Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, 751-752 [2024-00007]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 4 / Friday, January 5, 2024 / Notices
prior to the meeting. Comments
received after that date and time will be
distributed to the members but may not
be considered during the meeting.
Comments and statements will be
posted on the IAC website (https://
www.trade.gov/selectusa-investmentadvisory-council) without change,
including any business or personal
information provided such as it
includes names, addresses, email
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including attachments and other
supporting materials, are part of the
public record and subject to public
disclosure. You should submit only
information that you wish to make
publicly available.
Copies of the meeting minutes will be
available within 90 days of the meeting
date.
Jasjit Kalra,
Executive Director, SelectUSA.
[FR Doc. 2024–00022 Filed 1–4–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and
Technology
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Information Collection Activities;
Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) Program Application
Cover Sheet
The Department of Commerce will
submit the following information
collection request to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, on or after the date of publication
of this notice. We invite the general
public and other Federal agencies to
comment on proposed, and continuing
information collections, which helps us
assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. Public
comments were previously requested
via the Federal Register on October 4,
2023 during a 60-day comment period.
This notice allows for an additional 30
days for public comments.
Agency: National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST),
Commerce.
Title: Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) Program Application
Cover Sheet.
OMB Control Number 0693–0072.
Form Number(s): None.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:32 Jan 04, 2024
Jkt 262001
Type of Request: Extension of a
current information collection.
Number of Respondents: 138.
Average Hours per Response: 30
minutes.
Burden Hours: 69 hours.
Needs and Uses: The information
collected in the Cover Sheet provides
identifying information and
demographic data for use in NIST’s
annual report to the SBA on the
program. The technical abstract is used
in prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse
by providing a method to compare
similar applications to other agency
SBIR programs. The abstract and
potential commercial applications of
successful applicants are posted on the
agency website.
Affected Public: Applicants to the
NIST SBIR Program.
Frequency: Annually.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
This information collection request
may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to view the
Department of Commerce collections
currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be
submitted within 30 days of the
publication of this notice on the
following website www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain. Find this
particular information collection by
selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day
Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or
by using the search function and
entering either the title of the collection
or the OMB Control Number 0693–0072.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs,
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024–00037 Filed 1–4–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD610]
Taking and Importing Marine
Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to Geophysical Surveys
Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the
Gulf of Mexico
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of modification to
expiration date of letter of authorization.
AGENCY:
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
751
In accordance with the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA), as amended, its implementing
regulations, and NMFS’ MMPA
Regulations for Taking Marine
Mammals Incidental to Geophysical
Surveys Related to Oil and Gas
Activities in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM),
notification is hereby given that NMFS
has modified the expiration date of a
Letter of Authorization (LOA) issued to
LLOG Exploration Offshore, L.L.C.
(LLOG) for the take of marine mammals
incidental to geophysical survey activity
in the GOM.
DATES: This LOA is effective through
December 31, 2026.
ADDRESSES: The LOA, LOA request, and
supporting documentation are available
online at: https://www.fisheries.
noaa.gov/marine-mammal-protection/
issued-letters-authorization-oil-and-gasindustry-geophysical-survey. In case of
problems accessing these documents,
please call the contact listed below (FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jenna Harlacher, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
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, a notice of a proposed
authorization is provided to the public
for review.
An authorization for incidental
takings 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.
Except with respect to certain
activities not pertinent here, the MMPA
defines ‘‘harassment’’ as: any act of
pursuit, torment, or annoyance which:
E:\FR\FM\05JAN1.SGM
05JAN1
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
752
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 4 / Friday, January 5, 2024 / Notices
(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).
On January 19, 2021, we issued a final
rule with regulations to govern the
unintentional taking of marine
mammals incidental to geophysical
survey activities conducted by oil and
gas industry operators, and those
persons authorized to conduct activities
on their behalf (collectively ‘‘industry
operators’’), in U.S. waters of the GOM
over the course of 5 years (86 FR 5322,
January 19, 2021). The rule was based
on our findings that the total taking
from the specified activities over the 5year period will have a negligible
impact on the affected species or
stock(s) of marine mammals and will
not have an unmitigable adverse impact
on the availability of those species or
stocks for subsistence uses. The rule
became effective on April 19, 2021.
