[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 139 (Friday, July 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47172-47173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-15389]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2023-0042]


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment for a 
Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf 
Offshore Maine

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 
assessment (EA) for the potential issuance of a wind energy research 
lease to the State of Maine. The draft EA analyzes the potential 
environmental impacts of the site characterization and site assessment 
activities that are expected to take place should this research lease 
be issued. This notice of availability (NOA) announces the start of the 
public review and comment period, as well as the dates and times for 
public meetings on the draft EA. After BOEM holds the public meetings 
and addresses public comments submitted during the review period, BOEM 
will publish a final EA. The EA will inform BOEM's decision whether to 
issue the research lease.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than August 21, 2023. BOEM's 
virtual public meetings will be held on the following dates at the 
times (eastern time) indicated.

 Tuesday, August 1; 5:00 p.m.
 Thursday, August 3; 1:00 p.m.

    Registration for the virtual public meeting is required and may be 
completed at https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine. Meeting information will be sent to registrants via 
their email address provided during registration.

ADDRESSES: The draft EA and detailed information about the proposed 
research lease can be found on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine. Comments can be 
submitted in any of the following ways:
     Orally or in written form during any of the public 
meetings identified in this NOA.
     In written form by mail or any other delivery service, 
enclosed in an envelope labeled ``Gulf of Maine Research Lease EA'' and 
addressed to Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of 
Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Mailstop VAM-OREP, 
Sterling, VA 20166.
     Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2023-0042. 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) 787-1730 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Proposed Action: The draft EA analyzes the proposed action, which 
is the issuance of a research lease to the State of Maine, and the no 
action alternative. The EA considers the reasonably foreseeable 
environmental consequences associated with lease issuance, site 
characterization surveys, and site assessment activities, such as the 
deployment and recovery of a meteorological buoy, that are expected to 
take place should a research lease be issued to the State of Maine. 
BOEM has decided to prepare an EA for this proposed action in order to 
assist the agency's planning and decision-making (40 CFR 1501.5(b)).
    Availability of the draft EA: The draft EA and associated 
information are available on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/maine/gulf-maine. If you require a 
digital copy on a flash drive or paper copy, BOEM will provide one upon 
request, if supplies are available. You may request a flash drive or 
paper copy of the draft EA by contacting Mary Boatman at (703) 787-1662 
or [email protected].
    Cooperating Agencies: The following three Federal agencies 
participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the draft 
EA: the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, National Marine 
Fisheries Service, and U.S. Coast Guard.

Information on Submitting Comments

a. Freedom of Information Act

    BOEM will protect privileged or confidential information that you 
submit when required by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 
Exemption 4 of FOIA applies to trade secrets and commercial or 
financial information that is privileged or confidential. If you wish 
to protect the confidentiality of such information, clearly label it 
and request that BOEM treat it as confidential. BOEM will not disclose 
such information if BOEM determines under 30 CFR 585.114(b) that it 
qualifies for exemption from disclosure under FOIA. Please label 
privileged or confidential information ``Contains Confidential 
Information'' and consider submitting such information as a separate 
attachment.
    BOEM will not treat as confidential any aggregate summaries of such 
information or comments not containing such privileged or confidential 
information. Information that is not labeled as privileged or 
confidential may be regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.

[[Page 47173]]

b. Personally Identifiable Information

    BOEM discourages anonymous comments. Please include your name and 
address as part of your comment. You should be aware that your entire 
comment, including your name, address, and any other personally 
identifiable information (PII) that you include, may be made publicly 
available. All comments from identified individuals, businesses, and 
organizations will be available for public viewing on regulations.gov. 
Note that BOEM will make available for public inspection all comments, 
in their entirety, submitted by organizations and businesses, or by 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives of organizations 
or businesses.
    For BOEM to consider withholding your PII from disclosure, you must 
identify any information contained in your comments that, if released, 
would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of your personal 
privacy. You must also briefly describe any possible harmful 
consequences of the disclosure of information, such as embarrassment, 
injury, or other harm. Even if BOEM withholds your information in the 
context of this notice, your comment is subject to FOIA. If your 
comment is requested under FOIA, BOEM will withhold your information 
only if it determines that one of FOIA's exemptions to disclosure 
applies. Such a determination will be made in accordance with the 
Department's FOIA regulations and applicable law.

c. Section 304 of the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 307103(a))

    After consultation with the Secretary, BOEM is required to withhold 
the location, character, or ownership of historic resources if it 
determines that disclosure may, among other things, risk harm to the 
historic resources or impede the use of a traditional religious site by 
practitioners. Tribal entities should designate information that falls 
under section 304 of NHPA as confidential.
    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. 2023-15389 Filed 7-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P