New England Wind Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS)

Abstract

This Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) assesses the reasonably foreseeable impacts on physical, biological, socioeconomic, and cultural resources that could result from the construction and installation, operations and maintenance, and conceptual decommissioning of the New England Wind Project (Project) proposed by Park City Wind, LLC (Park City Wind), in its Construction and Operations Plan (COP). The proposed Project described in the COP and this Final EIS would be at least 2,036 megawatts in scale (and up to 2,600 megawatts) approximately 20 miles from the southwest corner of Martha’s Vineyard and approximately 24 miles from Nantucket at its closest point, within the area of Renewable Energy Lease Number OCS-A 0534 (Lease Area). The proposed Project would serve demand for renewable energy in one or more New England states. This Final EIS was prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S. Code 4321–4370f) and implementing regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality and the Department of the Interior. This Final EIS will inform the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s decision on whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the proposed Project’s COP. Publication of the Draft EIS initiated a 60-day public comment period, after which all the comments received were assessed and considered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in the preparation for this Final EIS. Comments on the Draft EIS can be found in Appendix O.  

  • Volume I 
  • Volume II: Appendices
    • Appendix A: Required Environmental Permits and Consultations
    • Appendix B: Supplemental Information and Additional Figures and Tables
    • Appendix C: Project Design Envelope and Maximum-Case Scenario
    • Appendix D: Geographical Analysis Areas
    • Appendix E: Planned Activities Scenario
    • Appendix F: Analysis of Incomplete and Unavailable Information and Other Required Analyses
    • Appendix G: Impact-Producing Factor Tables and Assessment of Resources with Minor (or Lower) Impacts
    • Appendix H: Mitigation and Monitoring
    • Appendix I: Seascape, Landscape, and Visual Impact Assessment
    • Appendix J: Finding of Adverse Effect for the New England Wind Project Construction and Operations Plan
    • Appendix K: References Cited
    • Appendix L: Glossary
    • Appendix M: List of Preparers and Reviewers
    • Appendix N: List of Agencies, Organizations, and Persons to Whom Copies of the Statement Are Sent
    • Appendix O: Responses to Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement