Any person may submit a written request to BOEM to obtain an agreement for the use of OCS sand, gravel, and/or shell resources for use in a program of, or project for, shore protection, beach restoration, or coastal wetlands restoration undertaken by a Federal, state, or local government agency, or in a construction project that is funded in whole or in part by or authorized by the Federal Government.

(a) The written request must include:

(1) A detailed description of the proposed project for which the OCS sand, gravel, and/or shell resources will be used and how it qualifies as a program or project eligible under OCSLA to use OCS sand, gravel, or shell resources;

(2) A description of the proposed borrow area(s) and placement area(s), along with maps with geographic coordinates depicting the location of the desired borrow area(s), the OCS block number(s), OCS Planning Area(s), OCS Protraction Diagram Designation(s), and the placement area(s). These should include:

(i) A detailed set of digital (e.g., portable document format or pdf) maps with coordinates and navigation features of the desired OCS project area (including borrow area and other project features); and

(ii) Digital geo-referenced spatial and tabular data depicting the borrow area with features, such as geological sampling locations and any hard or live-bottom benthic habitat present;

(3) Any available geological and geophysical data used to select, design, and delineate the borrow area(s) and potential borrow areas considered but not selected for final design in digital format, geo-referenced where relevant. These may include:

(i) Sediment sampling (sediment cores and grab samples) data such as physical description sheets, photographs, core locations, and grain size analysis; and

(ii) Geophysical data such as subbottom profiler, marine magnetometer, and side-scan sonar data, and bathymetry including geo-referenced navigation survey tracklines, shotpoints, and/or timestamps;

(4) Any other uses of the OCS or infrastructure in the borrow area that are known to the applicant at the time of application submittal;

(5) A description of the environmental evaluations and corresponding documents that have been completed or are being prepared that cover all offshore and onshore components of the project, as applicable;

(6) A target date or date range when the OCS sand, gravel, and/or shell resources will be needed;

(7) A description of the person or government entities undertaking the project;

(8) A list of any permits, licenses or authorizations required for the project and their current status;

(9) A description of any potential inconsistencies with state coastal zone management plans and/or any other applicable state and local statutes, regulations or ordinances;

(10) The name, title, telephone number, mailing address and email address of any points of contact for any Federal agencies, state, or local governments, and contractor(s) with whom the applicant has contracted or intends to contract;

(11) A statement explaining who authorized the project and how the project is to be funded, indicating whether the project is federally funded, in whole or in part, and whether the project is authorized by the Federal Government; and

(12) For any other Federal, state, or local government agency identified in the application, the name, title, mailing address, telephone number, and email address of both a primary and a secondary point of contact for the agency.

(b) [Reserved]

BOEM will make a determination as to whether the project, as described in § 583.300, qualifies for a negotiated noncompetitive agreement for the use of OCS sand, gravel, and/or shell resources. Within 15 business days of receipt of the application, BOEM will determine if the application is complete or will request additional information. After it has determined the application is complete, BOEM will review the application and notify the applicant in writing whether the project qualifies for an agreement. In determining whether a project qualifies for an agreement, BOEM will consider, among other criteria, the following:

(a) The project purpose;

(b) Other uses of OCS sand, gravel, and/or shell resources from the same borrow area that are currently or were previously authorized by BOEM for other projects or programs, including the location, type and volume of such resources;

(c) The project funding source(s) and amounts;

(d) The proposed design and feasibility of the project;

(e) Any potential environmental and safety risks associated with the project;

(f) Other federal interests located near or within the specified borrow area;

(g) Comments received from potentially affected state or local governments, if any;

(h) The applicant's background and experience working on similar projects or activities;

(i) Whether the project operations can be conducted in a manner that protects the environment and promotes orderly development of OCS mineral resources;

(j) Whether activities can be conducted in a manner that does not pose a threat of serious harm or damage to, or waste of, any natural resource, any life (including fish and other aquatic life), property, or the marine, coastal, or human environment; and

(k) Whether the project is consistent with the requirements of applicable statutes and their implementing regulations, which may include, but are not limited to, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act (MDRPRA) (33 U.S.C. 1951 et seq.), the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act (MPPRCA) (33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) (33 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.), and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), MARPOL-Annex V Treaty.

(a) Once BOEM has determined a project qualifies for an agreement, BOEM will begin the project evaluation process to decide whether to enter into a negotiated noncompetitive agreement.

(b) BOEM will coordinate with relevant Federal agencies, State, and local governments and any potentially affected federally recognized Indian tribes or Alaska Native Corporations in the project evaluation.

(c) BOEM will evaluate the project and additional information provided pursuant to §§ 583.300 and 583.305, to determine if the information is sufficient to conduct necessary technical and environmental reviews to comply with the requirements of applicable statutes and regulations, which may include, but are not limited to: OCSLA (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.), and the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) (16 U.S.C. 1451 et seq.).

(d) BOEM will not enter into a negotiated noncompetitive agreement with the applicant until the information requested for the evaluation has been provided and BOEM has evaluated it.

