[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 152 (Monday, August 9, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47825-47826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19557]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2010-N138; 20124-1113-0000-F5]


Emergency Exemption; Issuance of Emergency Permit to Rehabilitate 
Sea Turtles Affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Gulf of Mexico

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of issuance of endangered species emergency permit.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On April 20, 2010, a massive oil spill occurred as a result of 
the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The 
oil spill continues to threaten the Gulf of Mexico environment and its 
inhabitants, including five sea turtle species. We, the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service have authorized Texas State Aquarium, under an 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) permit, to aid sea turtles affected by the 
oil spill.

ADDRESSES: Documents and other information concerning the permit are 
available for review, subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act 
and Freedom of Information Act. Documents will be available for public 
inspection, by appointment only, during normal

[[Page 47826]]

business hours at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 500 Gold Ave., 
SW., Room 6034, Albuquerque, NM 87103.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Jacobsen, Chief, Endangered 
Species Division, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103; (505) 248-6920.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 20, 2010, a massive, oil spill 
occurred as a result of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion in 
the Gulf of Mexico off the State of Louisiana, near the Mississippi 
River Delta. The oil spill continues to threaten the Gulf of Mexico 
environment and its inhabitants, including the following five species 
of sea turtles: The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill sea 
turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys 
kempii), leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), and loggerhead 
sea turtle (Caretta caretta).
    We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) have authorized 
Texas State Aquarium, under an Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 
10(c) permit (TE794593), to aid sea turtles affected by the Deepwater 
Horizon oil spill. Efforts to rehabilitate the turtles are currently 
taking place and will continue to be an ongoing process until we are 
satisfied that the sea turtles no longer need rehabilitation.
    Rehabilitation may include the following activities: Examine and 
document stranded sea turtles; aid with holding/restraining live 
turtles while others permitted rush to the scene, examine tags, apply 
tags, collect data/specimens, or attach satellite transmitters; examine 
for tags and tag live sea turtles; transport live and dead sea turtles 
to rehabilitation facilities, satellite transmitter attachment sites, 
and necropsy sites and necropsy dead sea turtles and collect samples; 
examine gut contents from dead sea turtles; attach satellite 
transmitters to nesting Kemp's ridley turtles; locate egg chambers and 
retrieve eggs for protected incubation; provide care for incubating sea 
turtle eggs; release hatchling sea turtles; examine unhatched eggs and 
collect tissue/gonad samples; capture juvenile sea turtles in nets and 
collect associated data; collect blood samples from stranded, nesting, 
and captured sea turtles; and collect small tissue samples from live 
stranded, nesting, and captured sea turtles.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: August 3, 2010.
Joy E. Nicholopoulos,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-19557 Filed 8-6-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P