Our regulations at 50 CFR 217.180 et
seq. allow for the issuance of LOAs to
industry operators for the incidental
take of marine mammals during
geophysical survey activities and
prescribe the permissible methods of
taking and other means of effecting the
least practicable adverse impact on
marine mammal species or stocks and
their habitat (often referred to as
mitigation), as well as requirements
pertaining to the monitoring and
reporting of such taking. Under 50 CFR
217.186(e), issuance of an LOA shall be
based on a determination that the level
of taking will be consistent with the
findings made for the total taking
allowable under these regulations and a
determination that the amount of take
authorized under the LOA is of no more
than small numbers.
NMFS issued an LOA to LLOG on
January 20, 2022, for the take of marine
mammals incidental to the following
vertical seismic profile (VSP) survey
types: Zero Offset, Offset, Walk Away,
Salt Proximity and/or Check Shots after
reaching total depth of any of the
proposed wells operated by LLOG
within the Keathley Canyon Area,
effective March 1, 2022 through
December 31, 2022. Please see the
Federal Register notice of issuance (87
FR 3084, January 20, 2022) for
additional detail regarding the LOA and
the survey activity.
LLOG subsequently requested
modification of the December 31, 2022,
expiration date to December 31, 2023,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:32 Jan 04, 2024
Jkt 262001
due to survey delays and NMFS
modified the LOA accordingly (87 FR
41670, July 13, 2022). More recently,
LLOG informed NMFS that the survey
would be further delayed, and requested
a second modification to the expiration
date of the LOA (from December 31,
2023, to December 31, 2026) to
accommodate the delays. There are no
other changes to LLOG’s planned
activity. Since issuance of the LOA, no
survey work has occurred.
Authorization
NMFS has changed the expiration
date of the LOA from December 31,
2023, to December 31, 2026. There are
no other changes to the LOA as
described in the January 20, 2022,
Federal Register notice of issuance (87
FR 3084): the specified survey activity;
estimated take by incidental
harassment; and small numbers analysis
and determination remain unchanged
and are incorporated here by reference.
Dated: December 27, 2023.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–00007 Filed 1–4–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Socioeconomics of Coral
Reef Conservation
National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
AGENCY:
Notice of information collection,
request for comment.
ACTION:
The Department of
Commerce, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), invites the general public and
other Federal agencies to comment on
proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the
impact of our information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. This notice pertains to
a revision and extension of the
approved collection of information for
Socioeconomics of Coral Reef
Conservation. The purpose of this notice
is to allow for 60 days of public
comment preceding submission of the
collection to OMB.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
on or before March 5, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648–
0646 in the subject line of your
comments. Written comments NOAA
receives are considered part of the
public record, and the entirety of the
comment, including the name of the
commenter, email address, attachments,
and other supporting materials, will be
publicly accessible. Sensitive personally
identifiable information, such as
account numbers and Social Security
numbers or Confidential Business
Information, should not be included
with the comment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection
activities should be directed to Mary
Allen, NOAA Office for Coastal
Management, Coral Reef Conservation
Program, 1305 East-West Highway,
Silver Spring, MD 20910, Telephone
(240) 528–8151 or Mary.Allen@
noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
DATES:
I. Abstract
This request is for revision and
extension to an approved collection of
information, OMB Control Number
0648–0646, under the Paperwork
Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.,
and implementing regulations at 5 CFR
part 1320. This previously-approved
information collection assists NOAA in
the administration of the National Coral
Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP),
which was established by the NOAA
Coral Reef Conservation Program
(CRCP) under the authority of the Coral
Reef Conservation Act of 2000, 16
U.S.C. 6401 et seq. This act authorizes
CRCP to, among other things, conserve
and restore the condition of United
States coral reef ecosystems and
enhance public awareness,
understanding, and appreciation of
coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems
and their ecological and socioeconomic
value. In accordance with its mission
goals, NOAA developed a survey to
track relevant information regarding
each jurisdiction’s population, social
and economic structure, the benefits of
coral reefs and related habitats, the
impacts of society on coral reefs, and
the impacts of coral management on
communities. The survey is repeated in
each jurisdiction every five to seven
years in order to provide longitudinal
E:\FR\FM\05JAN1.SGM
05JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 4 (Friday, January 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 751-752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00007]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD610]
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in
the Gulf of Mexico
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of modification to expiration date of letter of
authorization.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as
amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for
Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil
and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), notification is hereby
given that NMFS has modified the expiration date of a Letter of
Authorization (LOA) issued to LLOG Exploration Offshore, L.L.C. (LLOG)
for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey
activity in the GOM.
