[Federal Register: August 17, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 159)]
[Notices]
[Page 46247-46249]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17au07-89]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Availability for Public Comment of the Draft
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the United States
Implementing Organization's Participation in the Integrated Ocean
Drilling Program
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of availability (NOA).
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces the
availability for comment of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS)/Oversees EIS (OEIS) evaluating potential environmental
impacts associated with the NSF funding of the United States
Implementing Organization's (USIO) participation in the Integrated
Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). This EIS was prepared in accordance with
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969,
regulations of the President's Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR
parts 1500 through 1508), and NSF's National Environmental Policy Act
Implementing Procedures (45 CFR 640.1-640.5). The National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), a part of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is a cooperating agency in the
preparation of the Programmatic EIS.
Public comments are invited and encouraged concerning the analysis
of environmental issues associated with IODP-USIO activities as
presented in the Draft Programmatic EIS/OEIS.
Addresses and Dates: Electronic copies of the Draft Programmatic
EIS may be obtained from the Internet at http://joiserver.joiscience.org/Downloads/draft_peis.
Written comments on the
Draft EIS should be sent to Dr. James Allen, Program Director, Ocean
Drilling Program, Division of Ocean Sciences, National Science
Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 725, Arlington, VA 22230;
voice (703) 292-8581 or e-mail at jallan@nsf.gov. If the draft
Programmatic EIS cannot be obtained from the Internet, an electronic
copy on CD or a paper copy may be obtained by e-mailing or writing Dr.
Allan at the above address.
The public comment period starts with the publication of this
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register and will continue for 45
days until October 1, 2007. NSF will address all comments received or
postmarked by that date in the Final Programmatic EIS. Comments
received or postmarked after that date will be considered to the extent
practicable. Public meetings will provide the public with an
opportunity to present comments, ask questions, and discuss concerns
regarding the EIS with NSF officials. The public meetings will be held
at NOAA, September 21, 2007, 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Silver Spring
Metro Center Building 4, Science Center, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD, and at Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Lobby Conference
Center, 1201 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC, September 28, 2007,
1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Written comments will be accepted at these public meetings as well
as during the comment period.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Written statements and questions
regarding the review process for the Draft Programmatic EIS should be
submitted by mail to Dr. James Allan, Program Director, Ocean Drilling
Program, Division of Ocean Sciences, National Science Foundation, 4201
Wilson Boulevard, Suite 725, Arlington, VA 22230; voice (703) 292-8581
or by e-mail at jallan@nsf.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1975, the National Science Foundation
(NSF) prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the
International Phase of Ocean Drilling (IPOD) of the Deep Sea Drilling
Project (DSDP). The 1975 EIS addressed scientific ocean drilling
carried out globally in major and minor ocean basins.
In 1985, the NSF prepared an EIS for the new Ocean Drilling Program
(ODP) to address the more complicated aspects of proposed drilling
techniques and of drilling in high latitudes and Antarctic seas that
were not previously addressed in the DSDP/IPOD EIS. Drilling modes that
were analyzed in the DSDP/IPOD EIS were reviewed in the 1985 EIS
including the use of the research vessel (RV) JOIDES Resolution.
Additionally, aspects of drilling in deep-ocean trenches, on active
spreading centers, and in or near environmentally sensitive regions
were considered in the 1985 environmental review. Drilling in both
DSDP/IPOD and ODP was riserless, where drill cuttings were typically
removed from the borehole by pumped seawater without return circulation
to the drillship via an external pipe or riser.
The ODP was formally completed on September 30, 2003. In order to
facilitate the seamless continuation of research during the transition
from the ODP to the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), the
JOIDES Resolution was selected as the platform to continue to conduct
riserless drilling activities during Phase 1 of the USIO participation
in the IODP. Environmental Assessments (EAs) were prepared in 2004 and
2005 to supplement the 1985 EIS and address the environmental and
operating conditions that were specific to the IODP-USIO Phase 1
expeditions that would be performed during 2004 through 2006.
