5552 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2012 / Notices 

Required Nomination Information 

Nomination for a commercial wind 

energy lease in the area identified in 

this notice must include the following: 

(1) The BOEM Protraction name, 

number, and specific whole or partial 

OCS blocks within the Call Area that are 

of interest for commercial wind leasing, 

including any required buffer area. This 

information should be submitted as a 

spatial file compatible with ArcGIS 9.3 

in a geographic coordinate system (NAD 

83) in addition to a hard copy submittal. 

If the proposed project area includes 

one or more partial blocks, please 

describe those partial blocks in terms of 

a sixteenth (i.e., sub-block) of an OCS 

block. BOEM will not consider any 

areas outside of the Call Area in this 

process; 

(2) A description of your objectives 

and the facilities that you would use to 

achieve those objectives; 

(3) A preliminary schedule of 

proposed activities, including those 

leading to commercial operations; 

(4) Available and pertinent data and 

information concerning renewable 

energy resources and environmental 

conditions in the area that you wish to 

lease, including energy and resource 

data and information used to evaluate 

the Call Area. Where applicable, spatial 

information should be submitted in a 

format compatible with ArcGIS 9.3 in a 

geographic coordinate system (NAD 83); 

(5) If your nomination includes any of 

the sub-blocks that the Commonwealth 

of Virginia has identified for potential 

research activities, state whether you 

would consider such activities to be 

compatible with the commercial wind 

activities you ultimately plan to 

undertake on the lease. If it would be 

necessary for BOEM to exclude or 

restrict those activities from occurring 

in your commercial lease area, please 

provide an explanation; 

(6) Documentation demonstrating that 

you are legally qualified to hold a lease 

as set forth in 30 CFR 585.106 and 107. 

Examples of the documentation 

appropriate for demonstrating your legal 

qualifications and related guidance can 

be found in Chapter 2 and Appendix B 

of the BOEM Renewable Energy 

Framework Guide Book available at: 

http://www.boem.gov/RenewableEnergy-Program/RegulatoryInformation/Index.aspx#Notices_to_

Lessees,_Operators_and_Applicants. 

Legal qualification documents will be 

placed in an official file that may be 

made available for public review; and 

(7) Documentation demonstrating that 

you are technically and financially 

capable of constructing, operating, 

maintaining and decommissioning the 

facilities described in (2) above. 

Guidance regarding the required 

documentation to demonstrate your 

technical and financial qualifications 

can be found at http://www.boem.gov/

Renewable-Energy-Program/RegulatoryInformation/Index.aspx#Notices_to_

Lessees,_Operators_and_Applicants. 

Documentation you submit to 

demonstrate your legal, technical, and 

financial qualifications must be 

provided to BOEM in both paper and 

electronic formats. BOEM considers an 

Adobe PDF file stored on a compact disc 

(CD) to be an acceptable format for 

submitting an electronic copy. 

It is critical that you submit a 

complete nomination so that BOEM may 

evaluate your submission in a timely 

manner. If BOEM reviews your 

nomination and determines that it is 

incomplete, BOEM will inform you of 

this determination in writing. This letter 

will describe the information that 

BOEM determined to be missing from 

your nomination, and which you must 

submit in order for BOEM to deem your 

submission complete. You will be given 

15 business days from the date of the 

letter to submit the information that 

BOEM found to be missing from your 

original submission. If you do not meet 

this deadline, or if BOEM determines 

this second submittal is insufficient and 

has failed to complete your nomination, 

then BOEM retains the right to deem 

your nomination invalid. In that case, 

BOEM would not process your 

nomination. 

Requested Information From Interested 

or Affected Parties 

BOEM is requesting from the public 

and other interested or affected parties 

specific and detailed comments 

regarding the following: 

(1) Geological and geophysical 

conditions (including bottom and 

shallow hazards) in the area described 

in this notice; 

(2) Known archaeological and/or 

cultural resource sites on the seabed in 

the area described in this notice; 

(3) Historic properties potentially 

affected by the construction of 

meteorological towers, the installation 

of meteorological buoys, or commercial 

wind development in the area identified 

in this Call; 

(4) Multiple uses of the area, 

including navigation (in particular, 

commercial and recreational vessel use), 

recreation, and fisheries (commercial 

and recreational); and 

(5) Other relevant socioeconomic, 

biological, and environmental 

information. 

Protection of Privileged or Confidential 

Information 

Freedom of Information Act 

BOEM will protect privileged or 

confidential information submitted as 

required by the Freedom of Information 

Act (FOIA). Exemption 4 of FOIA 

applies to trade secrets and commercial 

or financial information that you submit 

that is privileged or confidential. If you 

wish to protect the confidentiality of 

such information, clearly mark it and 

request that BOEM treat it as 

confidential. BOEM will not disclose 

such information, subject to the 

requirements of FOIA. Please label 

privileged or confidential information 

‘‘Contains Confidential Information’’ 

and consider submitting such 

information as a separate attachment. 

However, BOEM will not treat as 

confidential any aggregate summaries of 

such information or comments not 

containing such information. 

Additionally, BOEM will not treat as 

confidential (1) the legal title of the 

nominating entity (for example, the 

name of your company), or (2) the list 

of whole or partial blocks that you are 

nominating. Finally, information that is 

not labeled as privileged or confidential 

would be regarded by BOEM as suitable 

for public release. 

Section 304 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 

470w–3(a)) 

BOEM is required, after consultation 

with the Secretary of the Interior, to 

withhold the location, character, or 

ownership of historic resources if it 

determines that disclosure may, among 

other things, risk harm to the historic 

resources or impede the use of a 

traditional religious site by 

practitioners. Tribal entities should 

designate information that falls under 

Section 304 of NHPA as confidential. 

Dated: January 23, 2012. 

Tommy P. Beaudreau, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2012–2516 Filed 2–2–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–VH–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

[Docket No. BOEM–2011–0058] 

Commercial Leasing for Wind Power 

on the Outer Continental Shelf 

Offshore Maryland—Call for 

Information and Nominations 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2012 / Notices 5553 

ACTION: Call for Information and 

Nominations for Commercial Leases for 

Wind Power on the Outer Continental 

Shelf Offshore Maryland. 

SUMMARY: In November 2010, the 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

Regulation and Enforcement, now 

BOEM, issued a Request for Interest 

(RFI) to gauge specific interest in 

obtaining commercial wind leases in an 

area on the Outer Continental Shelf 

(OCS) offshore Maryland. Based on the 

expressions of interest received in 

response to the RFI, BOEM has 

determined that competitive interest 

exists in the area identified. The 

publication of this Call for Information 

and Nominations (Call) initiates the 

competitive leasing process on the OCS 

offshore Maryland for the area identified 

herein. 

