Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment for a Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine, 47172-47173 [2023-15389]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 139 / Friday, July 21, 2023 / Notices
economic feasibility; environmental
impacts; and geographic considerations.
Availability of the FEIS: The FEIS,
Revolution Wind COP, and associated
information are available on BOEM’s
website at: https://www.boem.gov/
renewable-energy/state-activities/
revolution-wind. BOEM has distributed
digital copies of the FEIS to all parties
listed in FEIS appendix H. If you require
a digital copy on a flash drive or a paper
copy, BOEM will provide one upon
request, as long as these materials are
available. You may request a flash drive
or paper copy of the FEIS by contacting
Laura Lee Wolfson at (703) 787–1433 or
Lauralee.wolfson@boem.gov.
Cooperating Agencies: The following
Federal agencies and State
governmental entities participated as
cooperating agencies in the preparation
of the FEIS: Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement;
Environmental Protection Agency;
National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Coast
Guard; Massachusetts Office of Coastal
Zone Management; Rhode Island
Coastal Resources Management Council;
and the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management. The
Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation; National Park Service;
Federal Aviation Administration;
Department of Defense; U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service; and Department of the
Navy participated as a participating
agency.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq.
(NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR 1506.6.
Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs,
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2023–15387 Filed 7–20–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340–98–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM–2023–0042]
Notice of Availability of a Draft
Environmental Assessment for a Wind
Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic
Outer Continental Shelf Offshore
Maine
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
AGENCY:
BOEM announces the
availability of the draft environmental
assessment (EA) for the potential
issuance of a wind energy research lease
to the State of Maine. The draft EA
SUMMARY:
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analyzes the potential environmental
impacts of the site characterization and
site assessment activities that are
expected to take place should this
research lease be issued. This notice of
availability (NOA) announces the start
of the public review and comment
period, as well as the dates and times
for public meetings on the draft EA.
After BOEM holds the public meetings
and addresses public comments
submitted during the review period,
BOEM will publish a final EA. The EA
will inform BOEM’s decision whether to
issue the research lease.
DATES: Comments must be received no
later than August 21, 2023. BOEM’s
virtual public meetings will be held on
the following dates at the times (eastern
time) indicated.
• Tuesday, August 1; 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, August 3; 1:00 p.m.
Registration for the virtual public
meeting is required and may be
completed at https://www.boem.gov/
renewable-energy/state-activities/
maine/gulf-maine. Meeting information
will be sent to registrants via their email
address provided during registration.
ADDRESSES: The draft EA and detailed
information about the proposed research
lease can be found on BOEM’s website
at: https://www.boem.gov/renewableenergy/state-activities/maine/gulfmaine. Comments can be submitted in
any of the following ways:
• Orally or in written form during any
of the public meetings identified in this
NOA.
• In written form by mail or any other
delivery service, enclosed in an
envelope labeled ‘‘Gulf of Maine
Research Lease EA’’ and addressed to
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy
Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, 45600 Woodland Road,
Mailstop VAM–OREP, Sterling, VA
20166.
• Through the regulations.gov web
portal: Navigate to https://
www.regulations.gov and search for
Docket No. BOEM–2023–0042. Click on
the ‘‘Comment’’ button below the
document link. Enter your information
and comment, then click ‘‘Submit
Comment.’’
For more information about
submitting comments, please see
‘‘Information on Submitting Comments’’
under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
heading below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jessica Stromberg, BOEM Office of
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600
Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia
20166, (703) 787–1730 or
jessica.stromberg@boem.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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Proposed Action: The draft EA
analyzes the proposed action, which is
the issuance of a research lease to the
State of Maine, and the no action
alternative. The EA considers the
reasonably foreseeable environmental
consequences associated with lease
issuance, site characterization surveys,
and site assessment activities, such as
the deployment and recovery of a
meteorological buoy, that are expected
to take place should a research lease be
issued to the State of Maine. BOEM has
decided to prepare an EA for this
proposed action in order to assist the
agency’s planning and decision-making
(40 CFR 1501.5(b)).
Availability of the draft EA: The draft
EA and associated information are
available on BOEM’s website at: https://
www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/stateactivities/maine/gulf-maine. If you
require a digital copy on a flash drive
or paper copy, BOEM will provide one
upon request, if supplies are available.
