Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for a Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine, 28611-28612 [2023-09478]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 86 / Thursday, May 4, 2023 / Notices
at Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas
lease sales held during the bidding
period of May 1, 2023, through October
31, 2023.
DATES: This list of restricted joint
bidders covers the bidding period of
May 1, 2023, through October 31, 2023,
and succeeds all prior published lists.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Group I
[Docket No. BOEM–2023–0031]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for a Wind
Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic
Outer Continental Shelf Offshore
Maine
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
Group II
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau
of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
intends to prepare an environmental
assessment (EA) to consider the
reasonably foreseeable environmental
consequences associated with the
issuance of a research lease to the State
of Maine. That lease would grant Maine
the exclusive right to submit, for
BOEM’s potential approval, plans for
wind energy-related research activities
offshore Maine. BOEM is seeking public
input regarding important
environmental issues and the
identification of reasonable alternatives
that should be considered in the EA.
DATES: BOEM must receive your
comments no later than June 5, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov. In the
entry entitled, ‘‘Enter Keyword or ID,’’
enter BOEM–2023–0031, and then click
‘‘search.’’ Follow the instructions to
submit public comments and view
supporting and related materials
available for this notice; or
• By U.S. Postal Service or other
delivery service, send your comments
and information to the following
address: Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Office of Renewable
Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland
Road, Mail Stop VAM–OREP, Sterling,
VA 20166.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jessica Stromberg, BOEM, Environment
Branch for Renewable Energy, 45600
Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM–OREP,
Sterling, VA 20166, 703–787–1730, or
jessica.stromberg@boem.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: This notice of intent to
prepare an EA is published pursuant to
43 CFR 46.305.
SUMMARY:
Chevron Corporation
Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
Chevron Midcontinent, L.P.
Unocal Corporation
Union Oil Company of California
Pure Partners, L.P.
Group III
Eni Petroleum Co. Inc.
Eni Petroleum US LLC
Eni Oil US LLC
Eni Marketing Inc.
Eni BB Petroleum Inc.
Eni US Operating Co. Inc.
Eni BB Pipeline LLC
Group IV
Equinor ASA
Equinor Gulf of Mexico LLC
Equinor USA E&P Inc.
Group V
Exxon Mobil Corporation
ExxonMobil Exploration Company
Group VI
Shell Oil Company
Shell Offshore Inc.
SWEPI LP
Shell Frontier Oil & Gas Inc.
SOI Finance Inc.
Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc.
Group VII
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
AGENCY:
BP America Production Company
BP Exploration & Production Inc.
Total E&P USA, Inc.
Even if an entity does not appear on
the above list, BOEM may disqualify
and reject certain joint or single bids
submitted by an entity if that entity is
chargeable for the prior production
period with an average daily production
in excess of 1.6 million barrels of crude
oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids.
See 30 CFR 556.512.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6213; and 30 CFR
556.511–556.515.
Elizabeth Klein,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2023–09457 Filed 5–3–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340–98–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
17:12 May 03, 2023
Jkt 259001
1. Background
On March 20, 2023, BOEM issued a
notice that competitive interest did not
exist in the area proposed for a research
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
28611
lease by the State of Maine (88 FR
16662). Thus, BOEM has decided to
proceed with the research leasing
process using the procedures described
in 30 CFR 585.239. The next step in that
process includes initiating an
environmental review of potential
impacts from activities associated with
the research lease, if issued.
Proposed Action and Scope of Analysis
The proposed action that will be the
subject of the EA is the issuance of a
research lease. In addition to the no
action alternative (no lease issuance),
other alternatives may be considered,
such as exclusion of certain areas from
project siting or modification of project
activities. The EA will consider the
reasonably foreseeable environmental
consequences associated with lease
issuance that are expected to take place
following issuance of a research lease to
the State of Maine, including the
potential impacts of site
characterization surveys and site
assessment activities, such as the
deployment and recovery of a
meteorological buoy. BOEM has decided
to prepare an EA for this proposed
action in order to assist agency’s
planning and decision making (40 CFR
1501.5(b)). This notice starts the formal
scoping process for the EA under 40
CFR 1501.9 and solicits information
regarding additional important
environmental issues and alternatives
that should be considered in the EA.
Additionally, BOEM will use the
scoping process to identify and
eliminate from detailed analysis issues
that are not significant or that have been
analyzed by prior environmental
reviews (40 CFR 1501.9(f)(1)).
