[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 6, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-8270]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 6, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 033194B]

 

Marine Mammals

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of additional public hearings on scientific research 
permit application (P557), and extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: In response to numerous requests, NMFS will hold additional 
public hearings and will extend the public comment period on an 
application for a scientific research permit to allow harassment of 
marine mammals and sea turtles by a low frequency sound source, and 
monitor its effects.

DATES: Public hearings will be held in Hawaii as follows: (1) On April 
14, 1994, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Mabel Smyth Auditorium, 510 S. 
Beretania Street, Honolulu, Hawaii; and (2) on April 15, 1994, from 6 
p.m. to 10 p.m. at Kauai War Memorial Convention Hall, 4191 Hardy 
Street, Lihue, Hawaii (Island of Kauai).

ADDRESSES: The application and related documents are available for 
review upon written request or by appointment in the following offices:
    Permits Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-
West Highway, room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/713-2289);
    Director, Southwest Region, NMFS, NOAA, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, 
suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213 (310/980-4016); and
    Coordinator, Pacific Area Office, NMFS, NOAA, 2570 Dole Street, 
room 106, Honolulu, HI 96822-2396 (808/955-8831).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: All non-Government organizations and 
scientists who wish to present prepared testimony should contact the 
following individual at least 48 hours in advance of the hearing so 
that a general agenda can be prepared: Jim McCallum, NMFS, Pacific Area 
Office, Southwest Region, 2570 Dole Street, room 105, Honolulu, HI 
96822, 808/955-8831 or 808/949-7400 (facsimile). People who are deaf or 
hearing impaired may place a call through the GTE Hawaiian 
Telecommunications Relay Service at 808/643-8833 (text telephone 
users).
    A written copy of each testimony to be presented is requested on 
the day of the hearing. It is advised to use slides or overheads only 
if absolutely necessary during presentations, and copies of any slides 
or overheads used are requested to be made available to NMFS on the day 
of the hearing.
    Other people who are interested in making a statement at any of 
these hearings should bring a written copy of the statement to the 
hearing, and will be given an opportunity to make such statements 
following the prepared testimonies. Anyone who needs additional 
information or requires special accommodations to attend the public 
hearing should contact the appropriate person named above at least 7 
days in advance of the hearing.
    Additional written comments may be sent to the following address: 
Permits Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West 
Highway, room 13130, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or may be sent by 
facsimile, if necessary, to 301/713-0376, and must be received by close 
of business April 29, 1994.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application for a scientific research 
permit has been submitted by Scripps Institute of Oceanography, 
Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Acoustic Thermometry of 
Ocean Climate Program, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0225.
    On November 16, 1993, notice was published in the Federal Register 
(58 FR 60426) that a request for a scientific research permit (P557) 
was submitted, to take by incidental harassment, the following species 
of marine mammals for purposes of scientific research in waters off the 
northern coast of Kauai, Hawaii: humpback whale (Megaptera 
novaeangliae), sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), pygmy sperm whale 
(Kogia breviceps), short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala 
macrorhynchus), Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), Baird's 
beaked whale (Berardius bairdii), Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon 
densirostris), spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris), spotted dolphin 
(Stenella attenuata), false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens), rough-
toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops 
truncatus), and monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi).
    On February 17, 1994, notice was published in the Federal Register 
(59 FR 7983) that a modification to the above scientific research 
permit application (P557) was submitted to request incidental 
harassment of sea turtles, and additional species of marine mammals 
which have only occasionally been observed in Hawaiian waters.
    On March 10, 1994, notice was published in the Federal Register (59 
FR 11254) that a public hearing would be held on this scientific 
research permit application (P557) (and on scientific research permit 
application P557A). This hearing was held in Silver Spring, Maryland.
    Application P557 is a request to allow harassment of marine mammals 
and sea turtles by low frequency (70 Hz) sound sources at depths of 
850-900m. This source is part of the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean 
Climate (ATOC) program, and is proposed to be operated from March 1994 
through December 1995 off Hawaii. The maximum duty cycle will be 8%, 
with a transmission bandwidth of 20 Hz at a level of 195 dB (re 1 uPa 
at 1m), and with a spectrum level for the peak frequency (70 Hz) at 182 
dB. The effects of these transmissions on marine mammals and sea 
turtles will be monitored through a variety of methods.
    The subject permit is requested under the authority of the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the 
Regulations Governing the Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals (50 
CFR part 216), the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking, 
importing, and exporting of endangered fish and wildlife (50 CFR part 
222).

    Dated: April 1, 1994.
William W. Fox, Jr.,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 94-8270 Filed 4-1-94; 4:11 pm]
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