[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 53 (Monday, March 22, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15199-15202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05716]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA868]


Notice of Availability of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill 
Regionwide Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan #1/
Environmental Assessment: Birds, Marine Mammals, Oysters, and Sea 
Turtles

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA), the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and a Consent Decree with BP 
Exploration & Production Inc. (BP),\1\ the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) 
Federal natural resource trustee agencies for the Regionwide Trustee 
Implementation Group (Regionwide TIG) have prepared a Draft Restoration 
Plan #1/Environmental Assessment: Birds, Marine Mammals, Oysters, and 
Sea Turtles (Draft RP/EA). The Draft RP/EA describes and proposes 
restoration project alternatives considered by the Regionwide TIG to 
partially restore natural resources and ecological services injured or 
lost as a result of the DWH oil spill. The Regionwide TIG evaluated 
these alternatives under criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource 
damage assessment (NRDA) regulations. In accordance with NEPA the 
environmental consequences of the restoration alternatives are 
evaluated in the integrated Environmental Assessment to which the 
Regionwide TIG Federal Trustees are cooperating agencies. The purpose 
of this notice is to inform the public of the availability of the Draft 
RP/EA and to seek public comments on the document.
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    \1\ Consent Decree among Defendant BP Exploration & Production 
Inc. (``BPXP''), the United States of America, and the States of 
Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas entered in In 
re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig ``Deepwater Horizon'' in the Gulf of 
Mexico, on April 20, 2010, MDL No. 2179 in the United States 
District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

DATES: The Regionwide TIG will consider public comments received on or 
before May 6, 2021.
    Virtual Public Meetings: Due to continuing Covid-19 limitations on 
gatherings of groups, the Regionwide TIG will hold two virtual open 
house and public meetings to facilitate public review and comment on 
the Draft RP/EA.

1. April 15, 2021, 2 p.m. CDT
2. April 15, 2021, 6 p.m. CDT

    Members of the public can access the open house and webinars at:
    https://regionwidetig.eventbrite.com/. After registering, 
participants will receive a confirmation email with instructions for 
joining the open house and webinar.

ADDRESSES: 
    Obtaining Documents: You may access the Draft RP/EA from the 
``News'' section of the Regionwide TIG website at: http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/regionwide.
    Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft RP/EA by 
one of the following methods:
     Via the Web: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/RWTIGRP1.
     Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 
29649, Atlanta, GA 30345. Please note that mailed comments must be 
postmarked on or before the comment deadline of 45 days following 
publication of this notice to be considered.
     During the virtual public meetings: Comments may be 
provided during the webinar. Webinar information is provided below in 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    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 comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration--Jamie Schubert, NOAA Restoration Center, (310) 427-
8711, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) mobile drilling unit 
exploded, causing a massive release of oil from the BP Exploration and 
Production Inc. (BP) Macondo well. The explosion and oil spill led to 
loss of life and extensive natural resource injuries. Oil spread from 
the deep ocean to surface and nearshore environments across the Gulf of 
Mexico, from Texas to Florida. Extensive response actions were 
undertaken to reduce harm to people and the environment. However,

[[Page 15200]]

many of these response actions had collateral impacts on the 
environment and on natural resource services.
    The DWH Federal and State natural resource trustees (DWH Trustees) 
conducted the natural resource damage assessment for the DWH oil spill 
under 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. 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 DWH 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 (CPRA), 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 DWH Trustees reached and finalized a settlement of their 
natural resource damage claims with BP in an April 4, 2016, Consent 
Decree approved by the United States District Court for the Eastern 
District of Louisiana. Pursuant to that Consent Decree, restoration 
projects in the Regionwide Restoration Area are selected and 
implemented by the Regionwide TIG. The Regionwide TIG is composed of 
the Federal and State Trustees listed above.

Background

    On September 24, 2019, the Regionwide TIG posted a public notice at 
http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov requesting new or revised 
natural resource restoration project ideas for the Regionwide 
Restoration Area. The notice stated that the Regionwide TIG was seeking 
project ideas for the following Restoration Types: (1) Birds, (2) 
Marine Mammals, (3) Oysters; and (4) Sea Turtles. On July 1, 2020 the 
Regionwide TIG announced that it had initiated drafting of its first 
post settlement draft restoration plan including restoration projects 
for Birds, Marine Mammals, Oysters and Sea Turtles.

