# Presentation: 793434

## Long Island Offshore Wind Park Scoping Report 

**Long Island Offshore Wind Park ****Scoping Report **

**Scoping Period**
**June 19 – August 21, 2006**

## Proposed Project

- 40 wind turbines
- 3.6 miles southwest of Jones Beach
- 400+ feet high
- Produce 140 megawatts of electricity
- Come onshore via submarine transmission line at West Amityville
- Purpose: To provide a utility-scale renewable energy facility for the Long Island electrical grid

## Project Location

## NEPA

- MMS determined an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) required under NEPA
- Scoping is a required first step
- announced for 60 days: 6/19-8/21
- identifies significant issues, alternatives, or mitigations
- includes public participation in addition to inputs by the lead and cooperating agencies

## Purpose of Scoping Report

- Collect concerns and information from individuals, federal and state agencies, and organizations regarding scope of EIS
- Trace comments to origin
- necessary step to credibly show people their comments are considered
- Summarize and report concerns by themes
- Show what we received by objective evidence
- Does NOT include recommendations or conclusions about the EIS
- Organized in 2 volumes
- Volume 1 is main report & cross-referencing appendices
- Volume 2 contains scanned images of all sources

## Scoping Comments

- 2,877 sources submitted 6,075 comments
- Letters (1,988)
- 1,949 received before August 21
- 39 received after Aug 21 were included
- Many multiple signatories per letter or letters per address
- Testimony at two public meetings (156 speakers)
- July 10 (West Babylon, NY)
- July 11 (Massapequa, NY)
- Included various submittals on site
- OCS Public Connect website (208 entries)
- FOIA package from Save Jones Beach Association;  COE comment records, correspondence, and miscellany
- materials in this package that informed our evaluation were included in our scoping

## Scoping CommentsGeneral Impressions

- Support w/ or w/o conditions – 3,786
- Support w/ full environmental review: Natural Resources Defense Council – 8,054 letters
- Oppose w/ or w/o conditions or prefer “no action” -  714
- Support fair & full evaluation – 1,574
- Signatures on petitions supporting LIOWP from Citizens Campaign for the Environment (~12,000)
- petitions do not help inform the scope of our environmental review and will be made part of the EIS administrative record

## Report Organization – Vol. I

- Introduction
- The Scoping Process
- Summary Of Scoping Comments
- Conceptual Concerns
- Potential Impacts or Issues of Concern
- Alternatives
- Mitigation Measures
- General Comments
- Summary Of People Offering Comments
- Next Steps

## Report Organization – Vol. I (cont.)

- Appendix A 	Individual Source Numbers for Each Comment Code
- Appendix B 	Comment Codes and File Names in Volume II (Adobe PDF) 		for Each Person Offering a Comment
- Appendix C 	Comment Codes (with no file names) for Each Person 		Offering a Comment
- Appendix D 	Comment Codes and File Names for Each Agency and 		Organization
- Appendix E 	Comment Codes for Each Scoping Meeting Testifier
- Appendix F 	Comment Codes for Each Person Offering a Comment 		through OCS Public Connect
- Appendix G 	List of Supplementary Materials Included with Comments

## Report Organization – Vol. II

- Adobe PDF files referenced in Appendices B - G

## Comment Coding - Traceability

- By **person or group that commented:**
**L1**: 	first letter (L2 = second letter, etc)
**SW1**: 	first speaker at West Babylon
**SM1**: 	first speaker at Massapequa
**P1**: 	first OCS Public Connect comment
- By **comment**:
**C1**: 	first conceptual comment
**I1**: 	first issue/impact of concern
**A1**: 	first alternative
**M**: 	mitigation
**G**: 	general comments

## Conceptual

- Comments that were general
- and broad; for or against the project
- _Examples_
- C1: Support project
- C1A: Support project for environmental reasons
- C2: Oppose project
- C2B: Oppose project for political reasons
- C3: Support a “fair, full evaluation”

## Issues of Concern

- Comments that demonstrated concern about impacts to the biological, physical and socioeconomic environment
- _Examples_
- I1: Benthic and shellfish resources
- I2: Protected marine species
- I16B: Discuss the impacts of cable construction on 	neighbors, nearby schools, and other sensitive 	receptors
- I16E: Discuss the impacts of cable operation on 	neighbors, nearby schools, and other sensitive 	receptors

