Notice of Permit Modification Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, 7936-7937 [2019-03870]

Download as PDF 7936 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 43 / Tuesday, March 5, 2019 / Notices NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Notice of Permit Modification Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 National Science Foundation. Notice of permit modification request received and permit issued. AGENCY: ACTION: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a notice of requests to modify permits issued to conduct activities regulated and permits issued under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act in the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of a requested permit modification and permit issued. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703– 292–8224; email: ACApermits@nsf.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation (NSF), as directed by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541, 45 CFR 671), as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has developed regulations for the establishment of a permit system for various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and certain geographic areas requiring special protection. 1. NSF issued a permit (ACA 2018– 027) to Bradford Clement on January 2, 2018. The issued permit allows the permit holder to conduct activities associated with conducting four International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean waters. The permit holder is permitted to release or potentially release beacon weights, drilling mud, rotary core barrel coring bits, free fall funnels/re-entry cones, borehole casing, wiper pigs, and small amounts of fluorescent microspheres as a result of the normal operations of the JOIDES Resolution ocean drilling ship. Other standard hardware lowered below or over the side of the vessel would be retrieved, but may be subject to unintentional release. Now the applicant proposes a permit modification to add the use of perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs), which are nontoxic and inert, to facilitate microbiological analyses of the cores. PFTs would be introduced into the drilling process by pumping them into the drilling fluid at a constant concentration of 1 mg/L. PFT use would be conducted on select holes or during amozie on DSK9F9SC42PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:54 Mar 04, 2019 Jkt 247001 parts of the coring process as dictated by the science party. PFTs used would be perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PMCH) or perfluoromethyldecalin (PFMD) depending on availability and/or preference of the science party. The Environmental Officer has reviewed the modification request and has determined that the amendment is not a material change to the permit, and it will have a less than a minor or transitory impact. Dates of Permitted Activities: December 21, 2018–July 20, 2019. The permit modification was issued on December 21, 2018. 2. NSF issued a permit (ACA 2015– 011) to Ari Friedlaender on December 3, 2014. The issued permit allows the permit holder to take biopsy samples and photographs for identification of humpback (n=200 biopsy & photo-ID), Antarctic minke (n=50 biopsy; 200 photo-ID), killer (n=50; 200 photo-ID), and Arnoux’s beaked (n=50; 200 photoID) whales in the Southern Ocean. The permit also allowed for 10 satellitetagging takes of humpback whales. A modification to this permit, dated December 31, 2015, allowed the permit holder to increase the number of satellite-tagging takes of humpback whales to 20 and to add 10 dart tag takes and 20 suction cup tag takes for both humpbacks and Antarctic minke whales. Another modification, dated March 27, 2018, allowed increased biopsy takes to 250 for all four whale species listed on the original permit. Of those 250 biopsy takes, 50 would be associated with approaches that would also include tagging and the remaining 200 biopsy takes would occur during approaches that do not involve tagging. The modification also increased the number of dart tag takes of humpback whales (from 10 to 30) and Antarctic minke whales (from 10 to 20) and increase the number of suction cup tagging takes of Antarctic minke whales from 20 to 30. In addition, the permit holder was allowed takes for dart tagging (n=10) and suction cup tagging (n=40) of Arnoux’s beaked whales as well as 50 suction cup tagging takes for killer whales. Finally, the permit holder added southern right whales to his ACA permit and is requesting 250 biopsy takes, 200 photo-ID takes, and 50 suction cup tagging takes for this species. Now, the permit holder has requested an extension of the permit expiration date with the new expiry date of March 31, 2019. This ACA permit modification would be consistent with the expiration date of the National Marine Fisheries Service Permit No. 14809–03 on which PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 the ACA permit holder is an approved Co-Investigator. The Environmental Officer has reviewed the modification request and has determined that the amendment is not a material change to the permit, and it will have a less than a minor or transitory impact. The permit holder is hereby authorized to conduct permitted activities until March 31, 2019. Please note that the permit holder sought and was granted this expiration date extension in December 2018, prior to the original permit expiration of December 31, 2018. As such, there was no lapse in permitting of allowed activities. The formal issuance of this modification was delayed by the lapse in federal government appropriations and completed upon resumption of government operations on January 28, 2019. Dates of Permitted Activities: January 1–March 31, 2019. The permit modification was issued on January 28, 2019. 