Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Texas Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #3: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats, 4725-4726 [2025-00942]
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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 10 / Thursday, January 16, 2025 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XE521]
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource
Damage Assessment Texas Trustee
Implementation Group Draft
Restoration Plan/Environmental
Assessment #3: Wetlands, Coastal,
and Nearshore Habitats
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for public comments.
AGENCY:
The Deepwater Horizon
(DWH) natural resource Trustees for the
Texas Trustee Implementation Group
(Texas TIG) have prepared the Draft
Restoration Plan/Environmental
Assessment #3: Wetlands, Coastal, and
Nearshore Habitats (Draft RP/EA #3).
The Draft RP/EA #3 proposes
alternatives to help restore wetlands,
coastal, and nearshore habitats impacted
by the DWH oil spill. The Draft RP/EA
#3 evaluates eight restoration
alternatives under the Oil Pollution Act
of 1990 (OPA), including criteria set
forth in the OPA Natural Resource
Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations
and the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) and its implementing
regulations. A No Action Alternative is
also evaluated pursuant to the NEPA.
The total estimated cost to implement
the Texas TIG’s seven preferred
alternatives is approximately $40
million. The Texas TIG invites the
public to comment on the Draft RP/EA
#3.
DATES: Submitting Comments: The
Texas TIG will consider public
comments on the Draft RP/EA #3
received on or before February 18, 2025.
Public meeting: The Texas TIG will
host a public meeting to facilitate public
review and comment on the Draft RP/
EA #3. The public meeting date and
time are as follows:
• Tuesday, January 28, 2025. An open
house will be begin at 5 p.m. central
time (CT). The public meeting will be
held at 5:30 CT. See ADDRESSES below
for meeting location.
ADDRESSES: Meeting location: The
meeting will be held at Rosenburg
Library in the Wortham Auditorium,
2310 Sealy Avenue, Galveston, TX
77750.
Obtaining Documents: You may view
and download the Draft RP/EA #3 at
https://
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:42 Jan 15, 2025
Jkt 265001
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-areas/texas. You may also
request a flash drive containing the
Draft RP/EA #3 (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
Submitting comments: You may
submit comments on the Draft RP/EA #3
by any of the following methods:
• Website: https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/TXTIGRP3.
Follow the online instructions for
submitting comments.
• In person: Comments may be
provided at the public meeting. See
DATES.
• Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Gulf Restoration Office, 1875 Century
Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30345. To be
considered, mailed comments must be
postmarked on or before the comment
deadline given in DATES.
Please note that personal identifying
information included in the submitted
comments (such as name, address,
phone number, and email address) may
be made publicly available at any time.
Personal information is not required to
submit comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration—Jamie Schubert, NOAA
Restoration Center, (409) 679–3237,
jamie.schubert@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On April 20, 2010, the mobile
offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon, which was drilling a well for
BP Exploration and Production, Inc.
(BP), experienced a significant
explosion, fire and subsequent sinking
in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the
release of millions of barrels of oil and
other discharges into the Gulf. Under
the authority of the OPA, designated
Federal and state Trustees, acting on
behalf of the public, assessed the
injuries to natural resources and
prepared the Deepwater Horizon Oil
Spill Final Programmatic Damage
Assessment and Restoration Plan and
Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS),
and the Record of Decision for the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final
Programmatic Damage Assessment and
Restoration Plan and Final
Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (ROD), which set forth the
governance structure and process for
DWH restoration planning under the
OPA NRDA regulations. On April 4,
2016, the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Louisiana
entered a Consent Decree resolving civil
claims by the Trustees against BP.
The Texas TIG, which is composed of
the NOAA, U.S. Department of the
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
4725
Interior, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, the Texas General Land
Office, the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, and the Texas Commission
on Environmental Quality, selects and
implements restoration projects under
the Texas TIG’s management authority
in accordance with the Consent Decree.
The Final PDARP/PEIS, ROD, Consent
Decree, and information on the DWH
natural resource Trustees can be found
at https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-planning/gulf-plan.
