[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 170 (Friday, September 2, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54248-54250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18915]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2022-0045]


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for Revolution Wind, LLC's Proposed Revolution Wind Farm Offshore Rhode 
Island

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments; draft 
environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the 
availability of the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the 
construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by Revolution Wind, 
LLC (Revolution Wind) for its proposed Revolution Wind Offshore Wind 
Farm Project (Project) offshore Rhode Island. The DEIS analyzes the 
potential environmental impacts of the Project as described in the COP 
(the proposed action) and the alternatives to the proposed action. This 
notice of availability (NOA) announces the start of the public review 
and comment period, as well as the dates and times for public hearings 
on the DEIS. After the comment period and public hearings, BOEM will 
publish a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) addressing 
comments received on the DEIS. The FEIS will inform BOEM's decision 
whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the COP.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than October 17, 2022. BOEM 
will conduct three in-person public hearings and two virtual public 
hearings. BOEM's in-person public hearings will be held at the 
following times (eastern time).
     Tuesday, October 4, 2022, 5:00 p.m.;
     Wednesday, October 5, 2022, 5:00 p.m.; and
     Thursday, October 6, 2022, 5:00 p.m.
    BOEM's virtual public meetings will be held at the following times 
(eastern time).
     Thursday, September 29, 2022, 1:00 p.m.; and
     Tuesday, October 11, 2022, 5:00 p.m.
    Registration for the public hearings may be completed at https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/revolution-wind or by 
calling (504) 736-5713.

[[Page 54249]]


ADDRESSES: The DEIS and detailed information about the Project, 
including the COP, can be found on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/revolution-wind. 
Comments can be submitted in any of the following ways:
     Orally or in written form during any of the public 
hearings identified in this NOA.
     In written form by mail or other delivery service, 
enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Revolution Wind COP DEIS'' and 
addressed to Program Manager, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 
20166.
     Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2022-0045. Click on 
the ``Comment'' button below the document link. Enter your information 
and comment, then click ``Submit Comment.''
    For more information about submitting comments, please see 
``Information on Submitting Comments'' under the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION heading below.
    The in-person meetings will be held at the following locations:

 Tuesday, October 4, 2022--Aquinnah Old Town Hall, 67 State 
Road, Aquinnah, Massachusetts 02535, 5:00 p.m. EDT
 Wednesday, October 5, 2022--Swift Community Center, 121 Peirce 
Street, East Greenwich, Rhode Island 02818, 5:00 p.m. EDT
 Thursday, October 6, 2022--Keith Middle School, 225 Hathaway 
Boulevard, New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740, 5:00 p.m. EDT

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Community 
Levels (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html) will be monitored for Dukes County (Martha's Vineyard, 
MA), Washington County (North Kingstown, RI), and Bristol County (New 
Bedford, MA). If the COVID-19 Community Level is ``MEDIUM'' or 
``HIGH,'' BOEM may decide to cancel one or more in-person hearings and 
hold an additional virtual hearing. Updates will be provided to all 
meeting registrants via email and on BOEM's website at https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/revolution-wind. 
Therefore, early registration for in-person meetings is strongly 
encouraged.
    A registration link for each of the hearings is provided on BOEM's 
website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/revolution-wind. Registration for the virtual meetings is required. 
Webinar information will be sent to registrants via their email address 
provided during registration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Stromberg, BOEM Office of 
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 
20166, (703) 787-1730 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Proposed Action: Revolution Wind seeks approval to construct, 
operate, and maintain the Project and its associated export cables on 
the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore Rhode Island. The Project 
would be developed within the range of design parameters outlined in 
the Revolution Wind COP, subject to applicable mitigation measures. The 
Project as proposed in the COP would have a maximum capacity ranging 
between 704 and 880 megawatts, would include up to 100 wind turbine 
generators, up to 2 offshore, high voltage alternating current 
substations, inter-array cables linking the individual turbines to the 
offshore substations, one substation interconnector cable linking the 
substations to each other, offshore export cables, an onshore export 
cable system, 1 onshore substation, and connection to the existing 
electrical grid at The Narragansett Electric Company Davisville 
Substation in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. The Project would be 
located on the OCS approximately 15 nautical miles (18 statute miles) 
southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island, within an area defined by 
Renewable Energy Lease OCS-A 0486. The offshore export cables would be 
buried below the seabed in the U.S. OCS and State of Rhode Island 
submerged lands. The onshore export cables, substations, and grid 
connections would be located in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.
    Alternatives: BOEM considered 18 alternatives when preparing the 
DEIS and carried forward 6 alternatives for further analysis in the 
DEIS. These six alternatives include five action alternatives and the 
no action alternative. Twelve alternatives were not carried forward 
because they did not meet the purpose and need for the proposed action 
or did not meet screening criteria, which are presented in DEIS chapter 
2 and appendix K. The screening criteria included consistency with law 
and regulations; technical and economic feasibility; environmental 
impacts; and geographic considerations.
    Availability of the DEIS: The DEIS, Revolution Wind COP, and 
associated information are available on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/revolution-wind. BOEM 
has distributed digital copies of the DEIS to all parties listed in 
DEIS appendix H. If you require a digital copy on a flash drive or a 
paper copy, BOEM will provide one upon request, as long as previously 
prepared supplies of these materials are available. You may request a 
flash drive or paper copy of the DEIS by calling (504) 736-5713.
    Cooperating Agencies: The following Federal agencies and State 
governmental entities participated as cooperating agencies in the 
preparation of the DEIS: Bureau of Safety and Environmental 
Enforcement; Environmental Protection Agency; National Marine Fisheries 
Service; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Coast Guard; Massachusetts 
Office of Coastal Zone Management; Rhode Island Coastal Resources 
Management Council; and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental 
Management. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; National 
Park Service; Department of Defense; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 
and Department of the Navy participated as a participating agency.
    Information on Submitting Comments: BOEM does not consider 
anonymous comments. Please include your name and address as part of 
your comment. BOEM makes all comments, including your name, address, 
and other personally identifiable information (PII) included in your 
comment, available for public review online and during regular business 
hours. You may request that BOEM withhold your name, address, and any 
other PII included in your comment from public disclosure. If you wish 
your name, address, or other PII to be withheld, you must state your 
request prominently in a cover letter and explain the harm that you 
fear from disclosure of such information, such as unwarranted privacy 
invasion, embarrassment, or injury. Under the Freedom of Information 
Act, BOEM cannot guarantee that it will be able to withhold your 
information from public disclosure. 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.

[[Page 54250]]

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq. (NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR 
1506.6.

Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management.
[FR Doc. 2022-18915 Filed 9-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P