3. NSF issued a waste management permit to Brandon Harvey, Director, Expedition Operations, Polar Latitudes, Inc. on November 2, 2017. Under that permit (ACA #2018–015), Polar Latitudes was permitted to conduct waste management activities associated with coastal camping and operating remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) In the Antarctic Peninsula region. Coastal overnight camping of no more than 30 campers and two expedition staff for a maximum of 10 hours ashore. Camping must be away from vegetated sites and at least 150 meters from wildlife concentrations or lakes, protected areas, historical sites, and scientific stations. The permit holder engages experienced pilots to fly small, battery-operated, remotely controlled quadcopter equipped with cameras to capture aerial footage for commercial and educational uses. The permit expires March 30, 2022. On September 4, 2018, Polar Latitudes provided NSF an update (attached) based on activities planned for the 2018–2019 field season. The activities are the same or similar as those detailed in the original permit. Hayley Shephard now holds the position of Director of Expedition Operations. In addition, coastal camping should no longer occur in close proximity to Almirante Brown/ Brown Base. Now the permit holder is requesting a modification of the permit to cover accidental releases that may result from the conduct of whale-tagging and environmental sampling research activities aboard the MS ISLAND SKY, March 5–12, 2019. The research, led by Daniel Zitterbart as part of an E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM 05MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 43 / Tuesday, March 5, 2019 / Notices expedition within an expedition, would involve equipment including whale tags, a carbon-fiber pole, an echosounder, a small tow net, a CTD instrument, and a hydrophone. The intent would be to deploy and retrieve all equipment during the course of the research. The Environmental Officer has reviewed the modification request and has determined that the amendment is not a material change to the permit, and it will have a less than a minor or transitory impact. The permit holder is hereby authorized to conduct waste management activities associated with whale-tagging research on the MS ISLAND SKY in March 2019. Dates of Permitted Activities: March 5–12, 2019. The permit modification was issued on February 25, 2019. Erika N. Davis, Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs. [FR Doc. 2019–03870 Filed 3–4–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Notice of Permits Issued Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 Erika N. Davis, Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs. [FR Doc. 2019–03871 Filed 3–4–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7555–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Subcommittee on Planning and Procedures The ACRS Subcommittee on Planning and Procedures will hold a meeting on March 7, 2019, at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Two White Flint North, Conference Room T3D50, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The meeting will be open to public attendance. The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: AGENCY: Thursday, March 7, 2019—11:30 a.m. Until 12:30 p.m. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish notice of permits issued under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. This is the required notice. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703– 292–8030; email: ACApermits@nsf.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 24, 2018, the National Science Foundation published a notice in the Federal Register of permit applications received. The permits were issued on December 3 and 21, 2018, respectively, to: 1. Mark Salvatore—Permit No. 2019– 010 2. Zicheng Yu—Permit No. 2019–009 On November 27, 2018, the National Science Foundation published a notice in the Federal Register of a permit application received. The permit was issued on January 28, 2019 to: 1. Robin West, Seabourn Cruise Line, Ltd.—Permit No. 2019–015 On December 31, 2018, the National Science Foundation published a notice in the Federal Register of permit applications received. The permits were The Subcommittee will discuss proposed ACRS activities and related matters. The Subcommittee will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the Full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official (DFO), Quynh Nguyen (Telephone 301–415–5844 or Email: Quynh.Nguyen@nrc.gov) five days prior to the meeting, if possible, so that arrangements can be made. Thirty-five hard copies of each presentation or handout should be provided to the DFO thirty minutes before the meeting. In addition, one electronic copy of each presentation should be emailed to the DFO one day before the meeting. If an electronic copy cannot be provided within this timeframe, presenters should provide the DFO with a CD containing each presentation at least thirty minutes before the meeting. Electronic recordings will be permitted only during those portions of the meeting that are open to the public. The public bridgeline number for the meeting is 866–822–3032, passcode 8272423. Detailed procedures for the conduct of and participation in ACRS meetings were published in the Federal National Science Foundation. ACTION: Notice of permits issued. SUMMARY: amozie on DSK9F9SC42PROD with NOTICES issued on February 6 and 15, 2019, respectively, to: 1. Michelle Shero—Permit No. 2019– 014 