Background
On August 5, 2024, the Texas TIG
announced on the Gulf Spill Restoration
website that they were initiating
preparation of the Draft RP/EA #3,
which tiers from the Final PDARP/PEIS
and includes a reasonable range of
restoration project alternatives to
provide compensatory restoration
toward meeting the Restore and
Conserve Habitats restoration goal
identified in the Final PDARP/PEIS
under the Wetlands, Coastal, and
Nearshore Habitats (WCNH) Restoration
Type.
Overview of the Texas TIG Draft RP/EA
#3
This Draft RP/EA #3 focuses on the
beneficial use of dredged material
(BUDM) to restore and conserve
wetlands, coastal, and nearshore
habitats. The Texas TIG proposes the
allocation of $40 million toward the use
of BUDM to construct wetland habitat
along the Texas coast through the
projects included in the Draft RP/EA #3.
The $40 million will be divided among
the selected projects to provide the
incremental cost for the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers or to fund other
viable sources to beneficially use
dredged sediments to construct the
preferred restoration alternatives. This
Draft RP/EA #3 includes a description
and evaluation of eight restoration
projects, also called restoration
alternatives, which compensate for the
WCNH Restoration Type injury
described in the Final PDARP/PEIS.
Seven alternatives are preferred and one
of the alternatives is not preferred by the
Texas TIG at this time. Pursuant to
NEPA, a No Action alternative is also
evaluated. Funding to implement any of
the alternatives ultimately selected by
the Texas TIG would come from the
WCNH Restoration Type allocation. The
reasonable range of project alternatives
evaluated by the Texas TIG are listed
below:
E:\FR\FM\16JAN1.SGM
16JAN1
4726
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 10 / Thursday, January 16, 2025 / Notices
• Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
Roberts Mueller Tract Wetland
Restoration (preferred);
• Goose Island Wetland Restoration
(preferred);
• Guadalupe River Old Delta Wetland
Restoration (not preferred);
• Lower Neches Wildlife
Management Area Old River Unit
Wetland Restoration (preferred);
• McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge
Willow Lake Terraces Wetland
Restoration (preferred);
• San Bernard National Wildlife
Refuge Sargent Oil Field Wetland
Restoration (preferred);
• Schicke Point Wetland Restoration
(preferred); and
• Texas Point National Wildlife
Refuge Wetland Restoration (preferred).
The total estimated cost to implement
the seven preferred alternatives is $40
million.
Next Steps
After the public comment period
ends, the Texas TIG will consider and
address all substantive comments
received before making a final decision
on which, if any, alternatives to fund
and implement. A Final RP/EA #3 and
Finding of No Significant Impact, as
appropriate, identifying the selected
alternatives will be made publicly
available on https://
www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/
restoration-areas/texas.
Administrative Record
The Administrative Record for the
Draft RP/EA #3 can be viewed
electronically at https://www.doi.gov/
deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord under
the folder 6.5.7.2.3.
Authority
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
The authority for this action is the
OPA of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), its
implementing NRDA regulations found
at 15 CFR part 990, and the NEPA of
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its
implementing regulations found at 40
CFR parts 1500 through 1508.
Dated: January 10, 2025.
Carrie Diane Robinson,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025–00942 Filed 1–15–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–12–P
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:42 Jan 15, 2025
Jkt 265001
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Public Meeting of the National Sea
Grant Advisory Board
Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research (OAR), National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of
Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:
This notice sets forth the
schedule and proposed agenda of a
forthcoming meeting of the National Sea
Grant Advisory Board (Board), a Federal
Advisory Committee. Board members
will discuss and provide advice on the
National Sea Grant College Program (Sea
Grant) in the areas of program
evaluation, strategic planning,
education and extension, science and
technology programs, and other matters
as described in the agenda found on the
Sea Grant website.
DATES: The announced meeting is
scheduled for Monday March 3, 2025
from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. and Tuesday March
4, 2025 from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (eastern
standard time).
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Yours Truly Hotel in Washington,
DC. For more information about the
public meeting see below in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
For more information on this Federal
Advisory Committee please visit the
Federal Advisory Committee database:
https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/
FACAPublicPage.
SUMMARY:
For
any questions concerning the meeting,
please contact Ms. Donna Brown,
National Sea Grant College Program.
