[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86321-86323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25180]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XE298]


Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Open Ocean 
Trustee Implementation Group Draft Restoration Plan 4 and Environmental 
Assessment: Fish and Water Column Invertebrates and Sea Turtles

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) natural resource Trustees for the 
Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group (Open Ocean TIG) have prepared 
the Draft Restoration Plan 4 and Environmental Assessment: Fish and 
Water Column Invertebrates (FWCI) and Sea Turtles (RP4/EA). The Draft 
RP4/EA proposes alternatives to help restore fish and water column 
invertebrates and sea turtles impacted by the DWH oil spill. The Draft 
RP4/EA evaluates twelve restoration alternatives under the Oil 
Pollution Act (OPA), including criteria set forth in the OPA Natural 
Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations, and the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations. A No 
Action Alternative is also evaluated pursuant to the NEPA. The total 
estimated cost to implement the Open Ocean TIG's 10 preferred 
alternatives is approximately $210,020,000. The Open Ocean TIG invites 
the public to comment on the Draft RP4/EA.

DATES: 
    Submitting Comments: The Open Ocean TIG will consider public 
comments on the Draft RP4/EA received on or before December 16, 2024.
    Public Webinar: The Open Ocean TIG will host two public webinars to 
facilitate public review and comment on the Draft RP4/EA. The webinar 
dates, times, and registration links are as follows:
    <bullet> Thursday, November 14, 2024 from 1-2 p.m. Eastern Time. 
Register at:

[[Page 86322]]

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7244601192809206361.
    <bullet> Wednesday, November 20, 2024 from 5-6 p.m. Eastern Time. 
Register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7473782296991218265.
    After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email 
with instructions for joining the webinar and how to make comments 
during the webinar. Shortly after the webinar concludes, the 
presentation material will be posted on the web at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/open-ocean.

ADDRESSES: 
    Obtaining Documents: You may view and download the Draft RP4/EA at 
https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/open-ocean. 
You may also request a flash drive containing the Draft RP4/EA (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft RP4/EA by 
either of the following methods:
    <bullet> Website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/OOTIGRP4. Follow the 
online instructions for submitting comments.
    <bullet> Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf Restoration 
Office, 1875 Century Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30345. To be considered, mailed 
comments must be postmarked on or before the comment deadline given in 
DATES.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration--Laurie Rounds, NOAA Restoration Center, (850) 378-1263, 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cca3bca9a2a3afa9ada2e298858b8ca2a3adade2aba3ba"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4b243b2e2524282e2a25651f020c0b25242a2a652c243d">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater 
Horizon, which was drilling a well for BP Exploration and Production, 
Inc. (BP), experienced a significant explosion, fire and subsequent 
sinking in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the release of millions of 
barrels of oil and other discharges into the Gulf. Under the authority 
of the OPA, designated Federal and state Trustees, acting on behalf of 
the public, assessed the injuries to natural resources and prepared the 
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and 
Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
(Final PDARP/PEIS), and the Record of Decision for the Deepwater 
Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration 
Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (ROD), which 
sets forth the governance structure and process for DWH restoration 
planning under the OPA NRDA regulations. On April 4, 2016, the United 
States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered a 
Consent Decree resolving civil claims by the Trustees against BP.
    The Open Ocean TIG, which is composed of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. 
Department of the Interior, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, selects and implements 
restoration projects under the Open Ocean TIG's management authority in 
accordance with the Consent Decree. The Final PDARP/PEIS, ROD, Consent 
Decree, and information on the DWH Trustees can be found at https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan.

Background

    On June 1, 2023, the Open Ocean TIG issued a notice of solicitation 
on the Gulf Spill Restoration website requesting project ideas for FWCI 
and Sea Turtles Restoration Types as described in the Final PDARP/PEIS. 
On June 25, 2024, the TIG announced on the Gulf Spill Restoration 
website that they reviewed project idea submissions and were initiating 
drafting of the RP4/EA which tiers from the Final PDARP/PEIS and would 
include a reasonable range of restoration project alternatives for the 
FWCI and Sea Turtle Restoration Types.

Overview of the Open Ocean TIG Draft RP4/EA

    In the Draft RP4/EA, the Open Ocean TIG analyzes a reasonable range 
of 12 project alternatives and, pursuant to the NEPA, a No Action 
alternative for each Restoration Type. Two of the alternatives are not 
preferred by the TIG at this time. Funding to implement any of the 
alternatives ultimately selected by the Open Ocean TIG would come from 
the FWCI and Sea Turtles Restoration Types and Monitoring and Adaptive 
Management allocations. The reasonable range of project alternatives 
evaluated by the TIG are listed below:
    <bullet> Return 'Em Right: Species and Area Expansion (Reduction of 
Postrelease Mortality from Barotrauma in Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish 
Recreational Fisheries) (preferred);
    <bullet> Next Generation Fishing (preferred);
    <bullet> Communication Networks and Mapping Tools to Reduce Fish 
Mortality (preferred);
    <bullet> Reduction of Diverse Threats to Fish and Water Column 
Invertebrates (preferred);
    <bullet> Education and Stewardship Partnerships with Charter 
Anglers (preferred);
    <bullet> Communication, Adaptive Management, Planning, and 
Integration (preferred);
    <bullet> Reduction in Fish Post-Release Mortality from Depredation 
(non-preferred);
    <bullet> Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat Protection Expansion in Florida 
(Long Term Nesting Habitat Protection for Sea Turtles) (preferred);
    <bullet> Gulf-Wide Sea Turtle Bycatch Reduction (preferred);
    <bullet> Gulf-Wide Sea Turtle Vessel Strike Reduction (preferred);
    <bullet> Gulf-Wide Sea Turtle Stranding Network and Emergency 
Response Enhancements (preferred); and
    <bullet> Kemp's Ridley Nesting Enhancement in Mexico (non-
preferred).
    The total estimated cost to implement the ten preferred 
alternatives is approximately $210,020,000.

Next Steps

    After the public comment period ends, the Open Ocean TIG will 
consider and address all substantive comments received before making a 
final decision on which, if any, alternatives to fund and implement. A 
Final RP4/EA and Finding of No Significant Impact, as appropriate, 
identifying the selected alternatives will be made publicly available.

Administrative Record

    The Administrative Record for the Draft RP4/EA can be viewed 
electronically at https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord 
under the folder 6.5.2.2.4.

Authority

    The authority for this action is the OPA of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et 
seq.), its implementing NRDA regulations found at 15 CFR part 990, and 
the NEPA of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its implementing regulations 
found at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508.


[[Page 86323]]


    Dated: October 25, 2024.
Carrie Diane Robinson,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-25180 Filed 10-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-12-P


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