[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 68 (Monday, April 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18431-18432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-7183]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of the Availability of an Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft Environmental Assessment for 
proposed activities in the Arctic Ocean.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation gives notice of the 
availability of a draft Environmental Assessment for proposed 
activities in the Arctic Ocean.
    The Office of Polar Programs (OPP) has prepared an Environmental 
Assessment of a marine geophysical survey by the Coast Guard cutter 
Healy across the Arctic Ocean, August-September 2005. Given the United 
States Arctic Program's mission to support polar research, the proposed 
action is expected to result in substantial benefits to science. The 
draft Environmental Assessment is available for public review for a 30-
day period.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 11, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment are available 
upon request from: Dr. Polly A. Penhale, National Science Foundation, 
Office of

[[Page 18432]]

Polar Programs, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 755, Arlington, VA 22230. 
Telephone: (703) 292-8033.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), 
with research funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and 
the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), plans to conduct a multi-
institution marine seismic survey across the Arctic Ocean from northern 
Alaska to Svalbard during the period 5 August to 30 September 2005 
(approximately). This project will be operated in conjunction with a 
sediment coring project intended to collect paleoenvironmental and 
paleoceanographic evidence that will reveal information about the 
recent history of the Arctic Ocean and its climate during the last ten 
thousand years. The purpose of the seismic survey is to study the 
history of the ridges and basins of the Arctic Ocean.
    Several species of cetaceans and pinnipeds inhabit the Arctic 
Ocean. The increased underwater noise from the research may result in 
avoidance behavior by some marine mammals and fish, and other forms of 
disturbance. An integral part of the planned survey is a monitoring and 
mitigation program to minimize impacts of the proposed activities on 
marine species present, and on fishing and subsistence activities, and 
to document the nature and extent of any effects. Injurious impacts to 
marine mammals have not been proven to occur near equipment proposed to 
be used in this research; however, the planned monitoring and 
mitigation measures would minimize the possibility of such effects 
should they otherwise occur.
    With the planned monitoring and mitigation measures, unavoidable 
impacts to each of the species of marine mammal that might be 
encountered are expected to be limited to short-term localized changes 
in behavior and distribution near the seismic vessel. At most, such 
effects may be interpreted as falling within the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA) definition of ``Level B Harassment'' for those 
species managed by NMFS. No long-term or significant effects are 
expected on individual marine mammals, or the populations to which they 
belong, or their habitats. The agency is currently consulting with both 
the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish & Wildlife Service 
regarding species within their respective jurisdictions potentially 
affected by this proposed activity.
    Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment titled, An 
Environmental Assessment of a Marine Geophysical Survey by the Coast 
Guard Cutter Healy Across the Arctic Ocean, August-September 2005, are 
available upon request from: Dr. Polly A. Penhale, National Science 
Foundation, Office of Polar Programs, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 755, 
Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone: (703) 292-8033 or at the agency's Web 
site at: http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/arctic/arc_envir/healy_ea.pdf. The 
National Science Foundation invites interested members of the public to 
provide written comments on this draft Environmental Assessment.

Dr. Polly A. Penhale,
Environmental Officer, Office of Polar Programs, National Science 
Foundation.
[FR Doc. 05-7183 Filed 4-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M