Email: oar.sg-feedback@noaa.gov.
Phone Number 301–734–1088.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Status: The meeting will be open to
public participation with a public
comment period on Monday, March 3 at
9:10 a.m. The Board expects that public
statements presented at its meetings will
not be repetitive of previously
submitted verbal or written statements.
In general, each individual or group
making a verbal presentation will be
limited to a total time of three (3)
minutes. Written comments should be
received by Ms. Donna Brown by
Monday, February 24, 2025 to provide
sufficient time for Board review. Written
comments received after the deadline
will be distributed to the Board, but may
not be reviewed prior to the meeting
date.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
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Special Accommodations: The Board
meeting is physically accessible to
people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aids should be directed to Ms.
Donna Brown by Monday, February 24,
2025.
The Board, which consists of a
balanced representation from academia,
industry, State government and citizens
groups, was established in 1976 by
section 209 of the Sea Grant
Improvement Act (Pub. L. 94–461, 33
U.S.C. 1128). The Board advises the
Secretary of Commerce and the Director
of the National Sea Grant College
Program with respect to operations
under the Act, and such other matters
as the Secretary refers to them for
review and advice.
Matters To Be Considered: Board
members will discuss and vote on the
selection of new committee
memberships as well as Board
participation of Sea Grant Network
Groups and other topics that need Board
feedback: https://seagrant.noaa.gov/
About/Advisory-Board.
David Holst,
Chief Financial Officer/Administrative
Officer, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric
Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025–01020 Filed 1–15–25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS
Notice of Meeting
Per 45 CFR Chapter XXI § 2102.3, the
next meeting of the U.S. Commission of
Fine Arts is scheduled for January 16,
2025, at 9:00 a.m. and will be held via
online videoconference. Items of
discussion may include buildings,
infrastructure, parks, memorials, and
public art.
Draft agendas, the link to register for
the online public meeting, and
additional information regarding the
Commission are available on our
website: www.cfa.gov. Inquiries
regarding the agenda, as well as any
public testimony, should be addressed
to Thomas Luebke, Secretary, U.S.
Commission of Fine Arts, at the above
address; by emailing cfastaff@cfa.gov; or
by calling 202–504–2200. Individuals
requiring sign language interpretation
for the hearing impaired should contact
the Secretary at least 10 days before the
meeting date.
E:\FR\FM\16JAN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4725-4726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00942]
[[Page 4725]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XE521]
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Texas
Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental
Assessment #3: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) natural resource Trustees for the
Texas Trustee Implementation Group (Texas TIG) have prepared the Draft
Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #3: Wetlands, Coastal, and
Nearshore Habitats (Draft RP/EA #3). The Draft RP/EA #3 proposes
alternatives to help restore wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats
impacted by the DWH oil spill. The Draft RP/EA #3 evaluates eight
restoration alternatives under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA),
including criteria set forth in the OPA Natural Resource Damage
Assessment (NRDA) regulations and the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) and its implementing regulations. A No Action Alternative is
also evaluated pursuant to the NEPA. The total estimated cost to
implement the Texas TIG's seven preferred alternatives is approximately
$40 million. The Texas TIG invites the public to comment on the Draft
RP/EA #3.
DATES: Submitting Comments: The Texas TIG will consider public comments
on the Draft RP/EA #3 received on or before February 18, 2025.
Public meeting: The Texas TIG will host a public meeting to
facilitate public review and comment on the Draft RP/EA #3. The public
meeting date and time are as follows:
Tuesday, January 28, 2025. An open house will be begin at
5 p.m. central time (CT). The public meeting will be held at 5:30 CT.
See ADDRESSES below for meeting location.
ADDRESSES: Meeting location: The meeting will be held at Rosenburg
Library in the Wortham Auditorium, 2310 Sealy Avenue, Galveston, TX
77750.
Obtaining Documents: You may view and download the Draft RP/EA #3
at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/texas.
You may also request a flash drive containing the Draft RP/EA #3 (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Submitting comments: You may submit comments on the Draft RP/EA #3
by any of the following methods:
Website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/TXTIGRP3. Follow the
online instructions for submitting comments.
In person: Comments may be provided at the public meeting.
