Notice of Availability of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program Record of Decision, 21648 [E9-10676]
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21648
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 88 / Friday, May 8, 2009 / Notices
Dated: May 4, 2009.
Helen M. Golde,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9–10821 Filed 5–7–09; 8:45 am]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XO84
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
Small Takes of Marine Mammals
Incidental to Specified Activities;
Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to
Construction and Operation of a
Liquefied Natural Gas Facility off
Massachusetts
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XO92
Notice of Availability of the Marine
Mammal Health and Stranding
Response Program Record of Decision
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of
Record of Decision.
SUMMARY: The National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the
availability of the Record of Decision
(ROD) for the Marine Mammal Health
and Stranding Response Program
(MMHSRP). This ROD announces
NMFS’ decisions for implementing the
MMHSRP. Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and
implementing regulations, NMFS
prepared a Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement (PEIS) that evaluated
the potential environmental and
socioeconomic effects associated with
alternatives for the MMHSRP’s
activities.
Comments or questions
regarding the ROD can be sent to David
Cottingham, Chief, Marine Mammal and
Sea Turtle Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13635, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
ADDRESSES:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sarah Howlett, Fishery Biologist, NMFS,
at (301) 713–2322; facsimile at (301)
427–2522.
A copy of
the ROD and the Final PEIS are
available at: https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
pr/health/eis.htm.
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: May 1, 2009.
Katy M. Vincent,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9–10676 Filed 5–7–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE S
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19:00 May 07, 2009
Jkt 217001
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental
harassment authorization; request for
comments and information.
NMFS received an
application from Neptune LNG, L.L.C.
(Neptune) for take of marine mammals,
by Level B harassment, incidental to
construction and operation of an
offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG)
facility in Massachusetts Bay. Under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA), NMFS is requesting comments
on its proposal to issue an incidental
harassment authorization (IHA) to
Neptune to incidentally take, by
harassment, small numbers of several
species of marine mammals during
construction and operations of the LNG
facility for a period of 1 year.
DATES: Comments and information must
be received no later than June 8, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the
application should be addressed to: P.
Michael Payne, Chief, Permits,
Conservation, and Education Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD
20910–3225. The mailbox address for
providing email comments is PR1.0648–
XO84@noaa.gov. Comments sent via
email, including all attachments, must
not exceed a 10–megabyte file size. A
copy of the application containing a list
of references used in this document may
be obtained by writing to this address,
by telephoning the contact listed below
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT)
or online at: https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
pr/permits/incidental.htm#applications.
Documents cited in this notice may be
viewed, by appointment, during regular
business hours, at the aforementioned
address.
Instructions: All comments received
are a part of the public record and will
generally be posted to https://
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/
incidental.htm#applications without
change. All Personal Identifying
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00030
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Information (for example, name,
address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by
the commenter may be publicly
accessible. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
The Maritime Administration
(MARAD) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
Final Environmental Impact Statement
(Final EIS) on the Neptune LNG
Deepwater Port License Application is
available for viewing at https://
www.regulations.gov by entering the
search words ‘‘Neptune LNG.’’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Candace Nachman, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, (301) 713–2289 ext.
156.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the
MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct
the Secretary of Commerce to allow,
upon request, the incidental, but not
intentional taking of small numbers of
marine mammals by U.S. citizens who
engage in a specified activity (other than
commercial fishing) within a specified
geographical region if certain findings
are made and either regulations are
issued or, if the taking is limited to
harassment, notice of a proposed
authorization is provided to the public
for review.
Authorization for incidental takings
may be granted if NMFS finds that the
taking will have a negligible impact on
the species or stock(s), will not have an
unmitigable adverse impact on the
availability of the species or stock(s) for
subsistence uses, and if the permissible
methods of taking and requirements
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring
and reporting of such taking are set
forth.
NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible impact’’ in
50 CFR 216.103 as:
an impact resulting from the specified
activity that cannot be reasonably expected
to, and is not reasonably likely to, adversely
affect the species or stock through effects on
annual rates of recruitment or survival.
Section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA
establishes an expedited process by
which citizens of the U.S. can apply for
an authorization to incidentally take
small numbers of marine mammals by
harassment. Except for certain
categories of activities not pertinent
here, the MMPA defines ‘‘harassment’’
as:
any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance
which (i) has the potential to injure a marine
mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild
[‘‘Level A harassment’’]; or (ii) has the
potential to disturb a marine mammal or
marine mammal stock in the wild by causing
disruption of behavioral patterns, including,
but not limited to, migration, breathing,
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[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 88 (Friday, May 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 21648]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-10676]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XO92
Notice of Availability of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding
Response Program Record of Decision
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of Record of Decision.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the
availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Marine Mammal
Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP). This ROD announces
NMFS' decisions for implementing the MMHSRP. Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and implementing regulations, NMFS
prepared a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) that
evaluated the potential environmental and socioeconomic effects
associated with alternatives for the MMHSRP's activities.
ADDRESSES: Comments or questions regarding the ROD can be sent to David
Cottingham, Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Division, Office of
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West
Highway, Room 13635, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarah Howlett, Fishery Biologist,
NMFS, at (301) 713-2322; facsimile at (301) 427-2522.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A copy of the ROD and the Final PEIS are
available at: https://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/eis.htm.
Dated: May 1, 2009.
Katy M. Vincent,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-10676 Filed 5-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE S