The IODP is an international research program that explores the
history and structure of the earth as recorded in seafloor sediments,
fluids, and rocks. IODP builds upon the earlier successes of the DSDP
and the ODP, which revolutionized our view of Earth history and global
processes through ocean basin exploration. IODP seeks to greatly expand
the reach of these previous programs by forming a collaborative union
between the United States, Japan, and the European Union, each of whom
will be responsible for providing drilling platforms appropriate for
achieving the scientific objectives outlined in the IODP Initial
Science Plan. China and the interim Asian Consortium (South Korea) have
joined as additional members. Based on international agreements, the
United States is responsible for providing and operating a light,
riserless drilling vessel, Japan will provide and operate a heavy,
riser drilling-capable vessel, and a European-led consortium will
provide and operate Mission Specific Platforms capable of drilling in
shallow and Arctic
[[Page 46248]]
environments unsuitable for the other drilling vessels.
Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Incorporated (JOI) and its
partners, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
(LDEO) and Texas A&M University (TAMU) through the Texas A&M Research
Foundation (TAMRF), have been selected by NSF to be the IODP USIO for
the light drilling vessel and related activities. These three partners
comprise the JOI Alliance. JOI is responsible to NSF for the overall
program leadership, technical, operational, and financial management,
and delivery of services. TAMU is responsible for providing a full
array of science services, ranging from vessel and drilling operations
to ship- and shore-based science laboratories, core repositories, and
publication. LDEO is responsible for logging-related shipboard and
shore-based science services and for leading an international logging
consortium to participate in scientific ocean drilling operations. The
objectives of the USIO are to provide leadership regarding the U.S.
interests in IODP as the challenges and demands of a multiplatform
drilling program present themselves. The USIO also seeks to ensure that
services for the light drilling vessel and other program aspects are
provided in a cost-effective, holistic, and responsive manner to
facilitate comprehensive, integrated, and flexible management that
involves a broad array of stakeholders.
The JOI Alliance completed IODP Phase 1 operations in 2006 using
the RV JOIDES Resolution, which is the same vessel used for two decades
during ODP (1985-2003). Concurrent with Phase 1 activities (2004-2006),
the JOI Alliance planned for Phase 2 operations, which required
procuring and converting an appropriate ship into a Scientific Ocean
Drilling Vessel (SODV). The RV JOIDES Resolution was selected as the
SODV and will be completely modernized to serve as the IODP's light
drilling vessel. This Programmatic EIS addresses the use of the SODV
and the USIO's participation in IODP Phase 2 drilling operations for at
least the next 20 years.
Depending upon the specific research objectives of each IODP USIO
expedition, typical aspects of the proposed action that have the
potential to affect the surrounding environment and are reviewed in the
Programmatic EIS include:
Site Selection and Expedition Planning
Review and evaluate research proposals (multi-phase,
international process).
Logistically prepare for expedition and schedule.
Vessel Deployment and Maximum Days at Sea per Expedition
Transit from port call to expedition site; may require
days or weeks of travel at a nominal speed of 10 knots (depending on
sea conditions).
Remain at sea for 60 days.
Number of Drill Sites and Boreholes
One or more drill sites may be selected in a specific area
for each expedition as needed to meet research objectives.
One or more boreholes may be advanced at each drill site
as needed to meet specific research objectives.
Typical Extent of Operations
Water Depth (m) 75-7,000.
Seafloor Penetration (m) 1-2,500.
Drilling and Casing Deployment
Depending upon the specific application, drill bits will
be advanced into the seafloor to produce nominally-sized boreholes
37.5, 44.5, 50.8, or 61 cm (14\5/8\, 17\3/8\, 20, 24 in) in diameter
(alternate sized boreholes may be drilled as needed).
Depending on the specific application, boreholes may be
lined with 27.3, 34, 40, and 50.8 cm (10\5/8\, 13\3/8\, 16, 20 in)
casings (alternate size casing may be installed as needed).
Core Sampling
Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA); the primary drilling system
used to advance boreholes.
