[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88370-88372]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28120]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Notice of Availability of a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Assessment for Vessel Operations

AGENCY: Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO), National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce 
(DOC).

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) has prepared a draft 
programmatic environmental

[[Page 88371]]

assessment (PEA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 
2023, to analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with 
OMAO's ongoing vessel operations as the NOAA fleet is modernized over a 
15-year timeframe from 2023 to 2038.
    The Draft PEA assesses the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
environmental impacts from OMAO vessel operations while NOAA ships are 
underway, during which time OMAO conducts training, testing, 
calibration, and troubleshooting of vessel equipment and instruments in 
preparation for use by other NOAA Line Offices (LOs) or organizations 
outside of NOAA. OMAO's Proposed Action in the Draft PEA would ensure 
that NOAA's current and future fleet is maintained and operated in a 
safe, environmentally compliant manner, thus allowing NOAA to fulfill 
its at-sea mission objectives and data collection requirements in 
marine, coastal, and freshwater environments. The purpose of this NOA 
is to invite affected government agencies, non-governmental 
organizations, tribes and tribal organizations, and interested members 
of the public to participate in the Draft PEA process and provide 
comments on the structure, contents, and analysis in the Draft PEA. 
Publication of this document begins the 40-day public comment period 
for the Draft PEA.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft PEA will be accepted on or before 
January 31, 2024.

ADDRESSES: The Draft PEA can be viewed or downloaded from the OMAO 
website at http://omao.noaa.gov/noaa-vessel-operations-draft-pea. 
Written comments on OMAO's Draft PEA may be submitted by one of the 
following methods:

     Mail: Please direct written comments to DOC/NOAA/OMAO: 
Hannah Staley, Sea Grant Fellow, Office of Marine and Aviation 
Operations, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East-
West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
     Email: [email protected].

    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NOAA. All comments received are part of the 
public record. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, 
address, etc.), confidential business information, or otherwise 
sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be 
publicly accessible. NOAA will accept anonymous comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hannah Staley, Sea Grant Fellow, 
[email protected]; 301-713-1045.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft PEA examines the environmental 
effects of OMAO's operation of NOAA vessels in United States (U.S.) 
waters, including the oceans from the U.S. baseline, also known as the 
territorial sea baseline, to the limits of the U.S. Exclusive Economic 
Zone (EEZ), and the U.S. portions of the Great Lakes. The geographic 
scope extends to the international maritime boundaries with Canada and 
Mexico. The PEA also considers OMAO's operations in areas outside of 
U.S. jurisdiction. Under the Draft PEA's Proposed Action, OMAO would 
continue to operate, maintain, and manage the NOAA fleet as the 
existing fleet is updated and aging vessels are replaced with new 
vessels. Specifically, the Draft PEA focuses its analysis on the 
environmental impacts of OMAO's vessel operations while NOAA ships are 
underway (i.e., when ships are either moving in open water or secured 
to a specific location in open water), but not for scientific research 
activities conducted by another NOAA Line Office or organization 
outside of NOAA. During this time, OMAO conducts training, testing, 
calibration, and troubleshooting of vessel equipment and instruments to 
maintain mission-readiness levels in support of NOAA's at-sea 
observational requirements. Examples of routine vessel operations 
include vessel movement; anchoring; waste handling and discharges; 
vessel repair and maintenance; uncrewed marine systems operations; 
uncrewed aircraft systems operations; small boat operations; and over 
the side handling, crane, davit, and winch operations.
    OMAO has prepared the Draft PEA to analyze the physical, 
biological, economic, and social impacts to the human environment from 
OMAO vessel operations over a 15-year timeframe from 2023 to 2038. OMAO 
notes that almost half of NOAA's ships will exceed their design service 
life during the timeframe of this Draft PEA; therefore, NOAA needs to 
invest in modernizing its fleet to maintain fleet capabilities for its 
primary missions. OMAO supports NOAA's primary missions by operating, 
managing, and maintaining NOAA's fleet of vessels, vessel equipment, 
and instruments, and NOAA's Uncrewed Systems Operation Program, of 
which only Uncrewed Marine Systems (UMS) and Uncrewed Aerial Systems 
(UAS) deployed directly from NOAA vessels are considered in this Draft 
PEA. OMAO maintains these vessels, equipment, and systems at mission-
readiness levels, facilitating all of NOAA's at-sea and data collection 
requirements.
    OMAO's Draft PEA evaluates three alternatives:
     Alternative A--No Action--Continue Vessel Operations with 
Current NOAA Fleet: Under Alternative A, OMAO would continue to use the 
current NOAA fleet to conduct routine vessel operations, in addition to 
the testing, calibrating, training, and troubleshooting of vessel 
equipment and instruments, to support NOAA's primary missions and at-
sea capabilities. OMAO would operate ships in the NOAA fleet until the 
end of their service life, and would continue to support projects 
undertaken by other NOAA Line Offices or organizations outside of NOAA 
at the current level of activity, for as long as the fleet capacity 
allows. Additionally, OMAO is constructing two oceanographic research 
vessels that are expected to come online in 2025, and awarded contracts 
in July 2023 for two new charting and mapping vessels that are expected 
to come online in 2027 and 2028 for a total of four new ships. This 
alternative also analyzes impacts from the additional ``greening'' 
techniques that are currently being implemented across the NOAA fleet, 
which include goals for fuel efficiency and emissions reductions. New 
ships would be integrated with greener technologies including 
improvements in wastewater and solid waste management, supplemental 
power generation, and hull protection; new technologies for data 
collection; and advancements in ship infrastructure. This alternative 
reflects the ships, technology, equipment, fleet utilization, scope, 
and methods currently in use by OMAO.
     Alternative B--Vessel Operations with Fleet Modernization 
and Optimizing At-Sea Capabilities: This alternative consists of 
Alternative A plus implementing measures for long-term modernization of 
the NOAA fleet and fleet management best practices. Fleet modernization 
is expected to result in a NOAA fleet of similar size to the current 
fleet, but with new ships coming online as older ships retire, in 
addition to newer and more efficient technologies and fleet utilization 
resulting in the capacity to provide more days-at-sea (DAS) than 
Alternative A. Specific examples of additional measures adopted under 
Alternative B over the next 15 years would include:

