Mississippi Trustee Implementation Group Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Draft Restoration Plan 3 and Environmental Assessment: Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands; Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Birds; and Provide and Enhance Recreational Opportunities

• Published date: 07 December 2021
• Citation: 86 FR 69287
• Record Number: 2021-26415
• Section: Notices
• Court: Interior Department

69287

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 7, 2021 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[FWS–R4–ES–2021–N209;

FVHC98220410150–XXX–FF04H00000]

Mississippi Trustee Implementation

Group Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Draft Restoration Plan 3 and

Environmental Assessment: Habitat

Projects on Federally Managed Lands;

Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Birds;

and Provide and Enhance Recreational

Opportunities

AGENCY

: Department of the Interior.

ACTION

: Notice of availability; request

for public comments.

SUMMARY

: In accordance with the Oil

Pollution Act of 1990, the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the

Final Programmatic Damage Assessment

Restoration Plan and Final

Programmatic Environmental Impact

Statement (Final PDARP/PEIS) and

Record of Decision, and the Consent

Decree, the Federal and State natural

resource trustee agencies for the

Mississippi Trustee Implementation

Group (MS TIG) have prepared the

Mississippi Trustee Implementation

Group Draft Restoration Plan 3 and

Environmental Assessment: Habitat

Projects on Federally Managed Lands;

Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals; Birds;

and Provide and Enhance Recreational

Opportunities (Draft RP3/EA). In the

Draft RP3/EA, the MS TIG proposes

projects to partially restore injured

habitats, sea turtles, marine mammals,

birds, and to compensate for lost

recreational use in the Mississippi

Restoration Area as a result of the

Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The

approximate cost to implement the MS

TIG’s proposed action (seven preferred

alternatives) is $19,000,000. We invite

public comments on the Draft RP3/EA.

DATES

: We will consider public

comments on the Draft RP3/EA received

on or before 45 days after the date of

publication in the Federal Register.

The MS TIG will host a public

webinar on Tuesday, January 11, 2022,

at 2 p.m. Central Time. The public

webinar will include a presentation of

the Draft RP3/EA. The public may

register for the webinar at https://

attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/

6376489461251797774. After

registering, participants will receive a

confirmation email with instructions for

joining the webinar. Instructions for

commenting will be provided during the

webinar. Shortly after the webinar is

concluded, the presentation material

will be posted on the web at https://

www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/

restoration-areas/mississippi.

ADDRESSES

: Obtaining Documents: You

may download the Draft RP3/EA from

either of the following websites:

•https://www.doi.gov/deepwater

horizon

•https://www.gulfspillrestoration.

noaa.gov/restoration-areas/mississippi

Alternatively, you may request a CD

of the Draft RP3/EA (see

FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT

).

Submitting Comments: You may

submit comments by one of the

following methods:

•Via the Web: http://www.gulfspill

restoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/

mississippi.

•Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 29649,

Atlanta, GA 30345. To be considered,

mailed comments must be postmarked

on or before the comment deadline

given in

DATES

.

•During the Public Webinar: Written

comments may be provided by the

public during the webinar. Webinar

information is provided in

DATES

.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

:

Nanciann Regalado, at nanciann_

regalado@fws.gov or 678–296–6805, or

via the Federal Relay Service at 800–

877–8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

:

Introduction

On April 20, 2010, the mobile

offshore drilling unit Deepwater

Horizon (DWH), which was being used

to drill a well for BP Exploration and

Production, Inc. (BP), in the Macondo

prospect (Mississippi Canyon 252–

MC252), experienced a significant

explosion, fire, and subsequent sinking

in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in an

unprecedented volume of oil and other

discharges from the rig and from the

wellhead on the seabed. The DWH oil

spill is the largest offshore oil spill in

U.S. history, discharging millions of

barrels of oil over a period of 87 days.

In addition, well over 1 million gallons

of dispersants were applied to the

waters of the spill area in an attempt to

disperse the spilled oil. An

undetermined amount of natural gas

was also released into the environment

as a result of the spill.

The Trustees conducted the natural

resource damage assessment (NRDA) for

the DWH oil spill under the Oil

Pollution Act 1990 (OPA; 33 U.S.C.

2701 et seq.). Pursuant to OPA, Federal

and State agencies act as trustees on

behalf of the public to assess natural

resource injuries and losses and to

determine the actions required to

compensate the public for those injuries

and losses. The OPA further instructs

the designated trustees to develop and

implement a plan for the restoration,

rehabilitation, replacement, or

acquisition of the equivalent of the

injured natural resources under their

trusteeship to baseline (the resource

quality and conditions that would exist

if the spill had not occurred). This

includes the loss of use and services

provided by those resources from the

time of injury until the completion of

restoration.

The DWH Trustees are:

•U.S. Department of the Interior

(DOI), as represented by the National

Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, and Bureau of Land

Management;

•National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA), on behalf of

the U.S. Department of Commerce;

•U.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA);

•U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA);

•State of Louisiana Coastal

Protection and Restoration Authority,

Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office,

Department of Environmental Quality,

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries,

and Department of Natural Resources;

•State of Mississippi Department of

Environmental Quality;

•State of Alabama Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources and

Geological Survey of Alabama;

•State of Florida Department of

Environmental Protection and Fish and

Wildlife Conservation Commission; and

•State of Texas: Texas Parks and

Wildlife Department, Texas General

Land Office, and Texas Commission on

Environmental Quality.

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 arising from the DWH oil

spill: United States v. BPXP et al., Civ.

No. 10–4536, centralized in MDL 2179,

In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig

‘‘Deepwater Horizon’’ in the Gulf of

Mexico, on April 20, 2010 (E.D. La.)

