[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 114 (Friday, June 12, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35952-35954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12822]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2020-0005]


Notice of Availability of a Supplement to the Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement for Vineyard Wind LLC's Proposed Wind Energy Facility 
Offshore Massachusetts and Public Meetings

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
regulations, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing 
the availability of a supplement to the Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind 
Energy Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Supplement) 
prepared for the Construction and Operation Plan (COP) submitted by 
Vineyard Wind LLC (Vineyard Wind). The Supplement analyzes reasonably 
foreseeable effects from an expanded cumulative activities scenario for 
offshore wind development, previously unavailable fishing data, a new 
transit lane alternative, and changes to the COP since publication of 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This notice of 
availability (NOA) announces the start of the public review and comment 
period, as well as the time and dates for virtual public meetings on 
the Supplement. After BOEM holds the public meetings and addresses 
comments provided, BOEM will prepare a final EIS.

DATES: Comments should be submitted no later than July 27, 2020. BOEM's 
virtual public meetings will be held at the following dates and times 
(Eastern):
    Friday, June 26, 2020; 5 p.m.;
    Tuesday, June 30, 202; 1 p.m.;
    Thursday, July 2, 2020; 5 p.m.;
    Tuesday, July 7, 2020; 1 p.m.; and
    Thursday, July 9, 2020; 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The Supplement and detailed information about the proposed 
wind energy facility, including the COP and the Draft EIS, can be found 
on a project specific page on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/Vineyard-Wind/. Comments can be submitted in any of the following ways:
     In written form by mail, enclosed in an envelope labeled 
``Vineyard Wind COP Supplement to the Draft 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

[[Page 35953]]

postmarked no later than July 27, 2020; or
     Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to 
htttp://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2020-0005. 
Click on the ``Comment Now!'' button to the right of the document link. 
Enter your information and comment, then click ``Submit.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the EIS 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) 787-1722 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: BOEM is announcing the availability of a 
supplement to the Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Energy Project Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (Supplement) prepared COP submitted by 
Vineyard Wind, in accordance with NEPA regulations, 40 CFR parts 1500-
1508.
    Details about the live virtual public meetings, including a virtual 
meeting room web page, can be found at: https://www.boem.gov/Vineyard-Wind/. BOEM will provide call-in information for participants both with 
and without internet access when they register as well as on the 
website. Registration for online or phone-in participation in any of 
the virtual public meetings may be completed here: https://www.boem.gov/Vineyard-Wind-SEIS-Virtual-Meeting or by calling (847) 
258-8992. If you require a paper copy of the public meeting materials, 
please call the number above and BOEM will provide this information 
upon request, as long as copies are available. The virtual meeting room 
web page will be available throughout the 45-day comment period and 
will include fact sheets, posters, pre-recorded presentations, and the 
opportunity to submit questions and comments to BOEM. Early submission 
of questions is encouraged so that BOEM may incorporate them into 
frequently asked questions on the web page and the public meetings, 
where practicable.
    Each live virtual public meeting will begin with a presentation by 
BOEM and be recorded and posted on the website listed above. All 
comments received during the meeting will be part of the public record. 
After the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to provide 
comments/statements and ask questions. BOEM will answer questions 
throughout the meeting.
    The queue for stakeholder comments and oral testimony will begin 
with participants who indicated in their registration that they plan to 
provide oral testimony and will subsequently be opened to other 
participants. This process will be managed by an online or phone 
operator and each participant will have five minutes to give testimony. 
Any participant who wishes to provide longer than five minutes of 
testimony is encouraged to do so as a written comment.
    Proposed Action: Vineyard Wind seeks to construct, operate, 
maintain, and eventually decommission an 800-megawatt wind energy 
facility on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore Massachusetts (the 
``Project''). The Project and associated export cables would be 
developed within the range of design parameters outlined in the 
Vineyard Wind COP, subject to applicable mitigation measures. The COP 
proposes installing up to 100 wind turbine generators and one or two 
offshore substations or electrical service platforms. As currently 
proposed, the Project would be located approximately 14 statute miles 
from the southeast corner of Martha's Vineyard and a similar distance 
from the southwest side of Nantucket. The turbines would be located in 
water depths ranging from approximately 37 to 49 meters (121 to 161 
feet). The COP proposes one export cable landfall near the town of 
Barnstable, Massachusetts. Onshore construction and staging are 
proposed to take place at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal 
facility.
    The Supplement analyzes reasonably foreseeable effects from an 
expanded cumulative activities scenario for offshore wind development, 
previously unavailable fishing data, a new transit lane alternative, 
and changes to the COP since publication of the Draft EIS. The 
Supplement reviews resource-specific baseline conditions, considers 
future offshore wind activities, and, using the methodology and 
assumptions outlined in the document, assesses cumulative impacts that 
could result from the incremental impact of the proposed action and 
action alternatives as defined in the Draft EIS when combined with 
past, present, or reasonably foreseeable activities, including other 
future offshore wind activities.
    Alternatives: BOEM considered 15 alternatives during the 
preparation of the Draft EIS and carried forward six for further 
analysis. These alternatives included five action alternatives (one of 
which has two sub-alternatives) and the No Action Alternative. This 
Supplement addresses these five alternatives and an additional Vessel 
Transit Lane Alternative. There are 13 alternatives in the Supplement 
that were not further analyzed because they did not meet the purpose 
and need for the proposed action or did not meet screening criteria. 
Nine of these alternatives were in the DEIS and an additional 4 
alternatives were a result of input received during the DEIS comment 
period. The screening criteria used included consistency with law and 
regulations; operational, technical, and economic feasibility; 
environmental impact; and geographical considerations.
    Availability of the Supplement: The Supplement, Vineyard Wind COP, 
updated visual simulations, and associated information are available on 
BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/Vineyard-Wind/. BOEM 
distributed digital copies of the Draft EIS to all parties listed in 
Appendix F of the Supplement, which includes the location of all 
libraries receiving a copy. If you require a paper copy, BOEM will 
provide one upon request, as long as copies are available. You may 
request a DVD or paper copy of the Supplement by calling (847) 258-
8992.
    Cooperating Agencies: Nine agencies or governmental entities have 
participated as cooperating agencies in preparing the EIS: The Bureau 
of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the U.S. Coast Guard; the 
Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management; the Rhode Island 
Department of Environmental Management; the Rhode Island Coastal 
Resource Management Council; and the Narragansett Indian Tribe.
    BOEM does not consider anonymous comments. Please include your name 
and address as part of your submittal. BOEM makes all comments, 
including the name and addresses of respondents, available for public 
review 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 NOA was prepared under NEPA, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 4231 et seq.),

[[Page 35954]]

and published in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.6 and 43 CFR 46.435.

William Yancey Brown,
Chief Environmental Officer, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2020-12822 Filed 6-11-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P