See DATES.
Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf Restoration
Office, 1875 Century Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30345. To be considered, mailed
comments must be postmarked on or before the comment deadline given in
DATES.
Please note that personal identifying information included in the
submitted comments (such as name, address, phone number, and email
address) may be made publicly available at any time. Personal
information is not required to submit comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration--Jamie Schubert, NOAA Restoration Center, (409) 679-
3237, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon, which was drilling a well for BP Exploration and Production,
Inc. (BP), experienced a significant explosion, fire and subsequent
sinking in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the release of millions of
barrels of oil and other discharges into the Gulf. Under the authority
of the OPA, designated Federal and state Trustees, acting on behalf of
the public, assessed the injuries to natural resources and prepared the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and
Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(Final PDARP/PEIS), and the Record of Decision for the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration
Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (ROD), which
set forth the governance structure and process for DWH restoration
planning under the OPA NRDA regulations. On April 4, 2016, the United
States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered a
Consent Decree resolving civil claims by the Trustees against BP.
The Texas TIG, which is composed of the NOAA, U.S. Department of
the Interior, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the Texas General Land Office, the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality, selects and implements restoration projects
under the Texas TIG's management authority in accordance with the
Consent Decree. The Final PDARP/PEIS, ROD, Consent Decree, and
information on the DWH natural resource Trustees can be found at
https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan.
Background
On August 5, 2024, the Texas TIG announced on the Gulf Spill
Restoration website that they were initiating preparation of the Draft
RP/EA #3, which tiers from the Final PDARP/PEIS and includes a
reasonable range of restoration project alternatives to provide
compensatory restoration toward meeting the Restore and Conserve
Habitats restoration goal identified in the Final PDARP/PEIS under the
Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats (WCNH) Restoration Type.
Overview of the Texas TIG Draft RP/EA #3
This Draft RP/EA #3 focuses on the beneficial use of dredged
material (BUDM) to restore and conserve wetlands, coastal, and
nearshore habitats. The Texas TIG proposes the allocation of $40
million toward the use of BUDM to construct wetland habitat along the
Texas coast through the projects included in the Draft RP/EA #3. The
$40 million will be divided among the selected projects to provide the
incremental cost for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or to fund other
viable sources to beneficially use dredged sediments to construct the
preferred restoration alternatives. This Draft RP/EA #3 includes a
description and evaluation of eight restoration projects, also called
restoration alternatives, which compensate for the WCNH Restoration
Type injury described in the Final PDARP/PEIS. Seven alternatives are
preferred and one of the alternatives is not preferred by the Texas TIG
at this time. Pursuant to NEPA, a No Action alternative is also
evaluated. Funding to implement any of the alternatives ultimately
selected by the Texas TIG would come from the WCNH Restoration Type
allocation. The reasonable range of project alternatives evaluated by
the Texas TIG are listed below:
[[Page 4726]]
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Roberts Mueller Tract
Wetland Restoration (preferred);
Goose Island Wetland Restoration (preferred);
Guadalupe River Old Delta Wetland Restoration (not
preferred);
Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area Old River Unit
Wetland Restoration (preferred);
McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge Willow Lake Terraces
Wetland Restoration (preferred);
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge Sargent Oil Field
Wetland Restoration (preferred);
Schicke Point Wetland Restoration (preferred); and
Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge Wetland Restoration
(preferred).
The total estimated cost to implement the seven preferred
alternatives is $40 million.
Next Steps
After the public comment period ends, the Texas TIG will consider
and address all substantive comments received before making a final
decision on which, if any, alternatives to fund and implement. A Final
RP/EA #3 and Finding of No Significant Impact, as appropriate,
identifying the selected alternatives will be made publicly available
on https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/texas.
Administrative Record
The Administrative Record for the Draft RP/EA #3 can be viewed
electronically at https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord
under the folder 6.5.7.2.3.
Authority
The authority for this action is the OPA of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et
seq.), its implementing NRDA regulations found at 15 CFR part 990, and
the NEPA of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its implementing regulations
found at 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508.
Dated: January 10, 2025.
Carrie Diane Robinson,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-00942 Filed 1-15-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-P
