[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 227 (Wednesday, November 25, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73817-73818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-29907]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2015-0125]


Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Leasing and Site 
Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 
Offshore South Carolina; MMAA104000

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment.

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SUMMARY: BOEM is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) for potential commercial wind leasing and site 
assessment activities on the Atlantic OCS offshore South Carolina. The 
EA will address environmental and socioeconomic effects related to the 
proposed action, issuance of commercial wind energy leases, and 
approval of site assessment activities on those leases. This notice 
serves to announce the beginning of the formal scoping process. The 
scope of the EA is the range of issues, alternatives, impacts, and 
mitigation measures to be considered. Scoping will help identify 
reasonable alternatives and focus the analysis in the EA on potentially 
significant issues and eliminate from detailed consideration those 
issues that are insignificant, irrelevant, or that have not changed 
from previous analyses. BOEM will also use the scoping process to seek 
public comment and input under the National Historic Preservation Act 
(NHPA). Additional information on the proposed action may be found at 
http://www.boem.gov/South-Carolina/.

DATES: Comments should be submitted no later than January 25, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Morin, BOEM Office of 
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, VAM-OREP, Sterling, 
Virginia 20166, (703) 787-1722, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Proposed Action

    The proposed action that will be the subject of the EA is the 
issuance of wind energy leases within all or some of the Call Areas 
offshore South Carolina and the approval of site assessment activities 
(including the installation and operation of a meteorological tower 
and/or buoys) on those leases. BOEM will also consider the 
environmental impacts associated with the site characterization 
activities (including geophysical, geotechnical, archaeological, and 
biological surveys) that it anticipates lessees might eventually 
undertake to fulfill the information requirements for Site Assessment 
Plans and Construction and Operations Plans found at 30 CFR 585.610 and 
585.626 respectively.

2. Description of the Call Areas

    A detailed description of the Call Areas can be found in the 
Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf 
Offshore South Carolina--Call for Information and Nominations that is 
being published concurrently with this notice. A map of the Call Areas 
can be found at: http://www.boem.gov/South-Carolina/. BOEM identified 
the four Call Areas in consultation with other Federal agencies and the 
BOEM South Carolina Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force.

3. National Historic Preservation Act

    BOEM will use the NEPA process to inform the Section 106 
consultation process of the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), as 
provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). BOEM is seeking public comment and 
input regarding the identification of historic properties or potential 
impacts to historic properties from the proposed action, as defined by 
the NHPA.

[[Page 73818]]

4. Cooperating Agencies

    BOEM invites other Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments to 
consider becoming cooperating agencies in the preparation of this EA. 
We invite qualified government entities to inquire about cooperating 
agency status. You may contact OREP (listed above).

5. Public Scoping Meetings

    BOEM will hold public scoping meetings in South Carolina on the 
following dates:
     Tuesday, January 5, 2016; Mason Preparatory School; 56 
Halsey Boulevard, Charleston, South Carolina 29401; 6:00-8:00 p.m.;
     Wednesday, January 6, 2016; St. James High School; 10800 
SC-707, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina 29576; 6:00-8:00 p.m.; and
     Thursday, January 7, 2016; Boulineau's (Second Floor 
Meeting Room); 212 Sea Mountain Highway, North Myrtle Beach, South 
Carolina 29582; 6:00-8:00 p.m.

6. Comments

    Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments and/or agencies and 
the public are requested to send their written comments regarding 
environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives 
related to the proposed action described in this notice through one of 
the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
field entitled ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2015-0125, and then 
click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and 
view supporting and related materials available for this notice;
    2. U.S. mail in an envelope labeled ``Comments on South Carolina 
EA'' and addressed to Program Manager, Office of Renewable Energy 
Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, VAM-
OREP, Sterling, Virginia 20166. Comments must be postmarked by the last 
day of the comment period to be considered. This date is January 25, 
2016.
    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.

    Authority:  This Notice of Intent to prepare an EA is in 
compliance with NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq.), and is 
published pursuant to 43 CFR 46.305.

    Dated: November 18, 2015.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2015-29907 Filed 11-24-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P