Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Expected Wind Energy Development in the New York Bight, 2249-2251 [2024-00512]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / Notices
In accordance with the Native
American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the
University of Oregon Museum of
Natural and Cultural History has
amended a Notice of Inventory
Completion published in the Federal
Register on September 10, 2018. This
notice amends the minimum number of
individuals and number of associated
funerary objects in a collection removed
from Catron County, NM.
SUMMARY:
Repatriation of the human
remains and associated funerary objects
in this notice may occur on or after
February 12, 2024.
DATES:
Dr. Pamela Endzweig,
Director of Anthropological Collections,
University of Oregon Museum of
Natural and Cultural History, 1224
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
97403–1224, telephone (541) 346–5120,
email endzweig@uoregon.edu.
ADDRESSES:
This
notice is published as part of the
National Park Service’s administrative
responsibilities under NAGPRA. The
determinations in this notice are the
sole responsibility of the University of
Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural
History. The National Park Service is
not responsible for the determinations
in this notice. Additional information
on the amendments and determinations
in this notice, including the results of
consultation, can be found in the
inventory or related records held by the
University of Oregon Museum of
Natural and Cultural History.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Amendment
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This notice amends the
determinations published in a Notice of
Inventory Completion in the Federal
Register (83 FR 45656–45657,
September 10, 2018). Repatriation of the
items in the original Notice of Inventory
Completion has not occurred. From the
SU Ranch Site, a minimum of 10
individuals (previously reported as nine
individuals) were removed from the
Tularosa River area in Catron County,
NM. This notice adds a 1–2-year-old
child of unknown sex. One associated
funerary object (previously no
associated funerary objects), catalogued
as 2–2937, is a Tularosa corrugated
bowl.
Determinations (as amended)
Pursuant to NAGPRA and its
implementing regulations, and after
consultation with the appropriate
Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian
organizations, the University of Oregon
Museum of Natural and Cultural History
has determined that:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
00:38 Jan 12, 2024
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• The human remains described in
this amended notice represent the
physical remains of 10 individuals of
Native American ancestry.
• The one object described in this
amended notice is reasonably believed
to have been placed with or near
individual human remains at the time of
death or later as part of the death rite
or ceremony.
• There is a relationship of shared
group identity that can be reasonably
traced between the human remains and
associated funerary objects described in
this notice and the Fort Sill Apache
Tribe of Oklahoma.
Requests for Repatriation
Written requests for repatriation of the
human remains and associated funerary
objects in this notice must be sent to the
Responsible Official identified in
ADDRESSES. Requests for repatriation
may be submitted by:
1. Any one or more of the Indian
Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations
identified in this notice.
2. Any lineal descendant, Indian
Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization
not identified in this notice who shows,
by a preponderance of the evidence, that
the requestor is a lineal descendant or
a culturally affiliated Indian Tribe or
Native Hawaiian organization.
Repatriation of the human remains
and associated funerary objects in this
notice to a requestor may occur on or
after February 12, 2024. If competing
requests for repatriation are received,
the University of Oregon Museum of
Natural and Cultural History must
determine the most appropriate
requestor prior to repatriation. Requests
for joint repatriation of the human
remains and associated funerary objects
are considered a single request and not
competing requests. The University of
Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural
History is responsible for sending a
copy of this notice to the Indian Tribes
and Native Hawaiian organizations
identified in this notice.
Authority: Native American Graves
Protection and Repatriation Act, 25
U.S.C. 3003, and the implementing
regulations, 43 CFR 10.9, § 10.10,
§ 10.13, and § 10.14.
Dated: January 5, 2024.
Melanie O’Brien,
Manager, National NAGPRA Program.
[FR Doc. 2024–00525 Filed 1–11–24; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM–2024–0001]
Notice of Availability of a Draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement for Expected Wind Energy
Development in the New York Bight
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM) announces the
availability of the draft programmatic
environmental impact statement (PEIS)
to analyze the potential impacts of wind
energy development in six lease areas of
the New York (NY) Bight. The PEIS also
identifies possible changes in those
impacts that could result from adopting
certain avoidance, minimization,
mitigation, and monitoring (AMMM)
measures (the Proposed Action). This
notice of availability (NOA) announces
the start of the public review and
comment period and the dates and
times for public meetings on the draft
PEIS. After the public comment period
and meetings, BOEM will address the
issues raised and will publish a final
PEIS. The final PEIS will inform
BOEM’s decision whether to adopt
certain AMMM measures at this stage
that would potentially be required as
conditions of approval for activities
proposed by NY Bight lessees in their
construction and operations plans
(COPs) or defer the decision to adopt
such measures to each project-specific
environmental review.
