Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to U.S. Navy Construction at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia, 18605-18606 [2024-05465]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 51 / Thursday, March 14, 2024 / Notices
implemented to make the program
compatible with current federal data
security requirements and will make it
easier for permit holders with multiple
vessel permits to manage their permits
by linking them all within a single
account. Finally, the action is revised to
remove the ability to submit an
application for an Atlantic Tunas Purse
Seine category permit, as the Atlantic
Tunas Purse Seine category was
discontinued as part of Amendment 13
to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery
Management Plan after years of
inactivity in the bluefin tuna fishery.
More information on that action can be
found in the Amendment 13 final rule
(87 FR 59966, October 3, 2022).
The burden estimates in this renewal
are also being updated to reflect
increases in the total number of permits
issued each year, and a $1 increase in
the price of HMS vessel permits to $27
per permit, due to increased costs
associated with maintaining and
executing the program.
II. Method of Collection
Method of submittal will be electronic
(online) only via the NMFS Permit
Shop.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0327.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
(request for revision and extension of a
current information collection).
Affected Public: Individuals or
households; Business or other for-profit
organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
40,400.
Estimated Time per Response:
Renewal of Atlantic Tunas Dealer
Permit application, 5 minutes; renewal
applications for the following vessel
permits—Atlantic Tunas, HMS Charter/
Headboat, HMS Angling, and Swordfish
General Commercial, 10 minutes; initial
Atlantic Tunas Dealer Permit
application, 15 minutes; initial
applications for the following vessel
permits—Atlantic Tunas, HMS Charter/
Headboat, HMS Angling, and Swordfish
General Commercial, 35 minutes; onetime application for the IMO/LR
number, 30 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 10,933.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $1,073,550.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and the
Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975
(16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:47 Mar 13, 2024
Jkt 262001
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to
allow the Department/Bureau to: (a)
Evaluate whether the proposed
information collection is necessary for
the proper functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the
accuracy of our estimate of the time and
cost burden for this proposed collection,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
Evaluate ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (d) Minimize the
reporting burden on those who are to
respond, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or
summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this Information
Collection Request (ICR). Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you may ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs,
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024–05456 Filed 3–13–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD498]
Taking and Importing Marine
Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to U.S. Navy Construction at
Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk,
Virginia
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for
Letter of Authorization; request for
comments and information.
AGENCY:
NMFS has received a request
from the U.S. Navy for authorization to
take small numbers of marine mammals
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18605
incidental to construction activities
associated with the replacement of the
Q8 bulkhead at Naval Station Norfolk
over the course of 5 years from the date
of issuance. Pursuant to regulations
implementing the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is
announcing receipt of the Navy’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 the
Navy’s application and request.
DATES: Comments and information must
be received no later than April 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief,
Permits and Conservation Division,
Office of Protected Resources, National
Marine Fisheries Service and should be
submitted via email to ITP.Cockrell@
noaa.gov. An electronic copy of the
Navy’s application may be obtained
online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.
gov/national/marine-mammalprotection/incidental-takeauthorizations-construction-activities.
In case of problems accessing the
document, please call the contact listed
below.
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, including all
attachments, must not exceed a 25megabyte file size. All comments
received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted online at
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/
national/marine-mammal-protection/
incidental-take-authorizationsconstruction-activities 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:
Craig Cockrell, 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 (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
E:\FR\FM\14MRN1.SGM
14MRN1
18606
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 51 / Thursday, March 14, 2024 / Notices
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
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 September 14, 2022, NMFS
received an application from the Navy
requesting authorization for take of
marine mammals incidental to
construction activities related to
demolition and construction activities
associated with the replacement of the
Q8 bulkhead at Naval Station Norfolk.
Following NMFS’ review of the
application, the Navy provided
responses to our questions on December
15, 2023. A revised version of the
application was submitted on January 5,
2024 and the application was deemed
adequate and complete on February 23,
2024. The requested regulations would
be valid for 5-years, from January 1,
2025 through December 31, 2029. The
Navy plans to conduct necessary work,
including vibratory pile driving and
removal and impact pile driving to
remove aging components of the
bulkhead and replacing the tongue and
groove sheet piles between Piers 11 and
14 and areas to the north of Pier 14. The
proposed action may incidentally
expose marine mammals occurring in
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:47 Mar 13, 2024
Jkt 262001
the vicinity to elevated levels of
underwater sound, potentially resulting
in incidental take, by Level B
harassment. Therefore, the Navy
requests an authorization to incidentally
take marine mammals.
Specified Activities
The Navy is proposing to remove old
components of the Q8 bulkhead at
Naval Station Norfolk and replace those
with new to maintain the use and
lifespan of the bulkhead from Pier 11 to
the northern jetty just past Pier 14. Work
would be conducted over three phases.
The entire project scope includes the
removal of 378 existing piles from the
old bulkhead and installation of 836
piles to construct the new bulkhead
structure. The Navy expects
construction will require approximately
212 in-water workdays over the 5-year
period.
Information Solicited
Interested persons may submit
information, suggestions, and comments
concerning the Navy’s request (see
ADDRESSES). NMFS will consider all
information, suggestions, and comments
related to the request during the
development of proposed regulations
governing the incidental taking of
marine mammals by the Navy, if
appropriate.
