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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed development of a commercial-scale finfish aquaculture facility to be located in Federal waters off the coast of southern California. The proposed facility would require two Federal permits: A Section 402 Clean Water Act (CWA) permit, and a Section 10 Rivers and Harbor Act (RHA) permit, over which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), respectively, have authority. The EPA and USACE will act as cooperating agencies for purposes of this EIS. This NOI initiates the public scoping process for the EIS during which time interested parties are invited to provide comments on the proposed project, its potential to effect the human environment, means for avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating those effects, the preliminary reasonable range of alternatives, and any additional reasonable alternatives that should be considered.

To identify a site for the proposed action, the applicant, Pacific Ocean AquaFarms (POA) sought spatial analysis expertise from the NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) to identify potential offshore locations that would be technically and commercially feasible while minimizing environmental effects. The technical and commercial parameters for the proposed project were established by the applicant to identify potential sites. Those parameters included, but were not limited to the following:

• Within 35 nautical miles (65 kilometers) of suitable port(s);
• Minimum and Maximum Depth to Seafloor: ≥ 100 feet (30 meters) and < 495 feet (150 meters);
• Suitability for Species: California yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis)—(other native or naturalized species may also be cultivated that have the same requirements for temperature, space, and other fixed parameters); and
• Gear Type: Submersible net pen.

POA proposes to construct and operate a new commercial-scale, offshore source of finfish in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone approximately 4 nautical miles (7.4 kilometers) off the coast of San Diego. An area of approximately 1,000 acres (4 square kilometers) (exact area to be determined based on engineering design) is sited as suitable for potential use; of this, approximately 717 acres (2.9 square kilometers) would be occupied by the project, including a total of 28 submersible pens, anchors and mooring lines, and surface marker buoys. The total area may change relative to the exact location of the pen grids, the relative depth of the pens, and the final engineering requirements that would delineate the location, number, and depth of mooring lines. Initial production is projected to yield 2.2 million pounds (1,000 metric tons) annually growing up to 11 million pounds (5,000 metric tons) after environmental monitoring confirms that each successive scale of expansion has not resulted in any substantial environmental or space-use impacts. California yellowtail (Seriola dorsalis) would be the initial cultivated species, as it is native to California waters. Other local species such as white seabass (Atractoscion nobilis), may be grown in addition to or in lieu of California yellowtail when the project has become operational under Federal and state permit requirements.

Written comments on the scope of the analysis to be considered in the draft EIS must be submitted no later than October 26, 2020.

Two public meetings (in webinar format) are scheduled for October 14, 2020 at 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time and October 16, 2020 at 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. The webinar link for October 14 and 16, 2020, is https://bit.ly/34sj1UT. You may also participate by phone toll-free at 844-621-3956 with access code: 146 738 1449.

You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2020-0117, by using the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://beta.regulations.gov/document/NOAA-NMFS-2020-0117-0001 . Click the “Comment Now!” icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments.

For further information contact Steve Leathery, National NEPA Coordinator, NMFS; phone: 301-427-8013; email: poa.eis@noaa.gov; or website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/aquaculture/pacific-ocean-aquafarms-environmental-impact-statement.