Request for Public Comment on Report on Microfiber Pollution, 56633-56634 [2022-19939]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 178 / Thursday, September 15, 2022 / Notices
cumulatively have the potential for
significant impacts on the quality of the
human environment and for which we
have not identified any extraordinary
circumstances that would preclude this
categorical exclusion.
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (ESA: 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) requires that each Federal
agency insure that any action it
authorizes, funds, or carries out is not
likely to jeopardize the continued
existence of any endangered or
threatened species or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of
designated critical habitat. To ensure
ESA compliance for the issuance of
IHAs, NMFS consults internally
whenever we propose to authorize take
for endangered or threatened species.
However, no incidental take of ESAlisted species is authorized or expected
to result from this activity. Therefore,
NMFS has determined that formal
consultation under section 7 of the ESA
is not required for this action.
Authorization
NMFS has issued an IHA to CDFW for
restoration activities at the Seal Bend
Restoration Area in Elkhorn Slough
(Monterey County, CA) from September
16, 2022, through September 15, 2023.
All previously described mitigation,
monitoring, and reporting requirements
from the initial 2021 IHA are
incorporated.
AGENCY:
Background
The IMDCC is a multi-agency body
responsible for coordinating a
comprehensive program of marine
debris research and activities among
Federal agencies, in cooperation and
coordination with non-governmental
organizations, industry, academia,
States, Tribes, and other nations, as
appropriate. Representatives meet to
share information, assess and promote
best management practices, and
coordinate the Federal Government’s
efforts to address marine debris. The
IMDCC was established in 2006 by the
Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1954). The
NOAA representative serves as the
Chairperson of the Committee.
NOAA’s Marine Debris
Program and Environmental Protection
Agency’s (EPA) Trash Free Waters
Program, on behalf of the Interagency
Marine Debris Coordinating Committee
(IMDCC), is soliciting public comments
regarding the draft Report on Microfiber
Pollution. The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of
Why develop the report on microfiber
pollution?
Section 132 of the Save Our Seas 2.0
Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116–224) requires
the IMDCC to complete a report on
microfiber pollution that includes: (1) a
definition of microfiber; (2) an
assessment of the sources, prevalence,
and causes of microfiber pollution; (3) a
recommendation for a standardized
methodology to measure and estimate
the prevalence of microfiber pollution;
Dated: September 9, 2022.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022–19945 Filed 9–14–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Request for Public Comment on
Report on Microfiber Pollution
National Ocean Service (NOS),
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of
Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
SUMMARY:
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
2020 requires the IMDCC to complete a
report on microfiber pollution. This
Report will provide Congress with an
overview of the microfiber pollution
issue, while also outlining a path
forward for Federal agencies, in
partnership with other stakeholders, to
address this problem.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before October 17, 2022, 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Time (ET).
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted by the following method:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Submit electronic
comments via the Federal eRulemaking
Portal and search for Docket Number
NOAA–NOS–2022–0061.
Instructions: All comments received
are a part of the public record. All
personal identifying information (for
example, name and address) voluntarily
submitted by the commenter may be
publicly accessible. Do not submit
confidential business information or
otherwise sensitive or protected
information. NOAA will accept
anonymous comments (enter N/A in the
required fields to remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ya’el Seid-Green, Executive Secretariat,
IMDCC, Marine Debris Program; Phone
240–533–0399; Email yael.seid-green@
noaa.gov or visit the IMDCC website at
https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/IMDCC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:56 Sep 14, 2022
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56633
(4) recommendations for reducing
microfiber pollution; and (5) a plan for
how Federal agencies, in partnership
with other stakeholders, can lead on
opportunities to reduce microfiber
pollution during the 5-year period
beginning on the date of the Act’s
enactment. This Report will provide
Congress with an overview of the
microfiber pollution issue, while also
outlining a path forward for Federal
agencies, in partnership with other
stakeholders, to address this problem.
Microfibers have been found almost
everywhere that scientists look,
including in surface waters and
throughout the water column, sea ice,
deep-sea and coastal sediments,
terrestrial soils, and indoor and outdoor
air and dust. These fibers are released
from clothing, carpets, cigarette butts,
and other fiber-based products and are
one of the most pervasive types of
microplastics found in many
environmental compartments. However,
additional research is needed to
improve our understanding of
microfiber sources, pathways, fates, and
impacts so that effective mitigation
strategies and prevention measures can
be developed. Microfibers are a highly
complex and diverse type of
contaminant and research on the subject
is particularly challenging due to a lack
of standard definitions and research
methods, which make comparisons
across studies difficult. In the course of
addressing the five requirements
specified in Section 132 of the Save Our
Seas 2.0 Act, this report also provides
an in-depth review of these topics,
recommendations for addressing
research data gaps, and solutions to
mitigate this source of pollution.
