SAP Mayflower Wind Lease OCS-A 0521 Site Assessment Plan July 29, 2019 For Public Release SITE ASSESSMENT PLAN Mayflower Wind Lease OCS – A 0521 Massachusetts Offshore Wind Energy Area SUBMITTED TO: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Office of Renewable Energy U.S. Department of the Interior 45600 Woodland Road, VAM-OREP Sterling, Virginia 20166 Office 703-787-1577 Fax 703-787-1708 Attn: Jeff Browning, Mayflower Project Coordinator PREPARED FOR: Mayflower Wind Energy LLC 281 Albany Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 PREPARED BY: ESS Group, Inc. 10 Hemingway Drive, 2nd Floor East Providence, Rhode Island 02915 ESS Project No. M394-000.05 July 29, 2019 © 2019 ESS Group, Inc. – This document or any part may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording without the express written consent of ESS Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Mayflower Wind Lease OCS-A 0521 Site Assessment Plan July 29, 2019 For Public Release TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Information (30 CFR § 585.610(a)) ...................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Contact Information (§ 585.610(a)(1)) .................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 Site Assessment Concept (§ 585.610(a)(2)) .......................................................................... 1 1.1.3 Designation of Operator (§ 585.610(a)(3)) ............................................................................. 2 1.1.4 Lease Stipulations and Compliance (§ 585.610(a)(4)) ........................................................... 3 1.2 Proposed Activity .............................................................................................................................. 5 1.2.1 General Structure and Project Design, Fabrication, and Installation (§ 585.610(a)(6)) ........ 5 1.2.2 Deployment Activities (§ 585.610 (a)(7)) ................................................................................ 8 1.2.3 Mitigation Measures (§ 585.610 (a)(8))................................................................................... 9 1.2.4 CVA nomination (§ 585.610 (a)(9)) ......................................................................................... 9 1.2.5 Reference Information ((§ 585.610 (a)(10)) ............................................................................ 9 1.2.6 Decommissioning and Site Clearance Procedures (§ 585.610 (a)(11)) ................................. 9 1.2.7 Air Quality Information (§§ 585.610(a)(12) and 585.659) ..................................................... 10 1.3 Regulatory Framework (§ 585.610(a)(13)) ..................................................................................... 10 1.3.1 List of Permits/Authorizations ............................................................................................... 10 1.3.2 Completed and Anticipated Agency Correspondence (§ 585.610(a)(14)) ........................... 11 1.4 Financial Assurance Information (§ 585.610(a)(15)) ...................................................................... 11 1.5 Other Information (§ 585.610(a)(16)) – As requested by BOEM ................................................... 11 2.0 SURVEY RESULTS (§ 585.610(B)) ..................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Geotechnical Survey (§ 585.610(b)(1)) .......................................................................................... 12 2.2 Geological Survey and Shallow Hazards (§§ 585.610(b)(4) and 585.610(b)(2)) ........................... 12 2.3 Archaeological Resources (§ 585.610(b)(3)) ................................................................................. 14 2.4 Biological Survey (§ 585.610(b)(5)) ................................................................................................ 14 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, POTENTIAL IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURES (§ 585.611(B)) .................................................................................................................................................................... 14 3.1 Environmental Baseline .................................................................................................................. 14 3.1.1 Geologic Setting .................................................................................................................... 14 3.1.1.1 Hazard Assessment (§ 585.611(b)(1)) ........................................................................ 14 3.1.1.2 Metocean Criteria Assessment…………………………………………………………….14 3.1.2 Coastal Habitats .................................................................................................................... 15 3.1.3 Water Quality (§ 585.611(b)(2)) ............................................................................................ 15 3.1.4 Benthic Resources (§ 585.611(b)(3-5)) ................................................................................ 15 3.1.5 Fisheries and Essential Fish Habitat (§ 585.611(b)(3-5)) ..................................................... 15 3.1.5.1 Threatened and Endangered Fish ............................................................................... 16 3.1.5.2 Commercially and Recreationally-Important Fish ....................................................... 17 3.1.5.3 Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) ....................................................................................... 17 3.1.6 Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles (§ 585.611(b)(3-5)) ........................................................ 17 3.1.6.1 Marine Mammals ......................................................................................................... 17 3.1.6.2 Sea Turtles .................................................................................................................. 17 3.1.7 Coastal and Marine Birds and Bats (585.611(b)(3-5)) .......................................................... 18 3.1.8 Archaeological Resources (§ 585.611(b)(6)) ........................................................................ 18 3.1.9 Social and Economic Resources (§ 585.611(b)(7)) .............................................................. 18 3.1.9.1 Coastal Industries & Employment ............................................................................... 19 3.1.9.2 Commercial & Recreational Fisheries ......................................................................... 19 i www.essgroup .com Mayflower Wind Lease OCS-A 0521 Site Assessment Plan July 29, 2019 For Public Release 3.9.1.3 Recreational Use ......................................................................................................... 19 3.1.9.4 Environmental Justice ................................................................................................. 19 3.1.9.5 Visual Resources ......................................................................................................... 20 3.1.10 Coastal and Marine Uses (§ 585.611(b)(8)) ................................................................. 20 3.1.11 Consistency Certification (§ 585.611(b)(9)).................................................................. 21 3.1.12 Air Quality ..................................................................................................................... 21 3.2 Potential Impacts ............................................................................................................... 22 3.2.1 Vessel Related Potential Impacts ................................................................................... 23 3.2.1.1 Coastal Habitats and Terrestrial Mammals ................................................................. 23 3.2.1.2 Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles .............................................................................. 23 3.2.1.3 Air Quality .................................................................................................................... 24 3.2.1.4 Navigation, Transportation, and Military Operations ................................................... 24 3.2.2 Buoy-Related Potential Impacts ..................................................................................... 25 3.2.2.1 Geologic Resources .................................................................................................... 25 3.2.2.2 Water Quality ............................................................................................................... 25 3.2.2.2 Benthic Resources ...................................................................................................... 25 3.2.2.3 Fisheries and Essential Fish Habitat ........................................................................... 26 3.2.2.4 Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles .............................................................................. 26 3.2.2.5 Navigation, Transportation and Military Operations .................................................... 26 3.3 Mitigation Measures .......................................................................................................... 27 3.3.1 Vessel Strike Avoidance Measures ................................................................................ 27 3.3.2 Marine Trash and Debris Prevention .............................................................................