BOEM Seeks Comments on Two Proposed Guidance Documents for Submission of Offshore Wind Project Plans

On October 26, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management published two proposed guidance documents pertaining to the requirements that lessees must include in their offshore wind construction and operation plans. BOEM seeks comments on both sets of guidelines.

The first guidance, “Guidance on Information Needed for Issuance of a Notice of Intent (NOI) Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) (“NOI Checklist”)”, describes how BOEM will process incomplete submissions, and establish a minimum threshold for partial submissions.

The second guidance, “BOEM Nationwide Recommendations for Impact Pile Driving Sound Exposure Modeling and Sound Field Measurement for Offshore Wind Construction and Operations Plans (“Marine Acoustic Modeling and Measurement Guidelines”)”, offers recommendations to lessees to measure the impacts of pile driving sound exposure on marine species.

Written comments for both guidance documents are due by December 12, 2022.

• Read the proposed guidance for the issuance of an NOI.
• For information on the Nationwide Impact Pile Driving Sound Exposure on Marine Species, read BOEM’s Draft Recommendations.
• Learn how to submit written comments on both guidance documents.

Advocacy contact: Send an email to Prianka Sharma at Prianka.Sharma@sba.gov or call (202) 205-6938.