Rotary Core Barrel (RCB); used to obtain continuous cores
from hard rock formations.
Advanced Piston Corer (APC); used to obtain continuous and
relatively undisturbed cores from very soft to firm sediments.
Extended Core Barrel (XCB); used to obtain continuous
cores from soft to moderately hard formations.
Pressure Core Sampler (PCS); used to retrieve core samples
from the seafloor while maintaining insitu pressures.
Advanced Diamond Core Barrel (ADCB); used to obtain
continuous cores from firm to well lithified sedimentary or ingenious
formations.
Drill-In-Casing (DIC) System: Used to drill in a short
casing string simultaneously with the bit to support an unstable
sediment zone to prevent premature loss of the hole or drill string.
Underreamer, used to drill an enlarged hole to provide
clearance for additional casing strings and cement.
Other coring and sampling capability as developed.
Deployment of Reentry Hardware and Observatories
Free Fall Funnel (FFF): Used to provide a quick method to
reenter the hole to facilitate bit and bottom-hole assembly (BHA)
changes; typically installed with seafloor support plate and glass
flotation marker balls.
Hard Rock Reentry System (HRRS): Used to install casing
with reentry capability on a sloping or rough hard rock seafloor,
typically consisting of a metal funnel and casing.
Reentry Cone and Casing (RECC): Used as a permanent
seafloor installation (or legacy hole) able to support nested casing
strings; typically consisting of metal cone; seafloor support plate;
transition pipe.
Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK), used to provide
a method to characterize temperature and pressure of sub-seafloor
hydrology over an open formation interval typically consisting of a
reentry cone and casing system; sensor string (pressure gauges,
thermistors); and additional scientific instruments.
Advanced CORK (ACORK) Borehole Observatory, provides a
method to isolate multiple zones in a borehole for independent zone
investigations.
In Situ Sampling and Testing
Temperature, pore pressure, gas and fluid compositions,
permeability, microbial with instruments such as:
* Advanced Piston Corer Temperature (APCT), an instrumented version
of the coring shoe used to obtain formation temperatures to determine
the heat flow gradient.
* Davis-Villinger Temperature Probe (DVTP), used to take heat-flow
measurements in semi consolidated sediments that are too stiff for the
APCT.
* Water Sampling Temperature Probe (WSTP), used to measure
temperatures while deployed in the BHA.
* Azimuthal Density Neutron Tool (AND), used to characterize
formation porosity and lithology while drilling.
Downhole Logging
The Multi-Sensor Spectral Gamma Ray Tool (MGT), used to
measure natural gamma-ray logs.
Dipole Sonic Imager (DSI), used to produce a full set of
compressional and shear waveforms, cross-dipole shear wave velocities
and amplitudes.
Formation MicroScanner Tool; used to measure formation
acoustic velocity, natural gamma ray, and borehole diameter.
[[Page 46249]]
Triple Combo Geophysical Tool String, used to measure
standard geophysical parameters.
Sonic (Isonic) Tool, used to acquire acoustic waveforms.
Ultrasonic Borehole Imager (UBI), used to provide acoustic
images of the borehole.
Vibration isolation television (VIT) camera system.
The Well Seismic Tool (WST) is a single axis check shot
tool used for zero offset vertical seismic profiles (VSP).
Kuster Sampler, used to sample fluids.
Measurement While Drilling (MWD), including Logging While
Drilling (LWD, formation resistivity images and density/porosity).
Pressure-While-Drilling (PWD) Tool String, used to measure
formation pressure.
Conical Sidewall Entry Sub (CSES), used to deploy logging
tools along the drill string.
Geophysical Surveying
Occasional use of geophysical techniques such as limited
single-channel seismic surveying to characterize the seafloor and
supplement or verify existing geophysical data.
