Restoration Area. Of those, thirteen are identified as preferred
alternatives. The Draft RP/EA #2 also evaluates a no-action
alternative. The Draft RP/EA #2 proposes the following preferred
project alternatives for each restoration type:
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats
Bird Island Cove Habitat Restoration--Construction;
Bahia Grande Channel F Hydrologic Restoration;
Follets Island Habitat Acquisition Phase 2; and
Galveston Island Habitat Acquisition.
Nutrient Reduction
Petronila Creek Constructed Wetlands Planning; and
Petronila Creek Watershed Nutrient Reduction Initiative.
Oysters
Landscape Scale Oyster Restoration in Galveston Bay.
Sea Turtles
Upper Texas Coast Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Facility; and
Lancha Sea Turtle Mitigation Plan.
Birds
Laguna Vista Rookery Island Habitat Protection;
Jones Bay Oystercatcher Habitat Restoration;
San Antonio Bay Bird Island; and
Texas Breeding Shorebird and Seabird Stewardship.
The total estimated cost of the preferred alternatives is
approximately $39 million. One or more alternatives may be selected for
implementation by the Texas TIG. Additional restoration planning for
the Texas Restoration Area will continue.
Next Steps
The public is encouraged to review and comment on the Draft RP/EA
#2. A public webinar is scheduled to help facilitate the public review
and comment process. After the public comment period ends, the Texas
TIG will consider the comments received before finalizing the Final RP/
EA #2. A summary of comments received and the Texas TIG's responses and
any revisions to the document, as appropriate, will be included in the
final document.
Administrative Record
The documents comprising the Administrative Record for the Draft
RP/EA #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 NRDA
[[Page 10789]]
regulations found at 15 CFR part 990, and the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.).
Benita Best-Wong,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2022-03885 Filed 2-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