[[Page 88372]]

    [cir] Designing and constructing up to four additional ships needed 
to replace vessels that would reach the end of their design service 
life between 2023 and 2038 (resulting in a total of 8 new ships when 
combined with the four new ships being constructed under Alternative 
A);
    [cir] Extending service life of the existing fleet by conducting 
material condition assessment surveys and mid-life repairs; and
    [cir] Increasing NOAA fleet utilization, which would provide more 
DAS compared to Alternative A;
    Under Alternative B, all the activities described in Alternative A 
would continue, many at a higher level of effort. The nature of these 
actions would not change, but the overall level of activity would be 
increased.
     Alternative C--Vessel Operations with Fleet Modernization 
and Optimization with Greater Funding Support: Alternative C includes 
all the activities and measures described in Alternative B, but with an 
increase in overall funding of 20 percent relative to Alternative B, 
resulting in the capacity to provide more DAS. Specific examples of 
additional measures adopted under Alternative C over the next 15 years 
would include:
    [cir] Designing and constructing two new ships in addition to the 
eight new ships that would be added to the NOAA fleet between 2023 and 
2038 under Alternative B;
    [cir] Increasing the number of uncrewed systems integrated into new 
ships that would be added to the NOAA fleet;
    [cir] Shortening the timeframe of fleet improvement activities and 
the induction of new ships into the fleet;
    [cir] Greening techniques proposed for the new ships would be 
implemented across the current fleet over a shorter timeframe;
    [cir] Shortening of the timeframe to improve the OMAO small boat 
fleet; and
     Purchasing or developing technology to enable more 
efficient scheduling of vessels, equipment, and personnel to maximize 
crew productivity and enhance overall fleet performance, which would 
provide more DAS.
    Under Alternative C, all the activities described in Alternative B 
would occur, many at a higher level of effort. The nature of these 
actions would not change, but the overall level of activity would be 
increased.
    The official public review and comment period ends on January 31, 
2024. Please visit the OMAO website for additional information and to 
access the Draft PEA: http://omao.noaa.gov/noaa-vessel-operations-draft-pea.
    Classification: The Draft PEA was prepared in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) as 
amended by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, Public Law 118-5 
(2023); Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for 
Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508 
(1978)); NOAA's Policy and Procedures for Compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act and Related Authorities (NOAA Administrative 
Order (NAO) 216-6A and Companion Manual for NAO 216-6A), and other 
relevant federal and state laws and regulations.

    Dated: December 18, 2023.
Richard W. Spinrad,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA 
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2023-28120 Filed 12-20-23; 8:45 am]
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