[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63904-63905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25405]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD568


Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals 
Incidental to the Elliott Bay Seawall Project in Seattle, Washington

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

ACTION: Notice of issuance of a Letter of Authorization.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as 
amended, and implementing regulations, notification is hereby given 
that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to the City of 
Seattle's Department of Transportation (SDOT) for the take of eight 
species of marine mammals incidental to pile driving activities 
associated with the Elliott Bay Seawall Project (EBSP).

DATES: Effective from October 22, 2014, through October 21, 2015.

ADDRESSES: The LOA and supporting documentation are available for 
review on the Internet at: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental/construction.htm. Documents cited in this notice may also be viewed, by 
appointment, during regular business hours at the Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, 
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3225, by telephoning the contact listed under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ben Laws, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, 301-427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Sections 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) directs 
the Secretary of Commerce to allow, upon request, the incidental, but 
not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. 
citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial 
fishing) within a specified geographical region if certain findings are 
made and either regulations are issued. Under the MMPA, the term 
``take'' means to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, 
hunt, capture, or kill marine mammals.
    Authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if NMFS finds 
that the taking will have a negligible impact on the identified species 
or stock(s), will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the 
availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses (where 
relevant), and if the permissible methods of taking and requirements 
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring and reporting of such takings 
are set forth in the regulations. NMFS has defined ``negligible 
impact'' in 50 CFR 216.103 as `` . . . an impact resulting from the 
specified activity that cannot be reasonably expected to, and is not 
reasonably likely to, adversely affect the species or stock through 
effects on annual rates of recruitment or survival.''
    Regulations governing the taking of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina 
richardii), California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), Steller sea 
lions (Eumetopias jubatus monteriensis), harbor porpoise (Phocoena 
phocoena vomerina), Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli dalli), 
southern resident and transient killer whales (Orcinus orca), gray 
whales (Eschrichtius robustus), and humpback whales (Megaptera 
novaeangliae), by harassment, incidental to pile driving activities in 
Elliott Bay, were issued on October 21, 2013 (78 FR 63396, October 24, 
2013), and remain in effect until October 21, 2018. For detailed 
information on this action, please refer to that document. The 
regulations include mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements 
for the incidental take of marine mammals during pile driving 
activities associated with the Elliott Bay Seawall.
    Pursuant to those regulations, NMFS first issued an LOA, effective 
from October 22, 2013, through October 21, 2014. SDOT conducted 
activities as described, implemented the required mitigation measures, 
and conducted the required monitoring. The total number of potentially 
harassed marine mammals was well below the authorized limits, with the 
exception of the California sea lion. The reported take for California 
sea lion, by Level B harassment only, exceeded the annually authorized 
level by a small amount (186 versus 175). This overage does not affect 
the negligible impact, small numbers, and subsistence findings. In 
examining the proposed and final rules, we determined that an error was 
made in estimating take of California sea lions. We plan to correct 
that error through notification and opportunity for public comment in 
the Federal Register. Once corrected, the amount of take will not 
likely exceed authorized levels and we expect the correction will be 
made before SDOT approaches the amount authorized in the current 
subject LOA.

[[Page 63905]]

Authorization

    NMFS has issued an LOA to SDOT authorizing the Level B harassment 
of marine mammals incidental to pile driving activities associated with 
the Elliott Bay Seawall Project at Seattle, Washington. Take of marine 
mammals will be minimized through implementation of the following 
mitigation measures: (1) Limited impact pile driving; (2) containment 
of impact pile driving; (3) additional sound attenuation measures; (4) 
ramp-up of pile-related activities; (5) marine mammal exclusion zones; 
and (6) shutdown and delay procedures. SDOT will also conduct visual 
monitoring and underwater acoustic monitoring for mitigation and 
research purposes. Reports will be submitted to NMFS at the time of 
request for a renewal of the LOA, and a final comprehensive report, 
which will summarize all previous reports and assess cumulative 
impacts, will be submitted before the rule expires.
    Issuance of this LOA is based on the results of the monitoring 
report, which verifies that the total number of potentially harassed 
marine mammals was below the authorized limits, with the exception of 
the California sea lion (as discussed above). Based on these findings 
and the information discussed in the preamble to the final rule, the 
activities described under this LOA will have a negligible impact on 
marine mammal stocks and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on 
the availability of the affected marine mammal stock for subsistence 
uses. No injury, serious injury, or mortality of affected species is 
anticipated.

    Dated: October 21, 2014.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-25405 Filed 10-24-14; 8:45 am]
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