[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 214 (Tuesday, November 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76852-76853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24610]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2023-062]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for 
Additional Site Assessment Activities on Beacon Wind, LLC's Renewable 
Energy Lease OCS-A 0520

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) intends to 
prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the reasonably 
foreseeable impacts from additional site assessment activities in Lease 
Area OCS-A 0520 offshore Massachusetts. Beacon Wind, LLC, (Beacon 
Wind), the leaseholder, requests to conduct additional site assessment 
activities in the lease area that were not analyzed in the initial EA. 
Those activities comprise temporarily installing and subsequently 
removing representative components of offshore wind turbine and 
substation foundations using a single suction bucket at locations where 
turbines and substations may be installed. BOEM is seeking public input 
regarding important environmental issues and the identification of 
reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the EA. This EA is 
limited to site assessment activities and will be completed consistent 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and implementing 
regulations of the Department of the Interior and the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ). BOEM will assess the impacts of 
constructing and operating any wind energy project proposed by Beacon 
Wind in Lease Area OCS-A 0520 in an environmental impact statement 
before deciding whether to approve that proposed project.

DATES: BOEM must receive your comments no later than December 7, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to 
https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM-2023-062 to 
submit public comments and view supporting and related materials 
available for this notice. Click on the ``Comment'' button below the 
document link. Enter your information and comment, then click ``Submit 
Comment;'' or
     By U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service: Send 
your comments and information to the following address: Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland 
Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP, Sterling, VA 20166.
    For additional information about submitting your comments, please 
see the discussion under the heading ``Public Participation'' in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jessica Stromberg, BOEM, Environment 
Branch for Renewable Energy, 45600 Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM-OREP, 
Sterling, VA 20166, (703) 787-1722 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: On December 8, 2020, Beacon Wind 
submitted a site assessment plan (SAP) to install and operate one 
floating light detection and ranging buoy, two current meter moorings, 
and two meteorological and oceanographic (metocean) buoys. Beacon Wind 
updated this SAP on June 28, 2021, and BOEM approved it on September 
24, 2021.
    On June 3, 2014, BOEM issued a Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI) based on a comprehensive revised Environmental Assessment 
titled ``Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities 
on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Massachusetts (2014 
EA).'' \1\ The 2014 EA included analysis of leasing and site assessment 
impacts in Lease Area OCS-A 0520. However, the suction bucket technique 
was not included in the analyzed site assessment activities.
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    \1\ https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/revised-ma-ea-2014.
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Proposed Action and Scope of Analysis

    The proposed action is approval of Beacon Wind's amended SAP to 
conduct additional site assessment activities in the Lease Area. If 
approved, those activities will comprise foundation testing by 
installing and removing representative components for offshore wind 
turbine and substation foundations. This testing will include repeated 
use of a single suction bucket within the lease area at locations where 
wind turbines and substations may be installed. The equipment used for 
testing will be the same as described in Beacon Wind's construction and 
operations plan \2\ for suction bucket jacket foundations, which may be 
used to install offshore turbines and

[[Page 76853]]

substations. The proposed additional testing will further assess the 
site conditions and gather information necessary for the engineering 
design of turbine and substation foundations well-suited for the lease 
area if BOEM approves the project.
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    \2\ https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/beacon-wind-farm-construction-and-operations-plan.
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    BOEM decided to prepare an EA for this proposed action regarding 
Beacon Wind's amended SAP to support and inform agency decision-making 
(40 CFR 1501.3). This notice starts the scoping process for the EA and 
solicits information regarding additional important environmental 
issues and alternatives that should be considered in the EA (43 CFR 
46.305). Additionally, BOEM will use the scoping process to identify 
and eliminate from detailed analysis issues that are not significant or 
that have been analyzed by prior environmental reviews (40 CFR 
1501.9(f)(1)).
    BOEM will use responses to this notice and the EA public input 
process to satisfy the public involvement requirements of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (see 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3)). Consequently, BOEM 
is seeking information from the public on the identification and, if 
applicable, the assessment, of potential impacts to cultural resources 
and historic properties that might be impacted by the proposed site 
assessment activities and foundation testing. The EA analyses will also 
support compliance with other environmental laws and statutes (e.g., 
Coastal Zone Management Act, Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and Marine Mammal Protection 
Act).
    Cooperating Agencies: BOEM invites Tribal Nations and Federal, 
State, and local government agencies to consider becoming cooperating 
agencies in the preparation of this EA. CEQ regulations for 
implementing NEPA define cooperating agencies as those with 
``jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to any 
environmental impact involved in a proposal (or a reasonable 
alternative)'' (40 CFR 1508.1(e)). Potential cooperating agencies 
should consider their authority and capacity to assume the 
responsibilities of a cooperating agency.
    Upon request, BOEM will provide potential cooperating agencies with 
a draft memorandum of agreement that includes a schedule with critical 
action dates and milestones, mutual responsibilities, designated points 
of contact, and expectations for handling pre-decisional information. 
Agencies should also consider the ''Factors for Determining Whether to 
Invite, Decline or End Cooperating Agency Status'' in CEQ's memo, 
``Cooperating Agencies in Implementing the Procedural Requirements of 
the [NEPA],'' dated January 30, 2002. A copy of this document is 
available at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/nepapub/nepa_documents/RedDont/G-CEQ-CoopAgenciesImplem.pdf.
    As the lead agency, BOEM will not provide financial assistance to 
cooperating agencies. Even if an organization is not a cooperating 
agency, opportunities will exist to provide information and comments to 
BOEM during the normal public input phases of the NEPA process.

Public Participation

A. Comments

    Tribal Nations, Federal and State agencies, local governments, and 
other interested parties are requested to comment on important issues 
to be considered in the EA. For information on how to submit comments 
and deadline, see the DATES and ADDRESSES sections above.

B. Privileged and Confidential Information

    BOEM will protect privileged and confidential information submitted 
in comments when required by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 
Exemption 4 of FOIA applies to trade secrets and commercial and 
financial information that is privileged or confidential. If you wish 
to protect the confidentiality of such information, clearly label it 
``Contains Confidential Information'' 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 a FOIA 
exemption. 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.

C. Personally Identifiable Information

    BOEM does not consider anonymous comments. Please include your name 
and address as part of your comment. BOEM makes all comments, including 
names, addresses, and other personally identifiable information 
included in the comment, available for public review online. 
Individuals may request that BOEM withhold their names, addresses, or 
other personally identifiable information included in their comment 
from the public record; however, BOEM cannot guarantee that it will be 
able to do so because comment submissions are subject to FOIA. If your 
submission is requested under FOIA, your information will only be 
withheld if a determination is made that one of the FOIA exemptions to 
disclosure applies. Such a determination will be made in accordance 
with the Department's FOIA regulations and applicable law.
    In order for BOEM to withhold from disclosure your personally 
identifiable information, you must identify any information contained 
in your comments that, if released, would constitute a clearly 
unwarranted invasion of your privacy. You also must briefly describe 
any possible harmful consequences of the disclosure of information, 
such as embarrassment, injury, or other harm. 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.

D. Section 304 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 
307103(a))

    After consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, BOEM is 
required to withhold the location, character, or ownership of historic 
resources if it determines that disclosure may, among other things, 
cause a significant invasion of privacy, risk harm to the historic 
resources, or impede the use of a traditional religious site by 
practitioners. Tribal entities and other parties providing information 
on historic resources should designate information that they wish to be 
held as confidential and provide the reasons why BOEM should do so.
    Authority: NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4332); 40 CFR 1501.5; 43 CFR 46.305.

Karen Baker,
Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-24610 Filed 11-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P