[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 245 (Thursday, December 21, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76718-76722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21885]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[USCG-2005-22219]


Northeast Gateway Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port License 
Application; Final Environmental Impact Statement Supplementary 
Material

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability; Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) 
announce the availability of material supplementing the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Northeast Gateway 
Liquefied Natural Gas Deepwater Port License Application. The 
supplementary material corrects omissions in the FEIS.

DATES: To allow sufficient time for public review and comment on this 
supplemental material we are extending the public comment period until 
December 26, 2006. All other scheduled dates remain unchanged. The 
Federal and State Agency and Governor comment period also end December 
26, 2006 and the MARAD Record of Decision is due by February 7, 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about the 
supplementary material, you may contact Roddy Bachman, U.S. Coast 
Guard, at 202-372-1451 or Roddy.C.Bachman.uscg.mil. If you have 
questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Ms. 
Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-493-
0402.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 26, 2006, the Coast Guard and 
MARAD notice of availability for the Northeast Gateway Liquefied 
Natural Gas Deepwater Port License FEIS appeared in the Federal 
Register (71 FR 62657). Subsequently, we discovered some omissions in 
the FEIS. The FEIS did not include some data that became available late 
in the process. These corrections appear in an errata sheet which, 
along with the FEIS itself, are now available in the docket on the 
Internet at http://dms.dot.gov under docket number USCG-2005-22219. You 
may also view these materials in person at the Docket Management 
Facility in room PL-401 on the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    The corrections are to incorporate additional Whale Center of New 
England data into the FEIS. The following corrections to the FEIS 
apply:

Page 2-36, Marine Mammal Occurrence

    Delete: ``The analysis compared distribution of marine mammal 
sightings within the location alternatives using sighting data provided 
by SBNMS for the period 1979 to 2002''.
    Replace with: ``Data on the distribution of marine mammals was 
obtained from the following two primary sources: Whale Center of New 
England (Weinrich and Sardi, 2005) and North Atlantic Right Whale 
Consortium (NARWC). The Whale Center of New England sightings data are 
collected by observers on whale watch boats out of Gloucester, Salem, 
Boston, and Provincetown, as well as one dedicated research vessel out 
of Gloucester. The NARWC maintains sightings data collected by 
government and private right whale researchers. Additional mammal 
distribution information was also obtained from the NMFS stock 
assessments (Waring et al., 2004) and review of online NMFS stock 
assessment reports.''

Page 2-51

    Replace ``North Atlantic Right Whale'' with ``Marine Mammals'' and 
insert the following: According to the 2005 NMFS online Stock 
Assessment Reports (SARs), humpback whales are also considered a 
strategic stock for which the average annual fishery-related mortality 
and serious injury exceeds the potential biological removal (PBR), 
while minke whales are not. More recent scientific studies (Cole et al. 
(2005)) indicate that Gulf of Maine humpback and minke whales are both 
above the PBR. Should NMFS incorporate these findings into the next 
SAR, the minke whale may be considered for reclassification as a 
strategic stock. Construction scheduling should avoid peak periods when 
these species are most abundant.

Page 2-54, Table 2-9. Replace: Table 2-9 with the following table

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[[Page 76719]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21DE06.037


[[Page 76720]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21DE06.038

Page 3-53

    Insert the following footnote to Table 3-22: ``More recent 
scientific studies (Cole et al. (2005)) indicate that the Gulf of Maine 
minke whale stock is above the PBR. Should NMFS incorporate these 
findings into the next SAR, the minke whale may be considered for 
reclassification as a strategic stock.''

Page 3-54, First paragraph last sentence

    Delete ``In general, use of the Gulf of Maine habitat areas by 
cetaceans increases in the spring and summer, and decreases in the fall 
and winter.''
    Replace with ``Although seasonal whale distribution plots developed 
from whale watching cruises seem to indicate a decline in mammal 
numbers during the fall, this may reflect the fewer number of whale 
watching cruises outside the peak summer season. Therefore, use of Gulf 
of Maine habitat areas by cetaceans does not show as much of a decrease 
in the fall as previously indicated in the FEIS.''

Page 3-66, Second paragraph, following last sentence

    Insert ``More recent scientific studies (Cole et al. (2005)) 
indicate that Gulf of Maine minke whale is above the PBR. Should NMFS 
incorporate these findings into the next SAR, the minke whale may be 
considered for reclassification as a strategic stock.''

Page 3-76, Replace table 3-26 with the following table

[[Page 76721]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN21DE06.039

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Page 3-81, paragraph 3

    Replace the two references to figure 3-13 in: ``(Figures 3-13 
through 3-17)'', with: ``(Figures 3-14 through 3-17).''

Page 3-88, paragraph 4

    Delete: ``Nevertheless, only about 10% of the current day North 
Atlantic population of humpback whales regularly visits New England 
waters (USEPA, 1993). According to the species stock assessment report, 
the population estimate for the Gulf of Maine stock of humpback whales 
is 902 individuals (Waring et al., 2004), and the best estimate for the 
entire North Atlantic population is 10,600 (Smith et al., 1999).''
    Replace with: ``According to the species stock assessment report, 
the population estimate for the Gulf of Maine stock of humpback whales 
is 902 individuals (Waring et al., 2004). The appropriate management 
unit for consideration is the Gulf of Maine stock, as re-population 
from the larger North Atlantic population is not likely.''

