A Public Scoping Summary was released by NOAA Fisheries on May 2, 2023. It gives a thorough overview of the written and verbal submissions made during the public scoping period for the Gulf of Mexico Aquaculture Opportunity Area ( AOA ) Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement( PEIS ).
- Stakeholders and the general public have an first chance to offer their opinions on the variety of topics and issues that will be covered in the PEIS thanks to the people scanning process. 216 verbal and written proposals from stakeholders and the general public were made to NOAA Fisheries during the common monitoring phase.
- These people comments will give NOAA Fisheries and the cooperating agencies crucial information to take into account when choosing the locations to review as alternatives in the draft PEIS and when determining its range.
Why is this taking place?
On June 1, 2022, NOAA Fisheries published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register outlining its intention to create the PEIS and soliciting public input on nine possible AOA areas in federal waters off the shores of Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. It also requested comments on the scope and range of issues that would be covered by the PIEIS. A 60-day people monitoring operation was started by the Notice of Intent and ended on August 1, 2022. On the night of June 8, June 16, and July 12, 2022, three online public monitoring discussions were also held, during which responses could be made verbally.
A comprehensive guide of the proposals received during the common monitoring period for the PEIS is provided in the Public Scoping Summary. It does not take the place of the exactly submissions, but rather draws attention to the main points and styles of each submission. For those who might not have the time to read each public comment separately, its goal is to encourage transparency and information sharing.
What’s coming up?
The NOAA Fisheries and its collaborating organizations are taking into account all public remarks made, the most up-to-date research, and any fresh data regarding lake purposes in or near the nine possible locations for AOAs in the Gulf of Mexico. This data will be gathered and used to decide how many places should be carried forward and thoroughly analyzed as suggested alternatives in the drawing PEIS.
Earlier in 2024, NOAA Fisheries plans to release a document PEIS for common review and comment.
Where can I learn more about the Gulf of Mexico Aquaculture Opportunity Area PEIS and other similar locations?