Overview of the Regionwide TIG Draft RP/EA

    The Draft RP/EA is being released in accordance with OPA NRDA 
regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR part 
990, NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Consent Decree, and the Final 
Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement. In the Draft RP/EA, the Regionwide TIG 
analyzes 15 alternatives and proposes eleven preferred alternatives 
for: Birds, Marine Mammals, Oysters, and Sea Turtles restoration types. 
The alternatives analyzed include the following:

Birds

     Alternative 1: Reducing Marine Debris Impacts on Birds and 
Sea Turtles (joint project with Sea Turtles Restoration Type)--
Preferred, $3,520,000.
     Alternative 2: Conservation and Enhancement of Nesting and 
Foraging Habitat for Birds--Preferred, $22,500,000.
    [cir] Component 1: Chandeleur Islands, LA, $8,000,000.
    [cir] Component 2: Pilot Town/Little Dauphin Island, AL, 
$6,500,000.
    [cir] Component 3: San Antonio Bay Bird Island, TX $2,500,00.
    [cir] Component 4: Matagorda Bay Bird Island (Chester Island), TX, 
$2,500,000.
    [cir] Component 5: Round Island, MS, $3,000,000.
     Alternative 3: Bird Nesting and Foraging Area 
Stewardship--Preferred, $8,510,750.
     Alternative 4: Stewardship and Habitat Creation through 
Beneficial Use--Non-preferred, $6,500,000.
    [cir] Component 1: Walker Island, AL, $4,000,000.
    [cir] Component 2: Matagorda Bay Bird Island (Chester Island), TX, 
$2,500,000.

Marine Mammals

     Alternative 1: Voluntary Modifications to Commercial 
Shrimp Lazy Lines to Reduce Dolphin Entanglements--Preferred, 
$3,179,088.
     Alternative 2: Reducing Impacts to Dolphins from Hook-and-
Line Gear and Provisioning through Fishery Surveys, Social Science, and 
Collaboration--Preferred, $1,700,000.
     Alternative 3: Enhance Marine Mammal Stranding Network 
Diagnostic Capabilities and Consistency across the Gulf of Mexico--
Preferred, $2,300,000.
     Alternative 4: Enhance Capacity, Diagnostic Capability, 
and Consistency of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network in the Gulf of 
Mexico--Non-preferred, $7,887,000.

Oysters

     Alternative 1: Improving Resilience for Oysters by Linking 
Brood Reefs and Sink Reefs (Large-scale)--Preferred, $35,819,974 
(component cost breakdown is not yet defined).
    [cir] Component 1: East Galveston Bay, TX.
    [cir] Component 2: Biloxi Marsh, LA.
    [cir] Component 3: Heron Bay, MS.
    [cir] Component 4: Mid-lower Mobile Bay, AL.
    [cir] Component 5: Suwanee Sound, FL.
     Alternative 2: Improving Resilience for Oysters by Linking 
Brood Reefs and Sink Reefs (Small-scale), Non-preferred, $22,300,000 
(component cost breakdown is not yet defined).
    [cir] Component 1: East Galveston Bay, TX.
    [cir] Component 2: Biloxi Marsh, LA.
    [cir] Component 3: Heron Bay, MS.
    [cir] Component 4: Mid-lower Mobile Bay, AL.
    [cir] Component 5: Suwanee Sound, FL.

Sea Turtles

     Alternative 1: Pilot Implementation of Automatic 
Identification System in the GOM Inshore Shrimp Fishery to Inform 
Efforts to Reduce Sea Turtle Bycatch--Preferred, $2,231,124.
     Alternative 2: Restore and Enhance Sea Turtle Nest 
Productivity--Preferred, $7,655,000.
     Alternative 3: Guiding Restoration Success for Nesting 
Females and Hatchlings in the Northern Gulf of Mexico--Non-preferred, 
$4,446,000.
     Alternative 4: Reducing Sea Turtle Bycatch at Recreational 
Fishing Sites, Preferred, $3,649,360.
     Alternative 5: Reducing Marine Debris Impacts on Birds and 
Sea Turtles (joint project with Birds Restoration Types)--Preferred, 
$3,520,000.
     Alternative 6: Regionwide Enhancements to the Sea Turtle

[[Page 15201]]

Stranding and Salvage Network and Enhanced Rehabilitation--Preferred, 
$5,050,000.
    [cir] Component 1: Enhancing Response, Coordination, and 
Preparedness in the Gulf of Mexico, $2,050,000.
    [cir] Component 2: Texas Rehabilitation Facility, $3,000,000.
    The Regionwide TIG also analyzes a No Action alternative. One or 
more alternatives may be selected for implementation by the Regionwide 
TIG in the Final RP/EA or in future restoration plans.
    The Regionwide TIG has examined the injuries assessed by the DWH 
Trustees and evaluated restoration alternatives to address the 
injuries. In the Draft RP/EA, the Regionwide TIG presents to the public 
its draft plan for providing partial compensation to the public for 
injured natural resources and ecological services in the Regionwide 
Restoration Area. The proposed alternatives are intended to continue 
the process of using DWH restoration funding to restore natural 
resources injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil 
spill. The total estimated cost of the projects proposed as preferred 
is approximately $99.6 million. Additional restoration planning for the 
Regionwide Restoration Area will continue.

