[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 2, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49582-49583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21415]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permit applications received.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated 
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published 
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act in the Code of Federal 
Regulations. This is the required notice of permit applications 
received.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to this permit application by November 1, 2018. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Office of 
Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22314.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at 
the above address, 703-292-8030, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541, 45 CFR 671), 
as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 
1996, has developed regulations for the establishment of a permit 
system for various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain 
animals and certain geographic areas a requiring special protection. 
The regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic 
Specially Protected Areas.

Application Details

Permit Application: 2019-011

1. Applicant: John Kennedy, 917 Porphyry, Ophir, CO 81426.

    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Waste Management. The 
applicant proposes to operate a sailing yacht, conduct shore 
excursions, and operate a remotely piloted aircraft system in the 
Antarctic Peninsula region. The yacht would carry up to 1200 liters of 
diesel fuel in a combination of internal and external storage tanks, up 
to 50 liters of gasoline, and two, 8-kg bottles of propane. A spill kit 
and absorbent pads would be available during all fueling and fuel 
transfers. Garbage and food waste, including poultry products, would be 
stored onboard the vessel and disposed of outside Antarctica. Human 
waste generated during shore excursions would be contained, stored on 
the vessel, and disposed of outside Antarctica. The applicant would 
operate small, battery-operated remotely piloted aircraft systems 
(RPAS) consisting, in part, of a quadcopter equipped with cameras to 
aid in navigation and to collect footage of the Antarctic. The 
quadcopter would not be flown over wildlife, or over Antarctic 
Specially Protected Areas or Historic Sites and Monuments. The RPAS 
would only be operated by a pilot with extensive experience and flights 
would not occur if the aircraft cannot be flown in GPS mode. Several 
measures would be taken to prevent against loss of the quadcopters 
including painting the them a highly visible color; only flying when 
the wind is less than 20 knots; terminating flights with at least 40% 
battery life remaining; having an observer on the lookout for wildlife, 
people, and other hazards; and ensuring that the separation between the 
operator and quadcopter does not exceed visual line of sight. The 
applicant is seeking a Waste Permit to cover any accidental releases 
that may result from operating the vessel, conducting shore excursions, 
or operating the RPAS.
    Location: Antarctic Peninsula region.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: December 5, 2018-January 5, 2019.

Permit Application: 2019-012

2. Applicant: Conrad Combrink, Senior Vice President, Strategic 
Development Expeditions and Experiences, Silversea Cruises, Ltd., Wells 
Fargo Center, 333 Southeast 2nd Avenue, Suite 2600, Miami, Florida 
33131.
    Activity for Which Permit is Requested: Waste Management. The 
applicant proposes to operate small, battery-operated remotely piloted 
aircraft systems (RPAS) consisting, in part, of a quadcopter equipped 
with cameras to collect commercial and educational footage of the 
Antarctic. The quadcopter would not be flown over concentrations of 
birds or mammals, or over Antarctic Specially Protected Areas or 
Historic Sites and Monuments. The RPAS would only be operated by pilots 
with extensive experience, who are pre-approved by the Expedition 
Leader. Several measures would be taken to prevent against loss of the 
quadcopter including painting the them a highly visible color; only 
flying when the wind is less than 25 knots; flying for only 15 minutes 
at a time to preserve battery life; having prop guards on propeller 
tips, a flotation device if operated over water, and an ``auto go 
home'' feature in case of loss of control link or low battery; having 
an observer on the lookout for wildlife, people, and other hazards; and 
ensuring that the separation between the operator and quadcopter does 
not exceed an operational range of 500 meters. The applicant is seeking 
a Waste Permit to cover any accidental releases that may result from 
operating the RPAS.
    Location: Antarctic Peninsula Region.

[[Page 49583]]

    Dates of Permitted Activities: November 11, 2018-March 30, 2022.

Suzanne H. Plimpton,
Reports Clearance Officer, National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 2018-21415 Filed 10-1-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P