BOEM will use responses to this
notice and the EA public input process
to satisfy the public involvement
requirements of the National Historic
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108), as
provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3).
Consequently, BOEM seeks information
from the public on the identification of
historic properties that might be
impacted by the leasing activities
should BOEM decide to issue the
research lease. The analyses contained
within the EA also will support
compliance with other environmental
statutes (e.g., Endangered Species Act,
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, and
Marine Mammal Protection Act).
The research lease would not
authorize any activities on the Outer
Continental Shelf, but would grant the
State of Maine the exclusive rights to
submit plans for BOEM approval. Prior
to the approval of any plan authorizing
the construction and operation of wind
E:\FR\FM\04MYN1.SGM
04MYN1
28612
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 86 / Thursday, May 4, 2023 / Notices
energy-related research facilities, BOEM
would prepare a plan-specific
environmental analysis and will comply
with all required consultation
requirements.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
2. Cooperating Agencies
BOEM invites Federal, State, and
local government agencies, as well as
Tribal governments, to consider
becoming cooperating agencies in the
preparation of this EA. Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations implementing the
procedural provisions of NEPA defines
cooperating agencies as those with
‘‘jurisdiction by law or special expertise
with respect to any environmental
impact involved in a proposal (or a
reasonable alternative)’’ (40 CFR
1508.1(e)). Potential cooperating
agencies should consider their authority
and capacity to assume the
responsibilities of a cooperating agency
and remember that an agency’s role in
the environmental analysis neither
enlarges nor diminishes the final
decision-making authority of any other
agency involved in the NEPA process.
Upon request, BOEM will provide
potential cooperating agencies with a
draft memorandum of agreement that
includes a schedule with critical action
dates and milestones, mutual
responsibilities, designated points of
contact, and expectations for handling
pre-decisional information. Agencies
should also consider the ‘‘Factors for
Determining Whether to Invite, Decline
or End Cooperating Agency Status’’ in
attachment 1 to CEQ’s January 30, 2002,
memorandum for Federal agencies
titled, ‘‘Cooperating Agencies in
Implementing the Procedural
Requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act.’’ A copy of
this document is available at: https://
www.energy.gov/nepa/articles/
cooperating-agencies-implementingprocedural-requirements-nationalenvironmental.
BOEM, as the lead agency, will not
provide financial assistance to
cooperating agencies. Even if an
organization is not a cooperating
agency, opportunities will exist to
provide information and comments to
BOEM during the normal public input
phases of the NEPA and EA process.
3. Comments
Federal, State, local government
agencies, Tribal governments, and other
interested parties are requested to send
their written comments on the
important issues to be considered in the
EA by either of the following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov. In the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:12 May 03, 2023
Jkt 259001
entry entitled, ‘‘Enter Keyword or ID,’’
enter BOEM–2023–0031, and then click
‘‘search.’’ Follow the instructions to
submit public comments and view
supporting and related materials
available for this notice; or
2. By U.S. Postal Service or other
delivery service, send your comments
and information to the following
address and marked ‘‘Gulf of Maine
Research Lease EA’’: Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, Office of
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600
Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM–OREP,
Sterling, VA 20166.
Freedom of Information Act
BOEM will protect privileged or
confidential information that you
submit when required by the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA). Exemption 4
of FOIA applies to trade secrets and
commercial or financial information
that is privileged or confidential. If you
wish to protect the confidentiality of
such information, clearly label it and
request that BOEM treat it as
confidential. BOEM will not disclose
such information if BOEM determines
under 30 CFR 585.114(b) that it qualifies
for exemption from disclosure under
FOIA. Please label privileged or
confidential information ‘‘Contains
Confidential Information’’ and consider
submitting such information as a
separate attachment.
BOEM will not treat as confidential
any aggregate summaries of such
information or comments not containing
such privileged or confidential
information. Information that is not
labeled as privileged or confidential
may be regarded by BOEM as suitable
for public release.
b. Personally Identifiable Information
BOEM encourages you not to submit
anonymous comments. Please include
your name and address as part of your
comment. You should be aware that
your entire comment, including your
name, address, and any personally
identifiable information (PII) included
in your comment, may be made publicly
available. All submissions from
identified individuals, businesses, and
organizations will be available for
public viewing on regulations.gov. Note
that BOEM will make available for
public inspection all comments, in their
entirety, submitted by organizations and
businesses, or by individuals identifying
themselves as representatives of
organizations or businesses.
