[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 50 (Friday, March 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14534-14535]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05683]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2014-0009]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for 
Proposed Wind Energy-Related Research Activities on the Atlantic Outer 
Continental Shelf Offshore Virginia and Notice of Public Scoping 
Meeting MMAA104000

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq.), BOEM intends to 
prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) to consider the reasonably 
foreseeable environmental consequences associated with the approval of 
wind energy-related research activities offshore Virginia as proposed 
by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME). BOEM 
is seeking public input regarding important environmental issues and 
the identification of reasonable alternatives that should be considered 
in the EA.
    In addition to the request for written comments, BOEM is holding a 
public scoping meeting to solicit comments on the scope of the EA. The 
meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 3, 
2014, at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, 717 General 
Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451.

    Authority: The Notice of Intent to prepare an EA is published 
pursuant to 43 CFR 46.305.

DATES: Comments should be submitted no later than April 14, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Morin, BOEM, Environment 
Branch for Renewable Energy, 381 Elden Street, HM 1328, Herndon, 
Virginia 20170-4817; (703) 787-1340 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background

    On December 9, 2013, BOEM published a Determination of No 
Competitive Interest (78 FR 73882) for a research lease requested by 
DMME. BOEM may issue DMME a research lease. A lease issued to DMME 
would be considered under BOEM's Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI) and EA for Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the 
Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore New Jersey, Delaware, 
Maryland and Virginia, which can be found at http://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/Smart-From-The-Start/index.aspx. DMME has 
submitted a Research Activities Plan (RAP) to BOEM. The RAP describes 
the proposed construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning 
of the Virginia Offshore Wind Technology Advancement Project (VOWTAP), 
and includes the results of site characterization studies, such as 
geophysical, geotechnical, archaeological, and biological surveys. The 
RAP can be found at the following URL: http://www.boem.gov/Renewable-Energy-Program/State-Activities/Virginia.aspx.
    DMME's proposed project, VOWTAP, would consist of two 6-MW wind 
turbine generators (WTGs), a 34.5-kilovolt (kV) alternating current 
(AC) submarine cable interconnecting the WTGs (inter-array cable), a 
34.5 kV AC submarine transmission cable (export cable), and a 34.5 kV 
underground cable (onshore interconnection cable) that would connect 
the VOWTAP with existing infrastructure located in the City of Virginia 
Beach. Interconnection with the existing infrastructure also would 
require an onshore switch cabinet, an underground fiber optic cable, 
and a new interconnection station to be located entirely within the 
boundaries of the Camp Pendleton State Military Reservation (Camp 
Pendleton), in the City of Virginia Beach.
    The offshore components of the VOWTAP, including the WTGs and 
inter-array cable, would be located on the Outer Continental Shelf 
approximately 24 nautical miles offshore Virginia Beach, Virginia, 
while the export cable would traverse both

[[Page 14535]]

Federal and state submerged lands. The onshore components, including 
the onshore interconnection cable, fiber optic cable, switch cabinet, 
and interconnection station would be located entirely within the 
boundary of Camp Pendleton. Construction would be supported by 
construction staging area(s) and a construction port. Onshore support 
facilities would be located at existing waterfront industrial or 
commercial sites in the cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and/or 
Newport News, Virginia.

2. Proposed Action and Scope of Analysis

    The proposed action that will be the subject of the EA is the 
approval of the RAP. In addition to the no action alternative 
(disapproval of the RAP), other alternatives may be considered, such as 
exclusion of certain areas from project siting or modification of 
project activities. The EA will consider the reasonably foreseeable 
environmental consequences associated with the proposed project, 
including the impacts of the construction, operation, maintenance, and 
decommissioning of the WTGs and cables, including the impacts of noise, 
presence of structures, bottom disturbance, vessel traffic, and onshore 
activities.
    This notice starts the scoping process for the EA and solicits 
information regarding important environmental issues and alternatives 
that should be considered in the EA. Additionally, BOEM will use the 
scoping process to identify and eliminate from study issues that are 
not significant or issues that have been analyzed by prior 
environmental reviews.
    It is BOEM's intention to prepare an EA that informs all Federal 
decisions, including those by the Department of Energy and the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers, which are needed to determine whether and, if 
so, how the proposed action will proceed (40 CFR 1501.6).
    BOEM will use responses to this notice and the EA public input 
process to satisfy the public involvement requirements of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f), as provided in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3), and is seeking information from the public on the 
identification of historic properties that might be impacted by VOWTAP. 
The analyses contained within the EA also will support compliance with 
other environmental statutes (e.g., Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and Marine Mammal 
Protection Act).

3. Cooperating Agencies

    BOEM invites Federal, state, and local government agencies, as well 
as tribal governments, to consider becoming cooperating agencies in the 
preparation of this EA. Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA define 
cooperating agencies as those with ``jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise'' (40 CFR 1508.5). Potential cooperating agencies should 
consider their authority and capacity to assume the responsibilities of 
a cooperating agency and remember that an agency's role in the 
environmental analysis neither enlarges nor diminishes the final 
decisionmaking authority of any other agency involved in the NEPA 
process.
    Upon request, BOEM will provide potential cooperating agencies with 
a draft Memorandum of Agreement that includes a schedule with critical 
action dates and milestones, mutual responsibilities, designated points 
of contact, and expectations for handling pre-decisional information. 
Agencies should also consider the ``Factors for Determining Cooperating 
Agency Status'' in Attachment 1 to CEQ's January 30, 2002, Memorandum 
for the Heads of Federal Agencies: Cooperating Agencies in Implementing 
the Procedural Requirements of the NEPA. A copy of this document is 
available at: http://ceg.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/cooperating/cooperatingagenciesmemorandum.html and at: http://ceg.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/cooperating/cooperatingagencymemofactors.html.
    BOEM, as the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance to 
cooperating agencies. Even if an organization is not a cooperating 
agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and comments to 
BOEM during the normal public input phases of the NEPA/EA process.

4. Comments

    Federal, State, local government agencies, tribal governments, and 
other interested parties are requested to send their written comments 
on the important issues to be considered in the EA by either of the 
following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
entry titled ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2014-0009, and then 
click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and 
view supporting and related materials available for this notice;
    2. By U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service, send your 
comments and information to the following address: Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden 
Street, HM 1328, Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817; or
    3. In person at the EA public scoping meeting.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comments to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Dated: March 3, 2014.
Tommy P. Beaudreau,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2014-05683 Filed 3-13-14; 8:45 am]
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