(a) Upon completion of the technical, environmental and other evaluations established in §§ 583.305 and 583.310, BOEM will decide whether to enter into a negotiated noncompetitive agreement with the applicant for use of OCS sand, gravel, or shell resources for its proposed project.

(b) If BOEM decides not to enter into such an agreement, BOEM will inform the applicant of its reasons for not doing so. An applicant may ask the BOEM Director for reconsideration of this decision, in accordance with § 583.125(a).

(c) If BOEM has decided to enter into a negotiated noncompetitive agreement with the applicant, BOEM will negotiate the terms and conditions of the agreement with the applicant and prepare a draft agreement for the applicant's review.

(d) After considering comments and suggestions from the applicant, BOEM, at its discretion, may finalize the agreement and distribute it to the applicant for signature.

(e) Upon receipt of the agreement with the applicant's signature, BOEM will execute the agreement. A copy of the executed agreement will be mailed to the parties.

Every agreement is negotiated on a case-by-case basis, but at a minimum, must include:

(a) An agreement number, as assigned by BOEM;

(b) The purpose of, and authorities for, the agreement;

(c) Designated and delineated borrow area(s);

(d) A project description, including the timeframe within which the project is to be started and completed;

(e) The terms and conditions of the agreement, including any reporting requirements, environmental mitigations, and operating parameters;

(f) All obligations of the parties; and

(g) The signatures of appropriate individuals authorized to bind the applicant and BOEM.

The agreement will become effective on the date when all parties to the agreement have signed it.

(a) Failure to comply with any applicable law or any provision, term, or condition of the agreement may result in the termination of the agreement, a referral to an appropriate Federal or State agency for enforcement, or both. Termination of the agreement for noncompliance will be in the sole discretion of the Director.

(b) The failure to comply in a timely and satisfactory manner with any provision, term or condition of the agreement may delay or prevent BOEM's approval of future requests for use of OCS sand, gravel, and/or shell resources on the part of the parties to the agreement.

(a) An agreement will terminate upon one of the following, whichever occurs first:

(1) The agreement expires by its own terms, unless the term is extended prior to expiration under § 583.345;

(2) The project is terminated, as set forth in § 583.350; or

(3) A party to the agreement notifies BOEM, in writing, that sufficient OCS sand, gravel, and/or shell resources, up to the amount authorized in the agreement, have been obtained to complete the project.

(b) Absent extraordinary circumstances, no agreement will be for a term longer than five years from its effective date.

The parties to an agreement must ensure that all contracts and transactions related to an agreement issued under this part comply with the suspension and debarment regulations in 2 CFR part 180 and 2 CFR part 1400.

(a) Unless otherwise provided for in the agreement, the parties to the agreement may submit to BOEM a written request to extend or modify an agreement. BOEM is under no obligation to extend or modify an agreement and cannot be held liable for the consequences of the expiration of an agreement. With the exception of paragraph (b) of this section, any such requests must be made at least 180 days before the term of the agreement expires. BOEM will respond to the request for modification within 30 days of receipt and request any necessary information and evaluations to comply with § 583.305. BOEM may approve the request, disapprove it, or approve it with modifications subject to the requirements of § 583.305.

(1) If BOEM approves a request to extend or modify an agreement, BOEM will draft an agreement modification for review by the parties to the agreement in the form of an amendment to the original agreement. The amendment will include:

(i) The agreement number, as assigned by BOEM;

(ii) The modification(s) agreed to;

(iii) Any additional mitigation required; and

(iv) The signatures of the parties to the agreement and BOEM.

(2) If BOEM disapproves a request to extend or modify an agreement, BOEM will inform the parties to the agreement of the reasons in writing. Parties to the agreement may ask the BOEM Director for reconsideration in accordance with § 583.125.

(b) By written request, for strictly minor modifications that do not change the substance of the project or the analyzed environmental effects of the project, including but not limited to, the change of a business address, the substitution of a different Federal, State or local government agency contact, or an extension of less than 30 days, parties to the agreement may memorialize the minor modification in a letter from BOEM to the parties indicating the request has been granted.

(a) The Director will terminate any agreement issued under this part upon proof that it was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation, after notice and an opportunity to be heard has been afforded to the parties of the agreement.

(b) The Director may immediately suspend and subsequently terminate any agreement issued under this part when:

(1) There is noncompliance with the agreement, pursuant to § 583.330 (a); or

(2) It is necessary for reasons of national security or defense; or

(3) The Director determines that:

(i) Continued activity under the agreement would cause serious 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;

(ii) The threat of harm or damage will not disappear or decrease to an acceptable extent within a reasonable period of time; and

(iii) The advantages of termination outweigh the advantages of continuing the agreement.

(c) The Director will immediately notify the parties to the agreement of the suspension or termination. The Director will also mail a letter to the parties to the agreement at their record post office address with notice of any suspension or termination and the cause for such action.

(d) In the event that BOEM terminates an agreement under this section, none of the parties to the agreement will be entitled to compensation as a result of expenses or lost revenues that may result from the termination.