Abstract
The South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) assesses the reasonably foreseeable impacts to physical, biological, socioeconomic, and cultural resources that could result from the construction and installation, operations and maintenance, and conceptual decommissioning of a commercial-scale wind energy project, the South Fork Wind Farm and South Fork Export Cable Project (the Project), located in BOEM Renewable Energy Lease Number OCSA 0517, approximately 19 miles southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island, and 35 miles east of Montauk Point, New York. Deepwater Wind South Fork, LLC, is proposing the Project, which is designed to contribute to New York’s renewable energy requirements, particularly, the state’s goal of generating 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. BOEM has prepared the DEIS following the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 United States Code [USC] 4321–4370f) and implementing regulations. Once finalized, the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) will inform BOEM in deciding whether to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the Project. Cooperating agencies would rely on the DEIS to support their decision making and to determine if the analysis is sufficient to support their decision. BOEM’s action furthers United States policy to make the Outer Continental Shelf energy resources available for development in an expeditious and orderly manner, subject to environmental safeguards (43 USC 1332(3)), including consideration of natural resources and existing ocean uses.