SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Proposed Action: Sunrise Wind seeks approval to construct, operate, and maintain a wind energy facility and its associated export cables on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The Project would be developed within the range of design parameters outlined in the Sunrise Wind COP, subject to the applicable mitigation measures. The Project as proposed in the COP would include up to 94 wind turbine generators (WTGs) within 102 potential locations, 1 offshore converter station, inter-array cables linking the individual WTGs to the offshore substation, 1 offshore export cable, 1 onshore converter station, 1 fiber optic cable co-located with the onshore transmission route, and onshore interconnection cables connecting to the existing electrical grid in New York. The WTGs, offshore substation, and inter-array cables would be located on the OCS approximately 16.4 nautical miles (nm) (18.9 statute miles[mi]) south of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, approximately 26.5 nm (30.5 mi) east of Montauk, New York, and 14.5 nm (16.7 mi) from Block Island, Rhode Island, within the area defined by Renewable Energy Lease OCS-A 0487 (Lease Area). The offshore export cables would be buried below the seabed surface on the U.S. OCS and State of New York-owned submerged lands. The onshore export cables, substation, and grid connection would be located in Holbrook, New York.

Alternatives: BOEM considered 16 alternatives when preparing the DEIS and carried forward 3 alternatives for further analysis in the DEIS. These three alternatives include two action alternatives and the no action alternative. BOEM did not analyze in detail 13 of the alternatives because they did not meet the purpose and need for the proposed action or did not meet screening criteria, which are presented in DEIS chapter 2. The screening criteria included consistency with law and regulations; technical and economic feasibility; environmental impacts; and geographic considerations.

Availability of the DEIS: The DEIS, Sunrise Wind COP, and associated information are available on BOEM's website at: https://www.boem.gov/​renewable-energy/​state-activities/​sunrise-wind-activities. BOEM has distributed digital copies of the DEIS to all parties listed in DEIS 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 DEIS by calling (504) 736-5713.

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 DEIS: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; National Marine Fisheries Service; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Coast Guard; National Park Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; New York Department of State; Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management; Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council; and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

Information on Submitting Comments: BOEM does not consider anonymous comments. Please include your name and address as part of your comment. BOEM makes your comments, including your name and address, available for public review online and during regular business hours. You may request that BOEM withhold your name, address, or any other personally identifiable information (PII) included in your comment from the public record; however, BOEM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. If you wish your name, address, or other PII to be withheld, you must state your request prominently in a cover letter and explain the harm that you fear from its disclosure such as unwarranted privacy invasion, embarrassment, or injury. Even if BOEM withholds your information in the context of this notice, your comment is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and any relevant court orders. If your comment is requested under the FOIA or relevant court order, your information will only be withheld if a determination is made that one of the FOIA exemptions to disclosure applies or if the relevant court order is challenged. Such a determination will be made in accordance with the Department of the Interior's FOIA regulations and applicable law.

Please label privileged or confidential information as “Contains Confidential Information,” and consider submitting such information as a separate attachment. Information that is not labeled as privileged or confidential may be regarded by BOEM as suitable for public release.

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.

Authority:42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq. (NEPA, as amended) and 40 CFR 1506.6.

87 FR 77136