[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 129 (Thursday, July 7, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 39346]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-13316]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.


Notice of the Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft Environmental Assessment for 
proposed activities in the Pacific 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 Pacific Ocean.
    The Division of Ocean Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences 
(GEO/OCE) has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment for a marine 
geophysical survey by the Research Vessel Roger Revelle in the vicinity 
of Louisville Ridge in the Pacific Ocean, January-February 2006. The 
draft Environmental Assessment is available for public review for a 30-
day period.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before August 8, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment are available 
upon request from: Dr. Alexander Shor, National Science Foundation, 
Division of Ocean Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725, Arlington, VA 
22230. Telephone: (703) 292-8583. The draft is also available on the 
agency's Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/pubs/scripps_louisville_ridge_EA.pdf.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Scripps Institution of Oceanography 
(SIO), with research funding from the National Science Foundation 
(NSF), plans to conduct a marine survey on six seamounts of the 
Louisville Ridge in the Southwest Pacific Ocean during January-
February, 2006. The proposed action is to conduct a planned scientific 
rock-dredging, magnetic, and seismic survey program to examine the 
eruptive history of the submarine volcanoes there, and to collect date 
needed to design an effective Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) 
study on carefully-selected seamounts. The research will be carried out 
entirely within International Waters.
    Numerous species of cetaceans and sea turtles occur in the 
Southwest Pacific Ocean. Several of the species are listed as 
Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). The increased 
underwater noise from the research may result in avoidance behavior by 
some marine animals, 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 of marine species present, 
and to document the nature and extent of any effects. Injurious impacts 
to marine animal 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 measure, unavoidable 
impacts in 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 the 
National Marine Fisheries Service regarding species within their 
jurisdiction potentially affected by this proposed activity.
    Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment, titled 
``Environmental Assessment of a Planned Low-Energy Marine Seismic 
Survey by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography on the Louisville 
Ridge in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, January-February 2006'', are 
available upon request from:
    Dr. Alexander Shor, National Science Foundation, Division of Ocean 
Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725, Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone: 
(703) 292-8583 or at the agency's Web site at: http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/pubs/scripps_louisville_ridge_EA.pdf. The National Science 
Foundation invites interested members of the public to provide written 
comments on this draft Environmental Assessment.

    Dated: June 30, 2005.
Alexander Shor,
Program Director, Division of Ocean Sciences, National Science 
Foundation.
[FR Doc. 05-13316 Filed 7-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M