DATES: Comments must be received no
later than February 26, 2024. BOEM will
conduct a total of five virtual and inperson public meetings. BOEM’s public
meetings will be held at the following
times (all times Eastern):
• January 31, 2024, 5:00 p.m.–9:00
p.m., virtual meeting;
• * February 5, 2024, 4:00 p.m.–7:00
p.m., University of Massachusetts,
Dartmouth, The Marketplace, MacLean
Campus Center, 285 Old Westport Rd.,
North Dartmouth, MA 02747;
• * February 7, 2024, 4:00 p.m.–7:00
p.m., Stony Brook University, Bauman
Center for Leadership and Service,
Benedict D013, Room C029, 200 Circle
Rd., Stony Brook, NY 11790;
• * February 8, 2024, 4:00 p.m.–7:00
p.m., Clarion Hotel Toms River, 815
Route 37 West, Toms River, NJ 08755;
and
• February 13, 2024, 1:00 p.m.–5:00
p.m., virtual meeting.
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / Notices
* In the event the in-person public
meetings are cancelled due to inclement
weather, they will be replaced with a
single virtual meeting on February 8,
2024, 4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Registration for the public meetings
may be completed on the NY Bight
website here: https://www.boem.gov/
renewable-energy/state-activities/newyork-bight or by calling (202) 517–1249.
Registration for the virtual meetings is
required. Registration for the in-person
public meetings is voluntary but
strongly encouraged. Meeting
information will be sent to registrants
via their email address provided during
registration. In the event of inclement
weather, in-person public meetings will
be replaced with one virtual meeting on
February 8, 2024, 4:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
This inclement weather notification and
the virtual meeting link will be shared
with registrants via their email address
provided during registration. BOEM will
also send a Notice to Stakeholders, post
on the NY Bight website, and share on
BOEM’s digital media accounts.
ADDRESSES: The draft PEIS can be found
on the NY Bight website at: https://
www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/stateactivities/new-york-bight. 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-Person Meetings: BOEM will
follow an informal, open house format
with a series of informational posters
staffed by BOEM subject matter experts
who can share information with
individual attendees and answer
questions one-on-one. Attendees can
submit formal public comments for the
record by submitting comments on
laptops through the regulations.gov web
portal, via handwritten comment cards,
or by individually recording oral
comments. If additional
accommodations are needed, please
contact boempublicaffairs@boem.gov or
call (202) 517–1249 at least 7 days prior
to the in-person meeting date.
• Virtual Meetings: BOEM will
provide an overview presentation.
Afterwards, members of the public may
make formal, oral public statements for
the record. The meeting facilitator will
mute the audience during the meeting
until individuals are called on to
provide comments in front of all
attendees. Attendees can ask clarifying
questions to BOEM staff through the
webinar Q&A function, which will be
explained after the public statements.
• All comments and questions
received during the five public meetings
will be part of the public record.
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• Delivered by mail or delivery
service, enclosed in an envelope
labeled, ‘‘NY BIGHT PEIS’’ and
addressed to Chief, Division of
Environmental Assessment, Office of
Environmental Programs, Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, 45600
Woodland Road, VAM–OEP, Sterling,
Virginia 20166; or
• Through the regulations.gov web
portal: Navigate to https://
www.regulations.gov and search for
Docket No. BOEM–2024–0001. Select
the document in the search results on
which you want to comment, click on
the ‘‘Comment’’ button, and follow the
online instructions for submitting your
comment. A commenter’s checklist is
available on the comment web page.
Enter your information and comment,
then click ‘‘Submit.’’