Summary of the Report on Microfiber
Pollution
NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and
the EPA’s Trash Free Waters Program
co-led the development of this report on
behalf of the IMDCC, with support from
the consulting firm, Materevolve. The
draft report is approximately 90 pages in
length. Section 1 of the report provides
an introduction to the report and
microfiber pollution issue. Section 2
focuses on establishing a proposed
definition of ‘microfiber’. This section
summarizes existing definitions from
the environmental science, textile
industry, and government sectors, and
explains the issues that complicate
efforts to define the term ‘microfiber’. It
proposes an initial definition of
microfiber that can serve as a starting
point for building consensus around a
standard definition that could be
adopted by the United States
Government. Section 3 of the report
E:\FR\FM\15SEN1.SGM
15SEN1
56634
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 178 / Thursday, September 15, 2022 / Notices
covers an assessment of the sources,
pathways, and prevalence of microfiber
pollution in the environment.
Environmental and human health
impacts from microfiber pollution are
also discussed. Section 4 covers the
challenges and data gaps associated
with creating standardized
methodologies to measure and estimate
the prevalence of microfiber pollution
and recommendations for overcoming
these challenges and data gaps. Section
5 provides an overview of current
solutions for addressing the issue of
microfiber pollution. Section 6 covers
key research needs and
recommendations. Section 7 contains a
plan for how Federal agencies, in
partnership with other stakeholders, can
lead on opportunities to reduce
microfiber pollution over a 5-year
period. This plan was developed in
collaboration with representatives from
twelve Federal agencies.
How Comments Will Be Addressed
NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and
EPA’s Trash Free Waters Program, on
behalf of the IMDCC, invite comments,
feedback, and recommendations on the
Report on Microfiber Pollution,
including Section 7, which contains a
plan that outlines opportunities to
reduce microfiber pollution. Following
the comment period, the feedback
provided will be reviewed and the
report will be updated as necessary. An
appendix will be added to the report
describing how comments from the
public comment period were
incorporated into the report. The final
report will be posted to https://
marinedebris.noaa.gov/our-work/
IMDCC.
Scott Lundgren,
Director, Office of Response and Restoration,
National Ocean Service, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022–19939 Filed 9–14–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–NK–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
RIN 0648–XC094
Taking and Importing Marine
Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to the CVOW–C Wind
Energy Facility Offshore of Virginia
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
AGENCY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:56 Sep 14, 2022
Jkt 256001
Notice; receipt of application for
Letter of Authorization; request for
comments and information.
ACTION:
NMFS has received a request
from the Virginia Electric and Power
Company, also known as Dominion
Energy Virginia (Dominion Energy), for
authorization to take small numbers of
marine mammals incidental to the
development of the Coastal Virginia
Offshore Wind Commercial Project
(CVOW–C) in Lease Area Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS)–A–0483 off of
Virginia over the course of 5 years
beginning on March 4, 2024. Pursuant to
regulations implementing the Marine
Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS
is announcing receipt of Dominion
Energy’s request for the development
and implementation of regulations
governing the incidental taking of
marine mammals. NMFS invites the
public to provide information,
suggestions, and comments on
Dominion Energy’s application and
request.
DATES: Comments and information must
be received no later than October 17,
2022.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the
applications should be addressed to
Jolie Harrison, Chief, Permits and
Conservation Division, Office of
Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service. Physical comments
should be sent to 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 and
electronic comments should be sent to
ITP.Potlock@noaa.gov.
Instructions: NMFS is not responsible
for comments sent by any other method,
to any other address or individual, or
received after the end of the comment
period. Comments received
electronically, including all
attachments, must not exceed a 25megabyte file size. Attachments to
electronic comments will be accepted in
Microsoft Word or Excel or Adobe PDF
file formats only. All comments
received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted online at
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/
incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act without
change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address)
voluntarily submitted by the commenter
may be publicly accessible. Do not
submit confidential business
information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kelsey Potlock, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. An
electronic copy of Dominion Energy’s
application may be obtained online at:
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/
incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act. In case
of problems accessing these documents,
please call the contact listed above.
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 (as delegated
to NMFS) 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, a notice of a
proposed authorization is provided to
the public for review.
An incidental take authorization shall
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 (where relevant), and if
the permissible methods of taking and
requirements pertaining to the
mitigation, monitoring and reporting of
such takings 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.
The MMPA states that the term ‘‘take’’
means to harass, hunt, capture, kill or
attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill
any marine mammal.
Except with respect to certain
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, nursing, breeding,
feeding, or sheltering (Level B
harassment).
Summary of Request
On February 16, 2022, NMFS received
application from Dominion Energy,
requesting authorization to take marine
mammals incidental to the development
of CVOW–C in the BOEM Lease Area
(OCS)-A–0483 Commercial Lease of
Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy
Development off of Virginia. In response
to our comments, and following
E:\FR\FM\15SEN1.SGM
15SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 178 (Thursday, September 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56633-56634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19939]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Request for Public Comment on Report on Microfiber Pollution
AGENCY: National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce (DOC).