2. Kim Bernard—Permit No. 2019–013 VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:54 Mar 04, 2019 Jkt 247001 PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 7937 Register on December 7, 2018 (83 FR 26506). Information regarding changes to the agenda, whether the meeting has been canceled or rescheduled, and the time allotted to present oral statements can be obtained by contacting the identified DFO. Moreover, in view of the possibility that the schedule for ACRS meetings may be adjusted by the Chairman as necessary to facilitate the conduct of the meeting, persons planning to attend should check with the DFO if such rescheduling would result in a major inconvenience. If attending this meeting, please enter through the One White Flint North building, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. After registering with Security, please contact Paula Dorm (Telephone 301–415–7799) to be escorted to the meeting room. Dated: February 27, 2019. Mark Banks, Chief, Technical Support Branch, Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. [FR Doc. 2019–03897 Filed 3–4–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2019–0044] Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses and Combined Licenses Involving Proposed No Significant Hazards Considerations and Containing Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information and Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: License amendment request; notice of opportunity to comment, request a hearing, and petition for leave to intervene; order imposing procedures. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of two amendment requests. The amendment requests are for Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 and Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2. For each amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that they involve no significant hazards consideration. Because each amendment request contains sensitive unclassified nonsafeguards information (SUNSI) an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SUNSI for contention preparation. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\05MRN1.SGM 05MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 5, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7936-7937]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03870]



[[Page 7936]]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Modification Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permit modification request received and permit 
issued.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of requests to modify permits issued to conduct activities 
regulated and permits issued under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 
1978. NSF has published regulations under the Antarctic Conservation 
Act in the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of 
a requested permit modification and permit issued.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower 
Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-292-8224; email: ACApermits@nsf.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation (NSF), as 
directed by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541, 45 
CFR 671), as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation 
Act of 1996, has developed regulations for the establishment of a 
permit system for various activities in Antarctica and designation of 
certain animals and certain geographic areas requiring special 
protection.
    1. NSF issued a permit (ACA 2018-027) to Bradford Clement on 
January 2, 2018. The issued permit allows the permit holder to conduct 
activities associated with conducting four International Ocean 
Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions in the Antarctic and Southern 
Ocean waters. The permit holder is permitted to release or potentially 
release beacon weights, drilling mud, rotary core barrel coring bits, 
free fall funnels/re-entry cones, borehole casing, wiper pigs, and 
small amounts of fluorescent microspheres as a result of the normal 
operations of the JOIDES Resolution ocean drilling ship. Other standard 
hardware lowered below or over the side of the vessel would be 
retrieved, but may be subject to unintentional release.
    Now the applicant proposes a permit modification to add the use of 
perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs), which are nontoxic and inert, to 
facilitate microbiological analyses of the cores. PFTs would be 
introduced into the drilling process by pumping them into the drilling 
fluid at a constant concentration of 1 mg/L. PFT use would be conducted 
on select holes or during parts of the coring process as dictated by 
the science party. PFTs used would be perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PMCH) 
or perfluoromethyldecalin (PFMD) depending on availability and/or 
preference of the science party. The Environmental Officer has reviewed 
the modification request and has determined that the amendment is not a 
material change to the permit, and it will have a less than a minor or 
transitory impact.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: December 21, 2018-July 20, 2019.
    The permit modification was issued on December 21, 2018.
    2. NSF issued a permit (ACA 2015-011) to Ari Friedlaender on 
December 3, 2014. The issued permit allows the permit holder to take 
biopsy samples and photographs for identification of humpback (n=200 
biopsy & photo-ID), Antarctic minke (n=50 biopsy; 200 photo-ID), killer 
(n=50; 200 photo-ID), and Arnoux's beaked (n=50; 200 photo-ID) whales 
in the Southern Ocean. The permit also allowed for 10 satellite-tagging 
takes of humpback whales.
