[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 106 (Friday, May 31, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47174-47175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11947]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2024-0018]


Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC's Proposed Atlantic Shores 
Offshore Wind South Project Offshore New Jersey

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; final environmental impact statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the 
availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on the 
Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, LLC (Atlantic Shores) construction and 
operations plan (COP) for its proposed Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind 
South Project (Project) offshore New Jersey. The FEIS analyzes the 
potential environmental impacts of the Project as described in the COP 
(the Proposed Action) and the alternatives to the Proposed Action, 
including the No Action Alternative. The FEIS will inform BOEM's 
decision whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove 
the COP.

ADDRESSES: The FEIS 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/atlantic-shores-south.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kimberly Sullivan, BOEM Office of 
Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 
20166, (702) 338-4766 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Proposed Action: Atlantic Shores seeks approval to construct, 
operate, and maintain two wind energy facilities (Project 1 and Project 
2) and their associated export cables on the Outer Continental Shelf 
(OCS) offshore New Jersey. The Project would be developed within the 
range of design parameters outlined in the Atlantic Shores COP, subject 
to the applicable mitigation measures.
    The Project as proposed in the COP would include up to 200 total 
wind turbine generators (WTGs) (between 105 and 136 WTGs for Project 1 
and between 64 and 95 WTGs for Project 2), up to 10 offshore 
substations (up to 5 in each Project), 1 permanent meteorological (met) 
tower, up to 4 temporary meteorological and oceanographic (metocean) 
buoys (up to 1 met tower and 3 metocean buoys in Project 1 and 1 
metocean buoy in Project 2), interarray and interlink cables, up to 2 
onshore substations, 2 points of interconnection, 1 operations and 
maintenance facility, and up to 8 transmission cables making landfall 
at 2 New Jersey locations.
    The Atlantic Shores South Project is proposed to be located 8.7 
miles (14 kilometers) \1\ from the New Jersey shoreline at its closest 
point within the area covered by Renewable Energy Lease Number OCS-A 
0499 (Lease Area).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Equates to 7.6 nautical miles. 1 nautical mile = 1.1508 
statute miles.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Alternatives: BOEM considered 21 alternatives (including the No 
Action Alternative) when preparing the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement and carried forward six alternatives for further analysis in 
the FEIS. These alternatives include five action alternatives and the 
No Action Alternative. Fifteen alternatives were not analyzed in detail 
because they did not meet the purpose and need for the Proposed Action 
or did not meet screening criteria, which are presented in the FEIS 
Chapter 2. The screening criteria included consistency with law and 
regulations, technical and economic feasibility, environmental impacts, 
and geographic considerations.
    Availability of the FEIS: The FEIS, the Atlantic Shores COP, and 
associated information are available on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/atlantic-shores-south. 
BOEM has distributed digital copies of the FEIS to

[[Page 47175]]

all parties listed in FEIS Appendix M. 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 FEIS by 
contacting Kimberly Sullivan at (702) 338-4766 or 
[email protected].
    Cooperating Agencies: The following Federal agencies and State 
governmental entities participated as cooperating agencies under the 
National Environmental Policy Act in the preparation of the FEIS: 
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; National Marine 
Fisheries Service; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Coast Guard; 
National Park Service; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service; New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; New Jersey 
Department of Environmental Protection; and New York State Department 
of State.
    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. 2024-11947 Filed 5-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4340-98-P