For BOEM to consider withholding
your PII from disclosure, you must
identify any information contained in
your comments that, if released, would
constitute a clearly unwarranted
PO 00000
Frm 00154
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
invasion of your personal privacy. You
must also briefly describe any possible
harmful consequences of the disclosure
of information, such as embarrassment,
injury, or other harm. Even if BOEM
withholds your information in the
context of this rulemaking, your
submission is subject to FOIA and, if
your submission is requested under the
FOIA, your information will only be
withheld if a determination is made that
one of the FOIA’s exemptions to
disclosure applies. Such a
determination will be made in
accordance with the Department’s FOIA
regulations and applicable law.
c. Section 304 of the NHPA (54 U.S.C.
307103(a))
After consultation with the Secretary,
BOEM is required to withhold the
location, character, or ownership of
historic resources if it determines that
disclosure may, among other things, risk
harm to the historic resources or impede
the use of a traditional religious site by
practitioners. Tribal entities should
designate information that falls under
section 304 of NHPA as confidential.
Elizabeth Klein,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2023–09478 Filed 5–3–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340–98–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement
[S1D1S SS08011000 SX064A000
231S180110; S2D2S SS08011000
SX064A000 23XS501520; OMB Control
Number 1029–0091]
Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget for Review
and Approval; Requirements for
Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation
Operations on Indian Lands
Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,
the Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE),
are proposing to renew an information
collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before July 3,
2023.
SUMMARY:
Send your comments on
this information collection request (ICR)
by mail to Mark Gehlhar, Office of
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\04MYN1.SGM
04MYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 86 (Thursday, May 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28611-28612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09478]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2023-0031]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for a
Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
Offshore Maine
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(BOEM) intends to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to consider
the reasonably foreseeable environmental consequences associated with
the issuance of a research lease to the State of Maine. That lease
would grant Maine the exclusive right to submit, for BOEM's potential
approval, plans for wind energy-related research activities offshore
Maine. BOEM is seeking public input regarding important environmental
issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be
considered in the EA.
DATES: BOEM must receive your comments no later than June 5, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
In the entry entitled, ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2023-0031,
and then click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public
comments and view supporting and related materials available for this
notice; or
By U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service, send
your comments and information to the following address: Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland
Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP, Sterling, VA 20166.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Stromberg, BOEM, Environment
Branch for Renewable Energy, 45600 Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP,
Sterling, VA 20166, 703-787-1730, or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: This notice of intent to prepare an EA is published
pursuant to 43 CFR 46.305.
1. Background
On March 20, 2023, BOEM issued a notice that competitive interest
did not exist in the area proposed for a research lease by the State of
Maine (88 FR 16662). Thus, BOEM has decided to proceed with the
research leasing process using the procedures described in 30 CFR
585.239. The next step in that process includes initiating an
environmental review of potential impacts from activities associated
with the research lease, if issued.
Proposed Action and Scope of Analysis
The proposed action that will be the subject of the EA is the
issuance of a research lease. In addition to the no action alternative
(no lease issuance), other alternatives may be considered, such as
exclusion of certain areas from project siting or modification of
project activities. The EA will consider the reasonably foreseeable
environmental consequences associated with lease issuance that are
expected to take place following issuance of a research lease to the
State of Maine, including the potential impacts of site
characterization surveys and site assessment activities, such as the
deployment and recovery of a meteorological buoy. BOEM has decided to
prepare an EA for this proposed action in order to assist agency's
planning and decision making (40 CFR 1501.5(b)). This notice starts the
formal scoping process for the EA under 40 CFR 1501.9 and solicits
information regarding additional important environmental issues and
alternatives that should be considered in the EA. Additionally, BOEM
will use the scoping process to identify and eliminate from detailed
analysis issues that are not significant or that have been analyzed by
prior environmental reviews (40 CFR 1501.9(f)(1)).
BOEM will use responses to this notice and the EA public input
process to satisfy the public involvement requirements of the National
Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108), as provided in 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3). Consequently, BOEM seeks information from the public on
the identification of historic properties that might be impacted by the
leasing activities should BOEM decide to issue the research lease. The
analyses contained within the EA also will support compliance with
other environmental statutes (e.g., Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and Marine Mammal
Protection Act).
