Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for US Wind Inc's Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore Maryland, 69658-69659 [2023-21749]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 193 (Friday, October 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69658-69659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21749]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2023-0050]


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for US Wind Inc's Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore Maryland

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: BOEM announces the availability of the draft environmental 
impact statement (DEIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP) 
submitted by US Wind Inc. (US Wind) for its proposed Maryland Offshore 
Wind Project (Project) offshore Maryland. The DEIS analyzes the 
potential environmental impacts of the Project as described in the COP 
(the proposed action) and the alternatives to the proposed action. This 
notice of availability (NOA) announces the start of the public review 
and comment period, as well as the dates and times for public hearings 
on the DEIS. After BOEM holds the public hearings and

[[Page 69659]]

addresses comments provided, BOEM will publish a final environmental 
impact statement (FEIS). The FEIS will inform BOEM's decision whether 
to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the COP.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than November 20, 2023. BOEM 
will conduct four virtual/in person public hearings. BOEM's public 
hearings will be held at the following times (eastern time).

 October 19, 2023, 1 p.m.-5 p.m., virtual meeting
 October 24, 2023, 5 p.m.-9 p.m., Ocean City Elementary School, 
12828 Center Dr., Ocean City, MD 21842
 October 26, 2023, 5 p.m.-9 p.m., Indian River High School, 
29772 Armory Rd., Dagsboro, DE 19939
 October 30, 2023, 5 p.m.-9 p.m., virtual meeting

    Registration for the virtual public hearings may be completed here: 
https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/us-wind or by 
calling (703) 787-1520. Registration for the virtual hearings is 
required. Meeting information will be sent to registrants via their 
email address provided during registration.

ADDRESSES: The DEIS and detailed information about the Project, 
including the COP, can be found on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/us-wind. Comments can be 
submitted in any of the following ways:
     Orally or in written form during any of the public 
hearings identified in this NOA.
     In written form by mail or any other delivery service, 
enclosed in an envelope labeled ``US Wind COP DEIS'' and addressed to 
Program Chief, Office of Renewable Energy, Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, 45600 Woodland Road, VAM-OREP, Sterling, VA 20166.
     Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2023-0050. 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, VAM-OREP, Sterling, 
Virginia 20166, (703) 787-1722 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Proposed Action: US Wind seeks approval to construct, operate, and 
maintain the Project: a wind facility up to 2.2 gigawatts on the Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS) off the coast of Maryland. The Project would be 
developed within the range of design parameters outlined in the 
Maryland Offshore Wind COP, subject to applicable mitigation measures. 
The Project includes MarWin, a wind farm of approximately 300 megawatts 
(MW) for which the State of Maryland awarded offshore renewable energy 
credits (ORECs) to US Wind in 2017; Momentum Wind, consisting of 
approximately 808 MW for which the State of Maryland awarded US Wind 
additional ORECs in 2021; and build-out of the remainder of the lease 
area to fulfill ongoing, government-sanctioned demands for offshore 
wind energy.
    US Wind proposes to construct and operate up to 114 wind turbines 
and up to four offshore substations with one offshore export cable 
route under the terms of Renewable Energy Lease OCS-A 0490. The lease 
area is located ten miles off the coast of Maryland. The onshore 
components of the Project would include a cable landfall area at 3Rs 
beach in Delaware. From the landfall, onshore cables would continue 
along an inshore cable export route in Indian River Bay to connect to a 
single onshore substation adjacent to the point of interconnection in 
Dagsboro, Delaware.
    Alternatives: BOEM considered 14 alternatives when preparing the 
DEIS and carried forward five alternatives for further analysis in the 
DEIS. These five alternatives include four action alternatives and a no 
action alternative. BOEM rejected nine alternatives because they did 
not meet the purpose and need for the proposed action or did not meet 
screening criteria, which are presented in DEIS section 2.2. The 
screening criteria included consistency with law and regulations; 
technical and economic feasibility; environmental impact; and 
geographic considerations.
    Availability of the DEIS: The DEIS, Maryland Offshore COP, and 
associated information are available on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/us-wind. If you need a 
flash drive or paper copy, BOEM will provide one upon request, as long 
as copies are available. You may request a flash drive or paper copy of 
the DEIS by calling (703) 787-1520.
    Cooperating Agencies: The following nine Federal and State agencies 
participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the DEIS: 
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency; National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 
National Park Service; Maryland Department of the Environment; and 
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
    Information on Submitting Comments: BOEM discourages the submittal 
of anonymous comments. Please include your name and address as part of 
your comment. BOEM makes all comments, including the names and 
addresses of respondents, available for public review online and during 
regular business hours. Individual respondents may request that BOEM 
withhold their names, addresses, or any other personal identifiable 
information (PII) included in their comment from the public record; 
however, BOEM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. If you 
wish your name, address, or other PII to be withheld, you must state 
your request prominently in a cover letter and explain the harm that 
you fear from its disclosure, such as unwarranted privacy invasion, 
embarrassment, or injury. Even if BOEM withholds your information in 
the context of this notice, your submission is subject to the Freedom 
of Information Act (FOIA) and any relevant court orders. If your 
submission is requested under the FOIA or such court order, your 
information will only be withheld if a determination is made that one 
of the FOIA's exemptions to disclosure applies or if such court order 
is challenged. Such a determination will be made in accordance with the 
Department's FOIA regulations and applicable law.
    Please label privileged or confidential information as ``Contains 
Confidential Information,'' and consider submitting such information as 
a separate attachment. Information that is not labeled as privileged or 
confidential may be regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.
    All submissions from organizations or businesses and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses will be made available for public 
inspection in their entirety.
    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. 2023-21749 Filed 10-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P