For more information about
submitting comments, please see
‘‘Information on Submitting Comments’’
under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
heading below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill
Lewandowski, BOEM Office of
Environmental Programs, 45600
Woodland Road, VAM–OEP, Sterling,
Virginia 20166, (703) 787–1703 or
jill.lewandowski@boem.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action: The draft PEIS
assumes that a representative project,
including associated export cables,
within a range of design parameters
informed by lessees, will be developed
for the NY Bight and considers the
potential environmental impacts of that
development. The Proposed Action for
the PEIS is the adoption of
programmatic AMMM measures that
BOEM would require as conditions of
approval for activities proposed by
lessees in COPs submitted for the NY
Bight unless the COP-specific NEPA
analysis shows that implementation of
such measures is not warranted or
effective. BOEM may require additional
or different measures based on
subsequent, project-specific
environmental analyses. These AMMM
measures are considered programmatic
insofar as they may be applied to COPs
within the whole NY Bight area, not
because they necessarily will apply to
COPs under BOEM’s renewable energy
program outside of the NY Bight area.
The PEIS considers the possible change
in potential impacts resulting from the
application of individual AMMM
measures. The Proposed Action does
not itself require any actions by BOEM
or lessees.
Alternatives: BOEM considered 19
alternatives when preparing the draft
PEIS and carried forward 3 alternatives
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for further analysis. These three
alternatives include two action
alternatives and the no action
alternative. Sixteen alternatives were
rejected because they did not meet the
purpose and need for the proposed
action or did not meet screening criteria,
which are presented in chapter 2 of the
draft PEIS. The screening criteria
included consistency with law and
regulations; technical and economic
feasibility; environmental impact; and
geographic considerations.
Availability of the Draft PEIS: The
draft PEIS and associated information
are available on the New York Bight
website at: https://www.boem.gov/
renewable-energy/state-activities/newyork-bight. 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 draft PEIS by
calling (703) 787–1703.
Cooperating Agencies: The following
13 Federal, State, and local agencies
participated as cooperating agencies in
the preparation of the draft PEIS: the
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; New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection; New Bedford
Port Authority; New York State
Department of State; New York State
Department of Environmental
Compliance; New Jersey Board of Public
Utilities; and the Massachusetts Office
of Coastal Zone Management. The
following Tribal Nations participated as
Cooperating Tribal Governments in the
preparation of the draft PEIS: the
Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band
of Mohican Indians and the
Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal
Nation. The New York City Mayor’s
Office of Environmental Coordination
served as a participating agency in the
preparation of the draft PEIS.
Information on Submitting
Comments: BOEM discourages
anonymous comments. Please include
your full name as part of your comment.
BOEM makes all comments, including
your name and any other personally
identifiable information (PII) in your
comment, available for public review.
You may request that BOEM withhold
your name, address, and any other PII
included in your comment from the
public record. However, BOEM cannot
guarantee that it will be able to do so.
If you wish your name, address, and
other PII to be withheld, you must state
your request prominently in a cover
letter and explain the harm that you fear
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2024 / Notices
from its disclosure, such as unwarranted
privacy invasion, embarrassment, or
injury.
Even if BOEM withholds your
information in the context of this notice,
your comment is subject to the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) and any
relevant court orders. If your comment
is requested under FOIA or any court
order, your information will only be
withheld if BOEM determines that one
of the FOIA exemptions to disclosure
applies or if the applicable court order
is challenged. BOEM will make its
determination 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. BOEM may consider
information that is not labeled as
privileged or confidential as suitable for
public release.
Request for Comment: BOEM requests
data, comments, views, information,
analysis, or suggestions relevant to the
analysis of the Proposed Action from
the public; affected Federal, Tribal,
State, and local governments, agencies,
and offices; the scientific community;
industry; or any other interested party.
Specifically, BOEM requests
information on the following topics:
1. In an effort to fully meet the intent
of Executive Order (E.O.) 12898,
‘‘Federal Actions to Address
Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income
Populations,’’ and E.O. 14096,
‘‘Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment
to Environmental Justice for All,’’
BOEM is considering several AMMM
measures intended to mitigate impacts
to communities with environmental
justice (EJ) concerns. These measures
include communication plans,
provision of mitigation resources, and
reporting requirements (AMMM
measures EJ–1 through EJ–3). BOEM
seeks input on the potential for these
measures to reduce impacts on
communities with EJ concerns. In
addition, BOEM developed an EJ
compensatory mitigation framework
(EJ–4), per guidance issued by the
Federal Interagency Working Group on
Environmental Justice and NEPA
Committee in its report ‘‘Promising
Practices for EJ Methodologies in NEPA
Reviews’’ (2016). On page 48, the
guidance states that agencies ‘‘may wish
to consider appropriate compensating
mitigation’’ when there are unavoidable
adverse impacts to environmental
justice populations.
