[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 145 (Wednesday, July 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40504-40505]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20279]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 041598A]


Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals; Offshore Seismic 
Activities in the Beaufort Sea

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

ACTION: Notice of withdrawal of an application for an incidental 
harassment authorization.

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SUMMARY: On July 6, 1998, NMFS was notified by BP Exploration (Alaska) 
(BPXA) that BPXA would not be conducting seismic surveys for oil and 
gas exploration in the U.S. Beaufort Sea during the 1998 open-water 
season. As a result, BPXA has requested NMFS to withdraw its 
application for an incidental harassment authorization under the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and, by this document, NMFS is noting that 
withdrawal.


[[Page 40505]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Hollingshead, Office of 
Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 713-2055, Brad Smith, Western Alaska 
Field Office, NMFS, (907) 271-5006.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

     Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) 
directs the Secretary of Commerce to allow, upon request, the 
incidental, but not intentional, taking 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.
    Permission may be granted if NMFS finds that the taking will have a 
negligible impact on the species or stock(s) and will not have an 
unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or 
stock(s) for subsistence uses and that the permissible methods of 
taking and requirements pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of 
such taking are set forth.

Application

    On March 26, 1998, NMFS received an application from BPXA 
requesting a 1-year renewal of its authorization for the harassment of 
small numbers of several species of marine mammals incidental to 
conducting seismic surveys during the open water season in the Beaufort 
Sea between Harrison Bay and Camden Bay/Flaxman Island, AK. 
Weather permitting, the survey was expected to take place between 
approximately July 1 and October 20, 1998. A detailed description of 
the work proposed for 1998 is contained in the application and need not 
be repeated here. A notice of receipt of the application and proposed 
authorization was published on May 6, 1998 (63 FR 25015), and a 30-day 
public comment period was provided on the application and proposed 
authorization. Several comments were received during the 30-day comment 
period. While those comments no longer require response by NMFS, 
because similar comments were submitted during the review and comment 
period for an IHA application by Western Geophysical for seismic 
operations in the U.S. Beaufort Sea, readers are encouraged to review 
the authorization notice for that applicant elsewhere in this issue of 
the Federal Register.

    Dated: July 22, 1998.
Patricia A. Montanio,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 98-20279 Filed 7-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F