Request info for annual NNA projects

4310-MR-P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement

[Docket ID No. BOEM-2011-xxxx]

Request for Information on Upcoming Projects Considering the Use of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Sand, Gravel, and Shell Resources for Coastal Restoration and/or Beach Nourishment

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), Interior.

ACTION: Request for information.

SUMMARY: BOEMRE, under the authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior, is authorized, pursuant to Section 8(k)(2) of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(k)(2)) to convey rights to OCS sand, gravel, and shell resources by noncompetitive negotiated agreement (NNA) for use in shore protection and beach and coastal restoration, or for use in construction projects funded in whole or part by or authorized by the Federal Government.

In order to improve the processing of marine mineral NNAs, the BOEMRE Marine Minerals Program developed Proposed NNA Project Schedules for 2012 and 2013, based on information from a general solicitation of interest from Federal, State, and local government agencies as well as other interested parties. BOEMRE is seeking information from States, local governments, Federal agencies, environmental and other interest organizations, and all other interested parties to assist in the preparation of the Final 2012 and 2013 NNA Project Schedules.

DATES: Submit written comments by June 30, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain information pertaining to this request for information, contact: Colleen Finnegan at (703) 787-1275. Marine Minerals Program information and procedures for obtaining sand, gravel, and shell resources can be found on the BOEMRE Web site http://www.boemre.gov/sandandgravel or by contacting the Marine Minerals Program at (703) 787-1215.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments electronically by going to http://www.regulations.gov. In the entry titled “Enter Keyword or ID,” enter BOEM-2011-xxxx then click search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments.

INFORMATION SUBMITTAL PROCEDURES: BOEMRE seeks information pertaining to upcoming shore protection and beach and coastal restoration projects that may consider the use of OCS material. Please submit this information by following the instructions under the ADDRESSES section. The information submitted should include a description of the proposed projects for which OCS resources will be used. You must include the offshore borrow sites if known, the estimated date of construction, a short description of current project funding, and the name of a primary point of contact with that person’s mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. In addition, please provide any further information concerning the status of the project that would be useful to the BOEMRE. This information may include detailed maps and coordinates of desired sand resources and sites that would be nourished, a description of the environmental documents that have been completed to date concerning any portion of the project, and a description of the status of Federal, State, and/or local permits required for the project.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 8(k)(2) of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1337(k)(2)) grants the Secretary of the Interior the authority to enter into NNAs for the use of OCS sand, gravel, and shell resources for shore protection, beach or wetlands restoration projects, or for use in construction projects funded in whole or part by or authorized by the Federal Government.

Since 1995, 25 shore protection or beach and coastal restoration projects have been completed using OCS sand resources. Recently, the program has seen an increase in projects and need for OCS resources due to the decreasing amounts of sand located in state waters. Because of this increase, BOEMRE needed to develop a mechanism to plan for future projects and anticipated workload. The NNA Project Schedule is the outcome of this effort and will help BOEMRE conduct environmental analyses, develop NNAs, and meet all necessary environmental and legal requirements.

All identified projects have been included in the NNA Schedules listed below.

Proposed 2012 NNA Project Schedule (Listed Alphabetically by State)

• Ocean Beach (CA)

• Broward County Segment I (FL)

• Barataria Basin (LA)

• Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (LA)

• Terrebonne Basin Barrier Shoreline (LA)

• West Onslow Beach and New River Inlet (NC)

Proposed 2013 NNA Project Schedule (Listed Alphabetically by State)

• Fenwick Island (DE)

• Brigantine Inlet to Great Egg Harbor Inlet (NJ)

• Surf City and North Topsail Beach (NC)

• Brunswick County Beaches (NC)

The Proposed 2012 and 2013 NNA Project Schedules will be updated based on the response to this notice. Given staff and funding resources currently available, BOEMRE has determined it can process a maximum of six marine minerals requests per calendar year off the Atlantic and Florida coasts, two projects off the Gulf of Mexico coast, and two projects off the Pacific Coast. In the event the number of requested projects exceeds these limits, BOEMRE will request the relevant states to prioritize their own projects based on several criteria including likelihood of project funding and progress of environmental work. Based on State responses and BOEMRE resources, the Final 2012 (2013) NNA Project Schedule will be determined and published in the Federal Register. BOEMRE cannot guarantee that requests for NNAs for OCS sand not identified on the Final 2012 and 2013 Project Schedules will be completed in the applicants’ requested timeframe, and projects not listed will automatically take a lower priority than those listed.

Public Comment Procedures: 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.

_______ ___________________________________

Dated. Robert LaBelle, Acting Associate Director,

Offshore Energy and Minerals Management.