The publication of this notice does 

not mean that BOEM will ultimately 

grant a lease to any particular party in 

the area identified offshore Maryland. 

Rather, the publication of this notice 

indicates that the area described may be 

subject to future leasing. BOEM is using 

this notice both to solicit any additional 

lease nominations and to request 

comments from interested and affected 

parties regarding site conditions, 

resources, and multiple uses of the area 

identified that would be relevant to 

BOEM’s potential leasing and 

development authorization process. 

Parties wishing to submit a nomination 

in response to this Call should submit 

detailed and specific information as 

described in the section entitled, 

‘‘Required Nomination Information.’’ 

The information that BOEM is 

requesting from the public is described 

in the section entitled, ‘‘Requested 

Information from Interested or Affected 

Parties.’’ 

This notice is published pursuant to 

subsection 8(p)(3) of the OCS Lands Act, 

43 U.S.C. 1337(p)(3), which was added 

by section 388 of the Energy Policy Act 

of 2005 (EPAct), as well as the 

implementing regulations at 30 CFR part 

585. 

The Call area described in this notice 

is located on the OCS offshore 

Maryland. The western edge of the Call 

is approximately 10 nautical miles (nmi) 

from the Ocean City, Maryland coast, 

and the eastern edge is approximately 

23 nmi from the Ocean City, Maryland 

coast. The longest portion of the north/ 

south portion is approximately 13 nmi 

in length and the longest portion of the 

east/west portion is approximately 13 

nmi in length. This Call area was 

established in consultation with the 

BOEM Maryland Renewable Energy 

Task Force, and comments received in 

response to the RFI were considered 

when delineating the area. A detailed 

description of the area and its 

development is found later in this 

notice. 

DATES: Nominations submitted in 

response to this notice must be 

postmarked no later than March 19, 

2012. Submissions of comments or other 

submissions of information are also 

requested by this date. 

Submission Procedures: If you are 

submitting a nomination for a lease in 

response to this Call, please submit your 

nomination by mail to the following 

address: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management, Office of Renewable 

Energy Programs, 381 Elden Street, Mail 

Stop HM 1328, Herndon, Virginia 

20170. In addition to a paper copy of the 

nomination, include an electronic copy 

of the nomination on a compact disc 

(CD). Nominations must be postmarked 

by March 19, 2012. BOEM will list the 

parties that submitted nominations and 

the location of the proposed lease areas 

(OCS blocks they nominated) on the 

BOEM Web site after the 45-day 

comment period has closed. 

Comments and other submissions of 

information may be submitted by either 

of the following two methods: 

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

http://www.regulations.gov. In the entry 

titled ‘‘Enter Keyword or ID,’’ enter 

BOEM–2011–0058, then click ‘‘search.’’ 

Follow the instructions to submit public 

comments and view supporting and 

related materials available for this 

notice. 

2. By U.S. Postal Service or other 

delivery service, sending your 

comments and information to the 

following address: Bureau of Ocean 

Energy Management, Office of 

Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden 

Street, Mail Stop HM 1328, Herndon, 

Virginia 20170. 

All responses will be reported on 

http://www.regulations.gov. If you wish 

to protect the confidentiality of your 

nominations or comments, clearly mark 

the relevant sections and request that 

BOEM treat them as confidential. Please 

label privileged or confidential 

information ‘‘Contains Confidential 

Information’’ and consider submitting 

such information as a separate 

attachment. Treatment of confidential 

information is addressed in the section 

of this Call entitled, ‘‘Protection of 

Privileged or Confidential Information.’’ 

Information that is not labeled as 

privileged or confidential will be 

regarded by BOEM as suitable for public 

release. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Aditi Mirani, Project Coordinator, 

BOEM, Office of Renewable Energy 

Programs, 381 Elden Street, Mail Stop 

HM 1328, Herndon, Virginia 20170, 

(703) 787–1320. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose of the Call for Information and 

Nominations 

The OCS Lands Act requires BOEM to 

award leases competitively, unless 

BOEM makes a determination that there 

is no competitive interest (43 U.S.C. 

1337(p)(3)). The purpose of this notice 

is to inform the public that BOEM has 

determined that competitive interest 

exists in the area identified, solicit any 

additional expressions of interest in 

obtaining a lease in the area identified, 

and request information from interested 

and affected parties on issues relevant to 

BOEM’s review of nominations for 

potential leases in the area identified. 

Background 

Energy Policy Act of 2005 

The EPAct amended the OCS Lands 

Act by adding subsection 8(p), which 

authorizes the Secretary of the 

Department of the Interior (DOI) to grant 

leases, easements, or rights-of-way 

(ROWs) on the OCS for activities that 

are not otherwise authorized by law and 

that produce or support production, 

transportation, or transmission of energy 

from sources other than oil or gas. 

Subsection 8(p) also requires the 

Secretary to issue regulations to carry 

out the new energy development 

authority on the OCS. The Secretary 

delegated the authority to issue such 

leases, easements, and ROWs, and to 

promulgate such regulations to the 

Director of BOEM. On April 29, 2009, 

BOEM promulgated the Renewable 

Energy and Alternate Uses (REAU) rule, 

at 30 CFR Part 585, which can be found 

at: http://www.boem.gov/ 

UploadedFiles/ 

FinalRenewableEnergyRule.pdf. 

BOEM Maryland Renewable Energy 

Task Force 

BOEM formed the BOEM Maryland 

Renewable Energy Task Force to 

facilitate coordination among relevant 

Federal agencies and affected state, 

local, and tribal governments 

throughout the leasing process. The 

BOEM Maryland Renewable Energy 

Task Force meeting materials are 

available on the BOEM web site at: 

www.boem.gov/Renewable-EnergyProgram/State-Activities/Maryland.aspx 

Executive Order 13547: Stewardship of 

the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great 

Lakes 

On July 19, 2010, the President signed 

Executive Order 13547 establishing a 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
5554 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2012 / Notices 

national ocean policy and the National 

Ocean Council (75 FR 43023). The 

Order establishes a comprehensive, 

integrated national policy for the 

stewardship of the ocean, our coasts and 

the Great Lakes. Where BOEM actions 

affect the ocean, the Order requires 

BOEM to take such action as necessary 

to implement this policy, to adhere to 

the stewardship principles and national 

priority objectives adopted by the Order, 

and follow guidance from the National 

Ocean Council. 

