Opportunity for Comment

Public Notice of Federal Consistency Determination

Comment deadline: September 8, 2023, 11:59 PM

Please take notice that on July 21, 2023, the United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management provided the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) with a Consistency Determination (CD) for the Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) Section 307 (c)(1) and 15 CFR Part 930 Subpart C. The information in the CD is provided pursuant to 15 CFR 930.36(a) and 930.39.

The Proposed Action is the issuance of a wind energy research lease of up to 10,000 acres (40.5 square kilometers) within an approximately 68,320-acre (276-square-kilometer) area of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Maine. Issuance of the research lease would not authorize any activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) but would result in site assessment activities (i.e., placement of a meteorological ocean buoy) on the lease and site characterization activities (i.e., geophysical, geotechnical, biological, and archaeological surveys and monitoring activities) within and around the lease and areas between the lease and shoreline. Information gathered from site assessment and site characterization activities would be used by the State of Maine to develop a detailed research activities plan (RAP) for potential future construction and operation of floating offshore wind turbines and associated wind energy-related research facilities, which BOEM would consider in a subsequent environmental analysis after receiving the RAP.

BOEM's analysis of the reasonably foreseeable environmental consequence of the Proposed Action can be found Wind Energy Research Lease on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine Environmental Assessment (EA).

Based upon the above referenced information, data and analysis, BOEM found that the Proposed Action is consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the enforceable policies of the Maine Coastal Zone Management Program. Review of information submitted by BOEM in support of its determination as well as any comments received shall provide a basis for the State's response to BOEMs consistency determination.

Written comments on and questions regarding BOEMs consistency determination may be submitted to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 8, 2023 by e-mail to: robert.wood@maine.gov. If you need to submit comments or questions in another way, please contact Jane Tower at (207) 624-6553, or 877-243-2823, TTY 711.

Coastal Zone Management Act, Consistency Determination
Cover letter, Consistency Determination