[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 55 (Thursday, March 21, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10525-10527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05377]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[FWS-R4-ES-2019-N028; FVHC98220410150-XXX-FF04H00000]


Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Restoration Plan 1 and 
Environmental Assessment, and Finding of No Significant Impact; Florida 
Trustee Implementation Group

AGENCY: Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Deepwater Horizon Oil 
Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and 
Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS), 
and the Consent Decree, the Federal and State natural resource trustee 
agencies for the Florida Trustee Implementation Group (FL TIG) have 
prepared the Final Restoration Plan 1 and Environmental Assessment: 
Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; Nutrient Reduction; Water 
Quality; and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities (RP1/EA) 
and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The Final RP1/EA 
describes the restoration

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project alternatives considered by the FL TIG intended to continue the 
process of restoring natural resources and services injured or lost as 
a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which occurred on or about 
April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. The FL TIG evaluated these 
alternatives under criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource 
damage assessment (NRDA) regulations and evaluated the environmental 
consequences of the restoration alternatives in accordance with NEPA. 
The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of the availability 
of the Final RP1/EA.

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may download the Final RP1/EA from 
either of the following websites:

 http://www.gulfspillrestoration .noaa.gov
 http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord
    Alternatively, you may request a CD of the Final RP1/EA (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nanciann Regalado, via email at 
[email protected], via telephone at 678-296-6805, or via the 
Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater 
Horizon, which was being used to drill a well for BP Exploration and 
Production, Inc. (BP), in the Macondo prospect (Mississippi Canyon 252-
MC252), experienced a significant explosion, fire, and subsequent 
sinking in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in an unprecedented volume of 
oil and other discharges from the rig and from the wellhead on the 
seabed. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the largest off shore oil 
spill in U.S. history, discharging millions of barrels of oil over a 
period of 87 days. In addition, well over 1 million gallons of 
dispersants were applied to the waters of the spill area in an attempt 
to disperse the spilled oil. An undetermined amount of natural gas was 
also released into the environment as a result of the spill.
    The Trustees conducted the natural resource damage assessment 
(NRDA) for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill under the Oil Pollution Act 
(OPA; 33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). Pursuant to OPA, Federal and State 
agencies act as trustees on behalf of the public to assess natural 
resource injuries and losses and to determine the actions required to 
compensate the public for those injuries and losses. The OPA further 
instructs the designated trustees to develop and implement a plan for 
the restoration, rehabilitation, replacement, or acquisition of the 
equivalent of the injured natural resources under their trusteeship, 
including the loss of use and services from those resources from the 
time of injury until the time of restoration to baseline (the resource 
quality and conditions that would exist if the spill had not occurred) 
is complete.
    The Deepwater Horizon Trustees are:
     U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), as represented by 
the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau 
of Land Management;
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on 
behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce;
     U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA);
     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
     State of Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration 
Authority, Oil Spill Coordinator's Office, Department of Environmental 
Quality, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Department of 
Natural Resources;
     State of Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality;
     State of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural 
Resources and Geological Survey of Alabama;
     State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection 
and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; and
     State of Texas: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas 
General Land Office, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
    The Trustees reached and finalized a settlement of their natural 
resource damage claims with BP in an April 4, 2016, Consent Decree 
approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of 
Louisiana. Pursuant to that Consent Decree, restoration projects in the 
Florida Restoration Area are now selected and implemented by the 
Florida Trustee Implementation Group (TIG). The FL TIG is composed of 
the following Trustees:
     U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), as represented by 
the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau 
of Land Management;
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), on 
behalf of the U.S. Department of Commerce;
     U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA);
     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and
     State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection 
and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Background