BOEM appreciates the importance of 

coordinating its planning endeavors 

with other OCS users and regulators and 

intends to follow the principles of 

coastal and marine spatial planning, and 

coordinate with the regional planning 

bodies as established by the National 

Ocean Council, to inform its leasing 

processes. BOEM anticipates that 

continued coordination with the State 

Renewable Energy Task Forces will help 

inform comprehensive coastal and 

marine spatial planning efforts. 

Actions Taken by the State of Maryland 

in Support of Offshore Renewable 

Energy Development 

BOEM recognizes the importance of 

the steps that the State of Maryland has 

taken to encourage and incentivize 

offshore wind energy development. 

While a state may promote such 

development through activities such as 

the creation of financial incentives, it is 

important to note that an offshore wind 

project cannot be sited on the OCS 

without an OCS renewable energy lease 

issued by BOEM pursuant to 30 CFR 

Part 585. Below is a description of the 

activities that the state has undertaken 

to support renewable energy 

development on the OCS off its coast. 

The State of Maryland has engaged in 

a planning process to evaluate and 

determine areas of the OCS that may be 

suitable for offshore wind energy 

development. This process was 

intended to inform state 

recommendations to BOEM regarding 

potentially suitable areas for BOEM to 

consider when moving forward with its 

offshore wind energy leasing process. 

Since 2009, the Maryland Department 

of Natural Resources (DNR) has been 

working with resource experts, user 

groups, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), 

Towson University and the Maryland 

Energy Administration (MEA) to 

compile data and information about 

habitats, human uses, and resources 

offshore Maryland. Using the state’s 

foundation of ocean data and 

information, ocean planning tools were 

used to help identify areas most suitable 

for various types of activities to reduce 

the potential for conflict among uses, 

facilitate compatible uses, and reduce 

environmental impacts to preserve 

crucial ecosystem services. Information 

gathered through this state interagency 

marine spatial planning process allowed 

the development of the Maryland 

Coastal Atlas—a comprehensive 

internet-based tool that allows 

stakeholders to review the compiled 

data in an interactive format. The 

Maryland Coastal Atlas can be found at 

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/ccp/ 

coastalatlas/ocean.asp. 

In November 2009, the MEA issued a 

Request for Expressions of Interest and 

Information for the development of 

areas of the OCS offshore Maryland. The 

Request, which closed on March 1, 

2010, called for information about areas 

considered most desirable for offshore 

wind energy development and comment 

on what technologies were most 

appropriate for the geophysical 

conditions present in this area of the 

OCS. Additionally, information was 

requested on what policies and 

incentives would be most helpful for the 

development of offshore wind energy in 

this area. 

In addition to providing input to the 

BOEM Maryland Renewable Energy 

Task Force, Maryland State agencies 

have continued to conduct outreach to 

stakeholders. In April 2010, DNR and 

MEA conducted two open houses to 

allow citizens to ask questions and 

provide feedback. Experts from both 

agencies and project partners were on 

hand to answer questions and provide 

information about ocean mapping and 

planning, offshore wind, prospective 

project timelines, anticipated processes 

and opportunities for community 

response. In addition, MEA and DNR 

conducted comprehensive outreach to 

Ocean City and other coastal 

communities to gather input on 

potential viewshed impact and share 

information on planning processes. 

To inform the state recommendations 

to BOEM during the planning and 

leasing process, the DNR has 

maintained a dialogue with the 

recreational and commercial fishing 

sectors to collect more detailed 

information about fishing use areas. 

Information about general recreational 

and commercial fishing use areas, more 

specific pot and trawl fishing areas, and 

other fishing use and offshore renewable 

wind energy concerns is being collected. 

DNR has conducted outreach through: 

(1) Existing Fishery Advisory 

Committees; (2) discussions with DNR’s 

Fisheries Service regarding fishing 

tournaments and specific fishing 

industries; (3) individual commercial 

fishing mapping meetings; (4) phone 

calls with affected individuals; and (5) 

mailed mapping charts. 

At the March 23, 2011, BOEM 

Maryland Task Force meeting the MEA 

requested the formation of a Marine 

Transportation, Navigation and Safety 

working group to specifically address 

commercial shipping, navigation and 

safety concerns associated with the 

development of offshore wind resources 

off the coast of Maryland. The working 

group met on May 11, 2011, to discuss 

possible leasing areas and the various 

potential implications for maritime 

safety and navigation matters. 

Additionally, MEA staff has participated 

in stakeholder-led discussions on these 

issues. After extensive consultation with 

the Maryland Department of 

Transportation, the Maryland Port 

Administration and other interested 

stakeholders, the working group’s 

discussions informed the 

recommendation of state agencies to 

BOEM regarding the geographical area 

described in this Call. 

Department of the Interior ‘‘Smart from 

the Start’’ Atlantic Wind Initiative 

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar 

announced the ‘‘Smart from the Start’’ 

OCS renewable energy initiative on 

November 23, 2010. This initiative 

includes three key elements: (1) 

Eliminating a redundant step from the 

REAU rule; (2) the identification of 

Wind Energy Areas (WEA) to be 

analyzed in an Environmental 

Assessment (EA) (prepared pursuant to 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)) for the 

purpose of supporting lease issuance 

with associated site characterization and 

site assessment activities; and (3) 

proceeding on a parallel track to process 

offshore transmission proposals. 

A WEA is an OCS area that appears 

to be most suitable for commercial wind 

energy leasing. The area that was 

included in the Maryland RFI, 

published in November 2010, was 

designated as the WEA in February 2011 

(76 FR 7226 (Feb. 9, 2011)). A map 

showing the WEA can be found on the 

BOEM Web site at: www.boem.gov/ 

Renewable-Energy-Program/Smart-fromthe-start/index.aspx. 

As described in the section of this 

notice entitled, ‘‘Development of the RFI 

and Call Area’’ this area has been 

further refined based upon input from 

the BOEM Maryland Renewable Energy 

Task Force, the United States Coast 

Guard (USCG), and other stakeholders 

who commented on the original RFI and 

the Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare an 

EA for the ‘‘Smart from the Start’’ WEAs 

(76 FR 7226 (Feb. 9, 2011)). The 

Maryland WEA may be further adjusted 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2012 / Notices 5555 

in response to comments and 

information received from this notice as 

well as future notices. 

Publication of RFI and Responses 

Received 

The first step in determining whether 

there is competitive interest in acquiring 

commercial wind energy leases in the 

WEA on the OCS offshore Maryland was 

the issuance of an RFI in November 

2010. By the close of the comment 

period for the RFI, BOEM received nine 

expressions of interest from eight 

individual entities. A table showing the 

parties and the OCS blocks nominated 

for leasing can be found at: 

www.boem.gov/UploadedFiles/ 

TableSummarizingMDRFI012011.pdf. 

