SouthCoast Wind (formerly Mayflower Wind)

On Feb. 13, 2023, BOEM announced the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed SouthCoast Wind (formerly Mayflower Wind) project offshore Massachusetts.

The Notice of Availability for the SouthCoast Wind DEIS will publish in the Federal Register on Feb. 17, 2023, opening a 45-day public comment period, which ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Apr. 3, 2023. The input received via this process will inform preparation of the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The following documents are available for your viewing.

• SouthCoast Wind DEIS Notice of Availability (Docket No. BOEM-2023-0011)
• SouthCoast Wind DEIS
• SouthCoast Wind Construction and Operations Plan and Appendices
• SouthCoast Wind Cumulative Historic Resources Visual Effects Analysis

Public Meetings

During the comment period, BOEM will hold three virtual public meetings, where the public can learn more about the review process, EIS schedule, potential impacts from the proposed project, and proposals to reduce potential impacts. There will also be an opportunity for participants to provide comments on the DEIS.

The public meetings will be held on the following dates and times. All times are Eastern:

• Mon., Mar. 20th, 2023; 5:00 pm
  
  Zoom Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nyLIQfvSTBS6klNMmwMofw
  Dial-in phone number: 888 788 0099 (Toll Free)
  Meeting ID: 817 7575 3103
  Password: 196 200 97
   
• Wed., Mar. 22nd, 2023; 1:00 pm
  
  Zoom Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FkDov8StSVWS6w_ZT7Uw7w
  Dial-in phone number: 888 788 0099 (Toll Free)
  Meeting ID: 854 8114 9775
  Password: 32044299
   
• Mon., Mar. 27th, 2023; 5:00 pm
  
  Zoom Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Yck7ucH0RQ2NtKDsWtTGoA
  Dial-in phone number: 888 788 0099 (Toll Free)
  Meeting ID: 849 4517 9847
  Password: 41687999

More information, including meeting registration and instructions is available in the SouthCoast Wind Virtual Meeting Room.

How to Comment

Comments can be submitted in the following ways: 

1. In written form by mail, enclosed in an envelope labeled “SouthCoast Wind COP DEIS” and addressed to Program Chief, Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166.  
2. Oral or written testimony during any of the public meetings listed in the Notice of Availability and Virtual Meeting Room.
3. Through the regulations.gov web portal by navigating to https://www.regulations.gov/ and search for Docket No. BOEM-2023-0011.  Click on the “Comment” button below the document link.  Enter your information and comment, then click “Submit Comment.”

Mayflower Wind Energy LLC (OCS-A 0521)

Commercial Lease

On December 13-14, 2018, BOEM held a competitive lease sale (i.e., auction) for Wind Energy Areas offshore Massachusetts. The auction lasted 32 rounds. Equinor Wind US, LLC was identified as the winner of Lease Area OCS-A 0520 (128,811 acres), Mayflower Wind Energy, LLC was identified as the winner of Lease Area OCS-A 0521 (127,388 acres), and Vineyard Wind, LLC was identified as the winner of Lease Area OCS-A 0522 (132,370 acres).

The commercial wind energy lease OCS-A 0521 was by BOEM on March 26, 2019, and went into effect on April 1, 2019.

Schedule for the Decision-making Process

After the draft EIS is completed, BOEM will publish a notice of availability (NOA) and request public comments on the draft EIS.  BOEM currently expects to issue the NOA in January 2023.  After the public comment period ends, BOEM will review and respond to comments received and will develop the final EIS.  BOEM currently expects to make the final EIS available to the public in September 2023.  A Record of Decision (ROD) will be completed no sooner than 30 days after the final EIS is released, in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.11.

This project is a “covered project” under section 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41).  FAST-41 provides increased transparency and predictability by requiring Federal agencies to publish comprehensive permitting timetables for all covered projects.  FAST-41 also provides procedures for modifying permitting timetables to address the unpredictability inherent in the environmental review and permitting process for significant infrastructure projects.  To view the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard for the Project, visit: www.permits.performance.gov/permitting-project/mayflower-wind-energy-project.

For information on the Mayflower Wind Project and BOEM’s process associated with this notice, contact Genevieve Brune, Environment Branch for Renewable Energy, BOEM Office of Renewable Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, Virginia 20166, (703) 787-1553 or genevieve.brune@boem.gov.

