[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 70 (Monday, April 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19639-19640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08461]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD131


Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; 
Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Construction of the Block Island 
Transmission System

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

ACTION: Notice; proposed revised incidental harassment authorization; 
request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS received a joint request from Deepwater Wind Block Island 
Transmission, LLC (DWBIT) and the Narragansett Electric Company (a 
subsidiary of National Grid USA), doing business as National Grid 
(TNEC), to transfer from DWBIT to TNEC, a Marine Mammal Protection Act 
(MMPA) one-year Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) to take 
marine mammals, by harassment, incidental to construction of the Block 
Island Transmission System (BITS), following the sale of the BITS from 
DWBIT to TNEC. No other changes are proposed. NMFS is inviting comments 
on the proposed transfer of the BITS IHA from DWBIT to TNEC.

DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than May 13, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed revised IHA should be addressed to 
Jolie Harrison, Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of 
Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The mailbox address for providing 
email comments is [email protected]. Comments sent via email, 
including all attachments, must not exceed a 10-megabyte file size. 
NMFS is not responsible for comments sent to addresses other than those 
provided here.
    Instructions: All comments received are a part of the public record 
and will generally be posted to http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental/ 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.
    An electronic copy of DWBIT's original IHA application and current 
IHA for the BITS may be obtained by visiting the internet at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental/. NMFS prepared an 
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact on the 
issuance of the BITS IHA on August 21, 2014 which are available at the 
same internet address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Fiorentino, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427-8477.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) 
direct 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 or, if the taking 
is limited to harassment, a notice of a proposed authorization is 
provided to the public for review.
    An authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if NMFS 
finds that the taking will have a negligible impact on the 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.

Summary of Request

    On August 22, 2014, NMFS issued an IHA to DWBIT to take marine 
mammals, by Level B harassment, incidental to construction of the BITS, 
effective from November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015 (79 FR 51314). 
On January 30, 2015, DWBIT sold the BITS, in its entirety, to TNEC. The 
BITS, a bi-directional submarine transmission cable, will interconnect 
Block Island to TNEC's existing distribution system in Narragansett, 
Rhode Island. To date, no construction has occurred.
    DWBIT and TNEC subsequently submitted a written request to transfer 
the current IHA from DWBIT to TNEC. With the transfer of the BITS IHA, 
TNEC agrees to comply with the associated terms, conditions, 
stipulations, and restrictions of the original BITS IHA. No other 
changes were requested. The revised IHA, if issued, would remain 
effective from November 1, 2014, through October 31, 2015.
    This Federal Register notice sets forth only a proposed change in 
the BITS IHA holder's name. There are no other changes to the current 
IHA as described in the August 28, 2014, Federal Register notice of a 
final IHA (79 FR 51314): the specified activity; description of marine 
mammals in the area of the specified activity; potential effects on 
marine mammals and their habitat; mitigation and related monitoring 
used to implement mitigation; reporting; estimated take by incidental 
harassment; negligible impact and small numbers analyses and 
determinations; impact on availability of affected species or stocks 
for subsistence uses and the period of effectiveness remain unchanged 
and are herein incorporated by reference.

Proposed Revision to BITS IHA

    NMFS is proposing a change in the name of the holder of the BITS 
IHA from ``Deepwater Wind Block Island

[[Page 19640]]

Transmission, LLC, 56 Exchange Terrace, Suite 101, Providence, Rhode 
Island, 02903'' to ``The Narragansett Electric Company, d/b/a National 
Grid, 40 Sylvan Road, Waltham, Massachusetts, 02451.''

Request for Public Comments

    NMFS invites comment on the proposed revised IHA. Please include 
with your comments any supporting data or literature citations to help 
inform our final decision on DWBIT and TNEC's request for transfer of 
the BITS MMPA authorization.

    Dated: April 8, 2015.
Wanda L. Cain,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-08461 Filed 4-10-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P