EJ engagement participants have
indicated that offshore wind energy
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development has potential for impacts
that are not identified in advance of
construction and operations. Therefore,
BOEM is seeking feedback on the
proposed language outlined in the EJ
compensatory mitigation AMMM
measure (EJ–4) to address impacts that
cannot be avoided or minimized. In
particular, BOEM requests feedback on
the following: (1) the lessee’s financial
contribution and how it is calculated
over the life of mitigation
implementation; (2) what constitutes an
eligible impact to receive compensation;
(3) appropriate level of description and
guidance surrounding a board of
trustees to administer the compensatory
mitigation funds, including its
composition, bylaws, governance, and
oversight; (4) fund management criteria
that need to be stated at the
programmatic stage to advance equity
considerations; (5) fund distribution
objectives; and (6) defining recipients of
fund distributions.
2. BOEM is soliciting feedback on
AMMM measures related to measuring,
monitoring, and reducing noise and its
impacts on marine life. Specifically,
BOEM seeks information on operational
measures, noise abatement technologies,
and other techniques and procedures
that may be helpful to meet any marine
noise reduction targets or to reduce the
impact of any noise introduced into the
marine environment; the cost and
commercial feasibility of such measures
and technologies in meeting a target;
and what criteria BOEM should
consider in determining whether a
specific project could be exempted from
a target. BOEM is also seeking similar
feedback on AMMM measures related to
sound field verification and long-term
passive acoustic monitoring. BOEM
requests feedback on the currently
written acoustic assessment and the use
of the relativistic risk assessment
framework (appendix J in draft PEIS).
BOEM appreciates any information that
can help improve its applicability to the
NY Bight and future projects.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 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. 2024–00512 Filed 1–11–24; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM–2024–0004]
Notice of Availability of a Draft
Environmental Assessment for
Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and
Site Assessment Activities on the
Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
Offshore Delaware, Maryland, and
Virginia
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM) announces the
availability of a draft environmental
assessment (EA) to consider the
potential environmental impacts
associated with possible wind energyrelated leasing, site assessment, and site
characterization activities on the U.S.
Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
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 wind energy leases in
the Central Atlantic Wind Energy Areas
(WEAs).
DATES: Comments must be received no
later than February 12, 2024. BOEM’s
virtual public meetings will be held on
the following dates at the times (eastern
time) indicated.
• Tuesday, January 30; 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, February 1; 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/
central-atlantic. Meeting information
will be sent to registrants via their email
address provided during registration.
ADDRESSES: The draft EA and detailed
information about the Central Atlantic
WEAs can be found on BOEM’s website
at: https://www.boem.gov/renewableenergy/state-activities/central-atlantic.
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 ‘‘Central Atlantic
Wind Leasing EA’’ and addressed to
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy
SUMMARY:
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2249-2251]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00512]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM-2024-0001]
Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement for Expected Wind Energy Development in the New York
Bight
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the
availability of the draft programmatic environmental impact statement
(PEIS) to analyze the potential impacts of wind energy development in
six lease areas of the New York (NY) Bight. The PEIS also identifies
possible changes in those impacts that could result from adopting
certain avoidance, minimization, mitigation, and monitoring (AMMM)
measures (the Proposed Action). This notice of availability (NOA)
announces the start of the public review and comment period and the
dates and times for public meetings on the draft PEIS. After the public
comment period and meetings, BOEM will address the issues raised and
will publish a final PEIS. The final PEIS will inform BOEM's decision
whether to adopt certain AMMM measures at this stage that would
potentially be required as conditions of approval for activities
proposed by NY Bight lessees in their construction and operations plans
(COPs) or defer the decision to adopt such measures to each project-
specific environmental review.
DATES: Comments must be received no later than February 26, 2024. BOEM
will conduct a total of five virtual and in-person public meetings.