## Alternatives

- Comments that provided
- alternatives to the proposed project
- _Examples_
- A1: Consider alternative renewable energy 		resources
- A2: Consider alternatives within current 	proposal
- A3: Update existing facilities
- A4: Expand the current plan

## Mitigation

- Comments that provided mitigation ideas for various portions of the proposed project
- _Examples_
- M2: Establish a long-term monitoring 	program
- M5: Paint turbines a different color to 	lessen 	impacts

## General

- Comments about the EIS process;
- unbiased general comments
- _Examples_
- G4: Perform a regulatory review; comply 	with 	all state and Federal laws
- G6: Thoroughly justify project costs, need, 	and 	methods; perform a cost-benefit 	analysis; 	compensate for “takings”

## Main Report (Conceptual Impacts)

## Main Report (Specific Impacts)

| CODE | ISSUE or CONCERN | NUMBER of COMMENTS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Impacts to the biological environment |  |  |
| I1 | Benthic and Shellfish Resources | 22 |
| I1A | Define and characterize sediments along the proposed transmission route | 4 |
| I1B | Assess the benefits and impacts of artificial reef creation | 8 |
| I1C | Assess the impacts of submarine construction | 8 |
| I2 | Protected Marine Species | 90 |
| I2A | Use the best available science as a baseline of fish stocks | 4 |
| I2B | Discuss the potential impacts on Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) | 7 |
| I2C | Discuss the impacts of monopile lights on resident species | 1 |
| I2D | Discuss the impacts of monopile lights on migrating species | 2 |
| I2E | Discuss the impacts of WTGs on resident marine species | 6 |
| I2F | Assess impact of wind park on tuna migrations, whales, turtles and other species | 9 |
| I2G | Assess impact of leaks and spills from stored oils, diesel, etc. | 8 |
| I2H | Discuss changes in species composition | 3 |
| I2I | Discuss impacts of increased vessel traffic | 1 |
| I2J | Discuss impacts of potential thermal emissions | 1 |
| I2K | Discuss impacts of artificial reef addition | 3 |

## Appendix A (sample)

**C1: Support project (96 comments)**
- L1035, L1130, L1164, L123, L1359, L1488, L1674, L1695, L1767, L1768,
- L1878, L192, L193, L1930, L1931, L2006, L2063, L2079, L2151, L2212, L2268,
- L2314, L2315, L249, L377, L389, L390, L426, L479, L623, L647, L683, L689,
- L691, L692, L693, L764, L781, L817, L827, L871, L872, L984, L985, L1063,
- L1184, L1185, L1373, L1412, L1516, L2170, L2192, L706, L808, L2416, SM42,
- SM70, SW55, SM38, SM61, SM32, SM78, SM69, P208 P3, P14, P19, P25, P31,
- P37, P38, P50, P51, P52, P79, P84, P88, P114, P115, P116, P117, P120, P127,
- P131, P145, P146, P148, P160, P162, P166, P171, P172, P182, P81, P144, P159
**C1A: Support project for environmental reasons (i.e. human health, children,**
**safety, the “environment” in general, etc.) (2123)**
- L10, L1001, L1005, L1006, L101, L1011, L1012, L1013, L1017, L102, L1024,
- L1027, L1028, L1029, L1030, L1031, L1032, L1033, L1034, L1037, L1039,
- L1040, L1041, L1046, L1048, L1049, L1052, L1053, L1055, L1057, L1058,
- L1059, L106, L1061, L1064, L1065, L1068, L1069, L1070, L1071, L1072,
- L1073, L1074, L1075, L1077, L107, L1079, L1080, L1082, L1083, L1086,...

## Appendix B (sample)

## Next Steps

-  Draft EIS planned for release in 	April 2007
-  60-day public review and comment 	period on DEIS after release
-  MMS is required under NEPA to 	consider comments made on DEIS 	and incorporate them into the Final 	EIS

-  Scoping Report, public meeting transcripts, and all submitted materials and 	letters are available on the MMS website at 	_[http://www.mms.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/LIOWP.htm](http://www.mms.gov/offshore/RenewableEnergy/LIOWP.htm)__ _