Next Steps

    The public is encouraged to review and comment on the Draft RP/EA. 
Virtual public meetings are scheduled to facilitate the public review 
and comment process. Each virtual meeting will include an informal open 
house period to accommodate general questions from the public in topic 
areas followed by a formal presentation of the Draft RP/EA. Following 
the presentation, public comment will be taken through the virtual 
meeting platform.
    Presentation slides, project fact sheets, and a recording of the 
webinar will be posted on the Regionwide TIG website. The public may 
register for the virtual public meetings at the link below.
    After the public comment period ends, the Regionwide TIG will 
consider and address the comments received before issuing a Final RP/
EA. A summary of comments received and the Regionwide TIG's responses 
and any revisions to the document, as appropriate, will be included in 
the final document.

Additional Access to Materials

    You may request a CD of the Draft RP/EA (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT above). Copies of the Draft RP/EA are also 
available for review during the public comment period at the following 
locations:

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             Repository                       Address                  City               State          Zip
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Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory, Admin  101 Bienville Blvd....  Dauphin Island........  AL                   36528
 Building.
Thomas B. Norton Public Library.....  221 W. 19th Ave.......  Gulf Shores...........  AL                   36542
Alabama Department of Conservation    31115 Five Rivers Blvd  Spanish Fort..........  AL                   36527
 and Natural Resources, State Lands
 Division, Coastal Section Office.
Weeks Bay National Estuarine          11300 U.S. Hwy. 98....  Fairhope..............  AL                   36532
 Research Reserve.
Mobile Public Library, West Regional  5555 Grelot Rd........  Mobile................  AL                   36606
 Library.
Franklin County Public Library......  160 Hickory Dip.......  Eastpoint.............  FL                   32328
Okaloosa County Library.............  185 Miracle Strip       Ft. Walton............  FL                   32548
                                       Pkwy. SE.
Panama City Beach Public Library....  125000 Hutchison Blvd.  Panama City Beach.....  FL                   32407
Southwest Branch Library............  12248 Gulf Beach Hwy..  Pensacola.............  FL                   32507
Wakulla County Library..............  4330 Crawfordville Hwy  Crawfordville.........  FL                   32327
Walton County Library, Coastal        437 Greenway Trail....  Santa Rosa Beach......  FL                   32459
 Branch.
Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court,     6865 Caroline St......  Milton................  FL                   32570
 County Courthouse.
Bay County Public Library...........  898 W. 11th St........  Panama City...........  FL                   32401
Gulf County Public Library..........  110 Library Dr........  Port St. Joe..........  FL                   32456
Jefferson R.J. Bailar Public Library  375 S Water St........  Monticello............  FL                   32344
Taylor County Public Library........  403 N. Washington St..  Perry.................  FL                   32347
Dixie County Public Library.........  16328 SE U.S. Hwy. 19.  Cross City............  FL                   32628
Levy County Public Library..........  7871 NE 90th St.......  Bronson...............  FL                   32621
Homosassa Public Library............  4100 S. Grandmarch Ave  Homosassa.............  FL                   34446
Land O'Lakes Branch Library.........  2818 Collier Pkwy.....  Land O' Lakes.........  FL                   34639
Pinellas Public Library.............  1330 Cleveland St.....  Clearwater............  FL                   33755
Temple Terrace Public Library.......  202 Bullard Pkwy......  Temple Terrace........  FL                   33617
South Manatee Branch Library........  6081 26th St..........  West Bradenton........  FL                   34207
Jacaranda Public Library............  4143 Woodmere Park      Venice................  FL                   34293
                                       Blvd.
Mid County Regional Library.........  2050 Forrest Nelson     Port Charlotte........  FL                   33952
                                       Blvd.
Riverdale Branch Library............  2421 Buckingham Rd....  Fort Myers............  FL                   33905
St. Tammany Parish Library..........  310 W. 21st Ave.......  Covington.............  LA                   70433
Terrebonne Parish Library...........  151 Library Dr........  Houma.................  LA                   70360
New Orleans Public Library,           219 Loyola Ave........  New Orleans...........  LA                   70112
 Louisiana Division.
East Baton Rouge Parish Library.....  7711 Goodwood Blvd....  Baton Rouge...........  LA                   70806
Jefferson Parish Library, East Bank   4747 W. Napoleon Ave..  Metairie..............  LA                   70001
 Regional Library.
Jefferson Parish Library, West Bank   2751 Manhattan Blvd...  Harvey................  LA                   70058
 Regional Library.
Plaquemines Parish Library..........  8442 Hwy. 23..........  Belle Chase...........  LA                   70037
St. Bernard Parish Library..........  2600 Palmisano Blvd...  Chalmette.............  LA                   70043
St. Martin Parish Library...........  201 Porter St.........  Martinville...........  LA                   70582
Alex P. Allain Library..............  206 Iberia St.........  Franklin..............  LA                   70538
Vermillion Parish Library...........  405 E. St. Victor St..  Abbeville.............  LA                   70510
Lafourche Parish Public Library       314 St. Mary St.......  Thibodaux.............  LA                   70301
 (formerly Martha Sowell Utley
 Memorial Library).
South Lafourche Public Library......  16241 E. Main St......  Cut Off...............  LA                   70345
Calcasieu Parish Public Library       301 W. Claude St......  Lake Charles..........  LA                   70605
 Central Branch.
Iberia Parish Library...............  445 E. Main St........  New Iberia............  LA                   70560
Mark Shirley, Louisiana State         1105 W. Port St.......  Abbeville.............  LA                   70510
 University AgCenter.
Sandy Ha Nguyen, Coastal Communities  925 Behrman Hwy.,       Gretna................  LA                   70056
 Consulting.                           Suite 15.