(http://www.justice.gov/enrd/deepwater-

horizon). Pursuant to the Consent

Decree, restoration projects in the

Mississippi Restoration Area are chosen

and managed by the MS TIG. The MS

TIG is composed of the following

Trustees: State of Mississippi

Department of Environmental Quality;

DOI; NOAA; EPA; and USDA.

Background

On October 30, 2020, the MS TIG

posted a public notice at http://

www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov

requesting new or revised natural

resource restoration project ideas by

November 30, 2020, for the Mississippi

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69288

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 7, 2021 / Notices

Restoration Area. The notice stated that

the MS TIG was seeking project ideas

for the following restoration types: (1)

Habitat Projects on Federally Managed

Lands; (2) Sea Turtles; (3) Marine

Mammals; (4) Birds; and (5) Provide and

Enhance Recreational Opportunities. On

June 11, 2021, the MS TIG announced

that it had initiated drafting of the RP3/

EA and that it would include a

reasonable range of restoration

alternatives (projects) for the five

restoration types.

Overview of the MS TIG Draft RP3/EA

The Draft RP3/EA provides the MS

TIG’s analysis of the reasonable range of

alternatives. The MS TIG’s seven

preferred alternatives are presented in

the following table under the restoration

type from which funds would be

allocated in accordance with the DWH

Consent Decree. The MS TIG also

evaluated five non-preferred alternatives

as part of the reasonable range, and a No

Action alternative for each restoration

type in the plan.

Restoration Type: Habitat Projects on

Federally Managed Lands

Improve Native Habitats by Removing

Marine Debris from Mississippi

Barrier Islands

Restoration Type: Sea Turtles

Maintaining Enhanced Sea Turtle

Stranding Network Capacity and

Diagnostic Capabilities

Restoration Type: Marine Mammals

Maintaining Enhanced Marine Mammal

Stranding Network Capacity and

Diagnostic Capabilities

Reduction of Marine Mammal Fishery

Interactions through Trawl Technique

and Component Material

Improvements

Restoration Type: Birds

Bird Stewardship and Enhanced

Monitoring in Mississippi

Restoration Type: Provide and Enhance

Recreational Opportunities

Clower Thornton Nature Park Trail

Improvement

Environmental Education and

Stewardship at Walter Anderson

Museum of Art

Next Steps

As described above in DATES, the MS

TIG will host a public webinar to

facilitate the public review and

comment process. After the public

comment period ends, the MS TIG will

consider and address the comments

received before issuing a final RP3/EA.

Public comments and MS TIG responses

will be included in the final RP3/EA.

Public Availability of Comments

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.

Administrative Record

The documents comprising the

Administrative Record for the Draft

RP3/EA can be viewed electronically at

https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/

adminrecord.

Authority

The authority for this action is the Oil

Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et

seq.), its implementing NRDA

regulations found at 15 CFR part 990,

and the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and

its implementing regulations found at

40 CFR 1500–1508.

Mary Josie Blanchard,

Director, Gulf of Mexico Restoration,

Department of the Interior.

[FR Doc. 2021–26415 Filed 12–6–21; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS–WASO–NRNHL–DTS#–33078;

PPWOCRADI0, PCU00RP14.R50000]

National Register of Historic Places;

Notification of Pending Nominations

and Related Actions

AGENCY

: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION

: Notice.

SUMMARY

: The National Park Service is

soliciting electronic comments on the

significance of properties nominated

before November 27, 2021, for listing or

related actions in the National Register

of Historic Places.

DATES

: Comments should be submitted

electronically by December 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES

: Comments are encouraged

to be submitted electronically to

National_Register_Submissions@

nps.gov with the subject line ‘‘Public

Comment on <property or proposed

district name, (County) State>.’’ If you

have no access to email you may send

them via U.S. Postal Service and all

other carriers to the National Register of

Historic Places, National Park Service,

1849 C Street NW, MS 7228,

Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

:

Sherry A. Frear, Chief, National Register

of Historic Places/National Historic

Landmarks Program, 1849 C Street NW,

MS 7228, Washington, DC 20240,

sherry_frear@nps.gov, 202–913–3763.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

: The

properties listed in this notice are being

considered for listing or related actions

in the National Register of Historic

Places. Nominations for their

consideration were received by the

National Park Service before November

27, 2021. Pursuant to Section 60.13 of

36 CFR part 60, comments are being

accepted concerning the significance of

the nominated properties under the

National Register criteria for evaluation.

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.

Nominations submitted by State or

Tribal Historic Preservation Officers:

ARIZONA

Pima County

Casitas de Castilian Historic District, 643

West Las Lomitas Rd., Tucson,

SG100007293

CALIFORNIA

Alameda County

People’s Park, Between Haste St. Dwight

Way, Telegraph Ave., and Bowditch St.,

Berkeley, SG100007288

Los Angeles County

Commercial Club, 1100 South Broadway, Los

Angeles, SG100007286

Orange County

Floral Park Historic District, Roughly

bounded by Santiago Cr., Broadway, 17th,

and Flower Sts., Santa Ana, SG100007287

FLORIDA

St. Johns County, St. Augustine Beach Hotel

and Beachfront, 370 FL A1A, St. Augustine

Beach, SG100007284

GEORGIA

Habersham County

Cornelia Commercial Historic District,

Centered around intersection of Main and

Irvin Sts., Cornelia, SG100007277

ILLINOIS

Madison County

Middletown Historic District (Boundary

Increase II), Roughly bounded by Front,

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