BOEM's public meetings will be held at the following times (all times
Eastern):
January 31, 2024, 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., virtual meeting;
* February 5, 2024, 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., University of
Massachusetts, Dartmouth, The Marketplace, MacLean Campus Center, 285
Old Westport Rd., North Dartmouth, MA 02747;
* February 7, 2024, 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Stony Brook
University, Bauman Center for Leadership and Service, Benedict D013,
Room C029, 200 Circle Rd., Stony Brook, NY 11790;
* February 8, 2024, 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Clarion Hotel
Toms River, 815 Route 37 West, Toms River, NJ 08755; and
February 13, 2024, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., virtual meeting.
[[Page 2250]]
* In the event the in-person public meetings are cancelled due to
inclement weather, they will be replaced with a single virtual meeting
on February 8, 2024, 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Registration for the public meetings may be completed on the NY
Bight website here: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-york-bight or by calling (202) 517-1249. Registration
for the virtual meetings is required. Registration for the in-person
public meetings is voluntary but strongly encouraged. Meeting
information will be sent to registrants via their email address
provided during registration. In the event of inclement weather, in-
person public meetings will be replaced with one virtual meeting on
February 8, 2024, 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. This inclement weather
notification and the virtual meeting link will be shared with
registrants via their email address provided during registration. BOEM
will also send a Notice to Stakeholders, post on the NY Bight website,
and share on BOEM's digital media accounts.
ADDRESSES: The draft PEIS can be found on the NY Bight website at:
https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-york-bight.
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-Person Meetings: BOEM will follow an informal, open
house format with a series of informational posters staffed by BOEM
subject matter experts who can share information with individual
attendees and answer questions one-on-one. Attendees can submit formal
public comments for the record by submitting comments on laptops
through the regulations.gov web portal, via handwritten comment cards,
or by individually recording oral comments. If additional
accommodations are needed, please contact [email protected] or
call (202) 517-1249 at least 7 days prior to the in-person meeting
date.
Virtual Meetings: BOEM will provide an overview
presentation. Afterwards, members of the public may make formal, oral
public statements for the record. The meeting facilitator will mute the
audience during the meeting until individuals are called on to provide
comments in front of all attendees. Attendees can ask clarifying
questions to BOEM staff through the webinar Q&A function, which will be
explained after the public statements.
All comments and questions received during the five public
meetings will be part of the public record.
Delivered by mail or delivery service, enclosed in an
envelope labeled, ``NY BIGHT PEIS'' and addressed to Chief, Division of
Environmental Assessment, Office of Environmental Programs, Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, VAM-OEP, Sterling,
Virginia 20166; or
Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to
https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2024-0001.
Select the document in the search results on which you want to comment,
click on the ``Comment'' button, and follow the online instructions for
submitting your comment. A commenter's checklist is available on the
comment web page. Enter your information and comment, then click
``Submit.''
For more information about submitting comments, please see
``Information on Submitting Comments'' under the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION heading below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Lewandowski, BOEM Office of
Environmental Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, VAM-OEP, Sterling,
Virginia 20166, (703) 787-1703 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed Action: The draft PEIS assumes that a representative
project, including associated export cables, within a range of design
parameters informed by lessees, will be developed for the NY Bight and
considers the potential environmental impacts of that development. The
Proposed Action for the PEIS is the adoption of programmatic AMMM
measures that BOEM would require as conditions of approval for
activities proposed by lessees in COPs submitted for the NY Bight
unless the COP-specific NEPA analysis shows that implementation of such
measures is not warranted or effective. BOEM may require additional or
different measures based on subsequent, project-specific environmental
analyses. These AMMM measures are considered programmatic insofar as
they may be applied to COPs within the whole NY Bight area, not because
they necessarily will apply to COPs under BOEM's renewable energy
program outside of the NY Bight area. The PEIS considers the possible
change in potential impacts resulting from the application of
individual AMMM measures. The Proposed Action does not itself require
any actions by BOEM or lessees.
Alternatives: BOEM considered 19 alternatives when preparing the
draft PEIS and carried forward 3 alternatives for further analysis.
These three alternatives include two action alternatives and the no
action alternative. Sixteen alternatives were rejected because they did
not meet the purpose and need for the proposed action or did not meet
screening criteria, which are presented in chapter 2 of the draft PEIS.
The screening criteria included consistency with law and regulations;
technical and economic feasibility; environmental impact; and
geographic considerations.
Availability of the Draft PEIS: The draft PEIS and associated
information are available on the New York Bight website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-york-bight. 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 draft PEIS by calling (703) 787-1703.