The Programmatic EIS addresses U.S. laws and regulations, as
appropriate, including but not necessarily limited to NEPA; the Marine
Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA); the Endangered Species Act of
1973 (ESA); and Executive Order (EO) 12114 (1979), Environmental
Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions. In addition, the assessment
addreses foreign regulations, especially where research will be carried
out entirely or partially within territorial waters or Exclusive
Economic Zone waters surrounding a foreign nation or in international
waters subject to the United Nations Law of the Sea or other
international agreements.
The Programmatic EIS is designed to view the USIO drilling program
as a whole and thereby assembles and analyzes the broadest range of
direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts associated with the entire
program rather than assessing individual cruises separately. This
approach also addresses possible concerns that NSF evaluates regarding
each expedition's contribution to the cumulative impacts of the entire
program. Further, the Programmatic EIS provides a broad analytical
baseline within which NSF, using tiered documents, will be able to
analyze and decide upon various cruise-specific activities which could
potentially affect biologically sensitive areas. This process enables
the NSF to streamline the preparation of subsequent environmental
documents for the individual cruises, if needed, and enable NSF to
identify any prudent conservation practices and mitigation measures
that may be applied across the entire program or applicable to a
particular expedition.
Major environmental issues addressed in the Programmatic EIS
include the release of any substances from the ship during vessel
transit, drilling, and research operations which may affect marine
water quality, sea bottom and sediment quality, air quality, acoustic
environment, marine biological resources including marine mammals,
fish, sea turtles, invertebrates, Essential Fish Habitats (EFH), and
threatened and endangered species, commercial and recreational
fisheries, marine vessel transportation, and cultural resources.
NSF has evaluated three alternatives in the EIS: (1) The proposed
action as dictated by specific scientific research needs and consistent
with robust IODP policies; (2) riserless ocean drilling expeditions
designed and conducted to meet site-specific scientific objectives,
however without input from the IODP Science Advisory Structure process
including the review of environmental conditions at each drillsite that
may be adversely affected by drilling activities; and (3) the no action
alternative.
NSF welcomes comments on mitigation measures to be considered and
included in the program that could be used to avoid or substantially
reduce the environmental consequences of the proposed action.
NSF will hold public meetings as identified in the Dates and
Addresses section of this notice. These meetings will also be
advertised in area newspapers. NSF and NMFS representatives will be
available at these meetings to receive comments from the public
regarding issues of concern to the public. Federal, state, and local
agencies and interested individuals are encouraged to take this
opportunity to comment on environmental concerns that should be
addressed in the Draft Programmatic EIS. Agencies and the public are
also invited and encouraged to provide written comments on the Draft
Programmatic EIS in addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments at the
public meetings. To be most helpful, comments should clearly reference
a particular section or pages of the Draft Programmatic EIS and
describe issues or topics that the commenter believes should be
addressed.
We invite you to learn about NSF's funding of the USIO's role in
the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program at the public meeting and provide
comments on the Draft Programmatic EIS. The public meeting locations
are wheelchair-accessible. If you plan to attend a public meeting and
need special assistance such as sign language interpretation or other
reasonable accommodation, please notify NSF (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 3 business days in advance. Include your
contact information as well as information about your specific needs.
We request public comments or other relevant information on
environmental issues related to the NSF drilling program. The public
meetings are not the only opportunity you have to comment. In addition
to or in place of attending a meeting, you can submit comments to Dr.
James Allan by October 1, 2007. (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
We request that you include in your comments:
Your name and address (noting if you would like to receive
a copy of the Final Programmatic EIS/OEIS upon completion);
An explanation for each comment; and
Include any background materials to support your comments,
as you feel necessary.
You may mail or e-mail your comments to NSF (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT). All comment submissions must be unbound, no
larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, and suitable for copying and
electronic scanning. Please note that regardless of the method used for
submitting comments or material, all submissions will be publicly
available and, therefore, any personal information you provide in your
comments will be open for public review. No decision will be made to
implement any alternative until the NEPA process is completed.
Dated: August 7, 2007.
James Allan,
Program Director, Ocean Drilling Program, Division of Ocean Sciences,
National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 07-3949 Filed 8-16-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M