[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 5, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7936-7937]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03870]



[[Page 7936]]

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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


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

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of permit modification request received and permit 
issued.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a 
notice of requests to modify permits issued to conduct activities 
regulated and permits issued 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 
a requested permit modification and permit issued.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower 
Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-292-8224; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation (NSF), 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 requiring special 
protection.
    1. NSF issued a permit (ACA 2018-027) to Bradford Clement on 
January 2, 2018. The issued permit allows the permit holder to conduct 
activities associated with conducting four International Ocean 
Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions in the Antarctic and Southern 
Ocean waters. The permit holder is permitted to release or potentially 
release beacon weights, drilling mud, rotary core barrel coring bits, 
free fall funnels/re-entry cones, borehole casing, wiper pigs, and 
small amounts of fluorescent microspheres as a result of the normal 
operations of the JOIDES Resolution ocean drilling ship. Other standard 
hardware lowered below or over the side of the vessel would be 
retrieved, but may be subject to unintentional release.
    Now the applicant proposes a permit modification to add the use of 
perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs), which are nontoxic and inert, to 
facilitate microbiological analyses of the cores. PFTs would be 
introduced into the drilling process by pumping them into the drilling 
fluid at a constant concentration of 1 mg/L. PFT use would be conducted 
on select holes or during parts of the coring process as dictated by 
the science party. PFTs used would be perfluoromethylcyclohexane (PMCH) 
or perfluoromethyldecalin (PFMD) depending on availability and/or 
preference of the science party. The Environmental Officer has reviewed 
the modification request and has determined that the amendment is not a 
material change to the permit, and it will have a less than a minor or 
transitory impact.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: December 21, 2018-July 20, 2019.
    The permit modification was issued on December 21, 2018.
    2. NSF issued a permit (ACA 2015-011) to Ari Friedlaender on 
December 3, 2014. The issued permit allows the permit holder to take 
biopsy samples and photographs for identification of humpback (n=200 
biopsy & photo-ID), Antarctic minke (n=50 biopsy; 200 photo-ID), killer 
(n=50; 200 photo-ID), and Arnoux's beaked (n=50; 200 photo-ID) whales 
in the Southern Ocean. The permit also allowed for 10 satellite-tagging 
takes of humpback whales.
    A modification to this permit, dated December 31, 2015, allowed the 
permit holder to increase the number of satellite-tagging takes of 
humpback whales to 20 and to add 10 dart tag takes and 20 suction cup 
tag takes for both humpbacks and Antarctic minke whales.
    Another modification, dated March 27, 2018, allowed increased 
biopsy takes to 250 for all four whale species listed on the original 
permit. Of those 250 biopsy takes, 50 would be associated with 
approaches that would also include tagging and the remaining 200 biopsy 
takes would occur during approaches that do not involve tagging. The 
modification also increased the number of dart tag takes of humpback 
whales (from 10 to 30) and Antarctic minke whales (from 10 to 20) and 
increase the number of suction cup tagging takes of Antarctic minke 
whales from 20 to 30. In addition, the permit holder was allowed takes 
for dart tagging (n=10) and suction cup tagging (n=40) of Arnoux's 
beaked whales as well as 50 suction cup tagging takes for killer 
whales. Finally, the permit holder added southern right whales to his 
ACA permit and is requesting 250 biopsy takes, 200 photo-ID takes, and 
50 suction cup tagging takes for this species.
    Now, the permit holder has requested an extension of the permit 
expiration date with the new expiry date of March 31, 2019. This ACA 
permit modification would be consistent with the expiration date of the 
National Marine Fisheries Service Permit No. 14809-03 on which the ACA 
permit holder is an approved Co-Investigator.
    The Environmental Officer has reviewed the modification request and 
has determined that the amendment is not a material change to the 
permit, and it will have a less than a minor or transitory impact. The 
permit holder is hereby authorized to conduct permitted activities 
until March 31, 2019.
    Please note that the permit holder sought and was granted this 
expiration date extension in December 2018, prior to the original 
permit expiration of December 31, 2018. As such, there was no lapse in 
permitting of allowed activities. The formal issuance of this 
modification was delayed by the lapse in federal government 
appropriations and completed upon resumption of government operations 
on January 28, 2019.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: January 1-March 31, 2019.
    The permit modification was issued on January 28, 2019.
    3. NSF issued a waste management permit to Brandon Harvey, 
Director, Expedition Operations, Polar Latitudes, Inc. on November 2, 
2017. Under that permit (ACA #2018-015), Polar Latitudes was permitted 
to conduct waste management activities associated with coastal camping 
and operating remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) In the Antarctic 
Peninsula region. Coastal overnight camping of no more than 30 campers 
and two expedition staff for a maximum of 10 hours ashore. Camping must 
be away from vegetated sites and at least 150 meters from wildlife 
concentrations or lakes, protected areas, historical sites, and 
scientific stations. The permit holder engages experienced pilots to 
fly small, battery-operated, remotely controlled quadcopter equipped 
with cameras to capture aerial footage for commercial and educational 
uses. The permit expires March 30, 2022.
    On September 4, 2018, Polar Latitudes provided NSF an update 
(attached) based on activities planned for the 2018-2019 field season. 
The activities are the same or similar as those detailed in the 
original permit. Hayley Shephard now holds the position of Director of 
Expedition Operations. In addition, coastal camping should no longer 
occur in close proximity to Almirante Brown/Brown Base.
    Now the permit holder is requesting a modification of the permit to 
cover accidental releases that may result from the conduct of whale-
tagging and environmental sampling research activities aboard the MS 
ISLAND SKY, March 5-12, 2019. The research, led by Daniel Zitterbart as 
part of an

[[Page 7937]]

expedition within an expedition, would involve equipment including 
whale tags, a carbon-fiber pole, an echosounder, a small tow net, a CTD 
instrument, and a hydrophone. The intent would be to deploy and 
retrieve all equipment during the course of the research.
    The Environmental Officer has reviewed the modification request and 
has determined that the amendment is not a material change to the 
permit, and it will have a less than a minor or transitory impact. The 
permit holder is hereby authorized to conduct waste management 
activities associated with whale-tagging research on the MS ISLAND SKY 
in March 2019.
    Dates of Permitted Activities: March 5-12, 2019.
    The permit modification was issued on February 25, 2019.

Erika N. Davis,
Program Specialist, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2019-03870 Filed 3-4-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7555-01-P