The research lease would not authorize any activities on the Outer
Continental Shelf, but would grant the State of Maine the exclusive
rights to submit plans for BOEM approval. Prior to the approval of any
plan authorizing the construction and operation of wind
[[Page 28612]]
energy-related research facilities, BOEM would prepare a plan-specific
environmental analysis and will comply with all required consultation
requirements.
2. Cooperating Agencies
BOEM invites Federal, State, and local government agencies, as well
as Tribal governments, to consider becoming cooperating agencies in the
preparation of this EA. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA defines
cooperating agencies as those with ``jurisdiction by law or special
expertise with respect to any environmental impact involved in a
proposal (or a reasonable alternative)'' (40 CFR 1508.1(e)). Potential
cooperating agencies should consider their authority and capacity to
assume the responsibilities of a cooperating agency and remember that
an agency's role in the environmental analysis neither enlarges nor
diminishes the final decision-making authority of any other agency
involved in the NEPA process.
Upon request, BOEM will provide potential cooperating agencies with
a draft memorandum of agreement that includes a schedule with critical
action dates and milestones, mutual responsibilities, designated points
of contact, and expectations for handling pre-decisional information.
Agencies should also consider the ``Factors for Determining Whether to
Invite, Decline or End Cooperating Agency Status'' in attachment 1 to
CEQ's January 30, 2002, memorandum for Federal agencies titled,
``Cooperating Agencies in Implementing the Procedural Requirements of
the National Environmental Policy Act.'' A copy of this document is
available at: https://www.energy.gov/nepa/articles/cooperating-agencies-implementing-procedural-requirements-national-environmental.
BOEM, as the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance to
cooperating agencies. Even if an organization is not a cooperating
agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and comments to
BOEM during the normal public input phases of the NEPA and EA process.
3. Comments
Federal, State, local government agencies, Tribal governments, and
other interested parties are requested to send their written comments
on the important issues to be considered in the EA by either of the
following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the
entry entitled, ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2023-0031, and then
click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and
view supporting and related materials available for this notice; or
2. By U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service, send your
comments and information to the following address and marked ``Gulf of
Maine Research Lease EA'': Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Office of
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP,
Sterling, VA 20166.
Freedom of Information Act
BOEM will protect privileged or confidential information that you
submit when required by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Exemption 4 of FOIA applies to trade secrets and commercial or
financial information that is privileged or confidential. If you wish
to protect the confidentiality of such information, clearly label it
and request that BOEM treat it as confidential. BOEM will not disclose
such information if BOEM determines under 30 CFR 585.114(b) that it
qualifies for exemption from disclosure under FOIA. Please label
privileged or confidential information ``Contains Confidential
Information'' and consider submitting such information as a separate
attachment.
BOEM will not treat as confidential any aggregate summaries of such
information or comments not containing such privileged or confidential
information. Information that is not labeled as privileged or
confidential may be regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.
b. Personally Identifiable Information
BOEM encourages you not to submit anonymous comments. Please
include your name and address as part of your comment. You should be
aware that your entire comment, including your name, address, and any
personally identifiable information (PII) included in your comment, may
be made publicly available. All submissions from identified
individuals, businesses, and organizations will be available for public
viewing on regulations.gov. Note that BOEM will make available for
public inspection all comments, in their entirety, submitted by
organizations and businesses, or by individuals identifying themselves
as representatives of organizations or businesses.
For BOEM to consider withholding your PII from disclosure, you must
identify any information contained in your comments that, if released,
would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of your personal
privacy. You must also briefly describe any possible harmful
consequences of the disclosure of information, such as embarrassment,
injury, or other harm. Even if BOEM withholds your information in the
context of this rulemaking, your submission is subject to FOIA and, if
your submission is requested under the FOIA, your information will only
be withheld if a determination is made that one of the FOIA's
exemptions to disclosure applies. Such a determination will be made in
accordance with the Department's FOIA regulations and applicable law.
c. Section 304 of the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 307103(a))
After consultation with the Secretary, BOEM is required to withhold
the location, character, or ownership of historic resources if it
determines that disclosure may, among other things, risk harm to the
historic resources or impede the use of a traditional religious site by
practitioners. Tribal entities should designate information that falls
under section 304 of NHPA as confidential.
Elizabeth Klein,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-09478 Filed 5-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P