In order to increase transparency and consistency for the regulated community, Tribes, other government partners, and interested stakeholders, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) published two final guidance documents: the “NOI Checklist” and the “Marine Acoustic Modeling and Measurement Guidelines.”
The “NOI Checklist,” is based on BOEM’s regulations and describes how BOEM will process incomplete Construction and Operations Plan (COP) submissions. The checklist is designed to: 1) provide clarity to lessees; 2) establish a pre-application and pre-NOI process with lessees and cooperating agencies that will benefit all stakeholders; 3) improve the efficiency of proposed offshore wind project reviews by avoiding delays to the NEPA analysis after the NOI has been published.
Alongside the NOI Checklist, BOEM issued recommendations to lessees as they develop the acoustic and exposure models of impact pile-driving, and for sound-field measurements, to be included with their COP.
