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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 148 / Thursday, August 5, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
Additionally, personnel would access the island by helicopter likely a Bell 212 or if necessary, via hovercraft.
During the open-water season, continued use of helicopter and hovercraft would be utilized to transport personnelhowever, crew boats may also be used.
Construction materials and supplies would be mobilized to the site by barge from West Dock or Endicott. Larger barges and tugs can over-winter in the Prudhoe Bay area and travel to the LDPI
in the open-water season, generally being chartered on a seasonal basis or long-term contract. Vessels would include coastal and ocean-going barges and tugs to move large modules and equipment and smaller vessels to move personnel, supplies, tools, and smaller equipment. Barge traffic consisting of large ocean-going barges originating from Dutch Harbor is likely to consist of one-to-two vessels, approximately twoto-five times per year during construction, and only one trip every 5
years during operations. During the first 2 years following LDPI construction, hovercraft may make up to three trips per day from Endicott SDI to LDPI. After those 2 years, hovercraft may make up to two trips per day from Endicott SDI
to LDPI approximately 11.3 km 7 mi.
Air operations are often limited by weather conditions and visibility. In general, air access would be used for movement of personnel and foodstuffs and for movement of supplies or equipment when necessary. Fixed-wing aircraft may be used on an as-needed basis for purposes of spill response spill delineation and aerial reconnaissance of anomalous conditions or unless otherwise required by regulatory authority. Helicopter use is planned for re-supply during the broken-ice seasons and access for maintenance and inspection of the onshore pipeline system. In the period between completion of hydro-testing and facilities startup, an estimated oneto-two helicopter flights per week are also expected for several weeks for personnel access and to transport equipment to the tie-in area. Typically, air traffic routing is as direct as possible from departure locations such as the SDI, West Dock, or Deadhorse to the LDPI, with routes and altitude adjusted to accommodate weather, other air traffic, and subsistence activities.
Hilcorp would minimize potential disturbance to mammals from helicopter flights to support LDPI construction by limiting the flights to an established corridor from the LPDI to the mainland and except during landing and takeoff, and these flights would maintain a minimum altitude of 457 m 1,500 ft
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above ground level AGL unless inclement weather requires deviation.
Equipment located at the pipeline tie-in location and the pipeline shore landing would be accessed by helicopter or approved tundra travel vehicles to minimize impacts to the tundra.
Additionally, Hilcorp may use unmanned aerial surveys UASs during pile driving, pipe driving, and slope shaping and armament activities during the open-water season in Year 2 of construction and subsequently during decommissioning to monitor for whales or seals that may occur in incidental Level B harassment zones as described in the 2019 LOA issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS 2020.
Recent developments in the technical capacity and civilian use of UASs defined as vehicles flying without a human pilot on board have led to some investigations into potential use of these systems for monitoring and conducting aerial surveys of marine mammals Koski et al. 2009; Hodgson et al. 2013.
UASs, operating under autopilot and mounted with Global Positioning System GPS and imaging systems, have been used and evaluated in the Arctic Koski et al. 2009 and have potential to replace traditional manned aerial surveys and provide an improved method for monitoring marine mammal populations. Hilcorp plans to seek a waiver, if necessary, from the Federal Aviation Administration FAA to operate the UAS above 122 m 400 ft and beyond the line of sight of the pilot.
Ground control for the UAS would be located at Liberty Island, Endicott, or another shore-based facility close to Liberty NMFS 2020.
After construction, aircraft, land vehicle, and marine traffic may be at similar levels as those described for Northstar Island, although specific details beyond those presented here are not presently known.
Ice roads would be used for onshore and offshore access, installing the pipeline, hauling gravel used to construct the island, moving equipment on/off the island, and personnel and supply transit. Ice road construction can typically be initiated in midto lateDecember and can be maintained until mid-May, weather depending. Ice road 1 would extend approximately 11.3 km 7 mi over shorefast sea ice from the Endicott SDI to the LDPI the SDI to LDPI ice road. It would be approximately 37 m wide 120 ft with a driving lane of approximately 12 m 40 ft and cover approximately 64.8 ha 160 ac of sea ice. Ice road 2
approximately 11.3 km 7 mi would connect the LDPI to the proposed Kadleroshilik River gravel mine site and
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then would continue to the juncture with the Badami ice road which is ice road 4. It would be approximately 15
m 50 ft wide. Ice road 3
approximately 9.6 km 6 mi, termed the Midpoint Access Road would intersect the SDI to LDPI ice road and the ice road between the LDPI and the mine site. It would be approximately 12
m 40 ft wide. Ice road 4
approximately 19.3 km 12 mi, located completely onshore, would parallel the Badami pipeline and connect the mine site with the Endicott road.
All four ice roads would be constructed for the first 3 years to support pipeline installation and transportation from existing North Slope roads to the proposed gravel mine site, and from the mine site to the proposed LDPI location in the Beaufort Sea. After Year 3, only ice road 1 would be constructed to allow additional materials and equipment to be mobilized to support LDPI, pipeline, and facility construction activities as all island construction and pipeline installation should be complete by Year 3. In addition to the ice roads, three ice pads are proposed to support construction activities Year 2 and Year 3. These would be used to support LDPI, pipeline including pipe stringing and two stockpile/disposal areas, and facilities construction. A fourth staging area ice pad approximately 107 by 213
m 350 by 700 ft would be built on the sea ice on the west side of the LDPI
during production well drilling operations.
Other on-ice activities occurring prior to March 1 may include spill training exercises, pipeline surveys, snow clearing, and work conducted by other snow vehicles such as a Pisten Bully, snow machine, or Rolligon. Prior to March 1, these activities would occur outside of the delineated ice road/trail and shoulder areas.
The LDPI would include a selfcontained offshore drilling and production facility located on an artificial gravel island with a subsea pipeline to shore. The LDPI would be located approximately 8 km 5 mi offshore in Foggy Island Bay and 11.7
km 7.3 mi southeast of the existing SDI
on the Endicott causeway. The LDPI
would be constructed of reinforced gravel in 5.8 m 19 ft of water and have a working surface of approximately 3.8
ha 9.3 ac. A steel sheet pile wall would surround the island to stabilize the placed gravel, and the island would include a slope protection bench, dock and ice road access, and a seawater intake area.

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