SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon, which was drilling a well for BP Exploration and Production, Inc. (BP), experienced a significant explosion, fire, and subsequent sinking in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the release of millions of barrels of oil and other discharges into the Gulf. Under the authority of the Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA; 33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), designated Federal and State Trustees, acting on behalf of the public, assessed the injuries to natural resources and prepared the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS), and subsequent record of decision (ROD), which sets forth the governance structure and process for DWH restoration planning under the OPA's natural resource damage assessment (NRDA). On April 4, 2016, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered a Consent Decree resolving civil claims by the Trustees against BP.

The Alabama TIG is composed of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Geological Survey of Alabama, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama TIG selects and implements restoration projects under the TIG's management authority in accordance with the Consent Decree. The Final PDARP/PEIS, ROD, Consent Decree, and information on the DWH Trustees can be found at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/​restoration-planning/​gulf-plan.

Background

On April 19, 2024, the Alabama TIG announced on its website that it had reviewed projects analyzed in previous restoration plans; identified projects that could provide restoration benefits to the Alabama restoration area if selected, continued, or expanded upon; and had initiated drafting its fourth restoration plan and environmental assessment. The Draft RP/EA includes a reasonable range of 11 restoration alternatives (projects) for the five restoration types indicated in the plan's title.

Overview of the Alabama TIG's Draft RP/EA

The Draft RP/EA is being released in accordance with OPA NRDA regulations found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 15 CFR part 990, the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its implementing regulations found at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, the Final PDARP/PEIS, and the Consent Decree. The Draft RP/EA provides OPA NRDA and NEPA analyses for a reasonable range of 11 alternatives listed below under the restoration types from which funds would be allocated if selected. One project, Lower Perdido Islands Habitat Restoration—Phase II, would be funded through two restoration type allocations: the Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitat restoration type and the Birds restoration type. Two projects, the Lower Perdido Islands Habitat Restoration—Phase II project and the Walker Island Expansion project, were considered under both the Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitat restoration type and the Birds restoration type and are shown under both restoration types below. The seven preferred alternatives are denoted with an asterisk (*).

Wetlands, Coastal, and Nearshore Habitats Restoration Type:

• Lower Perdido Islands Habitat Restoration Phase II *
• Walker Island Expansion

Nutrient Reduction Restoration Type:

• Puppy Creek—Juniper Creek—Big Creek Nutrient Reduction *
• Bayou la Batre Nutrient Reduction

Birds Restoration Type:

• Stewardship of Coastal Alabama Beach Nesting Bird Habitat *
• Lower Perdido Islands Habitat Restoration—Phase II *
• Walker Island Expansion

Oysters Restoration Type:

( printed page 52500)

• Improving Resilience for Oysters by Linking Brood Reefs and Sink Reefs (Large-scale)—Component 4—Mid-lower Mobile Bay, AL *
• Oyster Grow-Out and Restoration Reef Replacement—5-year continuation *
• Oyster Grow-Out and Restoration Reef Replacement—3-year continuation

Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities Restoration Type:

• Bayfront Park Restoration and Improvement Phases Ia and Ib *
• Laguna Cove Little Lagoon Natural Resource Protection—Large Scale Amenities
• Laguna Cove Little Lagoon Natural Resource Protection—Small Scale Amenities *

Next Steps

As described above in DATES, the Alabama TIG will host a public webinar on July 10th, 2024, 12 p.m. CDT. to facilitate the public review and comment process. After the public comment period ends, the Alabama TIG will consider and address the comments received before issuing a final RP/EA.

Public Availability of Comments

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 comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Administrative Record

The documents comprising the Administrative Record for the Draft RP/EA can be viewed electronically at https://www.doi.gov/​deepwaterhorizon/​adminrecord under folder 6.5.3.2.4.

Authority

The authority for this action is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.), its implementing Natural Resource Damage Assessment regulations found at 15 CFR part 990, and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its implementing regulations found at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508.

89 FR 52498