81 FR 41334 - Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Leasing and Site Assessment Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore the Island of Oahu, Hawaii; MMAA104000

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 122 (June 24, 2016)

BOEM is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) of potential commercial wind leasing and site assessment activities on the OCS offshore the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The EA will address environmental impacts and socioeconomic effects related to the proposed action, issuance of one or more commercial wind energy leases and approval of site assessment activities on those leases. This notice serves to announce the beginning of the formal scoping process. Scoping will help identify reasonable alternatives to the proposed action, focus the analysis in the EA on potentially significant issues, and eliminate those issues that are determined to be insignificant or considered irrelevant to the analysis. BOEM will also use the scoping process to seek public comment on the full range of potential environmental impacts, including input relevant to the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Additional information on the proposed action may be found at http://www.boem.gov/Hawaii/.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 122 (Friday, June 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41334-41335]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-14829]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2016-0049]


Environmental Assessment for Commercial Wind Leasing and Site 
Assessment Activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore the 
Island of Oahu, Hawaii; MMAA104000

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment.

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SUMMARY: BOEM is announcing its intent to prepare an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) of potential commercial wind leasing and site 
assessment activities on the OCS offshore the island of Oahu, Hawaii. 
The EA will address environmental impacts and socioeconomic effects 
related to the proposed action, issuance of one or more commercial wind 
energy leases and approval of site assessment activities on those 
leases. This notice serves to announce the beginning of the formal 
scoping process. Scoping will help identify reasonable alternatives to 
the proposed action, focus the analysis in the EA on potentially 
significant issues, and eliminate those issues that are determined to 
be insignificant or considered irrelevant to the analysis. BOEM will 
also use the scoping process to seek public comment on the full range 
of potential environmental impacts, including input relevant to the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Additional information on 
the proposed action may be found at http://www.boem.gov/Hawaii/.

DATES: Comments should be submitted no later than August 8, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Eckenrode, Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, Pacific OCS Region, 760 Paseo Camarillo, Suite 102, 
Camarillo, California 93010, (805) 384-6388, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Proposed Action

    The proposed action that will be the subject of the EA consists of 
(a) the issuance of a wind energy lease or leases within some or all of 
the Call Area (see below) offshore the island of Oahu; and (b) the 
approval of site assessment activities (including the installation and 
operation of a meteorological tower and/or one or more meteorological 
buoys) on the lease or leases. BOEM will also consider the 
environmental impacts associated with potential site characterization 
activities--including geophysical, geotechnical, archaeological, and 
biological surveys--that a lessee may undertake to fulfill the 
information requirements for its Site Assessment Plan and Construction 
and Operation Plan at 30 CFR 585.610 and .626 respectively.

2. Description of the Call Area

    A detailed description of the Call Area can be found in the 
Commercial Leasing for Wind Power on the Outer Continental Shelf 
Offshore the Island of Oahu, Hawaii--Call for Information and 
Nominations that is being published concurrently with this notice. A 
map of the Call Area can be found at: http://www.boem.gov/Hawaii/.

3. National Historic Preservation Act

    BOEM will use the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process 
to inform its Section 106 consultation pursuant to the NHPA (54 U.S.C. 
300101 et seq.), as provided for in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). BOEM will 
consider the potential effects of wind energy development on historic 
properties early in the planning process. BOEM is seeking public 
comment and input regarding the identification of historic properties 
or potential impacts to historic properties located in nearshore and 
coastal areas adjacent to the Call Area from the proposed action.

4. Cooperating Agencies

    BOEM invites other Federal, State, and local governments to 
consider becoming cooperating agencies in the preparation of this EA. 
CEQ regulations implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA define 
cooperating agencies as those with ``jurisdiction by law or special 
expertise'' (40 CFR 1508.5).

[[Page 41335]]

Potential cooperating agencies should consider their authority and 
capacity to assume the responsibilities of a cooperating agency and 
remember that an agency's role in the environmental analysis neither 
enlarges nor diminishes the final decision-making authority of any 
agency involved in the NEPA process.
    BOEM, as the lead agency, 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.

5. Public Scoping Meetings

    BOEM will hold public meetings on Oahu. The specific dates, times, 
and locations of the scoping meetings will be advertised at least two 
weeks in advance of each event.

6. Comments

    Federal, State, and local governments, Native Hawaiians, and the 
public are requested to send their written comments regarding 
environmental issues and the identification of reasonable alternatives 
related to the proposed action described in this notice through one of 
the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
field entitled, ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter BOEM-2016-0049, and then 
click ``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and 
view supporting and related materials available for this notice; or
    2. U.S. mail in an envelope labeled ``Comments on Hawaii EA'' and 
addressed to Regional Director, BOEM Pacific OCS Region, 760 Paseo 
Camarillo, Suite 102, Camarillo, California 93010. Comments must be 
postmarked by the last day of the comment period to be considered. This 
date is August 8, 2016.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying 
information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comments to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  This Notice of Intent to prepare an EA is in 
compliance with NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq.), and is 
published pursuant to 43 CFR 46.305.

    Dated: June 16, 2016.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2016-14829 Filed 6-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P