[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 203 (Friday, October 19, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53104-53105]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-22880]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2018-0010]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
Deepwater Wind South Fork, LLC's Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore 
Rhode Island and Massachusetts

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: Consistent with the regulations implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 
(BOEM) is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the review of a Construction and Operations Plan 
(COP) submitted by Deepwater Wind South Fork, LLC (DWSF) that would 
allow it to construct and operate up to 15 turbines, an electric 
service platform offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts and an export 
cable to East Hampton, New York. This Notice of Intent (NOI) serves to 
announce the EIS scoping process for the DWSF COP. Detailed information 
about the proposed wind energy facility, including the COP, can be 
found on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/South-Fork/.

DATES: Comments should be submitted no later than November 19, 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the DWSF COP EIS, 
the submission of comments, or BOEM's policies associated with this 
notice, please contact Michelle Morin, BOEM Office of Renewable Energy 
Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166, (703) 787-1340 
or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Proposed Action: The proposed action is the construction and 
operation of a wind energy facility as described in the COP submitted 
by DWSF on Lease Area OCS-A 0486. In its COP, DWSF is proposing the 
construction and operation of up to 15 turbines, an electric service 
platform offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts and an export cable to 
East Hampton, New York. Foundations would likely be monopiles, jackets, 
gravity-based foundations or a combination of these.
    Once BOEM completes the EIS and associated consultations, BOEM will 
decide whether to approve, approve with modification, or disapprove the 
DWSF COP. If BOEM approves the COP and the proposed facility is 
constructed, the lessee must submit a plan to decommission the 
facilities before the end of the lease term.
    Scoping Process: This NOI commences the public scoping process for 
identifying issues and potential alternatives for consideration in the 
DWSF COP EIS. Throughout the scoping process, Federal agencies, state, 
tribal, and local governments, and the general public have the 
opportunity to help BOEM determine significant resources and issues, 
impact-producing factors, reasonable alternatives (e.g., size, 
geographic, seasonal, or other restrictions on construction and siting 
of facilities and activities), and potential mitigation measures to be 
analyzed in the EIS, as well as provide additional information. BOEM 
will also use the NEPA commenting process to initiate the Section 106 
consultation process under the National Historic Preservation Act (54 
U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), as permitted by 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Through 
this notice, BOEM additionally intends to inform its Section 106 
consultation by seeking public comment and input regarding the 
identification of historic properties or potential effects to historic 
properties from activities associated with approval of the DWSF COP.
    Pursuant to the regulations implementing NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq.), BOEM will hold public scoping meetings for the DWSF COP. BOEM's 
scoping meetings will be held at the following places and times:
     Amagansett, New York: Monday, November 5, 2018; American 
Legion Post 419, 15 Montauk Highway (across from Brent's), Amagansett, 
New York 11930; Open House 5:00-8:00 p.m.; Presentation and Q&A 6:00 
p.m.
     New Bedford, Massachusetts: Wednesday, November 7, 2018; 
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and 
Technology East, 836 South Rodney French Boulevard, New Bedford, 
Massachusetts 02744; Open House 5:00-8:00 p.m.; Presentation and Q&A 
6:00 p.m.
     Narragansett, Rhode Island: Thursday, November 8, 2018; 
Narragansett Community Center, 53 Mumford Road, Narragansett, Rhode 
Island 02882; Open House 5:00-8:00 p.m.; Presentation and Q&A 6:00 p.m.
    Cooperating Agencies: BOEM invites other Federal agencies and 
state, tribal, and local governments to consider becoming cooperating 
agencies in the preparation of its EIS analyzing the proposed DWSF COP. 
According to Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) guidelines, 
qualified agencies and governments are those with ``jurisdiction by law 
or special expertise.'' Potential cooperating agencies should consider 
their authority and capacity to assume the responsibilities of a 
cooperating agency, and should be aware that an agency's role in the 
environmental analysis neither enlarges nor diminishes the final 
decision-making authority of any other agency involved in the NEPA 
process. Upon request, BOEM will provide potential cooperating agencies 
with a written summary of expectations for cooperating agencies, 
including time schedules and critical action dates, milestones, 
responsibilities, scope and

[[Page 53105]]

detail of cooperating agencies' contributions, and availability of pre-
decisional information. BOEM anticipates this summary will form the 
basis for a Memorandum of Agreement between BOEM and any non-Interior 
Department cooperating agency. 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 National Environmental Policy Act. This document is 
available on the internet at: http://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/nepapub/nepa_documents/RedDont/G-CEQ-CoopAgenciesImplem.pdf. BOEM, as 
the lead agency, will not provide financial assistance to cooperating 
agencies.
    Even if a governmental entity is not a cooperating agency, it will 
have opportunities to provide information and comments to BOEM during 
the public input stages of the NEPA process.
    Comments: Federal agencies, tribal, state, and local governments, 
and other interested parties are requested to comment on the scope of 
this EIS, significant issues that should be addressed, and alternatives 
that should be considered. Comments can be submitted in any of the 
following ways:
    1. In written form, delivered by hand or by mail, enclosed in an 
envelope labeled, ``Deepwater Wind South Fork COP EIS'' and addressed 
to Program Manager, Office of Renewable Energy, Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166. Comments 
must be received or postmarked no later than November 19, 2018; or
    2. Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2018-0010. Click on 
the ``Comment Now!'' button to the right of the document link. Enter 
your information and comment, then click ``Submit.''
    BOEM does not consider anonymous comments. Please include your name 
and address as part of your submittal. BOEM makes all comments, 
including the names and addresses of respondents, available for public 
review online and during regular business hours. Individual respondents 
may request that BOEM withhold their names or addresses from the public 
record; however, BOEM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. 
If you wish your name or address to be withheld, you must state your 
preference prominently at the beginning of your comment. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.
    Authority: This NOI is published pursuant to the regulations (40 
CFR 1501.7) implementing the provisions of NEPA.

    Dated: October 12, 2018.
William Yancey Brown,
Chief Environmental Officer, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2018-22880 Filed 10-18-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P