Of the eight entities that submitted 

nominations, two entities nominated the 

entire area described in the RFI. 

BOEM also received comments from 

members of the public as well as state 

and Federal agencies in response to the 

RFI. Most of the comments discussed 

shipping and navigational concerns. 

Two comments focused on the impacts 

of commercial wind lease development 

on fishing interests. The comments 

received in response to the RFI can be 

found at: http://www.boem.gov/ 

Renewable-Energy-Program/StateActivities/Maryland.aspx. 

Competitive Leasing Process 

The following are the next steps in the 

competitive leasing process after this 

Call: 

(1) Proposed Sale Notice (PSN): 

BOEM publishes a PSN in the Federal 

Register and sends the PSN to the 

Governor of any affected state, any 

affected tribes, and the executive of any 

local government that might be affected. 

The PSN describes the areas that BOEM 

has decided to offer for leasing and the 

proposed terms and conditions of a 

lease sale, including the proposed 

auction format, lease form, and lease 

provisions. Additionally, the PSN 

describes the criteria and process for 

evaluating bids. The PSN is issued after 

preparation of various analyses of 

proposed lease sale terms and 

conditions. The comment period 

following the issuance of a PSN is 60 

days. 

(2) Final Sale Notice: BOEM publishes 

the Final Sale Notice (FSN) in the 

Federal Register at least 30 days before 

the date of the sale. BOEM may use one 

of the following three auction formats to 

select the winning bidder(s): Sealed 

bidding; ascending bidding; or two-stage 

bidding (a combination of ascending 

bidding and sealed bidding). BOEM 

publishes the criteria for winning bid 

determinations in the FSN. 

(3) Bid Submission and Evaluation: 

Following publication of the FSN in the 

Federal Register, qualified bidders may 

submit their bids to BOEM in 

accordance with procedures specified in 

the FSN. The bids, including the bid 

deposits if applicable, are reviewed for 

technical and legal adequacy. BOEM 

evaluates each bid to determine if the 

bidder has complied with all applicable 

regulations. BOEM reserves the right to 

reject any or all bids and the right to 

withdraw an offer to lease an area from 

the sale. 

(4) Issuance of a Lease: Following the 

selection of a winning bid(s) by BOEM, 

the submitter(s) is notified of the 

decision and provided a set of official 

lease documents for execution. The 

successful bidder(s) is required to 

execute the lease, pay the remainder of 

the bonus bid, if applicable, and file the 

required financial assurance within 10 

days of receiving the lease copies. Upon 

receipt of the required payments, 

financial assurance, and properly 

executed lease forms, BOEM issues a 

lease to the successful bidder(s). 

Pursuant to 30 CFR 585.212, BOEM 

may decide to end the competitive 

leasing process prior to the publication 

of a FSN if it believes that competitors 

have withdrawn and competitive 

interest no longer exists. This would 

require BOEM to publish an additional 

notice in the Federal Register to 

confirm that competitive interest no 

longer exists in the area. BOEM would 

use the information received in 

response to this additional notice to 

determine whether we would continue 

with the competitive lease sale process 

or initiate the non-competitive lease 

negotiation process. 

Environmental Reviews 

BOEM has prepared an EA 

considering the environmental impacts 

and socioeconomic effects of issuing 

renewable energy leases (which 

includes reasonably foreseeable site 

characterization activities—geophysical, 

geotechnical, archeological, and 

biological surveys—on those leases) in 

identified WEAs offshore New Jersey, 

Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The 

EA also considers the reasonably 

foreseeable environmental impacts and 

socioeconomic effects associated with 

the approval of site assessment activities 

(including the installation and operation 

of meteorological towers and buoys) on 

the leases that may be issued. The 

Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and 

Site Assessment Activities on the 

Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf 

Offshore New Jersey, Delaware, 

Maryland, and Virginia Environmental 

Assessment (Regional EA) can be found 

at: www.boem.gov/Renewable-EnergyProgram/Smart-from-the-start/ 

index.aspx. 

The area identified in this Call 

matches the Maryland area described in 

the preferred alternative in the Regional 

EA. 

In the event that a lease is issued in 

the area identified offshore Maryland, 

and the lessee submits a Site 

Assessment Plan (SAP) pursuant to 30 

CFR 585.605–618, BOEM will consider 

whether the regional NEPA analysis 

adequately analyzed all the reasonably 

foreseeable environmental 

consequences associated with the 

activities proposed in the lessee’s SAP. 

If BOEM determines that the existing 

NEPA document adequately analyzed 

these consequences, then no further 

NEPA analysis would be required before 

BOEM may approve the SAP. If the 

NEPA analysis is inadequate or there is 

new information, additional NEPA 

review would be conducted before the 

SAP could be approved. 

If and when a lessee is ready to 

construct and operate a specific 

renewable energy facility on the lease, it 

would submit a Construction and 

Operations Plan (COP) pursuant to 30 

CFR 585.601 and 620–638. Pursuant to 

30 CFR 585.626, a lessee must submit 

certain site characterization and site 

assessment information with its COP. 

Once a COP is submitted for a particular 

project, BOEM will prepare a separate 

NEPA analysis evaluating the 

reasonably foreseeable environmental 

consequences of the activities described 

in the COP. This would likely take the 

form of an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS), which would provide 

additional opportunities for public 

involvement. The NEPA review 

conducted for the COP would provide 

Federal, state, local, and tribal officials 

and the public with comprehensive siteand project-specific information 

regarding potential environmental 

impacts of the project activities. These 

potential impacts would be taken into 

account prior to BOEM deciding 

whether to approve, approve with 

modification, or disapprove the COP. 

Development of the Call Area 

The Call area was delineated by 

BOEM in consultation with the BOEM 

Maryland Renewable Energy Task 

Force, and is intended to minimize user 

conflicts while making an appropriate 

area available for commercial offshore 

wind energy development. Specific 

mitigation, stipulations, or exclusion 

areas may be developed and applied at 

the leasing, site assessment, and/or the 

construction and operations stages as a 

result of environmental reviews and 


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associated consultations, as well as 

continued coordination through the 

BOEM Maryland Renewable Energy 

Task Force. Issues discussed during 

consultation with the BOEM Maryland 

Renewable Task Force, and OCS areas 

where site-specific stipulations may be 

required, are described below. 