You may request a flash drive or paper
copy of the draft EA by contacting Mary
Boatman at (703) 787–1662 or
mary.boatman@boem.gov.
Cooperating Agencies: The following
three Federal agencies participated as
cooperating agencies in the preparation
of the draft EA: the Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement, National
Marine Fisheries Service, and U.S. Coast
Guard.
Information on Submitting Comments
a. 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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 139 / Friday, July 21, 2023 / Notices
b. Personally Identifiable Information
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BOEM discourages 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 other personally
identifiable information (PII) that you
include, may be made publicly
available. All comments 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 notice, your comment is
subject to FOIA. If your comment is
requested under FOIA, BOEM will
withhold your information only if it
determines that one of FOIA’s
exemptions to disclosure applies. Such
a determination will be made in
accordance with the Department’s FOIA
regulations and applicable law.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
c. Section 304 of the NHPA (54 U.S.C.
307103(a))
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
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.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq.
(NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR 1506.6.
Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs,
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2023–15389 Filed 7–20–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340–98–P
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19:06 Jul 20, 2023
Jkt 259001
[Docket No. BOEM–2023–0021]
Final Sale Notice (FSN) for Commercial
Leasing for Wind Power Development
on the Outer Continental Shelf in the
Gulf of Mexico (GOMW–1)
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
ACTION: Final sale notice.
AGENCY:
This Final Sale Notice (FSN)
contains information pertaining to the
areas available for commercial wind
energy leasing on the Outer Continental
Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico
(GOM). Specifically, this FSN details
certain provisions and conditions of the
leases, auction details, the lease form,
criteria for evaluating competing bids,
and procedures for award, appeal, and
lease execution. The Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management (BOEM) will offer
three leases for sale using a multiplefactor bidding auction format: Lease
OCS–G 37334, Lease OCS–G37335, and
Lease OCS–G37336 (Lease Areas). The
issuance of any lease resulting from this
sale will not constitute approval of
project-specific plans to develop
offshore wind energy. Such plans, if
submitted by the Lessee, will be subject
to environmental, technical, and public
reviews prior to a BOEM decision on
whether the proposed activity should be
authorized.
DATES: BOEM will hold an online mock
auction for potential bidders starting at
8:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT)/
9:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
on August 28, 2023. The monetary
auction will be held online and will
begin at 8:00 a.m. CDT/9:00 a.m. EDT on
August 29, 2023. Additional details are
provided in the section entitled,
‘‘Deadlines and Milestones for Bidders.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bridgette Duplantis, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, Office of Leasing
and Plans, 1201 Elmwood Park
Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana
70123, (504) 736–7502 or
bridgette.duplantis@boem.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
I. Background
The OCS Lands Act authorizes BOEM
to offer renewable energy leases for sale
on the OCS competitively, unless BOEM
determines there is no competitive
interest. On June 11, 2021, BOEM
published a Request for Interest (RFI) for
commercial leasing for wind power
development in the Gulf of Mexico OCS
(88 FR 31339). The RFI Area comprised
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47173
the entire Central Planning Area (CPA)
and Western Planning Area (WPA) of
the Gulf of Mexico, excluding the
portions of those areas located in water
depths greater than 1,300 meters. On
November 1, 2021, BOEM published the
Call for Information and Nominations
(86 FR 60283) encompassing an area of
almost 30 million acres just west of the
Mississippi River to the Texas/Mexican
border. On July 20, 2022, BOEM
announced that it was seeking public
comments on two draft Wind Energy
Areas (WEAs) totaling 7,364,668 acres
offshore Galveston, Texas, and Lake
Charles, Louisiana. In response to
feedback collected, BOEM announced
the Area Identification on October 31,
2022. BOEM published the Proposed
Sale Notice (PSN) in the Federal
Register (88 FR 11939) on February 22,
2023. A 60-day comment period
followed. BOEM requested any
prospective bidders who wished to
participate in the GOM lease sale to
submit qualification materials
postmarked no later than April 25, 2023.