DATES: This LOA is effective through December 31, 2026.
ADDRESSES: The LOA, LOA request, and supporting documentation are
available online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/marine-mammal-protection/issued-letters-authorization-oil-and-gas-industry-geophysical-survey. In case of problems accessing these documents,
please call the contact listed below (FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jenna Harlacher, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427-8401.
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, a notice of a proposed authorization is
provided to the public for review.
An authorization for incidental takings 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.
Except with respect to certain activities not pertinent here, the
MMPA defines ``harassment'' as: any act of pursuit, torment, or
annoyance which:
[[Page 752]]
(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).
On January 19, 2021, we issued a final rule with regulations to
govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to
geophysical survey activities conducted by oil and gas industry
operators, and those persons authorized to conduct activities on their
behalf (collectively ``industry operators''), in U.S. waters of the GOM
over the course of 5 years (86 FR 5322, January 19, 2021). The rule was
based on our findings that the total taking from the specified
activities over the 5-year period will have a negligible impact on the
affected species or stock(s) of marine mammals and will not have an
unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of those species or
stocks for subsistence uses. The rule became effective on April 19,
2021.
Our regulations at 50 CFR 217.180 et seq. allow for the issuance of
LOAs to industry operators for the incidental take of marine mammals
during geophysical survey activities and prescribe the permissible
methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable
adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat
(often referred to as mitigation), as well as requirements pertaining
to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. Under 50 CFR
217.186(e), issuance of an LOA shall be based on a determination that
the level of taking will be consistent with the findings made for the
total taking allowable under these regulations and a determination that
the amount of take authorized under the LOA is of no more than small
numbers.
NMFS issued an LOA to LLOG on January 20, 2022, for the take of
marine mammals incidental to the following vertical seismic profile
(VSP) survey types: Zero Offset, Offset, Walk Away, Salt Proximity and/
or Check Shots after reaching total depth of any of the proposed wells
operated by LLOG within the Keathley Canyon Area, effective March 1,
2022 through December 31, 2022. Please see the Federal Register notice
of issuance (87 FR 3084, January 20, 2022) for additional detail
regarding the LOA and the survey activity.
LLOG subsequently requested modification of the December 31, 2022,
expiration date to December 31, 2023, due to survey delays and NMFS
modified the LOA accordingly (87 FR 41670, July 13, 2022). More
recently, LLOG informed NMFS that the survey would be further delayed,
and requested a second modification to the expiration date of the LOA
(from December 31, 2023, to December 31, 2026) to accommodate the
delays. There are no other changes to LLOG's planned activity. Since
issuance of the LOA, no survey work has occurred.
Authorization
NMFS has changed the expiration date of the LOA from December 31,
2023, to December 31, 2026. There are no other changes to the LOA as
described in the January 20, 2022, Federal Register notice of issuance
(87 FR 3084): the specified survey activity; estimated take by
incidental harassment; and small numbers analysis and determination
remain unchanged and are incorporated here by reference.
Dated: December 27, 2023.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-00007 Filed 1-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