Initially, the MEA and the DNR 

proposed to BOEM an area consisting of 

45 whole OCS blocks for consideration 

as an RFI area. As described earlier in 

the section entitled, ‘‘Actions Taken by 

the State of Maryland in Support of 

Renewable Energy Development,’’ this 

area reflected DNR’s consideration of 

numerous factors, including shipping 

lanes, artificial reefs, wind speed, water 

depths, Assateague Island proposed 

wilderness, sand mining shoals, initial 

fisheries stakeholder feedback, 

waterbird habitat and density, onshore 

electric transmission systems, and wind 

energy developer interest. As a result of 

consultations with the BOEM Maryland 

Renewable Energy Task Force, and 

input from the Department of Defense 

(DoD) and DNR, BOEM excluded from 

the area certain blocks that were 

included in the area originally proposed 

by MEA and DNR. The DoD identified 

15 blocks located in the southern part of 

this area as a ‘‘Wind Energy Exclusion 

Area’’ and recommended that those 

blocks be removed from consideration 

mainly due to DoD testing and training 

activities conducted in these blocks. 

Further, the DNR recommended that 6 

blocks located in the southwest portion 

of the area be removed from 

consideration, because of the existence 

of bird concentrations, summer fishing 

tournaments and boating corridors, 

recreational and sport-fishing, ship 

wrecks, important fishing grounds, 

artificial reefs, natural corals, and 

unique benthic habitats in these blocks. 

Based on the input of both the DoD and 

the DNR, BOEM reduced the size of the 

area that was originally put forward by 

the DNR and MEA, and published the 

resulting area in the RFI. 

Navigational safety issues that were 

raised at the initial BOEM Maryland 

Renewable Energy Task Force meetings 

were acknowledged in the RFI. The 

notice provided an explanation of the 

USCG’s concerns about renewable 

energy leasing in the area identified and 

acknowledged that the RFI area may 

need to be modified in consideration of 

these issues. Twenty two blocks were 

highlighted for particular consideration 

of USCG concerns. The RFI can be 

found on BOEM’s Web site at: http:// 

www.boem.gov/uploadedFiles/BOEM/ 

Renewable_Energy_Program/ 

State_Activities/ 

FederalRegisterdocument.pdf under 

Docket Number BOEM–2010–0038. 

The comment period for the RFI 

closed on January 10, 2011. Based on 

public comments received in response 

to the RFI and engagement with the 

BOEM Maryland Renewable Energy 

Task Force, BOEM determined that 

revisions to the RFI area were 

appropriate. In particular, BOEM 

decided that, based on an evaluation 

conducted by USCG, using best 

available information, as well as 

comments received from the maritime 

and shipping industry, certain areas 

identified in the RFI would not be 

suitable for inclusion in this leasing 

initiative at this time, as described 

below. 

Navigational Issues 

The USCG has provided the following 

information for consideration by 

potential respondents to this Call and 

other interested parties. The USCG has 

a responsibility to ensure the safety of 

navigation under the Ports and 

Waterways Safety Act (PWSA). The 

PWSA requires the USCG to provide 

safe access routes for the movement of 

vessel traffic proceeding to or from ports 

or places subject to the jurisdiction of 

the United States. This is accomplished 

through designation of necessary 

fairways and traffic separation schemes 

(TSS) for vessels operating in the 

territorial sea of the United States and 

in high sea approaches, outside the 

territorial sea. The USCG may also 

determine that establishment of other 

ships’ routing measures would enhance 

navigational safety, and it works with its 

Federal interagency and International 

Maritime Organization partners to 

establish these voluntary measures as 

necessary. 

The potential for navigational safety 

risk posed by building structures in 

proximity to shipping routes is affected 

by numerous factors including, but not 

limited to: vessel size, vessel type, 

density of traffic, prevailing conditions, 

cumulative impact of multiple 

obstructions (for example, wind 

assessment or development facilities), 

existence of multiple shipping routes 

(for example, crossing or meeting 

situations), radar/automatic radar 

plotting aid (ARPA) interference, and 

existence of mitigating factors such as 

navigational aids, vessel traffic services, 

or pilotage. 

Currently, there is no standard 

recommended separation distance 

between offshore renewable energy 

facilities and shipping routes. The 

USCG has reviewed guidance published 

by other countries such as the United 

Kingdom’s Maritime Guidance Note 

MGN–371 and consulted with its own 

waterways subject matter experts. 

Currently, the USCG considers that the 

placement of offshore wind assessment 

and generation facilities in any area less 

than 1 nmi from traditional shipping 

routes poses a high risk to navigational 

safety and therefore does not 

recommend placement of offshore 

renewable energy facilities in such 

areas. The USCG considers placement of 

such wind facilities in areas greater than 

5 nmi from existing shipping routes to 

pose minimal risk to navigational safety. 

Areas considered for placement of wind 

facilities between 1 nmi and 5 nmi 

would require additional USCG analysis 

to determine if mitigation factors could 

be applied to bring navigational safety 

risk within acceptable levels. 

Respondents to this Call should note 

that impacts to radar and ARPA may 

still occur outside of 1 nmi and will 

have to be evaluated along with other 

potential impacts. The above are only 

planning guidelines and may be 

changed based on the completion of the 

Atlantic Coast Port Access Route Study 

(ACPARS) which is described below. In 

addition, these guidelines may be 

further modified upon completion of a 

Navigational Safety Risk Assessment 

(NSRA) that may be required before 

BOEM approves construction of any 

offshore renewable energy facilities. 

The USCG is conducting an ACPARS 

to determine how best to route traffic on 

the Atlantic coast. (See Federal Register 

76 FR 27288; May 11, 2011). This study 

will better inform the USCG about the 

navigational safety risks, if any, 

associated with construction of offshore 

renewable energy facilities. The data 

gathered during this ACPARS may 

result in the establishment of new vessel 

routing measures, modification of 

existing routing measures, or removal of 

some existing routing measures off the 

Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida. 

As a member of the BOEM Maryland 

Renewable Energy Task Force, the 

USCG partnered with BOEM to gather 

existing Automated Information System 

(AIS) data, stakeholder input, and 

information on existing traffic patterns 

and historical and current coastwise and 

international uses in the area offshore 

Maryland. The USCG conducted an 

evaluation, using the best available 

information, of the Maryland RFI area. 

The USCG identified OCS blocks 

(including sub-blocks) that, if 

developed, may have an unacceptable 

effect on navigational safety, and other 

OCS blocks (including sub-blocks) that 

would require further study to 

determine the potential effect that the 

installation of wind facilities in these 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2012 / Notices 5557 

blocks would have on navigational 

safety. 