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NOAA's Marine Debris Program and Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) Trash Free Waters Program, on behalf of the Interagency
Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC), is soliciting public
comments regarding the draft Report on Microfiber Pollution. The Save
Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 requires the IMDCC to complete a report on
microfiber pollution. This Report will provide Congress with an
overview of the microfiber pollution issue, while also outlining a path
forward for Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders,
to address this problem.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 17, 2022, 11:59
p.m. Eastern Time (ET).
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by the following method: Federal
eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Submit electronic
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal and search for Docket
Number NOAA-NOS-2022-0061.
Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public
record. All personal identifying information (for example, name and
address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly
accessible. Do not submit confidential business information or
otherwise sensitive or protected information. NOAA will accept
anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required fields to remain
anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ya'el Seid-Green, Executive
Secretariat, IMDCC, Marine Debris Program; Phone 240-533-0399; Email
[email protected] or visit the IMDCC website at https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/IMDCC.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The IMDCC is a multi-agency body responsible for coordinating a
comprehensive program of marine debris research and activities among
Federal agencies, in cooperation and coordination with non-governmental
organizations, industry, academia, States, Tribes, and other nations,
as appropriate. Representatives meet to share information, assess and
promote best management practices, and coordinate the Federal
Government's efforts to address marine debris. The IMDCC was
established in 2006 by the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. 1954). The NOAA
representative serves as the Chairperson of the Committee.
Why develop the report on microfiber pollution?
Section 132 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-224)
requires the IMDCC to complete a report on microfiber pollution that
includes: (1) a definition of microfiber; (2) an assessment of the
sources, prevalence, and causes of microfiber pollution; (3) a
recommendation for a standardized methodology to measure and estimate
the prevalence of microfiber pollution; (4) recommendations for
reducing microfiber pollution; and (5) a plan for how Federal agencies,
in partnership with other stakeholders, can lead on opportunities to
reduce microfiber pollution during the 5-year period beginning on the
date of the Act's enactment. This Report will provide Congress with an
overview of the microfiber pollution issue, while also outlining a path
forward for Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders,
to address this problem.
Microfibers have been found almost everywhere that scientists look,
including in surface waters and throughout the water column, sea ice,
deep-sea and coastal sediments, terrestrial soils, and indoor and
outdoor air and dust. These fibers are released from clothing, carpets,
cigarette butts, and other fiber-based products and are one of the most
pervasive types of microplastics found in many environmental
compartments. However, additional research is needed to improve our
understanding of microfiber sources, pathways, fates, and impacts so
that effective mitigation strategies and prevention measures can be
developed. Microfibers are a highly complex and diverse type of
contaminant and research on the subject is particularly challenging due
to a lack of standard definitions and research methods, which make
comparisons across studies difficult. In the course of addressing the
five requirements specified in Section 132 of the Save Our Seas 2.0
Act, this report also provides an in-depth review of these topics,
recommendations for addressing research data gaps, and solutions to
mitigate this source of pollution.
Summary of the Report on Microfiber Pollution
NOAA's Marine Debris Program and the EPA's Trash Free Waters
Program co-led the development of this report on behalf of the IMDCC,
with support from the consulting firm, Materevolve. The draft report is
approximately 90 pages in length. Section 1 of the report provides an
introduction to the report and microfiber pollution issue. Section 2
focuses on establishing a proposed definition of `microfiber'. This
section summarizes existing definitions from the environmental science,
textile industry, and government sectors, and explains the issues that
complicate efforts to define the term `microfiber'. It proposes an
initial definition of microfiber that can serve as a starting point for
building consensus around a standard definition that could be adopted
by the United States Government. Section 3 of the report
[[Page 56634]]
covers an assessment of the sources, pathways, and prevalence of
microfiber pollution in the environment. Environmental and human health
impacts from microfiber pollution are also discussed. Section 4 covers
the challenges and data gaps associated with creating standardized
methodologies to measure and estimate the prevalence of microfiber
pollution and recommendations for overcoming these challenges and data
gaps. Section 5 provides an overview of current solutions for
addressing the issue of microfiber pollution. Section 6 covers key
research needs and recommendations. Section 7 contains a plan for how
Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, can lead on
opportunities to reduce microfiber pollution over a 5-year period. This
plan was developed in collaboration with representatives from twelve
Federal agencies.
How Comments Will Be Addressed
NOAA's Marine Debris Program and EPA's Trash Free Waters Program,
on behalf of the IMDCC, invite comments, feedback, and recommendations
on the Report on Microfiber Pollution, including Section 7, which
contains a plan that outlines opportunities to reduce microfiber
pollution. Following the comment period, the feedback provided will be
reviewed and the report will be updated as necessary. An appendix will
be added to the report describing how comments from the public comment
period were incorporated into the report. The final report will be
posted to https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/our-work/IMDCC.
Scott Lundgren,
Director, Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-19939 Filed 9-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-NK-P