BOEM also hosted an auction seminar
for prospective bidders on March 23,
2023, to discuss the proposed auction
format. BOEM received 330 comment
submissions in response to the PSN,
which are available on regulations.gov
(Docket ID: BOEM–2023–0021) at:
https://www.regulations.gov/document/
BOEM-2023-0021-0001. BOEM has
posted its responses to the comments
that were submitted during the PSN
comment period. The document
entitled, Response to Comments, can be
found on BOEM’s website at: https://
www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/stateactivities/gulf-mexico-activities.
In response to the comments received,
BOEM made several changes to the
GOMW–1 sale format and procedures
from those proposed in the PSN and to
the lease stipulations in the Proposed
Leases. BOEM will offer all three lease
areas during one multi-factor GOMW–1
auction. In each round of the auction, a
bidder can bid for, at most, one of the
offered leases at a time. A bidder may
switch between different Lease Areas
from round to round subject to the
auction rules, but must bid in each
round, and ultimately can acquire, at
most, one lease in the auction.
II. List of Eligible Bidders
BOEM has determined that the
following 16 entities are legally,
technically, and financially qualified to
hold a commercial wind lease offshore
the GOM, pursuant to 30 CFR 585.107
and 585.108, and therefore may
participate in this lease sale as bidders
subject to meeting the requirements
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 139 (Friday, July 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47172-47173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15389]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2023-0042]
Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment for a
Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
Offshore Maine
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: BOEM announces the availability of the draft environmental
assessment (EA) for the potential issuance of a wind energy research
lease to the State of Maine. The draft EA analyzes the potential
environmental impacts of the site characterization and site assessment
activities that are expected to take place should this research lease
be issued. This notice of availability (NOA) announces the start of the
public review and comment period, as well as the dates and times for
public meetings on the draft EA. After BOEM holds the public meetings
and addresses public comments submitted during the review period, BOEM
will publish a final EA. The EA will inform BOEM's decision whether to
issue the research lease.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than August 21, 2023. BOEM's
virtual public meetings will be held on the following dates at the
times (eastern time) indicated.
Tuesday, August 1; 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 3; 1:00 p.m.
Registration for the virtual public meeting is required and may be
completed at https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine. Meeting information will be sent to registrants via
their email address provided during registration.
ADDRESSES: The draft EA and detailed information about the proposed
research lease can be found on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine. Comments can be
submitted in any of the following ways:
Orally or in written form during any of the public
meetings identified in this NOA.
In written form by mail or any other delivery service,
enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Gulf of Maine Research Lease EA'' and
addressed to Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Mailstop VAM-OREP,
Sterling, VA 20166.
Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2023-0042. Click on
the ``Comment'' button below the document link. Enter your information
and comment, then click ``Submit Comment.''
For more information about submitting comments, please see
``Information on Submitting Comments'' under the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION heading below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Stromberg, BOEM Office of
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia
20166, (703) 787-1730 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action: The draft EA analyzes the proposed action, which
is the issuance of a research lease to the State of Maine, and the no
action alternative. The EA considers the reasonably foreseeable
environmental consequences associated with lease issuance, site
characterization surveys, and site assessment activities, such as the
deployment and recovery of a meteorological buoy, that are expected to
take place should a research lease be issued to the State of Maine.
BOEM has decided to prepare an EA for this proposed action in order to
assist the agency's planning and decision-making (40 CFR 1501.5(b)).
Availability of the draft EA: The draft EA and associated
information are available on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine. If you require a
digital copy on a flash drive or paper copy, BOEM will provide one upon
request, if supplies are available. You may request a flash drive or
paper copy of the draft EA by contacting Mary Boatman at (703) 787-1662
or [email protected].
Cooperating Agencies: The following three Federal agencies
participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the draft
EA: the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, National Marine
Fisheries Service, and U.S. Coast Guard.
Information on Submitting Comments
a. 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.
[[Page 47173]]
b. Personally Identifiable Information
BOEM discourages 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 other personally
identifiable information (PII) that you include, may be made publicly
available. All comments 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 notice, your comment is subject to FOIA. If your
comment is requested under FOIA, BOEM will withhold your information
only if it determines that one of 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.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq. (NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR
1506.6.
Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-15389 Filed 7-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