The USCG has advised BOEM that, at 

this time, all blocks included in the Call 

area may be appropriate for leasing and 

potential development. However, the 

USCG also recommended that our two 

agencies work together to further 

evaluate all blocks included in the Call 

area with regard to: (1) Existing traffic 

usage and patterns, (2) projected future 

traffic increases in the area based on the 

development of nearby blocks, and (3) 

the potential for modifications to 

existing routing measures and the 

possible creation of new routing 

measures in the area. The USCG will 

collect data that is relevant to these 

issues during the development of the 

ACPARS that USCG will share with 

BOEM as it becomes available. This 

additional information will also help 

the USCG determine what, if any, risks 

exist and whether USCG will amend its 

initial recommendation that all blocks 

included in the Call area appear to be 

appropriate for leasing and prospective 

development. Any additional evaluation 

will also inform the USCG’s 

recommendations for potential 

mitigation measures for any blocks that 

may be made available for leasing. 

Department of Defense (DoD) Activities 

The DoD conducts offshore testing, 

training, and operations in the majority 

of the Call area. Site specific 

stipulations may be necessary at the 

leasing and/or development stages to 

avoid and minimize conflicts with 

existing DoD activities in most of the 

lease blocks included in the Call area. 

A list of these lease blocks is included 

in a table in the section entitled, 

‘‘Description of the Call Area.’’ BOEM 

will continue to consult with the DoD 

regarding potential issues concerning 

offshore testing, training, and 

operational activities, and will use best 

management practices to develop 

appropriate stipulations to avoid 

conflicts with DoD within the Call area. 

Description of the Call Area 

The Call area offshore Maryland 

contains 9 whole OCS blocks and 11 

partial blocks. The western edge of the 

Call area is approximately 10 nmi from 

the Ocean City, Maryland coast, and the 

eastern edge is approximately 23 nmi 

from the Ocean City, Maryland coast. 

The longest portion of the north/south 

portion is approximately 13 nmi in 

length and the longest portion of the 

east/west portion is approximately 13 

nmi in length. The entire area is 

approximately 94.04 square nautical 

miles; 79,706 acres; or 32,256 hectares. 

The boundary of the Call area follows 

the points listed in the table below in 

clockwise order. Point numbers 1 and 

35 are the same. Coordinates are 

provided in X, Y (eastings, northings) 

UTM Zone 18N, NAD 83 and geographic 

(longitude, latitude), NAD83. 

Point No. X (Easting) Y (Northing) Longitude Latitude 

1 ....................................................................................................................... 512000 4257600 ¥74.862445 38.466634 

2 ....................................................................................................................... 519200 4257600 ¥74.779913 38.466508 

3 ....................................................................................................................... 519200 4256400 ¥74.779946 38.455693 

4 ....................................................................................................................... 520400 4256400 ¥74.766193 38.455666 

5 ....................................................................................................................... 520400 4254000 ¥74.766263 38.434037 

6 ....................................................................................................................... 521600 4254000 ¥74.752513 38.434009 

7 ....................................................................................................................... 521600 4252800 ¥74.752550 38.423194 

8 ....................................................................................................................... 522800 4252800 ¥74.738803 38.423165 

9 ....................................................................................................................... 522800 4251600 ¥74.738842 38.412350 

10 ..................................................................................................................... 524000 4251600 ¥74.725097 38.412319 

11 ..................................................................................................................... 524000 4249200 ¥74.725179 38.390689 

12 ..................................................................................................................... 525200 4249200 ¥74.711438 38.390656 

13 ..................................................................................................................... 525200 4248000 ¥74.711481 38.379842 

14 ..................................................................................................................... 526400 4248000 ¥74.697742 38.379807 

15 ..................................................................................................................... 526400 4245600 ¥74.697832 38.358178 

16 ..................................................................................................................... 527600 4245600 ¥74.684098 38.358142 

17 ..................................................................................................................... 527600 4244400 ¥74.684144 38.347327 

18 ..................................................................................................................... 528800 4244400 ¥74.670412 38.347289 

19 ..................................................................................................................... 528800 4242000 ¥74.670510 38.325660 

20 ..................................................................................................................... 530000 4242000 ¥74.656781 38.325620 

21 ..................................................................................................................... 530000 4240800 ¥74.656832 38.314806 

22 ..................................................................................................................... 531200 4240800 ¥74.643106 38.314765 

23 ..................................................................................................................... 531200 4238400 ¥74.643212 38.293135 

24 ..................................................................................................................... 532400 4238400 ¥74.629489 38.293093 

25 ..................................................................................................................... 532400 4237200 ¥74.629544 38.282278 

26 ..................................................................................................................... 533600 4237200 ¥74.615824 38.282234 

27 ..................................................................................................................... 533600 4234800 ¥74.615938 38.260604 

28 ..................................................................................................................... 534800 4234800 ¥74.602222 38.260559 

29 ..................................................................................................................... 534800 4233600 ¥74.602281 38.249744 

30 ..................................................................................................................... 519200 4233600 ¥74.780567 38.250213 

31 ..................................................................................................................... 519200 4238400 ¥74.780437 38.293472 

32 ..................................................................................................................... 514400 4238400 ¥74.835327 38.293562 

33 ..................................................................................................................... 514400 4240800 ¥74.835278 38.315192 

34 ..................................................................................................................... 512000 4240800 ¥74.862732 38.315227 

35 ..................................................................................................................... 512000 4257600 ¥74.862445 38.466634 

The following 9 whole OCS blocks are 

included within the Call area: Salisbury 

NJ18–05 Blocks 6624, 6674, 6724, 6774, 

6725, 6775, 6825, 6776, 6826. In 

addition, parts of the following 11 OCS 

blocks are included within the Call area: 

Salisbury NJ18–05 Blocks 6623, 6625, 

6673, 6675, 6676, 6723, 6726, 6773, 

6777, 6827 and 6828. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
5558 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2012 / Notices 

LIST OF OCS BLOCKS INCLUDED IN THE CALL AREA

Protraction name Protraction No. Block No. Sub block 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6623 C,D,G,H,K,L,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6624 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6625 E, I, M ,N. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6673 C,D,G,H,K,L,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6674 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6675 A,B,C,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6676 M. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6723 C,D,G,H,K,L,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6724 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6725 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6726 A,B,E,F,I,J,K,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6773 C,D,G,H. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6774 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6775 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6776 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6777 E,I,J,M,N. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6825 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6826 A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6827 A,B,C,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6828 M. 

List of OCS Blocks in the Call Area 

With Potential Stipulations 

The USCG advises that all blocks 

included in the Call area require further 

study to determine risks to navigational 

safety. It is possible that OCS blocks 

included in the Call area may not be 

made available for leasing and/or 

development. If the entire Call area were 

to be made available for leasing and 

development, portions of a number of 

sub-blocks may not be available for 

surface occupancy, (i.e. the placement 

of wind facilities), because of proximity 

to the TSS. These sub-blocks are listed 

in the table below. 