Dated: March 11, 2024.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–05465 Filed 3–13–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION
BUREAU
[Docket No. CFPB–2024–0011]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Comment Request
Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau.
ACTION: Notice and request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau (CFPB) is requesting
the revision of the Office of
Management and Budget’s (OMB’s)
approval for an existing information
collection titled, ‘‘Regulation F: Fair
Debt Collection Practices Act, State
Application for Exemption,’’ approved
under OMB Control Number 3170–0056.
DATES: Written comments are
encouraged and must be received on or
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
before May 13, 2024 to be assured of
consideration.
You may submit comments,
identified by the title of the information
collection, OMB Control Number (see
below), and docket number (see above),
by any of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• Email: PRA_Comments@cfpb.gov.
Include Docket No. CFPB–2024–0011 in
the subject line of the email.
• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier:
Comment Intake, Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau (Attention: PRA
Office), 1700 G Street NW, Washington,
DC 20552. Because paper mail in the
Washington, DC area and at the CFPB is
subject to delay, commenters are
encouraged to submit comments
electronically.
Please note that comments submitted
after the comment period will not be
accepted. In general, all comments
received will become public records,
including any personal information
provided. Sensitive personal
information, such as account numbers
or Social Security numbers, should not
be included.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information
should be directed to Anthony May,
PRA Officer, at (202) 435–7278, or
email: CFPB_PRA@cfpb.gov. If you
require this document in an alternative
electronic format, please contact CFPB_
Accessibility@cfpb.gov. Please do not
submit comments to these email boxes.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title of Collection: Regulation F: Fair
Debt Collection Practices Act, State
Application for Exemption.
OMB Control Number: 3170–0056.
Type of Review: Revision of a
currently approved collection.
Affected Public: State governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
8,730.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 858,345.
Abstract: Regulation F implements
the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
(FDCPA), 15 U.S.C. 1692 and prescribes
Federal rules governing the activities of
debt collectors (as that term is defined
in the FDCPA). Regulation F addresses
communications in connection with
debt collection and prohibitions on
harassment or abuse, false or misleading
representations, and unfair practices in
debt collection. Regulation F includes
information collections related to
information that debt collectors must
provide to consumers at various points
during the debt collection process (such
as at the outset of collections), before
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\14MRN1.SGM
14MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 51 (Thursday, March 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18605-18606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05465]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD498]
Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals
Incidental to U.S. Navy Construction at Naval Station Norfolk in
Norfolk, Virginia
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application for Letter of Authorization;
request for comments and information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS has received a request from the U.S. Navy for
authorization to take small numbers of marine mammals incidental to
construction activities associated with the replacement of the Q8
bulkhead at Naval Station Norfolk over the course of 5 years from the
date of issuance. Pursuant to regulations implementing the Marine
Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is announcing receipt of the Navy'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 the Navy's
application and request.
DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than April
15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Jolie Harrison, Chief,
Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service and should be submitted via email to
[email protected]. An electronic copy of the Navy's application may
be obtained online at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-take-authorizations-construction-activities. In case of problems accessing the document, please call the
contact listed below.
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, including all attachments, must
not exceed a 25-megabyte file size. All comments received are a part of
the public record and will generally be posted online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/incidental-take-authorizations-construction-activities 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: Craig Cockrell, 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 (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
[[Page 18606]]
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 September 14, 2022, NMFS received an application from the Navy
requesting authorization for take of marine mammals incidental to
construction activities related to demolition and construction
activities associated with the replacement of the Q8 bulkhead at Naval
Station Norfolk. Following NMFS' review of the application, the Navy
provided responses to our questions on December 15, 2023. A revised
version of the application was submitted on January 5, 2024 and the
application was deemed adequate and complete on February 23, 2024. The
requested regulations would be valid for 5-years, from January 1, 2025
through December 31, 2029. The Navy plans to conduct necessary work,
including vibratory pile driving and removal and impact pile driving to
remove aging components of the bulkhead and replacing the tongue and
groove sheet piles between Piers 11 and 14 and areas to the north of
Pier 14. The proposed action may incidentally expose marine mammals
occurring in the vicinity to elevated levels of underwater sound,
potentially resulting in incidental take, by Level B harassment.
Therefore, the Navy requests an authorization to incidentally take
marine mammals.
Specified Activities
The Navy is proposing to remove old components of the Q8 bulkhead
at Naval Station Norfolk and replace those with new to maintain the use
and lifespan of the bulkhead from Pier 11 to the northern jetty just
past Pier 14. Work would be conducted over three phases. The entire
project scope includes the removal of 378 existing piles from the old
bulkhead and installation of 836 piles to construct the new bulkhead
structure. The Navy expects construction will require approximately 212
in-water workdays over the 5-year period.
Information Solicited
Interested persons may submit information, suggestions, and
comments concerning the Navy's request (see ADDRESSES). NMFS will
consider all information, suggestions, and comments related to the
request during the development of proposed regulations governing the
incidental taking of marine mammals by the Navy, if appropriate.
Dated: March 11, 2024.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-05465 Filed 3-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