Cooperating Agencies: The following 13 Federal, State, and local
agencies participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the
draft PEIS: the 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; New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection; New Bedford Port Authority; New York State Department of
State; New York State Department of Environmental Compliance; New
Jersey Board of Public Utilities; and the Massachusetts Office of
Coastal Zone Management. The following Tribal Nations participated as
Cooperating Tribal Governments in the preparation of the draft PEIS:
the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians and the
Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal Nation. The New York City Mayor's
Office of Environmental Coordination served as a participating agency
in the preparation of the draft PEIS.
Information on Submitting Comments: BOEM discourages anonymous
comments. Please include your full name as part of your comment. BOEM
makes all comments, including your name and any other personally
identifiable information (PII) in your comment, available for public
review. You may request that BOEM withhold your name, address, and any
other PII included in your comment from the public record. However,
BOEM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. If you wish your
name, address, and other PII to be withheld, you must state your
request prominently in a cover letter and explain the harm that you
fear
[[Page 2251]]
from its disclosure, such as unwarranted privacy invasion,
embarrassment, or injury.
Even if BOEM withholds your information in the context of this
notice, your comment is subject to the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA) and any relevant court orders. If your comment is requested
under FOIA or any court order, your information will only be withheld
if BOEM determines that one of the FOIA exemptions to disclosure
applies or if the applicable court order is challenged. BOEM will make
its determination 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. BOEM may consider information that is not
labeled as privileged or confidential as suitable for public release.
Request for Comment: BOEM requests data, comments, views,
information, analysis, or suggestions relevant to the analysis of the
Proposed Action from the public; affected Federal, Tribal, State, and
local governments, agencies, and offices; the scientific community;
industry; or any other interested party. Specifically, BOEM requests
information on the following topics:
1. In an effort to fully meet the intent of Executive Order (E.O.)
12898, ``Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations,'' and E.O. 14096,
``Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for
All,'' BOEM is considering several AMMM measures intended to mitigate
impacts to communities with environmental justice (EJ) concerns. These
measures include communication plans, provision of mitigation
resources, and reporting requirements (AMMM measures EJ-1 through EJ-
3). BOEM seeks input on the potential for these measures to reduce
impacts on communities with EJ concerns. In addition, BOEM developed an
EJ compensatory mitigation framework (EJ-4), per guidance issued by the
Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice and NEPA
Committee in its report ``Promising Practices for EJ Methodologies in
NEPA Reviews'' (2016). On page 48, the guidance states that agencies
``may wish to consider appropriate compensating mitigation'' when there
are unavoidable adverse impacts to environmental justice populations.
EJ engagement participants have indicated that offshore wind energy
development has potential for impacts that are not identified in
advance of construction and operations. Therefore, BOEM is seeking
feedback on the proposed language outlined in the EJ compensatory
mitigation AMMM measure (EJ-4) to address impacts that cannot be
avoided or minimized. In particular, BOEM requests feedback on the
following: (1) the lessee's financial contribution and how it is
calculated over the life of mitigation implementation; (2) what
constitutes an eligible impact to receive compensation; (3) appropriate
level of description and guidance surrounding a board of trustees to
administer the compensatory mitigation funds, including its
composition, bylaws, governance, and oversight; (4) fund management
criteria that need to be stated at the programmatic stage to advance
equity considerations; (5) fund distribution objectives; and (6)
defining recipients of fund distributions.
2. BOEM is soliciting feedback on AMMM measures related to
measuring, monitoring, and reducing noise and its impacts on marine
life. Specifically, BOEM seeks information on operational measures,
noise abatement technologies, and other techniques and procedures that
may be helpful to meet any marine noise reduction targets or to reduce
the impact of any noise introduced into the marine environment; the
cost and commercial feasibility of such measures and technologies in
meeting a target; and what criteria BOEM should consider in determining
whether a specific project could be exempted from a target. BOEM is
also seeking similar feedback on AMMM measures related to sound field
verification and long-term passive acoustic monitoring. BOEM requests
feedback on the currently written acoustic assessment and the use of
the relativistic risk assessment framework (appendix J in draft PEIS).
BOEM appreciates any information that can help improve its
applicability to the NY Bight and future projects.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 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. 2024-00512 Filed 1-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P