Protraction name Protraction No. Block No. Sub block 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6624 D,H. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6625 E, I, N. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6675 B,C,G,H,L,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6676 M. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6726 A,B,F,J,K,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6776 D,H. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6777 E,I,J,N. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6827 B,C,G,H,L,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6828 M. 

To avoid conflicts with existing DoD 

activities, site specific stipulations may 

be necessary in the following lease 

blocks. 

Protraction name Protraction No. Block No. Sub block 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6624 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6625 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6674 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6675 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6676 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6724 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6725 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6726 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6774 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6775 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6776 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6777 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6825 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6826 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6827 All Sub blocks. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6623 C,D,G,H,K,L,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6673 C,D,G,H,K,L,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6723 C,D,G,H,K,L,O,P. 

Salisbury ....................................................................................... NJ18–05 6773 C,D,G,H. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2012 / Notices 5559 

Map of the Call Area 

A map of the Call area can be found 

at: www.boem.gov/Renewable-EnergyProgram/State-Activities/Maryland.

aspx. 

A large scale map of the Call area 

showing boundaries of the area with 

numbered blocks is available from 

BOEM at the following address: Bureau 

of Ocean Energy Management, Office of 

Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden 

Street, Mail Stop HM 1328, Herndon, 

Virginia 20170. Phone: (703) 787–1320, 

Fax: (703) 787–1708. 

Required Nomination Information 

If you intend to submit a nomination 

for a commercial wind energy lease in 

the area(s) identified in this notice, you 

must provide the following information. 

If you have already submitted this 

information in response to the RFI, there 

is no need to re-submit these materials 

in response to this Call. If you wish to 

modify any information submitted in 

response to the RFI, including the area 

described in your submission, you may 

do so in response to this Call. 

(1) The BOEM Protraction name, 

number, and specific whole or partial 

OCS blocks within the Call area that are 

of interest for commercial wind leasing, 

including any required buffer area. This 

information should be submitted as a 

spatial file compatible with ArcGIS 9.3 

in a geographic coordinate system (NAD 

83) in addition to your hard copy 

submittal. If your proposed lease area 

includes one or more partial blocks, 

please describe those partial blocks in 

terms of a sixteenth (i.e. sub-block) of an 

OCS block. BOEM will not consider any 

areas outside of the Call area in this 

process; 

(2) A description of your objectives 

and the facilities that you would use to 

achieve those objectives; 

(3) A preliminary schedule of 

proposed activities, including those 

leading to commercial operations; 

(4) Available and pertinent data and 

information concerning renewable 

energy resources and environmental 

conditions in the area that you wish to 

lease, including energy and resource 

data and information used to evaluate 

the Call area. Where applicable, spatial 

information should be submitted in a 

format compatible with ArcGIS 9.3 in a 

geographic coordinate system (NAD 83); 

(5) Documentation demonstrating that 

you are legally qualified to hold a lease 

as set forth in 30 CFR 585.106 and 107. 

Examples of the documentation 

appropriate for demonstrating your legal 

qualifications and related guidance can 

be found in Chapter 2 and Appendix B 

of the BOEM Renewable Energy 

Framework Guide Book available at:

http://www.boem.gov/RenewableEnergy-Program/RegulatoryInformation/Index.aspx. Legal 

qualification documents will be placed 

in an official file that may be made 

available for public review. If you wish 

that any part of your legal qualification 

documentation be kept confidential, 

clearly identify what should be kept 

confidential, and submit it under 

separate cover (see ‘‘Protection of 

Privileged or Confidential Information 

Section,’’ below); and 

(6) Documentation demonstrating that 

you are technically and financially 

capable of constructing, operating, 

maintaining and decommissioning the 

facilities described in (2) above. 

Guidance regarding the required 

documentation to demonstrate your 

technical and financial qualifications 

can be found at: http://www.boem.gov/ 

Renewable-Energy-Program/RegulatoryInformation/Index.aspx. 

Documentation you submit to 

demonstrate your legal, technical, and 

financial qualifications must be 

provided to BOEM in both paper and 

electronic formats. BOEM considers an 

Adobe PDF file stored on a compact disc 

(CD) to be an acceptable format for 

submitting an electronic copy. 

It is critical that you submit a 

complete nomination so that BOEM may 

evaluate your submission in a timely 

manner. If BOEM reviews your 

nomination and determines that it is 

incomplete, BOEM will inform you of 

this determination in writing. This letter 

will describe the information that 

BOEM determined to be missing from 

your nomination, and that you must 

submit in order for BOEM to deem your 

submission complete. You will be given 

15 business days from the date of that 

letter to submit the information that 

BOEM found to be missing from your 

original submission. If you do not meet 

this deadline, or if BOEM determines 

this second submission is insufficient 

and has failed to complete your 

nomination, then BOEM retains the 

right to deem your nomination invalid. 

In such a case, BOEM will not process 

your nomination. 

It is not required that you submit a 

nomination in response to this Call if 

you intend to submit a bid in the 

potential lease sale offshore Maryland. 

However, you would not be able to 

participate in this lease sale unless, 

prior to the sale, you had been legally 

qualified to hold a BOEM renewable 

energy lease, and you had demonstrated 

that you are technically and financially 

capable of constructing, operating, 

maintaining and decommissioning the 

facilities you would propose to install 

on your lease. To ensure that BOEM has 

sufficient time to process your 

qualifications package, BOEM requests 

that you submit this package during the 

PSN 60-day public comment period. 

Failure to meet this deadline makes it 

unlikely that you would be able to 

participate in this lease sale. More 

information can be found at: http://

www.boem.gov/Renewable-EnergyProgram/Regulatory-Information/Index.

aspx. 

Requested Information From Interested 

or Affected Parties 

BOEM is requesting from the public 

and other interested or affected parties 

specific and detailed comments 

regarding the following: 

(1) Geological and geophysical 

conditions (including bottom and 

shallow hazards) in the area described 

in this notice; 

(2) Known archeological and/or 

cultural resource sites on the seabed in 

the area described in this notice; 

(3) Historic properties potentially 

affected by the construction of 

meteorological towers, the installation 

of meteorological buoys, or commercial 

wind development in the area identified 

in this Call; 

(4) Multiple uses of the area, 

including navigation (in particular, 

commercial and recreational vessel use), 

recreation, and fisheries (commercial 

and recreational); and 

(5) Other relevant socioeconomic, 

biological, and environmental 

information. 

The Maryland Call Area has been 

identified as an area where commercial 

and recreational fishing occurs. During 

the comment period for the Maryland 

RFI, BOEM received comments with 

regard to commercial fishing. 

