[Federal Register: February 7, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 25)]
[Notices]
[Page 5753-5754]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07fe07-147]
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of the Availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of availability of a draft Environmental Assessment for
proposed activities in the Indian Ocean.
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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) gives notice of the
availability of a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for proposed
activities in the Indian Ocean.
The Division of Ocean Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences
(GEO/OCE) has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment for a low-
energy marine seismic survey by the Research Vessel Roger Revelle in
the northeastern Indian Ocean, in international waters (1600-5100
meters depth) roughly between 5[deg] N and 25[deg] S, along ~90[deg] E
during May-August 2007. The draft Environmental Assessment is available
for public review for a 30-day period.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 9, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft Environmental Assessment are available
[[Page 5754]]
upon request from; Dr. William Lang, National Science Foundation,
Division of Ocean Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725, Arlington, VA
22230. Telephone: (703) 292-7857. The draft is also available on the
agency's Web site at http://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/pubs/Scripps_NE_Indian_Ocean_EA.pdf
.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(SIO), with research funding from the NSF, plans to conduct scientific
research at nine sites in international waters on the Ninety East Ridge
in the northeastern Indian Ocean for ~55 days during May-August 2007.
Research activities will include rock-dredging and magnetic,
bathymetric, and seismic surveys. The seismic survey will use a towed
array of two generator/injector (GI) airguns, totaling an air discharge
volume of 90 in3. The GI guns will be used for ~49 h at each
of 5 sites on the Ninety East Ridge in water depths of 1600 to 5100
meters. The results will be used to study the morphology, structure,
and tectonics of ridge volcanoes, to infer the magmatic evolution of
the ridge, and to survey broad characteristics of subseafloor in order
to refine the planning of an Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP)
drilling proposal.
SIO has applied for the issuance of an Incidental Harassment
Authorization (IHA) from the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS)
to authorize the incidental harassment of small numbers of marine
mammals during the seismic survey. The information in this
Environmental Assessment supports the IHA permit application process,
provides information on marine species not covered by the IHA, and
addresses the requirements of Executive Order 12114, ``Environmental
Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions''. Alternatives addressed in
this EA consist of a corresponding seismic survey at a different time,
along with issuance of an associated IHA; and the no action
alternative, with no IHA and no seismic survey.
Numerous species of cetaceans and sea turtles occur in the
northeastern Indian Ocean. Several of the species are listed as
Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), including
humpback, sei, fin, blue, and sperm whales. Other species of special
concern that could occur in the area include the endangered (under the
ESA) leatherback and hawksbill turtles, and the threatened (under the
ESA) loggerhead, olive ridley, and green turtles.
The potential impacts of the seismic survey would be primarily a
result of the operation of small airguns, although a multi-beam sonar
and a sub-bottom profiler will also be operated. Impacts may include
increased marine noise and resultant avoidance behavior by marine
mammals, sea turtles, and fish; and other forms of disturbance. The
operations of the project vessel during the study would also cause a
minor increase in the amount of vessel traffic. An integral part of the
planned survey is a monitoring and mitigation program designed to
minimize the impacts of the proposed activities on marine mammals and
sea turtles that may be present during the proposed research, and to
document the nature and extent of any effects. Injurious impacts to
marine mammals and sea turtles have not been proven to occur near
airgun arrays; however, the planned monitoring and mitigation measures
would minimize the possibility of such effects should they otherwise
occur.
Protection measures designed to mitigate the potential
environmental impacts will include the following: A minimum of one
dedicated marine mammal observer maintaining a visual watch during all
daytime airgun operations, and two observers for 30 min. before start
up. The small size of the airguns, restricting their use to deep (1600-
5100 m) water, and ramp-up and shut-down procedures are also inherent
mitigation measures. SIO and its contractors are committed to apply
those measures in order to minimize disturbance of marine mammals and
sea turtles, and also to minimize the risk of injuries or of other
environmental impacts.
With the planned monitoring and mitigation measures, unavoidable
impacts to each of the species of marine mammal that might be
encountered are expected to be limited to short-term localized changes
in behavior and distribution near the seismic vessel. At most, such
effects may be interpreted as falling within the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA) definition of ``Level B Harassment'' for those
species managed by NMFS. No long-term or significant effects are
expected on individual marine mammals, or the populations to which they
belong, or their habitats. The agency is currently consulting with the
NMFS regarding species within their jurisdiction potentially affected
by this proposed activity.
Copies of the draft EA, titled ``Environmental Assessment of
Planned Low-Energy Marine Seismic Survey by the Scripps Institution of
Oceanography in the Northeast Indian Ocean, May-August 2007,'' are
available upon request from: Dr. William Lang, National Science
Foundation, Division of Ocean Sciences, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 725,
Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone: (703) 292-7857 or at the agency's Web
site at: http://www.nsf.gov/oce/pubs/Scripps NE--Indian--Ocean--EA.pdf.
The NSF invites interested members of the public to provide written
comments on this draft EA.
Alexander Shor,
Program Director, Environmental Operations, Division of Ocean Sciences,
National Science Foundation.
[FR Doc. 07-532 Filed 2-6-07; 8:45 am]
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