Department of Commerce November 12, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

NMFS received a request from Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion) on September 29, 2020, for a modification to the incidental harassment authorization (IHA) that was issued on August 28, 2020. This initial IHA allowed Dominion to take nine species of marine mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to marine site characterization surveys conducted in the areas of the Commercial Lease of Submerged Lands for Renewable Energy Development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Offshore Virginia (Lease No. OCS-A-0483) as well as in coastal waters where an export cable corridor will be established in support of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial (CVOW Commercial) Project. Dominion was recording take of Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) by Level B harassment at a rate that would exceed the authorized limit on this species and therefore, NMFS is proposing to modify the IHA to increase authorized take by Level B harassment of spotted dolphin. The mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures remain the same as prescribed in the initial IHA and no additional take was requested for other species. NMFS will consider public comments on the requested modification prior to making any final decision and agency responses will be summarized in the final notice of our decision.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is rescinding the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain tin mill products from Japan for the period August 1, 2019, through July 31, 2020, based on the timely withdrawal of the request for review.

NMFS proposes to approve and implement changes to the Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Risk Policy. The purpose of this action is to adjust the Council's risk policy by accepting a higher level of risk for stocks at or above biomass targets. These adjustments could lead to increases in catch limits for healthy fisheries managed by the Council.