Specifically, the comments noted that 

the RFI area is fished and navigated by 

scallop, surfclam, quahog, fluke, squid, 

purse seine, and otter trawl fishers. In 

light of the comments received, BOEM 

is interested in obtaining input from the 

fishing industry in its planning process. 

Therefore, BOEM encourages the fishing 

industry to submit, in response to this 

Call, any potential concerns they would 

like prospective developers to address 

in their future plans and applications to 

BOEM. 

In addition, the waters off Maryland’s 

coast are home to a variety of natural 

coral and other bottom-dwelling 

communities, including relatively rare 

and ecologically vital live, hard bottom 

patch habitats. These habitats may 

require special attention during the 

siting and construction phases of wind 

turbines. This Call is soliciting 

information that can be used to 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
5560 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 23 / Friday, February 3, 2012 / Notices 

characterize and map these 

communities. 

Protection of Privileged or Confidential 

Information 

Freedom of Information Act 

BOEM will protect privileged or 

confidential information that you 

submit as required by the Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA). Exemption 4 of 

FOIA applies to trade secrets and 

commercial or financial information 

that you submit that is privileged or 

confidential. If you wish to protect the 

confidentiality of such information, 

clearly mark it and request that BOEM 

treat it as confidential. BOEM will not 

disclose such information, subject to the 

requirements of FOIA. Please label 

privileged or confidential information 

‘‘Contains Confidential Information’’ 

and consider submitting such 

information as a separate attachment. 

However, BOEM will not treat as 

confidential any aggregate summaries of 

such information or comments not 

containing such information. 

Additionally, BOEM will not treat as 

confidential (1) the legal title of the 

nominating entity (for example, the 

name of your company), or (2) the list 

of whole or partial blocks that you are 

nominating. Finally, information that is 

not labeled as privileged or confidential 

will be regarded by BOEM as suitable 

for public release. 

Section 304 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470w–3(a)) 

BOEM is required, after consultation 

with the Secretary, to withhold the 

location, character, or ownership of 

historic resources if it determines that 

disclosure may, among other things, risk 

harm to the historic resources or impede 

the use of a traditional religious site by 

practitioners. Tribal entities should 

designate information that falls under 

Section 304 of NHPA as confidential. 

Dated: December 2, 2011. 

Tommy P. Beaudreau, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2012–2497 Filed 2–2–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–VH–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

[Docket No. BOEM–2011–0088] 

Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and 

Site Assessment Activities on the 

Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 

Offshore New Jersey, Delaware, 

Maryland, and Virginia 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of the Availability (NOA) 

of an Environmental Assessment (EA) 

and a Finding of No Significant Impact. 

SUMMARY: BOEM has prepared an EA 

considering the environmental impacts 

of issuing renewable energy leases and 

authorizing site characterization 

activities (geophysical, geotechnical, 

archaeological, and biological surveys 

needed to develop specific project 

proposals on those leases) in identified 

Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) on the OCS 

offshore New Jersey, Delaware, 

Maryland, and Virginia. This final EA 

also considers the reasonably 

foreseeable environmental impacts 

associated with the approval of site 

assessment activities (including the 

installation and operation of 

meteorological towers and buoys) on the 

leases that may be issued. 

As a result of its analysis in the final 

EA, BOEM issued a Finding of No 

Significant Impact (FONSI). The FONSI 

concluded that the environmental 

impacts associated with the preferred 

alternative would not significantly 

impact the environment; therefore, the 

preparation of an environmental impact 

statement (EIS) is not required. 

The purpose of this notice is to inform 

the public of the availability of the EA 

and FONSI, which can be accessed 

online at: http://www.boem.gov/ 

Renewable-Energy-Program/Smart-fromthe-Start/Index.aspx. 

Authority: This NOA of an EA and FONSI 

is published pursuant to 43 CFR 46.305. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michelle Morin, BOEM Office of 

Renewable Energy Programs, 381 Elden 

Street, HM 1328, Herndon, Virginia 

20170–4817, (703) 787–1340 or 

michelle.morin@boem.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

November 23, 2010, Secretary of the 

Interior Ken Salazar announced the 

‘‘Smart from the Start’’ renewable 

energy initiative to accelerate the 

responsible development of renewable 

energy resources on the Atlantic OCS. 

One of the focuses of the initiative is the 

identification and refinement of areas 

on the OCS that appear to be suitable for 

renewable energy development (WEAs), 

within which BOEM will focus its 

leasing efforts. In consultation with 

other Federal agencies and BOEM’s 

Intergovernmental Renewable Energy 

Task Forces, BOEM identified WEAs on 

the OCS offshore New Jersey, Delaware, 

Maryland, and Virginia. 

On February 9, 2011, BOEM 

identified these WEAs in a Notice of 

Intent (NOI) to prepare an EA for MidAtlantic WEAs (76 FR 7226). The NOI 

requested public input to identify the 

important environmental issues 

associated with leasing and site 

assessment within the identified WEAs, 

and alternatives to be considered in the 

EA. BOEM considered these public 

comments in drafting the alternatives 

and assessing the reasonably foreseeable 

environmental impacts associated with 

each alternative. Comments received in 

response to the NOI can be viewed at 

http://www.regulations.gov, by 

searching for Docket ID BOEM–2010– 

0077. 

On July 12, 2011, BOEM published in 

the Federal Register a NOA of a draft of 

the EA for Mid-Atlantic WEAs (76 FR 

40925). Public comments on the draft 

EA were considered in the preparation 

of this final EA and in determining 

whether the proposed activities would 

lead to significant environmental 

impacts. Comments received in 

response to the NOA can be viewed at 

http://www.regulations.gov, by 

searching for Docket ID BOEM–2011– 

0053. 

BOEM will use this EA to inform 

decisions to issue leases in the refined 

WEAs, and to subsequently approve site 

assessment plans (SAPs) on those 

leases. BOEM may issue one or more 

commercial wind energy leases in the 

WEAs. The competitive lease process is 

set forth at 30 CFR 585.210–585.225, 

and the noncompetitive process is set 

forth at 30 CFR 585.230–585.232 (as 

amended by a rulemaking effective as of 

June 15, 2011). 

A commercial lease, whether issued 

through a competitive or noncompetitive process, gives the lessee the 

exclusive right to subsequently seek 

BOEM approval for the development of 

the leasehold. The lease does not grant 

the lessee the right to construct any 

facilities; rather, the lease grants the 

right to use the leased area to develop 

its plans, which BOEM must approve 

before the lessee may proceed to the 

next stage of the process. See 30 CFR 

585.600 and 585.601. In the event that 

a particular lease is issued, and the 

lessee subsequently submits a SAP, 

BOEM would then determine whether 

the EA adequately considers the 

environmental consequences of the 


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