[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 184 (Monday, September 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53284-53286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20641]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XB339]


Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Regionwide Trustee Implementation 
Group Final Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment 1: Birds, 
Marine Mammals, Oysters, and Sea Turtles and Finding of No Significant 
Impact

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

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), and a Consent Decree with BP 
Exploration & Production Inc. (BP), the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Federal 
natural resource trustee agencies for the Regionwide Trustee 
Implementation Group (Regionwide TIG) prepared the Final Restoration 
Plan and Environmental Assessment 1: Birds, Marine Mammals, Oysters, 
and Sea Turtles (RP/EA), and Finding of No Significant Impact. In the 
RP/EA, the Regionwide TIG selected projects to help restore living 
coastal and marine resources injured as a result of the DWH oil spill 
in the Regionwide Restoration Area under the ``Birds'', Marine 
Mammals'', ``Oysters'', and ``Sea Turtles'' restoration types described 
in the Final Programmatic Damage Assessment Restoration Plan/
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. The total cost to 
implement the Regionwide TIG's eleven selected projects is 
approximately $99.6 million.

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may access the RP/EA from the 
Regionwide TIG website at: http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/regionwide. Alternatively, you may request a CD of 
the RP/EA (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Copies are also 
available for review at the locations listed below (see SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION).

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 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, 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 DWH 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

[[Page 53285]]

(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. Public comments received during the review period 
March 22 through May 6, 2021 (86 FR 15199) contributed to the 
completion of the RP/EA.

Overview of the Regionwide TIG RP/EA

    The RP/EA is being released in accordance with OPA Natural Resource 
Damage Assessment regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
at 15 CFR part 990, NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Consent 
Decree,\1\ and the Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration 
Plan/Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. In the RP/EA, the 
Regionwide TIG analyzes 15 alternatives and selects eleven preferred 
alternatives for the Birds, Marine Mammals, Oysters, and Sea Turtles 
restoration types. The alternatives selected include the following:
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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.
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Birds

     Reducing Marine Debris Impacts on Birds and Sea Turtles 
(joint project with Sea Turtles Restoration Type)--$3,520,000;
     Conservation and Enhancement of Nesting and Foraging 
Habitat for Birds--$22,500,000;
    [cir] Component 1: Chandeleur Islands, LA, $8,000,000;
    [cir] Component 2: Pilot Town, 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;
     Bird Nesting and Foraging Area Stewardship--$8,510,750.

Marine Mammals

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

Oysters

     Improving Resilience for Oysters by Linking Brood Reefs 
and Sink Reefs (Large-scale)--$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.

Sea Turtles

     Pilot Implementation of Automatic Identification System in 
the GOM Inshore Shrimp Fishery to Inform Efforts to Reduce Sea Turtle 
Bycatch--$2,231,124;
     Restore and Enhance Sea Turtle Nest Productivity--
$7,655,000;
     Reducing Sea Turtle Bycatch at Recreational Fishing Sites, 
$3,649,360;
     Reducing Marine Debris Impacts on Birds and Sea Turtles 
(joint project with Birds Restoration Type)--$3,520,000;
     Regionwide Enhancements to the Sea Turtle Stranding and 
Salvage Network and Enhanced Rehabilitation--$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 has examined the injuries assessed by the DWH 
Trustees and evaluated restoration alternatives to address the 
injuries. In the RP/EA, the Regionwide TIG presents to the public its 
plan for providing partial compensation to the public for injured 
natural resources and ecological services in the Regionwide Restoration 
Area. The selected 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 selected is approximately $99.6 million. 
Additional restoration planning for the Regionwide Restoration Area 
will continue.

Additional Access to Materials

    You may request a CD of the RP/EA (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT above). Copies of the RP/EA are also available at the following 
locations:

                                 Table 1--Repositories With Copies of the RP/EA
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             Repository                      Address                  City                 State           Zip
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Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory,       101 Bienville Blvd....  Dauphin Island........  AL                    36528
 Admin 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          5555 Grelot Rd........  Mobile................  AL                    36606
 Regional 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         375 S Water St........  Monticello............  FL                    32344
 Library.
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

[[Page 53286]]

 
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             925 Behrman Hwy.,       Gretna................  LA                    70056
 Communities Consulting.              Suite 15.
Biloxi Public Library, Local         580 Howard Ave........  Biloxi................  MS                    39530
 History 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     6300 Ocean Dr.........  Corpus Christi........  TX                    78412
 A&M.
Rosenberg Library..................  2310 Sealy St.........  Galveston.............  TX                    77550
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Translation Opportunities

    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 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: September 20, 2021.
Carrie Diane Robinson,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-20641 Filed 9-24-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P