Notice of Availability of a Joint Record of Decision for the Proposed SouthCoast Wind Project

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announces the availability of the joint record of decision (ROD) on the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the construction and operations plan (COP) submitted by SouthCoast Wind Energy LLC (SouthCoast Wind) for its proposed SouthCoast Wind Project (Project) offshore Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The joint ROD includes the Department of the Interior's (DOI) decision regarding the COP; National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) decision, pending completion of all statutory processes, regarding SouthCoast Wind's requested Incidental Take Regulations (ITR) and an associated Letter of Authorization (LOA) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA); and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) decision regarding authorizations under section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (RHA) and section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). NMFS has adopted the final EIS to support its decision about whether or not to promulgate the requested ITR and issue an LOA to SouthCoast Wind under the MMPA. USACE has adopted the final EIS to support its decision to issue a Department of the Army (DA) permit under section 10 of the RHA and section 404 of the CWA. The joint ROD concludes the National Environmental Policy Act process for each agency.