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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 125 / Friday, July 2, 2021 / Notices
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1

OCS approximately 27 statute miles offshore Virginia Beach. The offshore export cables will be buried below the seabed in the OCS and Virginia submerged lands. Export cables and two onshore cable landing locations will be located within existing parking lots at the State Military Reservation , Croatan Beach in Virginia Beach, or both.
In addition to the Proposed Action and the no action alternative, potential alternatives that the draft EIS could analyze include no-surface occupancy areas within the Lease Area, navigation corridors within the Lease Area, and time of year restrictions during construction. Reasonable alternatives that are identified during the scoping period will be evaluated in the draft EIS.
Under the no action alternative, BOEM
would disapprove the COP, and Dominions wind energy facility described in the COP would not be built in the Lease Area.
Once BOEM completes the EIS and associated consultations, BOEM will decide whether to approve, approve with modification, or disapprove Dominions COP. If BOEM approves the COP and the Project is constructed, the lessee must submit a plan, before the end of the lease term, to decommission the facilities.
Summary of Expected Impacts The draft EIS will identify and describe the potential effects of the Proposed Action on the human environment that are reasonably foreseeable and have a reasonably close causal relationship to the Proposed Action. This includes such effects that occur at the same time and place as the Proposed Action or alternatives and such effects that are later in time or occur in a different place. Expected potential impacts may include, but are not limited to, impacts both beneficial and adverse to air quality, water quality, bats, benthic habitat, essential fish habitat, invertebrates, finfish, birds, marine mammals, terrestrial and coastal habitats and fauna, sea turtles, wetlands and other waters of the United States, commercial fisheries and for-hire recreational fishing, cultural resources, demographics, employment, economics, environmental justice, land use and coastal infrastructure, navigation and vessel traffic, other marine uses, recreation and tourism, and visual resources. These expected potential impacts will be analyzed in the draft and final EIS.
Based on a preliminary evaluation of the resources listed above, BOEM
expects potential impacts to sea turtles and marine mammals from underwater
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noise caused by construction and from collisions with Project-related vessel traffic. Structures installed by the Project could permanently change benthic habitat and other fish habitat.
Commercial fisheries and for-hire recreational fishing may be impacted.
Project structures above the water may affect the visual character that defines historic properties and recreation and tourism areas. Project structures could pose an allision and height hazard to vessels passing close by, and vessels could in turn pose a hazard to the structures. Additionally, the Project may adversely impact military use, air traffic, land-based radar services, cables and pipelines, scientific surveys, and any future mineral extraction. Beneficial impacts are also expected by facilitating achievement of State renewable energy goals, increasing job opportunities, improving air quality, and reducing carbon emissions. The EIS will analyze measures that would avoid, minimize, or mitigate potential environmental effects.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations In addition to the requested COP
approval, various other Federal, State, and local authorizations will be required for the Project. In addition to those previously discussed i.e., NHPA, MMPA, RHA, and CWA, these include authorizations under the Endangered Species Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, and other laws and regulations determined to be applicable to the Project. BOEM
will also conduct government-togovernment consultations with federally recognized tribes. For a full listing of regulatory requirements applicable to the CVOWC Project, please see the COP, volume I available at https
www.boem.gov/CVOW-C.
BOEM has chosen to use the NEPA
substitution process to fulfill its obligations under NHPA. While BOEMs obligations under NHPA and NEPA are independent, the regulations implementing NHPA allow for the use of NEPA review to substitute for various aspects of NHPAs section 106 54
U.S.C. 306108 review to improve efficiency, promote transparency and accountability, and support a broadened discussion of potential effects that a project may have on the human environment. As provided in 36 CFR
800.8c, the NEPA process and documentation required for the preparation of an EIS and record of decision ROD can be used to fulfill a lead Federal agencys NHPA section 106
review obligations in lieu of the procedures set forth in 36 CFR 800.3

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through 800.6. During preparation of the EIS, BOEM will ensure that the NEPA
substitution process will meet its NHPA
obligations in a manner that successfully utilizes this alternative process.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process After the draft EIS is completed, BOEM will publish a notice of availability NOA and request public comments on the draft EIS. BOEM
expects to issue the NOA in August 2022. After the public comment period ends, BOEM will review and respond to comments received and will develop the final EIS. BOEM expects to make the final EIS available to the public in May 2023. A ROD will be completed no sooner than 30 days after the final EIS
is released, in accordance with 40 CFR
1506.11.
Scoping Process: This NOI
commences the public scoping process for identifying issues and potential alternatives for consideration in the CVOWC EIS. Throughout the scoping process, Federal agencies; State, tribal, and local governments; and the general public have the opportunity to help BOEM determine significant resources and issues, impact-producing factors, reasonable alternatives e.g., size, geographic, seasonal, or other restrictions on construction and siting of facilities and activities, and potential mitigation measures to be analyzed in the EIS as well as to provide additional information.
In the interests of efficiency, completeness, and facilitating public involvement, BOEM will use the NEPA
process to fulfill NHPAs public involvement requirements under 36
CFR 800.2d. BOEM will involve the public, State and local governments, Indian tribes, and Dominion as consulting parties under NHPA. Also, BOEM will identify potential consulting parties by considering all written requests from individuals and organizations to participate as consulting parties.
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.; and Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 5:00 p.m.
Registration for the virtual public meetings may be completed here:
https www.boem.gov/CVOW-CScoping-Virtual-Meetings.
NEPA Cooperating Agencies: BOEM
invites other Federal agencies and State, tribal, and local governments to
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