[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12474-12475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05236]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XE448


Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment for 
Oil and Gas Activities in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 2016

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Services announces the 
availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the 
environmental impacts of issuing annual Incidental Take Authorizations 
(ITAs) pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) for the 
taking of marine mammals incidental to oil and gas activities in Cook 
Inlet, AK during 2016. The Draft EA is available for review and comment 
at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental/energy_other.htm.

DATES: Comments and information must be received no later than March 
28, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft EA 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 25-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.htm 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 the Draft EA may be obtained by writing to 
the address specified above, telephoning the contact listed below (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), or visiting the internet at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara Young, Office of Protected 
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427-8484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 12, 2015, NMFS published a Notice 
of Intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Assessment on the 
Issuance of Incidental Take Authorizations in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 
2016 (80 FR 48299), to help NMFS assess the effects of multiple one-
year incidental take authorizations and consider mitigation and 
monitoring measures in the context of the multiple activities. In 
furtherance of that goal NMFS requested applicants for ITAs to submit 
their applications by October 1 of the year preceding the requested ITA

[[Page 12475]]

year. NMFS received applications for ITAs from ExxonMobil Alaska LNG 
LLC (see 81 FR 6376, February 5, 2016) (Notice of Proposed Incidental 
Harassment Authorization); SAExploration Inc.; and BlueCrest Alaska 
Operating LLC. Potential impacts from these actions are assessed in the 
Draft EA available at the above web address.
    On February 5, 2016, NMFS published a Proposed Issuance of an 
Incidental Take Authorization for ExxonMobil Alaska LNG LLC (see 81 FR 
6376, February 5, 2016), which stated that the Draft EA would be 
available for review concurrently with the proposed Authorization. The 
Draft EA was not available for the majority of the public comment 
period of the proposed Authorization. Due to the delay in making the 
Draft EA publically available, NMFS will be accepting public comment on 
the Draft EA until March 28, 2016.

    Dated: March 3, 2016.
Perry F. Gayaldo,
Deputy Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-05236 Filed 3-8-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P