[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 246 (Friday, December 23, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78993-78994]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27826]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2022-0070]


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for Park City Wind, LLC's Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore 
Massachusetts

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: BOEM announces the availability of the draft environmental 
impact statement (DEIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP) 
submitted by Park City Wind LLC (Park City) for its proposed New 
England Wind Project (Project) offshore Massachusetts. 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 BOEM holds the public hearings 
and addresses comments provided, BOEM will publish a final 
environmental impact statement (EIS). The EIS will inform BOEM's 
decision whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove 
the COP.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than February 21, 2023. BOEM 
will conduct three virtual public hearings. BOEM's virtual public 
hearings will be held at the following times (eastern time).

 Friday, January 27, 2023; 1:00 p.m.
 Wednesday, February 1, 2023; 5:00 p.m.
 Monday, February 6, 2023; 5:00 p.m.

    Registration for the virtual public hearings is required and may be 
completed here: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-england-wind-formerly-vineyard-wind-south or by calling (703) 787-
1520. Meeting information will be sent to registrants via their email 
address provided during registration.

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/new-england-wind-formerly-vineyard-wind-south. Comments can be submitted in any of the 
following ways:
     Orally or in written form during any of the virtual public 
hearings identified in this NOA.
     In written form by mail or any other delivery service, 
enclosed in an envelope labeled ``New England Wind COP DEIS'' and 
addressed to Chief, 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-2022-0070. 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Stromberg, BOEM Office of 
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 
20166, (703) 787-1722 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Proposed Action: Park City seeks approval to construct, operate, 
and maintain the Project: a wind energy facility and its associated 
export cables on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore 
Massachusetts. The New England Wind Project would be developed within 
the range of design parameters outlined in the New England Wind COP, 
subject to applicable mitigation measures. Park City proposes to 
develop the lease area in two phases, known as Park City Wind (Phase 1) 
and Commonwealth Wind (Phase 2) (collectively, the New England Wind 
Project or Project). Park City proposes constructing and operating up 
to 129 wind turbines and up to 5 offshore electrical service platforms 
with a total of 5 offshore export cables under the terms of Renewable 
Energy Lease OCS-A 0534. The Project is located about 20 miles 
southwest of Martha's Vineyard, about 24 miles south of Nantucket, and 
adjacent to the southwest boundary of the BOEM-approved Vineyard Wind 1 
energy project (Renewable Energy Lease OCS-A 0501). The onshore 
components of the Project will include up to three export cable 
landfalls in Massachusetts (one for Phase 1 and up to two for Phase 2) 
and up to three onshore substations: one in Barnstable County, 
Massachusetts, for Phase 1 and up to two in Barnstable or Bristol 
County, Massachusetts, for Phase 2.\1\
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    \1\ As part of the proposed action, Park City proposes two 
offshore export cable routes should technical, logistical, grid 
interconnection, or other unforeseen issues arise during the COP 
review and engineering processes that preclude use of its preferred 
route. If the route known as the South Coast Variant is used, an 
onshore substation and landfall would be located in Bristol County. 
Both proposed cable routes are included in the DEIS analysis.

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[[Page 78994]]

    Alternatives: BOEM considered 15 alternatives when preparing the 
DEIS and carried forward 3 alternatives for further analysis in the 
DEIS. These three alternatives include two action alternatives and the 
no action alternative. BOEM did not analyze in detail 12 of the 
alternatives because they did not meet the purpose and need for the 
proposed action or did not meet screening criteria, which are presented 
in chapter 2 of the DEIS. The screening criteria included consistency 
with law and regulations; technical and economic feasibility; 
environmental impact; and geographic considerations.
    Availability of the DEIS: The DEIS, New England Wind COP, and 
associated information are available on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/new-england-wind-formerly-vineyard-wind-south. BOEM has distributed digital copies of 
the DEIS to all parties listed in the DEIS appendix N, which also 
includes the location of all libraries receiving a copy. If you require 
a flash drive or paper copy, BOEM will provide one upon request, as 
long as supplies are available. You may request a flash drive or paper 
copy of the DEIS by calling (703) 787-1520.
    Cooperating Agencies: The following 18 Federal agencies, Tribal 
Nations, and State governmental entities participated as cooperating 
agencies in the preparation of the DEIS: Bureau of Safety and 
Environmental Enforcement; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 
National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. 
Coast Guard; U.S. Department of Defense; U.S. Department of the Navy; 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah); 
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe; Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut; Mashantucket 
Pequot Tribal Nation; The Narragansett Indian Tribe; The Shinnecock 
Indian Nation; Delaware Tribe of Indians; Massachusetts Office of 
Coastal Zone Management; Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management 
Council; and New York State Department of State.
    Information on Submitting Comments: BOEM does not consider 
anonymous comments. Please include your name and address as part of 
your comment. BOEM makes your comment, including your name and address, 
available for public review online and during regular business hours. 
You may request that BOEM withhold your name, address, or any other 
personally identifiable information (PII) included in your comment from 
the public record; however, BOEM cannot guarantee that it will be able 
to do so. 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 its disclosure such as unwarranted privacy 
invasion, embarrassment, or injury. Even if BOEM withholds your 
information in the context of this notice, your comment is subject to 
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and any relevant court orders. If 
your comment is requested under FOIA or a relevant court order, your 
information will only be withheld if a determination is made that one 
of the FOIA's exemptions to disclosure applies or if the relevant court 
order is challenged. Such a determination will be made in accordance 
with the Department of the Interior's FOIA regulations and applicable 
law.
    Please label privileged or confidential information as ``Contains 
Confidential Information,'' and consider submitting such information as 
a separate attachment. Information that is not labeled as privileged or 
confidential may be regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.
    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: 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. 2022-27826 Filed 12-22-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P