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Code of Federal Regulations (Last Updated: July 5, 2024) |
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Title 50 - Wildlife and Fisheries |
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Chapter II—National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce |
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SubChapter C—Marine Mammals |
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Part 217 - Regulations Governing the Take of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities |
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Subpart CC - Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Empire Wind Project, Offshore New York |
§ 217.280 - Specified activity and specified geographical region.
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§ 217.280 Specified activity and specified geographical region.
(a) Regulations in this subpart apply to activities associated with the Empire Wind Project (hereafter referred to as the “Project”) by Empire Offshore Wind, LLC (hereafter referred to as “LOA Holder”), and those persons it authorizes or funds to conduct activities on its behalf in the area outlined in paragraph (b) of this section. Requirements imposed on LOA Holder must be implemented by those persons it authorizes or funds to conduct activities on its behalf.
(b) The specified geographical region is the Mid-Atlantic Bight, which includes, but is not limited to, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Lease Area Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)-A 0512 Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development, two export cable routes, and two sea-to-shore transition points located at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, in Brooklyn, NY (Empire Wind 1), and Long Island, NY (Empire Wind 2).
(c) The specified activities are impact pile driving of up to 147 wind turbine generator (WTGs) and up to two offshore substation (OSSs) foundations; impact and vibratory pile driving associated with cable landfall construction and marina activities; high-resolution geophysical (HRG) site characterization surveys; vessel transit within the specified geographical region to transport crew, supplies, and materials; WTG operation; fishery and ecological monitoring surveys; placement of scour protection; and trenching, laying, and burial activities associated with the installation of the export cable route from OSSs to shore-based converter stations and inter-array cables between turbines.