[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3293-3294]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00308]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XF027


Draft Arctic Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: NMFS, in an effort to increase preparedness for wildlife 
response under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, has drafted guidelines 
for marine mammal response in northern Alaska entitled ``Arctic Marine 
Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines.'' NMFS invites the public to 
comment on and/or provide additional information for NMFS to consider 
in finalizing the guidelines.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 13, 2017.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by 
NOAA-NMFS-2016-0143, by any one of the following methods;
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2016-0143 click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments;
     Mail: Submit written comments to Sadie Wright, attention 
Ellen Sebastian, National Marine Fisheries Service, Protected Resources 
Division, Alaska Region, 709 West 9th Street, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, 
AK 99802.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address), confidential business information, 
or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender 
will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter 
``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
    Electronic copies of the Draft Arctic Marine Mammal Disaster 
Response Guidelines and associated Appendices may be obtained from 
www.regulations.gov or from the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at 
alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sadie Wright, (907) 586-7630 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Marine mammal oil spill response and 
preparedness in Arctic Alaska presents many challenges including large 
populations of marine mammals, remote conditions, and lack of 
infrastructure, equipment, and trained personnel. Additionally, marine 
mammals are important subsistence and cultural resources for Alaska 
Native coastal communities, and response efforts must be cooperative 
with and sensitive to local communities. NMFS developed the Arctic 
Marine Mammal Disaster Response Guidelines (Guidelines) for the Bering 
Strait, Northwest Alaska, and the North Slope of Alaska through 
stakeholder engagement to develop regionally specific and culturally 
sensitive response strategies.
    NMFS sought input on communication and response protocols for 
carcass collection, de-oiling, tissue sampling, necropsies, and 
subsistence food issues through meetings with local leaders in Nome, 
Kotzebue, Wainwright, and Barrow, and teleconferences and email 
correspondence with outlying communities. These stakeholder meetings 
resulted in three key recommendations for the Guidelines: (1) Include a 
communication structure that is locally based and efficient, (2) 
prioritize public health and food safety, and (3) address the lack of 
infrastructure, equipment, and trained personnel for response efforts.
    These recommendations are addressed by the Guidelines in the 
following ways:
    (1) The local stranding agreement holder or community-appointed 
organization(s) is the local lead, and communication protocols outline 
cooperative approaches between stakeholders;
    (2) All response protocols are congruent with food safety testing, 
and the Alaska state public health representative is part of the 
communication loop; and
    (3) Caches of equipment should be developed and stored in hub 
communities with smaller caches in outlying villages, to include 
modular and adaptive infrastructure for response activities.
    Finally, the Guidelines recommend that trainings be developed for 
village residents that can be deployed remotely.
    The draft Guidelines focus on Arctic marine mammal species under 
NMFS jurisdiction (principally whales and ice-associated seals), and 
different approaches may be appropriate for walrus and polar bears, 
which are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Any response 
to marine mammals per these Guidelines should occur in coordination 
with NMFS through the Incident Command Structure, if put in place for 
an oil spill or other major incident.
    Comments are invited on any aspect of the draft Guidelines. We are 
particularly interested in maintaining an efficient communication 
strategy for marine mammal disaster response in the Arctic, and seek 
suggestions to ensure the Guidelines provide that framework. In 
addition, NMFS appreciates specific suggestions on how to improve the

[[Page 3294]]

clarity of the Guidelines. NMFS also requests residents of 
Utqia[gdot]vik (Barrow) to advise on the preferred name of their town 
to be used in this planning/communication document. We understand the 
official name is now Utqia[gdot]vik, but many responders may be more 
familiar with the name Barrow in the near future.

    Dated: January 5, 2017.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-00308 Filed 1-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P