A complete Site Assessment Plan (SAP) was submitted by Mayflower Wind Energy LLC to BOEM for meteorological evaluations and site assessment on December 12, 2019. BOEM approved the SAP on May 26, 2020. The plan details the methods and procedures Mayflower Wind Energy LLC will use to collect and analyze meteorological and oceanographic data and information on the conditions of the marine environment within its commercial lease. Data collection will be performed using a meteorological buoy.

• Mayflower COP Volume I
• Mayflower COP Volume II
   
• Appendix A - Agency Correspondence
• Appendix B - Certified Verification Agent - Confidential  
• Appendix C - Conceptual Project Design Drawings
• Appendix D1 - Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Act Consistency Certification – Falmouth POI 
• Appendix D2 - Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Act Consistency Certification – Brayton Point POI  
• Appendix D3 - Rhode Island Coastal Zone Management Act Consistency Certification – Brayton Point POI 
• Appendix E - Marine Site Investigation Report - Confidential
• Appendix F1 - Sediment Plume Impacts from Construction Activities    
• Appendix F2 - Scour Potential Impacts from Operational Phase and Post-Construction Infrastructure   
• Appendix F3 - Brayton Point Export Cable Hydrodynamic and Sediment Dispersion Model Report
• Appendix G - Air Emissions Report - Confidential
• Appendix H - Water Quality Report    
• Appendix I1 - Avian Exposure Risk Assessment    
• Appendix I2 - Bat Risk Assessment   
• Appendix J - Terrestrial Vegetation and Wildlife Assessment Report  
• Appendix K - Seagrass and Macroalgae Report   
• Appendix L1 - Offshore Designated Protected Areas Report    
• Appendix L2 - Onshore Protected Lands Report    
• Appendix M - Benthic and Shellfish Resources Characterization Report
• Appendix N - Essential Fish Habitat and Protected Fish Species Assessment
• Appendix O - Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Monitoring and Mitigation Plan    
• Appendix P1 - Electric and Magnetic Field (EMF) Assessment for the Proposed Mayflower Wind Project    
• Appendix P2 - High Voltage Direct Current Electric and Magnetic Field (EMF) Assessment    
• Appendix Q - Marine Archaeological Resources Assessment
• Appendix R1 - Falmouth Phase 1A Public Summary
• Appendix R2 - Aquidneck Phase 1A 1B Public Summary
• Appendix R3 - Brayton Point Phase 1A Public Summary
• Appendix S1 - AVEHP Brayton Point Public Summary
• Appendix S2 - AVEHP Public Summary
• Appendix T - Visual Impact Assessment
• Appendix T1 - Cape Cod Onshore Simulations
• Appendix T2 - Martha's Vineyard Simulations
• Appendix T3 - Nantucket Simulations
• Appendix U1 - In-Air Acoustic Assessment Report
• Appendix U2 - Underwater Acoustic Modeling of Construction Sound and Animal Exposure Estimation
• Appendix V - Commercial and Recreational Fisheries and Fishing Activity Technical Report
• Appendix W - Fisheries Communication Plan
• Appendix X - Navigation Safety Risk Assessment
• Appendix Y1 - Obstruction Evaluation & Airspace Analysis
• Appendix Y2 - Air Traffic Flow Analysis
• Appendix Y3 - Aircraft Detection Lighting System Efficacy Analysis
• Appendix Y4 - Radar and Navigational Aid Screening Study
• Appendix Z - Safety Management System - Confidential
• Appendix AA - Oil Spill Response Plan (OSRP)
• Appendix BB - Economic Development Report - Confidential

Environmental Review

BOEM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submitted by SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC (formerly Mayflower Wind Energy LLC) the SouthCoast Wind (formerly Mayflower Wind) Project in the Federal Register on Nov. 1, 2021.  

• Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS (BOEM 2021-0062)
• 2022 Final Scoping Report

The Notice of Intent initiated a 30-day public comment period that ended on Dec. 1, 2021.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 

On Feb. 13, 2023, BOEM announced the availability of the DEIS for the proposed SouthCoast Wind (formerly Mayflower Wind) project offshore Massachusetts. The Notice of Availability for the SouthCoast Wind DEIS was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 17, 2023.

The following documents are available for your viewing.

• SouthCoast Wind DEIS Notice of Availability (Docket No. BOEM-2023-0011)
• SouthCoast Wind DEIS
• SouthCoast Wind Construction and Operations Plan and Appendices