    On November 4, 2016, the FL TIG posted a public notice at http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov requesting new or revised natural 
resource restoration project ideas by December 5, 2016, for the Florida 
Restoration Area. The notice stated that the FL TIG was seeking project 
ideas for the following Restoration Types: (1) Habitat Projects on 
Federally Managed Lands; (2) Nutrient Reduction; (3) Water Quality; and 
(4) Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities.
    On September 29, 2017, the FL TIG announced that it had initiated 
drafting of its first post-settlement draft restoration plan, and that 
the first plan would include restoration projects for Habitat Projects 
on Federally Managed Lands; Nutrient Reduction; Water Quality; and 
Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities.
    The project submissions received through this process, along with 
projects previously submitted during prior restoration planning 
processes, resulted in the alternatives evaluated in the Draft RP1/EA.
    The FL TIG released the Draft RP1/EA on September 20, 2018. Notice 
of availability of the Draft RP1/EA was published in the Federal 
Register on October 9, 2018 (83 FR 50679). The Draft RP1/EA provided 
the FL TIG's analysis of alternatives that would meet the Trustees' 
goals to restore and conserve habitat, restore water quality, and 
provide and enhance recreational opportunities under OPA and NEPA, and 
identified the alternatives that were proposed as preferred for 
implementation. The FL TIG provided the public with 99 days to review 
and comment on the Draft RP1/EA. To facilitate public understanding of 
the document, the FL TIG held a public meeting in Tallahassee on 
October 2, 2018, and a public webinar on December 13, 2018, and 
accepted public comments during both the meeting and the webinar. The 
FL TIG considered the public comments received, which informed the FL 
TIG's analysis of alternatives in the Final RP1/EA. A summary of the 
public comments received and the FL TIG's responses to those comments 
are addressed in Chapter 6 of the Final RP1/EA.

Overview of the FL TIG Final RP1/EA

    The Final RP1/EA is being released in accordance with OPA, NRDA 
regulations found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR 
part 990, NEPA, the Consent Decree, and the Final PDARP/PEIS.
    In the Final RP1/EA and FONSI, the FL TIG selected 23 restoration 
projects

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to be funded. Specifically, the FL TIG selected the following projects:

Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands

     Gulf Islands National Seashore (Florida) Night Sky 
Restoration (P&D),
     Gulf Islands National Seashore (Florida) Beach and Dune 
Habitat Protection,
     Gulf Islands National Seashore (Florida) Invasive Plant 
Removal, and
     St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge Predator Control.

Nutrient Reduction

     Pensacola Bay and Perdido River Watersheds--Nutrient 
Reduction, and
     Lower Suwannee River Watershed--Nutrient Reduction.

Water Quality

     Carpenter Creek Headwaters Water Quality Improvements,
     Pensacola Beach Reclaimed Water System Expansion,
     Rattlesnake Bluff Road and Riverbank Restoration,
     Pensacola Bay Unpaved Roads Initiative (P&D),
     Alligator Lake Coastal Dune Lake Hydrologic Restoration,
     City of Port St. Joe Stormwater Improvements,
     City of Carrabelle's Lighthouse Estates: Septic Tank 
Abatement Phase II,
     Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge Hydrologic 
Restoration (P&D), and
     Lower Charlotte Harbor Flatwoods Hydrologic Restoration 
Initiative, Yucca Pens Unit (P&D).

Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities

     Perdido River and Bay Paddle Trail,
     Carpenter Creek Headwaters Park Amenities,
     Gulf Islands National Seashore (Florida) Rehabilitation of 
Okaloosa Unit Recreational Facilities,
     Joe's Bayou Recreation Area Improvements,
     Topsail Hill Preserve State Park Improvements,
     Camp Helen State Park Improvements,
     St. Andrews State Park Improvements, and
     St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Trail 
Connection, Spring Creek to Port Leon.
    The FL TIG also analyzed nine additional alternatives, as well as a 
no action alternative. In accordance with NEPA, as part of the Final 
RP1/EA, the Trustees issued a FONSI. The FONSI is available in Appendix 
G of the Final RP1/EA.
    The FL TIG determined that the restoration projects selected for 
funding will continue the process of restoring the natural resources 
injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The 
total estimated cost for the 23 selected restoration projects is 
$61,282,740. Additional restoration planning for the Florida 
Restoration Area will continue.

Administrative Record

    The documents comprising the Administrative Record for the Draft 
RP1/EA can be viewed electronically at http://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord.

Authority

    The authority of this action is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), and its implementing Natural Resource Damage 
Assessment regulations found at 15 CFR part 990, and the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

Mary Josie Blanchard,
Director of Gulf of Mexico Restoration, Department of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 2019-05377 Filed 3-20-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P