e-Poster: Making Sense of One Federal Decision and Environmental Streamlining for Offshore Wind Projects
(Room Station 1)
22 Oct 19
3:30 PM
-
3:45 PM
Tracks:
Siting, Wildlife & Environmental Monitoring
A wavier guidance clause in BOEM’s April 27th 2018 Additional Direction For Implementing SO 3355 moved all offshore wind projects from a one year EIS schedule to a two year schedule following a framework—known as “One Federal Decision”. This framework developed from Executive Order 13807, directed federal agencies to expedite environmental review and permitting for major infrastructure projects. This process has many benefits for Offshore Wind Developers but like most new processes has many unknowns. The major benefit is the preparation of a single record of decision (ROD) within 2 years from the issuance of the Notice of Intent (NOI), starts the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process with all federal permits approved within 90 days after issuance of the ROD. However, that two year schedule is a goal not a requirement and there is a lot of emphasis on completing planning work before the NOI is issued and the 2 year goal clock starts ticking. This presentation will provide attendees with an overview of key elements of recent guidance, their pros and cons for developers, and strategies for compliance.