    A modification to this permit, dated December 31, 2015, allowed the 
permit holder to increase the number of satellite-tagging takes of 
humpback whales to 20 and to add 10 dart tag takes and 20 suction cup 
tag takes for both humpbacks and Antarctic minke whales.
    Another modification, dated March 27, 2018, allowed increased 
biopsy takes to 250 for all four whale species listed on the original 
permit. Of those 250 biopsy takes, 50 would be associated with 
approaches that would also include tagging and the remaining 200 biopsy 
takes would occur during approaches that do not involve tagging. The 
modification also increased the number of dart tag takes of humpback 
whales (from 10 to 30) and Antarctic minke whales (from 10 to 20) and 
increase the number of suction cup tagging takes of Antarctic minke 
whales from 20 to 30. In addition, the permit holder was allowed takes 
for dart tagging (n=10) and suction cup tagging (n=40) of Arnoux's 
beaked whales as well as 50 suction cup tagging takes for killer 
whales. Finally, the permit holder added southern right whales to his 
ACA permit and is requesting 250 biopsy takes, 200 photo-ID takes, and 
50 suction cup tagging takes for this species.
    Now, the permit holder has requested an extension of the permit 
expiration date with the new expiry date of March 31, 2019. This ACA 
permit modification would be consistent with the expiration date of the 
National Marine Fisheries Service Permit No. 14809-03 on which the ACA 
permit holder is an approved Co-Investigator.
    The Environmental Officer has reviewed the modification request and 
has determined that the amendment is not a material change to the 
permit, and it will have a less than a minor or transitory impact. The 
permit holder is hereby authorized to conduct permitted activities 
until March 31, 2019.
    Please note that the permit holder sought and was granted this 
expiration date extension in December 2018, prior to the original 
permit expiration of December 31, 2018. As such, there was no lapse in 
permitting of allowed activities. The formal issuance of this 
modification was delayed by the lapse in federal government 
appropriations and completed upon resumption of government operations 
on January 28, 2019.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: January 1-March 31, 2019.
    The permit modification was issued on January 28, 2019.
    3. NSF issued a waste management permit to Brandon Harvey, 
Director, Expedition Operations, Polar Latitudes, Inc. on November 2, 
2017. Under that permit (ACA #2018-015), Polar Latitudes was permitted 
to conduct waste management activities associated with coastal camping 
and operating remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) In the Antarctic 
Peninsula region. Coastal overnight camping of no more than 30 campers 
and two expedition staff for a maximum of 10 hours ashore. Camping must 
be away from vegetated sites and at least 150 meters from wildlife 
concentrations or lakes, protected areas, historical sites, and 
scientific stations. The permit holder engages experienced pilots to 
fly small, battery-operated, remotely controlled quadcopter equipped 
with cameras to capture aerial footage for commercial and educational 
uses. The permit expires March 30, 2022.
    On September 4, 2018, Polar Latitudes provided NSF an update 
(attached) based on activities planned for the 2018-2019 field season. 
The activities are the same or similar as those detailed in the 
original permit. Hayley Shephard now holds the position of Director of 
Expedition Operations. In addition, coastal camping should no longer 
occur in close proximity to Almirante Brown/Brown Base.
    Now the permit holder is requesting a modification of the permit to 
cover accidental releases that may result from the conduct of whale-
tagging and environmental sampling research activities aboard the MS 
ISLAND SKY, March 5-12, 2019. The research, led by Daniel Zitterbart as 
part of an

[[Page 7937]]

expedition within an expedition, would involve equipment including 
whale tags, a carbon-fiber pole, an echosounder, a small tow net, a CTD 
instrument, and a hydrophone. The intent would be to deploy and 
retrieve all equipment during the course of the research.
    The Environmental Officer has reviewed the modification request and 
has determined that the amendment is not a material change to the 
permit, and it will have a less than a minor or transitory impact. The 
permit holder is hereby authorized to conduct waste management 
activities associated with whale-tagging research on the MS ISLAND SKY 
in March 2019.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: March 5-12, 2019.
    The permit modification was issued on February 25, 2019.

Erika N. Davis,
Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2019-03870 Filed 3-4-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P
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