[[Page 15202]]

 
Biloxi Public Library, Local History  580 Howard Ave........  Biloxi................  MS                   39530
 and Genealogy Department.
West Biloxi Public Library..........  2047 Pass Rd..........  Biloxi................  MS                   39531
Waveland Public Library.............  333 Coleman Ave.......  Waveland..............  MS                   39576
Vancleave Public Library............  12604 Hwy. 57.........  Vancleave.............  MS                   39565
Hancock County Library System.......  312 Hwy. 90...........  Bay St. Louis.........  MS                   39520
Gulfport Harrison County Library....  1708 25th Ave.........  Gulfport..............  MS                   39501
Pass Christian Public Library.......  111 Hiern Ave.........  Pass Christian........  MS                   39571
Orange Grove Branch Library.........  12135 Old Hwy. 49.....  Gulfport..............  MS                   39503
Kathleen McIlwain Public Library....  2100 Library Ln.......  Gautier...............  MS                   39553
Pascagoula Public Library...........  3214 Pascagoula St....  Pascagoula............  MS                   39567
Ina Thompson Moss Point Library       4119 Bellview.........  Moss Point............  MS                   39563
 (formerly Moss Point Library).
Ocean Springs Municipal Library.....  525 Dewey Ave.........  Ocean Springs.........  MS                   39564
Kiln Public Library.................  17065 Hwy. 603........  Kiln..................  MS                   39556
Margaret Sherry Memorial Library....  2141 Popps Ferry Rd...  Biloxi................  MS                   39532
East Central Public Library.........  21801 Slider Rd.......  Moss Point............  MS                   39555
Jerry Lawrence Memorial Library       10391 AutoMall Pkwy...  D'Iberville...........  MS                   39540
 (formerly D'Iberville Library).
Mercy Housing & Human Development...  1135 Ford St..........  Gulfport..............  MS                   39507
Center for Environmental and          336 Rodenberg Ave.....  Biloxi................  MS                   39531
 Economic Justice.
STEPS Coalition.....................  11975 Seaway Rd., Ste.  Gulfport..............  MS                   39503
                                       A240.
Gulf Islands National Seashore        3500 Park Rd..........  Ocean Springs.........  MS                   39564
 Visitors Center.
Mississippi Commercial Fisheries      6421 Beatline Road....  Long Beach............  MS                   39560
 United.
Jack K. Williams Library, Texas A&M   200 Seawolf Pkwy.,      Galveston.............  TX                   77554
 University at Galveston.              Bldg. 3010.
Port Arthur Public Library..........  4615 9th Ave..........  Port Arthur...........  TX                   77672
Mary and Jeff Bell Library Texas A&M  6300 Ocean Dr.........  Corpus Christi........  TX                   78412
Rosenberg Library...................  2310 Sealy St.........  Galveston.............  TX                   77550
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Translation Opportunities

    Vietnamese translation will be available upon request for the 
virtual public meetings. Anyone requiring assistance or access to 
translation should contact Jamie Schubert at [email protected] by 
April 5, 2021. Vietnamese translated materials including the Executive 
Summary and project fact sheets are posted in the ``News'' section of 
the Regionwide TIG's website: http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/regionwide.

Administrative Record

    The documents comprising the Administrative Record for the Draft 
RP/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 Oil Pollution Act 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.).

    Dated: March 16, 2021.
Carrie Diane Robinson,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-05716 Filed 3-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P