30 CFR § 585.617 - What activities require a revision to my SAP, and when will BOEM approve the revision?

(a) You must notify BOEM in writing before conducting site assessment activities not described in your approved SAP involving facilities that are installed on the seabed using a fixed-bottom foundation requiring professional engineering design and assessment of sediment, meteorological, and oceanographic conditions as part of the design. Your notice must describe in detail the type of activities you propose to conduct. We will determine whether the activities you propose require a revision to your SAP. We may request additional information from you, if necessary, to make this determination.

(b) If a revised SAP is required, BOEM will reassess, upon its receipt, whether the facility or combination of facilities described in it is complex or significant.

(1) If BOEM determines that the facilities described in your revised SAP are not complex or significant, you may conduct your approved activities under § 585.614(a).

(2) If BOEM determines that the facilities described in your revised SAP are complex or significant, you must comply with § 585.614(b).

(c) BOEM will periodically review the activities conducted under an approved SAP. The frequency and extent of the review will be based on the significance of any changes in available information and on onshore or offshore conditions affecting or affected by the activities conducted under your SAP. If the review indicates that the SAP should be revised to meet the requirements of this part, BOEM will require you to submit the needed revisions.

(d) Activities for which a proposed revision to your SAP likely will be necessary include:

(1) Activities on the OCS not described in your approved SAP that could have significant environmental impacts or that may affect threatened or endangered species, or that may affect designated critical habitat of such species, or that may result in incidental take of marine mammals;

(2) Modifications to the number, size, or type of facilities (including associated components) or equipment you will use outside of the PDE that was approved for your project;

(3) Changes in the geographical location or layout of your bottom disturbances, offshore facilities, or onshore support bases beyond the range of possible locations described in your approved SAP;

(4) Structural failure of any facility operated under your approved SAP; or

(5) Changes to any other activity specified by BOEM.

(e) We may begin the appropriate NEPA analysis and other relevant consultations when we determine that a proposed revision could:

(1) Result in a significant change in the impacts previously identified and evaluated;

(2) Require any additional Federal authorizations; or

(3) Involve activities not previously identified and evaluated.

(f) When you propose a revision, we may approve the revision if we determine that the revision is:

(1) Designed not to cause undue harm or damage to natural resources; life (including human and wildlife); property; the marine, coastal, or human environment; or sites, structures, or objects of historical or archaeological significance; and

(2) Otherwise, consistent with the provisions of section 8(p) of the OCS Lands Act.