[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 82 (Friday, April 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10246]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 29, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
[I.D. 042294C]

 

Marine Mammals

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

ACTION: Notice of additional public hearing on scientific research 
permit application (P557A) and extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: In response to numerous requests, NMFS will hold an additional 
public hearing and will extend the public comment period on this 
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: A public hearing will be held in California on May 16, 1994, 
from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church 
Street, Santa Cruz, California, co-sponsored with the Monterey Bay 
National Marine Sanctuary. The period from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. will be 
allotted for the applicant to provide a brief description of an updated 
research program.

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
    Sanctuary Manager, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, National 
Ocean Service, 2560 Garden Road, #101, Monterey, CA 93940 (408/647-
4257).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All non-Government organizations and 
scientists who wish to present prepared testimony should contact Aaron 
King, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, at the address above or 
telephone 408/647-4257 or 408/647-4250 (facsimile) at least 48 hours in 
advance of the hearing so that a general agenda can be prepared. People 
who are deaf or hearing impaired may place a call through the 
California Relay Service at 800/735-2922.
    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 this 
hearing 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 Aaron King 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 May 31, 1994.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An application for a scientific research 
permit has been submitted by Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 
Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Acoustic Thermometry of 
Ocean Climate Program, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0225.
    On February 3, 1994, notice was published in the Federal Register 
(59 FR 5177) that a request for a scientific research permit (P557A) 
was submitted, to take by incidental harassment several species of 
marine mammals and sea turtles for purposes of scientific research in 
waters off the coast of Pt. Sur, California.
    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 (P557A) and on a related scientific 
research permit application (P557). This hearing was held in Silver 
Spring, Maryland, on March 22, 1994.
    This permit application is a request to allow harassment of marine 
mammals and sea turtles by a low frequency (70 Hz) sound source at a 
depth of 850-900m, and to monitor the effects of the sound on marine 
mammals and sea turtles. This source is part of the Acoustic 
Thermometry of Ocean Climate (ATOC) program, and is proposed to be 
operated from April 1994 through March 1996 off California. The maximum 
duty cycle will be 8 percent, 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.
    This permit for the Pt. Sur, California project 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.), the regulations 
governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered fish and 
wildlife (50 CFR part 222), the Fur Seal Act of 1966, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1151 et seq.), and fur seal regulations at 50 CFR part 215.

    Dated: April 22, 1994.
William W. Fox, Jr.,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 94-10246 Filed 4-25-94; 12:19 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P