What information and certifications must I submit with my SAP to assist BOEM in complying with NEPA and other relevant laws?

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§ 585.611 What information and certifications must I submit with my SAP to assist BOEM in complying with NEPA and other relevant laws?

You must submit, with your SAP, detailed information to assist BOEM in complying with NEPA and other relevant laws as appropriate.

(a) A SAP submitted for an area in which BOEM has not previously reviewed site assessment activities under NEPA or other applicable Federal laws, must describe those resources, conditions, and activities listed in the following table that could be affected by your proposed activities or that could affect the activities proposed in your SAP.

(b) For a SAP submitted for an area in which BOEM has previously considered site assessment activities under applicable Federal law (e.g., a NEPA analysis and CZMA consistency determination for site assessment activities), BOEM will review the SAP to determine if its impacts are consistent with those previously considered. If the anticipated effects of your proposed SAP activities are significantly different than those previously anticipated, we may determine that additional NEPA and other relevant Federal reviews are required. In that case, BOEM will notify you of such determination, and you must submit a SAP that describes those resources, conditions, and activities listed in the following table that could be affected by your proposed activities or that could affect the activities proposed in your SAP, including:

Expand Table
Type of information: Including:
(1) Hazard information Meteorology, oceanography, sediment transport, geology, and shallow geological or manmade hazards.
(2) Water quality Turbidity and total suspended solids from construction.
(3) Biological resources Benthic communities, marine mammals, sea turtles, coastal and marine birds, fish and shellfish, plankton, sea grasses, and other plant life.
(4) Threatened or endangered species As required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
(5) Sensitive biological resources or habitats Essential fish habitat, refuges, preserves, special management areas identified in coastal management programs, sanctuaries, rookeries, hard bottom habitat, chemosynthetic communities, calving grounds, barrier islands, beaches, dunes, and wetlands.
(6) Archaeological resources As required by the NHPA (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.), as amended.
(7) Social and economic conditions Employment, existing offshore and coastal infrastructure (including major sources of supplies, services, energy, and water), land use, subsistence resources and harvest practices, recreation, recreational and commercial fishing (including typical fishing seasons, location, and type), minority and lower income groups, coastal zone management programs, and viewshed.
(8) Coastal and marine uses Military activities, vessel traffic, and energy and nonenergy mineral exploration or development.
(9) Consistency Certification If required by CZMA, as appropriate: (i) 15 CFR part 930, subpart D, if the SAP is submitted prior to lease issuance; (ii) 15 CFR part 930, subpart E, if the SAP is submitted after lease issuance.
(10) Other resources, conditions, and activities As identified by BOEM.

[79 FR 21623, Apr. 17, 2014]


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