Page 3-89, first full sentence

    Delete ``but a dramatic increase in the use of Stellwagen Bank by 
adult humpback whales has occurred during the September 1-November 5, 
2000-2004 period, apparently due to the increased feeding on previously 
unexploited prey sources (Weinrich and Sardi, 2005).''
    Replace with: ``but a dramatic increase in the use of Stellwagen 
Basin, in the area of the proposed Project site by primarily juvenile 
humpback whales has occurred during the September 1-November 5, 2000-
2004 period, apparently due to the increased feeding on previously 
unexploited planktivorous prey sources (Weinrich and Sardi, 2005).''

Page 3-94, last full paragraph, following last sentence

    Insert: ``In its 2005 Stock Assessment Report (SAR) NMFS has 
classified the humpback whale as a strategic stock. Recent scientific 
studies (Cole et al. (2005)) continue to indicate that the Gulf of 
Maine humpback whale stock is above the PBR.''

Page 3-101, last paragraph

    Delete reference to Weinrich and Sardi, 2005 in sentence: 
``According to the sighting data, only one sei whale has been seen in 
the Project area, and that whale was feeding (Figure 3-28) (Kenney, 
2001; Short and Schaub, 2005; Short et al., 2004; Weinrich and Sardi, 
2005; McLeod et al., 2003 and 2000; Kenney, 2001; McLeod, 2002, 2001, 
and 1999).''

Page 3-127, 6th full paragraph

    Delete second sentence ``Few of these operators are devoted 
exclusively to whale watching, and many also provide fishing, 
sightseeing, and transportation services.''

Page 3-153, last paragraph

    Delete: ``This proposal must be formally evaluated prior to 
approval.''
    Replace with: ``The proposed shift in the TSS was presented to the 
International Maritime Organization (IMO) in summer 2006 for official 
review and decision.''

Page 3-158, end of first paragraph

    Insert: (NEG, 2005).

Page 4-40, Table 4-10

    Under the ``Equivalent Yield'' column, replace ``1,165'' (lobster) 
with ``3'', and change the total from 2,330 to 1,168.

Page 4-58, third full paragraph

    Delete ``there has been little or no direct evidence to link a 
spill event to any cetacean mortality discovered either during or 
following a spill (Geraci and Aubin, 1990).''
    Replace with: ``studies conducted after the large Exxon Valdez oil 
spill indicated adverse impacts to local killer whale pods, with at 
least two immediate mortalities likely from the spill (Matkin

[[Page 76722]]

and Saulitie, 1997). Although killer whales feed at the top of the food 
chain, and most of the species in the NEG project area feed on 
plankton, near the bottom of the food chain, there is the potential for 
adverse impacts on whales at the project site from oil spills. Impacts 
are still considered to be minor; however, due to the low probability 
of a spill.''

Page 4-58, third full paragraph

    Delete: Despite direct contact of these marine mammals with the oil 
spills, no apparent adverse effects were recorded.''
    Replace with: ``Despite direct contact of these marine mammals with 
the oil spills, no apparent adverse effects were recorded at the time 
of the fly-over, nor was there evidence of behavior modification as a 
result of the spill. Follow-up flights or studies were not conducted, 
however, to determine if there were any longer-term effects.''

Page 4-63, first paragraph, 4th sentence

    Insert: (NEG, 2005) at the end of the sentence.

Pages 4-65 and 4-76 Fuel Spill

    Delete: ``Cetaceans that might come into contact with a small fuel 
spill at the Project site would not be likely to show adverse effects, 
as past observations have shown no apparent adverse effects or 
behavioral changes caused by contact with fuel spills.''
    Replace with: ``Limited study (see FEIS, p. 4-58, third full 
paragraph), indicates that cetaceans that may come into contact with a 
small fuel spill at the Project site would not be likely to show 
adverse effects.''

Page 4-65 and 4-76 Bioaccumulation 2nd paragraph

    Delete: ``The only possible route of uptake of contaminants by 
marine mammals is through food consumption, as contaminants are not 
absorbed through the skin of marine mammals, and they do not drink 
large quantities of seawater.''
    Replace with: ``The most likely route of uptake of contaminants by 
marine mammals is through food consumption, as contaminants are not 
absorbed through the skin of marine mammals. While whales do not 
intentionally drink large quantities of seawater, a large quantity of 
water is processed in filter-feeding and could present another 
potential route for contaminate absorption.''

Page 4-77 Construction Schedule Alternatives

    Delete: ``Allowing construction from May through November would be 
most protective of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale 
and fin and humpback whales, but would be less protective of sei 
whales, blue whales, sea turtles and some fish species.''
    Replace with: ``Allowing construction from May through November 
would be most protective of the North Atlantic right whale, but would 
be less protective of fin whales, humpback whales, sea turtles and some 
fish species.''

    By order of the Maritime Administrator.

    Dated: December 18, 2006.
Joel C. Richard,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
 [FR Doc. E6-21885 Filed 12-20-06; 8:45 am]
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