[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 245 (Friday, December 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70186-70187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26588]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[FRL-10002-55-OW]


Notice of Availability of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill 
Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan and 
Environmental Assessment #6: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) and the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal and State natural 
resource trustee agencies for the Louisiana Trustee Implementation 
Group (Louisiana TIG) prepared a Draft Restoration Plan and 
Environmental Assessment #6: Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats 
(Draft RP/EA). The Draft RP/EA describes and proposes restoration 
project alternatives considered by the Louisiana TIG to restore and 
conserve wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats injured as a result 
of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Louisiana TIG evaluated these 
alternatives under criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource 
damage assessment (NRDA) regulations, and also evaluated the 
environmental consequences of the restoration alternatives in 
accordance with the NEPA. The proposed projects are consistent with the 
restoration alternatives selected in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill 
Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement (PDARP/PEIS). This notice informs the 
public of the availability of the Draft RP/EA and provides an 
opportunity for the public to submit comments on the document.

DATES: The Louisiana TIG will consider public comments received on or 
before January 21, 2020.
    Public Webinar: The Louisiana TIG will conduct a public webinar on 
January 8, 2020, at 12 p.m. Central Standard Time to facilitate public 
review and comment on the Draft RP/EA. The public webinar will include 
a presentation on the Draft RP/EA. Public comments will be taken during 
the public webinar. The public may register for the webinar at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8527752114619805195. After 
registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with 
instructions for joining the webinar. The presentation will be posted 
on the web shortly after the webinar is conducted.

ADDRESSES: 
    Obtaining Documents: You may download the Draft RP/EA at any of the 
following sites:
     http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov;
     http://www.la-dwh.com.
    Alternatively, you may request a CD of the Draft RP/EA (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). You may also view the document at any of 
the public facilities listed at http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.
    Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft RP/EA by 
one of the following methods:
     Via the Web: http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/louisiana.
     Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 
29649, Atlanta, GA 30345.
     During the Public Webinar: Comments may be provided by the 
public during the webinar on January 8, 2020.
    Once submitted, comments cannot be edited or withdrawn. The 
Louisiana TIG may publish any comment received on the document. Do not 
submit electronically any information you consider to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Multimedia submissions (audio, video, etc.) must 
be accompanied by a written comment. The written comment is considered 
the official comment and should include discussion of all points you 
wish to make. The Louisiana TIG will generally not consider comments or 
comment contents located outside of the primary submission (i.e. on the 
web, cloud, or other file sharing system). Please be aware that your 
entire comment, including your personal identifying information, will 
become part of the public record. Please note that mailed comments must 
be postmarked on or before the comment deadline of 30 days following 
publication of this notice to be considered.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

 Louisiana--Joann Hicks, 225-342-5477
 EPA--Douglas Jacobson, 214-665-6692

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 the release of 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 offshore oil spill in U.S. history, discharging millions of 
barrels of oil over a period of 87 days. The Trustees conducted the 
natural resource damage assessment for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill 
under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.). Under the 
OPA, Federal and State agencies act as trustees on behalf of the public 
to assess natural resource injuries and losses and

[[Page 70187]]

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 
restoration to baseline (the resource quality and conditions that would 
exist if the spill had not occurred) is complete.
    The Deepwater Horizon oil spill Trustees are:
     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
     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);
     State of Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration 
Authority (CPRA), Oil Spill Coordinator's Office (LOSCO), Department of 
Environmental Quality (LDEQ), Department of Wildlife and Fisheries 
(LDWF), and Department of Natural Resources (LDNR);
     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 Parks and Wildlife Department, General Land 
Office, and Commission on Environmental Quality.
    On April 4, 2016, the Trustees reached and finalized a settlement 
of their natural resource damage claims with BP in a Consent Decree 
approved by the United States District Court for the Eastern District 
of Louisiana. Pursuant to that Consent Decree, restoration projects in 
the Louisiana Restoration Area are chosen and managed by the Louisiana 
TIG. The Louisiana TIG is composed of the following Trustees: CPRA, 
LOSCO, LDEQ, LDWF, LDNR, EPA, DOI, NOAA, USDA.

Background

    In a June 2019 notice posted at http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov, the Louisiana TIG requested public 
input on restoration project ideas in Louisiana within the Wetlands, 
Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats restoration type. The Louisiana TIG 
reviewed and considered these restoration project ideas.

Overview of the Draft RP/EA

    The Draft RP/EA is being released in accordance with the OPA, NRDA 
implementing regulations, and the NEPA. In the Draft RP/EA, the 
Louisiana TIG presents to the public their plan to restore and conserve 
wetlands, coastal, and nearshore habitats injured by the Deepwater 
Horizon oil spill. The Draft RP/EA evaluates a total of four 
restoration project alternatives within the Wetlands, Coastal, and 
Nearshore Habitats restoration type. Of those, three are identified as 
preferred alternatives.
    The Draft RP/EA proposes the following preferred project 
alternatives:
     West Grand Terre Beach Nourishment and Stabilization;
     Golden Triangle Marsh Creation; and
     Biloxi Marsh Living Shoreline.
    The Draft RP/EA also evaluates a no action alternative. One or more 
alternatives may be selected for implementation by the Louisiana TIG. 
The proposed projects are intended to continue the process of using 
restoration funding to restore and conserve wetlands, coastal, and 
nearshore habitats injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The 
total estimated cost of the preferred alternatives is approximately 
$209 million. Additional restoration planning for the Louisiana 
Restoration Area will continue.

Next Steps

    The public is encouraged to review and comment on the Draft RP/EA. 
A public webinar is scheduled to help facilitate the public review and 
comment process. After the public comment period ends, the Louisiana 
TIG will consider the comments received before issuing a Final RP/EA. A 
summary of comments received and the Louisiana TIG's responses and any 
revisions to the document, as appropriate, will be included in the 
final document.

Administrative Record

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

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 
U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), its implementing NRDA regulations found at 15 CFR 
part 990, and the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

    Dated: December 2, 2019.
Benita Best-Wong,
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water.
[FR Doc. 2019-26588 Filed 12-19-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P