[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4672-4673]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01611]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC969


Draft Guidance for Assessing the Effects of Anthropogenic Sound 
on Marine Mammals--Acoustic Threshold Levels for Onset of Permanent and 
Temporary Threshold Shifts

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

ACTION: Notice; reopening of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On December 27, 2013 the National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) on behalf of NMFS and the National Ocean Service (referred to 
collectively here as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA)), announced the availability of draft guidance 
for assessing the effects of anthropogenic sound on marine mammal 
species under NOAA's jurisdiction. NOAA solicited public comment on the 
draft guidance and provided a 30-day public comment period ending 
January 27, 2014. NOAA

[[Page 4673]]

has received requests for an extension of the public comment period. In 
response to those requests, NOAA is reopening the public comment period 
for an additional 45 days.

DATES: Comments must be received or postmarked by no later than March 
13, 2014.

ADDRESSES: The draft guidance is available in electronic form via the 
Internet at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/acoustics/ and via the 
eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov.
    You may submit comments, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2013-0177, by any 
of the following methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov.
     Mail: Send comments to: Chief, Marine Mammal and Sea 
Turtle Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National 
Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 
20910-3226, Attn: Acoustic Guidance.
    Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record 
and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without 
change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, 
address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly 
accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or 
otherwise sensitive or protected information.
    NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required 
fields, if you wish to remain anonymous). You may submit attachments to 
electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF 
file formats only.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Scholik-Schlomer, Office of 
Protected Resources, 301-427-8449.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 27, 2013 NOAA announced the 
availability of draft guidance for assessing the effects of 
anthropogenic sound on marine mammal species under NOAA's jurisdiction 
for public comment (78 FR 78822). The guidance provides updated 
received levels, or thresholds, above which individual marine mammals 
are predicted to experience changes in their hearing sensitivity 
(either temporary or permanent) for all underwater anthropogenic sound 
sources. NOAA has received requests for an extension of the public 
comment period. In response to these requests, NOAA is reopening the 
comment period an additional 45 days. Comments must be received or 
postmarked by no later than March 13, 2014.

    Dated: January 23, 2014.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, performing the functions and 
duties of the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-01611 Filed 1-28-14; 8:45 am]
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