Bureau of Ocean Energy Management November 7, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) intends to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the reasonably foreseeable impacts from additional site assessment activities in Lease Area OCS-A 0520 offshore Massachusetts. Beacon Wind, LLC, (Beacon Wind), the leaseholder, requests to conduct additional site assessment activities in the lease area that were not analyzed in the initial EA. Those activities comprise temporarily installing and subsequently removing representative components of offshore wind turbine and substation foundations using a single suction bucket at locations where turbines and substations may be installed. BOEM is seeking public input regarding important environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the EA. This EA is limited to site assessment activities and will be completed consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and implementing regulations of the Department of the Interior and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). BOEM will assess the impacts of constructing and operating any wind energy project proposed by Beacon Wind in Lease Area OCS-A 0520 in an environmental impact statement before deciding whether to approve that proposed project.