Notice of Public Scoping, Request for Comment, and Announcement of Public Scoping Meeting for the U.S. Department of Energy Environmental Assessment for Project Icebreaker (DOE/EA-2045)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to authorize the expenditure of federal funding for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of ``Project Icebreaker,'' a 20-megawatt offshore wind renewable energy project that would be located in Lake Erie, approximately 8 miles off Cleveland, Ohio. The proposed project would consist of up to six wind turbine generators and the necessary electrical transmission facilities (i.e. underwater and underground cable) to connect to the Cleveland Public Power Lake Road Substation. The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) anticipates receiving an application pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act for the proposed project. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is responsible for reviewing impacts related to navigation and the USCG mission. Pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), DOE is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) to identify and analyze potential impacts to the human environment that may occur if DOE authorizes the expenditure of federal funding in support of Project Icebreaker. The USACE and the USCG are cooperating agencies in preparation of the EA. DOE is requesting public input on the scope of the EA for Project Icebreaker. The notice of public scoping for the EA and a description of the proposed project is available for review at: www.energy.gov/node/ 2001046.