BOEM Announces Availability Of Draft Environmental Impact Statement For Proposed Wind Energy Facility Offshore Massachusetts

Sub title
Agency seeks comments from the public
Release Date
11/30/2018
Washington, DC

Contacts: Solomon Odom
703-787-1659

In support of the President's America-First Offshore Energy Strategy, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced its intention to issue a Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submitted by Vineyard Wind LLC that would allow it to construct and operate an 800-megawatt wind energy facility offshore Massachusetts. The NOA will be published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2018.

The DEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action described in the Vineyard Wind COP and reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. The publication of the NOA opens a 45-day public comment period. During this time, BOEM will conduct five public meetings and accept comments. The input received via this process will inform preparation of the Final Environmental Impact Statement. Comments on the DEIS should be submitted or postmarked no later than January 21, 2019.

Public meetings will be held during the comment period at the following locations: Hyannis, Narragansett, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and New Bedford. Information about the public meetings will be posted to BOEM’s website at https://www.boem.gov/Vineyard-Wind/.

"The Vineyard Wind Draft Environmental Impact Statement is another important opportunity for us to hear from our stakeholders," said BOEM Acting Director Walter Cruickshank. “Public feedback is a vital part of our process and we would like to hear from everyone before preparing the Final Environmental Impact Statement.”

How to Comment (Starting December 7, 2018)

Federal, state, tribal, and local governments and agencies and other interested parties may submit written comments on this DEIS through the following methods:

  • Using the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the search box, enter BOEM-2018-0069, and then click "search." Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view supporting and related materials available for this notice.
  • In written form, deliver by hand or by mail: Enclose comments in an envelope labeled “Vineyard Wind COP Draft EIS" and provide to the following address:

Program Manager
Office of Renewable Energy
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166

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.

For more information about the Vineyard Wind project, please visit our website at: https://www.boem.gov/Vineyard-Wind/

-- BOEM --