Voglio sapere a riguardo di…

35330

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 125 / Friday, July 2, 2021 / Notices
Comments are due to BOEM by August 2, 2021.
BOEM will hold virtual public scoping meetings for the CVOWC EIS
at the following dates and times eastern:
Monday, July 12, 2021, 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 14, 2021, 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 5:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Comments can be submitted in any of the following ways:
Delivered by U.S. mail or any other delivery service, enclosed in an envelope labeled, CVOWC COP EIS
and addressed to Program Manager, Office of Renewable Energy, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 45600
Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166, or Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to http
www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. BOEM20210040. Click on the Comment button to the right of the document link. Enter your information and comment, then click Submit.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michelle Morin, BOEM Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 45600
Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166, 703 7871340 or michelle.morin@boem.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1

DATES:

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action In Executive Order 14008, President Biden stated that it is the policy of the United States to organize and deploy the full capacity of its agencies to combat the climate crisis to implement a Government-wide approach that reduces climate pollution in every sector of the economy; increases resilience to the impacts of climate change; protects public health;
conserves our lands, waters, and biodiversity; delivers environmental justice; and spurs well-paying union jobs and economic growth, especially through innovation, commercialization, and deployment of clean energy technologies and infrastructure.
Through a competitive leasing process under 30 CFR 585.211, Dominion was awarded Commercial Lease OCSA
0483 covering an area offshore Virginia the Lease Area. Dominion has the exclusive right to submit a COP for activities within the Lease Area, and it has submitted a COP to BOEM
proposing the construction and installation, operations and maintenance, and conceptual decommissioning of an offshore wind energy facility in the Lease Area.
The goal of CVOWC is to develop a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy
VerDate Sep<11>2014

17:12 Jul 01, 2021

Jkt 253001

facility in the Lease Area with up to 205
wind turbine generators, inter-array cables, up to three offshore substations, and two cable landing locations located within existing parking lots in the State Military Reservation, the Croatan Beach Parking Lot in Virginia Beach, or both.
The onshore electrical portion of the Project will connect to the PJM regional transmission grid. The Project will contribute to the goals of the 2020 law passed by the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Clean Economy Act VCEA, which supports development of 2,500 to 3,000
megawatts MW of clean, reliable offshore wind energy by 2028.
Furthermore, Dominions stated purpose and need to construct and operate a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy facility in the Lease Area is to help fulfill the Commonwealth of Virginias renewable energy goals.
Based on Dominions goals and BOEMs authority, the purpose of BOEMs action is to respond to Dominions COP proposal and determine whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove Dominions COP to construct and install, operate and maintain, and decommission a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy facility within the Lease Area the Proposed Action.
BOEMs action is needed to further the United States policy to make Outer Continental Shelf OCS energy resources available for expeditious and orderly development, subject to environmental safeguards 43 U.S.C.
13323, including consideration of natural resources, safety of navigation, and existing ocean uses.
In addition, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations NOAA
National Marine Fisheries Service NMFS anticipates receipt of one or more requests for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to activities related to the Project pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act MMPA. NMFSs issuance of an MMPA
incidental take authorization is a major Federal action and, in relation to BOEMs action, is considered a connected action 40 CFR 1501.9e1.
The purpose of the NMFS action which is a direct outcome of Dominions request for authorization to take marine mammals incidental to the Project specifically pile drivingis to evaluate the information in Dominions application pursuant to the MMPA and 50 CFR part 216 and to issue the requested incidental take authorizations, if appropriate. The need for the NMFS action is to consider the impacts of authorizing the requested take on marine mammals and their
PO 00000

Frm 00072

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

habitat. NMFSs responsibilities under the MMPA 16 U.S.C. 1371a5D and its implementing regulations establish and frame the need for NMFSs action.
NMFS will be a consulting agency during BOEMs environmental review of Dominions COP and intends to adopt BOEMs EIS to support any requested MMPA incidental take authorizations.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District USACE anticipates a permit action to be undertaken through authority delegated to the District Engineer by 33 CFR 325.8, pursuant to section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 RHA 33 U.S.C. 403 and section 404 of the Clean Water Act CWA 33 U.S.C. 1344. The USACE
considers issuance of a permit under these two delegated authorities a major Federal action connected to BOEMs proposed action 40 CFR 1501.9e1.
The applicants stated purpose and need for the Project, as indicated in paragraph 3 of this section, is to provide a commercially viable, offshore wind energy project within the Lease Area to meet Virginias need for clean energy.
The basic Project purpose, as determined by USACE, is the construction and operation of a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project, including associated transmission lines, for renewable energy generation and distribution to the PJM
energy grid. The USACE will be a consulting agency during BOEMs environmental review of Dominions COP and intends to adopt BOEMs EIS
to support its decision on any permits required under section 10 of the RHA or section 404 of the CWA.
Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives The Proposed Action is the construction and operation of a wind energy facility, as described in the COP
submitted by Dominion on the area covered by Lease OCSA 0483. In its COP, Dominion is proposing to develop the Project to provide between 2,500
and 3,000 MW of clean, reliable offshore wind energy to Virginia consumers.
The Project will involve the construction and operation of up to 205
wind turbine generators WTG and associated WTG foundations, up to three offshore substations, up to approximately 301 miles of inter-array cables, and up to two cable onshore landing locations. The onshore electrical portion will connect to the PJM regional transmission grid. The WTG foundations will be monopiles with associated support and access structures. The WTGs, offshore substations, and inter-array cables will be located within the Lease Area on the
E:FRFM02JYN1.SGM

02JYN1